The light and airy Mediterranean ambience is the first thing you will notice when you walk into Cafe Platia in Camberwell. The second is the feeling of space, reminiscent of sitting at the table at a small cafe on a Greek Island with delicious smells of wafting on the warm air.

Cafe Platia serves mainly Mediterranean style food on a charcoal grill with a number of meats, seafoods and risottos. All anti-pasto dips, including artichoke hearts, cauliflowers, celery and asparagus are pickled on the premises according to owner Les Sidiropoulos, who has run the restaurant with the help of his family for 10 years. All dips are also homemade. Instead of a soup of the day, there are daily casseroles listed, and fresh herbed olive oil is provided on every table, that is delicious to eat on the bread baked fresh in the kitchen.

The fresh pungent smell of pickled vegetables and fresh bread teases the taste buds as soon as you enter the restaurant.

The menu features many traditional Mediterranean and Greek foods including seafood dishes such as Kind George Whiting, Baby Schnappers, Blue-eye fillet and Moreton Bay Bugs. The meat dishes include souvlaki, spiced lamb and meatballs. There are also chicken dishes and fresh garden salads. The food is beautifully prepared and served, with many of the main dishes being served with roasted potatoes and should be enjoyed with Greek salad, featuring a slab of fresh fetta and olives.

The flavour of the food is subtle and yet delicious and to be savoured, not bolted.