Low-key Greek stunner destined to become an Oxford Street favourite

Family. That’s what Maddy Colombus thinks of when she thinks of Greece.

Also, “sitting by the water. Lots of spritzes,” she says, laughing.

“But those long lunches with family. That’s what brings back my last trip. A lot of sea, a lot of sun.”

Colombus is marketing manager for Good Things Group and has Greek heritage. And Good Things Group co-owner Anna Brobjer’s family used to holiday there from her native Sweden.

You start to see the logic when GTG came across an empty hospitality space in Bulimba and more or less immediately pegged it for a Greek restaurant.

It was in the light and bright premises themselves with the crazy paver floors, but also the location on Oxford Street. There are few food precincts in Brisbane that are quite this family oriented.

“We were actually looking for another concept,” Colombus says. “Anna then came through on a weekend, walked into the office on Monday and we just looked at each other.”

The result is Chara, GTG’s first Greek restaurant, and the latest in a relatively quick succession of openings since the group unveiled its first La Bodega Mexican restaurant in East Brisbane in 2023 (its most recent was a second La Bodega in Fortitude Valley earlier this year).

The team has designed the restaurant themselves, producing a low-key stunner defined by bright yellows, brass-lined tables, rattan furniture, plenty of greenery, and tiled and arched features. The signature flourish is a beautiful artwork by United States illustrator Elias Thorne as you enter the dining room.

The whole thing references Greece and the Mediterranean without slipping into cliche.

“We’ve a crazy brain for design from Anna,” Colombus says. “She knows exactly what she wants and won’t stop until she has it. We custom-ordered furniture in from overseas because nothing in Australia was exactly what we wanted.”

For food, Daniel Llewellyn has stepped up from his head chef roll at the GTG’s Olli Italiano to oversee the entire group. He’s produced a menu that makes good use of the woodfired oven that’s existed in the space since 2022 when it opened as Mina Italian; it’s split into dips, meze, seafood, dishes cooked on the fire, and items from the garden.

For starters, there’s butterflied king prawns with garlic, lemon and herb butter; chargrilled octopus served with a carrot and ’nduja puree; and lamb ribs served with tzatziki, charred lemon and pickled herbs. Before you ask, yes, saganaki, zucchini fries and spanakopita are all present and correct.

Seafood is a simple choice between oysters served with ouzo and a lemon granita, and raw market fish with a caper vinaigrette and fresh pickled herbs.

Prepared in the woodfired oven are dishes such as a whole market fish with blistered vine ripe tomatoes, caper butter and freshly picked herbs; whole lemon herb chicken with carrot and ’nduja puree; and braised lamb shoulder with picked herbs.

Items from the garden include a Greek salad, a spanakorizo (rice pilaf with spinach and feta), and a maroulosalata (iceberg lettuce, feta, spring onion and fresh herbs).

“We really want to welcome everyone, young and old … It’s just bringing in that connection with family – that’s really important to us.”

Maddy Colombus

Colombus says the relatively extensive menu is designed to have wide appeal among locals.

“We really want to welcome everyone, young and old,” she says. “There’s something on the menu for everyone in that respect. You order a bunch of dishes, have a little bit of this, a little bit of that. It’s just bringing in that connection with family – that’s really important to us.”

For drinks, there’s a 30-bottle wine list that splits the difference between Greek and Australian drops, plus cocktails and beer.

There will also be a full breakfast menu, available seven days a week from Monday, which will add Greek flourishes to Australian morning classics.

“It’s going to be something different for Bulimba – they haven’t had much in the way of Greek for a little while,” Colombus says. “All the locals seem to be excited about it – they keep coming in to tell us. We’re looking forward to opening it for them.”

Open daily 7am-late from Monday (dinner service this Friday through Sunday)

37 Oxford Street, Bulimba, (07) 3559 2077

charabrisbane.au