The best newest venue to grace Adelaide isn’t the fanciest or most expensive, it’s the one with a Greek heart in a coastal setting and hearty meals made by hand.
Vasili’s Table, located near the shores of West Beach, carries the salty air through its open doors, as music moves throughout the venue and the soft hum of families and friends coming together fills the room as one.
Recognised as the ‘Best New Restaurant’ in the 2026 Restaurant & Catering Australia Hostplus Awards for Excellence, it comes from the hands of Vasilis ‘Billy’ Petropoulos.
As an Australian-born chef with Greek heritage, Billy brings plenty of experience to the table, with past venues all over the world, and his newest venture was inspired by his home roots.
“When they called our name, there was a mixture of shock, excitement and a lot of emotion,” Billy said.
“I was midst travel between two Greek islands and I was on live feed from my team.”
What made him the happiest was seeing the reaction from his whole team, in particular his own dad, who “looked like he’d won the World Cup,” as Vasili’s was crowned.
Just 12 months earlier, Vasili’s Table had been little more than a vision for a traditional Greek taverna, somewhere warm, energetic and full of life, where food, music and hospitality came together.
“Hospitality isn’t easy, there are long days, late nights and plenty of challenges behind the scenes, so to have that hard work recognised meant a lot to all of us.”
So what makes Vasili’s Table a stand out venue from the rest?
“I think people can feel when something is genuine.”
It was never about being the fanciest or reinventing a whole new cuisine. Instead, Billy said they wanted an experience that felt real, with no pretences or over-polished offerings.
Just real food, a magical and sustainable garden, with the atmosphere and music to pump up the energy.
“It all comes back to the way I grew up and the experiences I’ve had sitting around tables in my family home or Greece with family and friends.”
It’s a place to go to remember memories for the older generations, and somewhere to reconnect and discover what Greek hospitality is really about for the younger generation.
“And ultimately, we want people to walk through the door as guests and leave feeling like they’ve been welcomed into our home.”
“‘San to spiti mas,’ just like our house.”
Since Vasili’s Table opened, there have been plenty of fun times, hard times and everything in between.
“You have an idea in your head of what you want the place to be, but then you have to bring it to life every single day.”
Each day comes with the chance to learn, grow, make mistakes and change, but the memorable moments far outweigh the challenges.
And some of Billy’s favourites have been the simple moments, like three generations of Greek families sharing great food and laughter.
“It’s someone telling me a dish reminds them of something their mum or yiayia used to cook,” Billy said.
“It’s walking through the restaurant on a busy night and hearing the noise, laughter and conversations and thinking, this is exactly what I wanted this place to feel like.“
With the award win coming just before their first anniversary, the last 12 months have been an adventure never to be forgotten.
“We’re still trying to make people happy, cook honest Greek food and give people that feeling of being welcomed into our home.”
Vasili’s Table
Where: 5 West Beach Rd, West Beach
For more information, click here.
