Nic Charalambous is not a fan of fine dining. “I appreciate it, I just don’t love it. I find some of it too gimmicky ... a lot of restaurants don’t focus enough on the quality of the ingredient and the product,” the owner of Cape Town restaurant Ouzeri tells the FM.
Charalambous is no new hand in the kitchen, having started cooking while in high school, and studying at Silwood Kitchen. The environment didn’t immediately take, but private cheffing did. That left him feeling he hadn’t been moulded into any one way of cooking. “I feel I have a blank slate to work with and don’t have a particular style, which is quite nice,” he says.
The flexibility has paid off with Ouzeri, which puts out Cypriot and less well-known Greek dishes without the grand spaces or complex offerings that go along with fine dining. The focus is on fresh foods — and pushing the boundaries. That means taking South Africans beyond the classics — dishes such as souvlaki and kleftiko. “There’s nothing wrong with that; if it’s done well, it’s incredible — it’s amazing — but it’s too repetitive,” he says.
He’s serious about the task and visits Athens and various Ionian Islands each year, looking at the regional influences around Greece and from the different islands. “I love Athens, it’s full of energy and creative influence,” he says. “What they’re eating in Corfu is very different from what they’re eating in Sifnos. Corfu is very influenced by Venetians and Italians, and Sifnos on the other side is very different.
“We’re going to the effort to make these things, from different places around Greece. I love the region where the dishes are influenced, I love the whole provenance of it, I love telling that story to our guests. It’s part of the experience.”
That experience is set in a stylish, understated space — an Aegean aesthetic, with curved white walls and mosaic-tiled floors. With a view into the kitchen, you feel you’re part of the action.
“If you had to search Greek taverns in Athens you’d find a lot of this style,” says Charalambous. “I wanted that sort of nostalgic feel; the tapestries have the nostalgic feel of a granny’s house.”
Sharing is encouraged at Ouzeri, with many small plates on offer. That means a menu that takes time to engage with, and waiters who go through it with you. While some patrons love this, others want to get straight to the food. It includes loukoumades with caramelised onion, Klein River smoked Stanford cheese and white anchovy from Metsovo, or neratzosalata with blood orange, radicchio, nocellara olives, paprika and extra virgin olive oil from Corfu. There’s also a traditional Greek sausage called loukaniko, made by Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants, and smoked pork loin with cured meat from producer Richard Bosman.
I didn’t want it to be a place where only a certain kind of person or demographic [eats]
— Nic Charalambous
For Charalambous sourcing is important, as is supporting good farming practices, winemakers and independents. “We try our best to do that. At the moment it’s only South African wine but we’re looking to bring some international wine. Our manager, Odette Botha, has done a great job with curating an evolving list of these wines as well as a growing list of seasonal cocktails that are infused with Cypriot and Greek flavours,” he says.
The food at the restaurant has evolved over time. Certain elements are more refined and nuanced than Charalambous at first expected these to be. Since chef Aidan Zieff was brought over from the La Colombe Group a year ago, the restaurant has started to serve more refined foods, though the flavours have stayed much the same, Charalambous says.
Ouzeri has made an impact in a short time, including on the awards front. Just two years old, it has already been awarded a star through the Eat Out Awards, and was named international restaurant of the year for South Africa at this year’s Luxe Restaurant Awards.
In turn, it’s engendered a loyal following — a clientele that includes followers of the pop-ups, as well as young clients and families interested in trying something new. “We’ve got a nice mix, it’s exactly what I wanted,” says Charalambous. “I didn’t want it to be a place where only a certain kind of person or demographic [eats]. I wanted it to be a complete mix and I wanted our menu and pricing to show that — where you could come with your family and have a meal, or come on a special day and you’ll have the same experience.”
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