Sarah Kingdom Eats At Ouzeri And Discovers Bold Mediterranean Flavours And Reimagined Heritage Dishes In The Heart Of Cape Town.
A quiet kind of magic lives on Cape Town’s Wale Street—trendy yet traditional, unassuming from the outside, but vibrant once you step through the door. In a city bursting with good food, Ouzeri doesn’t shout for attention, it hums with it.
Owner-chef Nic Charalambous’s passion project is a homage to the shared culinary soul of Cyprus and Greece. Much like the ouzeris that dot the streets of Nicosia or Thessaloniki, where locals gather, meals are shared, and conversations linger, Ouzeri feels less like a restaurant and more like a table in someone’s home, where heritage and a reverence for flavour take centre stage. Since opening in June 2022, Ouzeri has garnered acclaim for its authentic yet contemporary take on Mediterranean cuisine, earning a spot on the prestigious World’s 50 Best Discovery list.
Cypriot and Greek cuisine is a tapestry of traditions, shaped by geography, trade, and centuries of cultural exchange. Rooted in Mediterranean agrarian rhythms, these culinary traditions emphasise simplicity, seasonality, and communal eating. Staples like olive oil, lemon, garlic, peppers, grains, legumes, and aromatic herbs appear in countless regional variations, from the sun-drenched islands of the Aegean to the mountainous villages of Cyprus. At Ouzeri, Nic pays homage to this legacy, not by simply replicating dishes, but rather by interpreting and capturing the soul of traditional recipes, while infusing them with fresh local produce and modern technique.
Nic himself says, “Tradition and authenticity are the pillars of what we do. These values keep us grounded and ensure we don’t veer out of our lane. But innovation is absolutely essential to every aspect of our restaurant. Tradition is the platform for innovation”. As a result, Ouzeri is a celebration of heritage that feels both timeless and timely, honouring the past while carving a vibrant, contemporary path forward.
Nic Charalambous is the embodiment of cultural fusion, someone whose roots run deep into his shared Cypriot and Greek heritage. Born in South Africa, his passion for food was ignited in his yaya’s (grandmother’s) kitchen, a place where he spent a lot of time, and where he first learned the subtleties of traditional recipes, a resourceful approach to ingredients, uncompromising commitment to quality, and the importance of communal dining. From his grandmother’s kitchen, he’s journeyed across the globe, and while his training is serious and his experience impressive, Nic’s approach is refreshing and unpretentious.
Drawing on recipes learnt from his Cypriot grandmother, to which he’s added his own contemporary twist, Nic has devised a tight menu. “My dishes are versions of the food I grew up eating,” he says. “The menu is in many ways my interpretation of the food and culture of my Cypriot heritage.” His food is contemporary without being contrived, authentic without being old-fashioned. It’s delicious, bold, and flavourful food, with no fuss or frills, matched with good wine and attentive, down-to-earth service.
Every dish on Ouzeri’s constantly evolving menu is a nod to a regional speciality from Greece or Cyprus, reinterpreted with both precision and flair. These are not diluted versions of European classics, they’re bold, balanced dishes that sing with their own identity.
Take, for example, the loukoumades, traditionally sweet, crispy dough balls, served with syrup and sprinkled with nuts or cinnamon, from Metsovo, in the mountains of northern Greece. At Ouzeri, this is a savoury dish, served with caramelised onions, lardo, and the smoky, nutty notes of an 18-hour cold-smoked, Klein River Oak Smoked Stanford cheese, that’s been matured over several months – the result is simply delicious.
Alternatively, the kalamaki, usually marinated and grilled pork or chicken on a skewer, kalamaki meaning ‘small reed’. Nic’s interpretation, for his carnivorous diners, involves wonderfully smoked pork belly, fermented chilli honey and smoked orange butter. While for vegetarians and vegans, he employs oyster mushrooms, with fermented ceps and hazelnut oil. Capturing the spirit of the dish without compromising on taste.
Another highlight on the menu is the prawn savoro, one of Nic’s favourites for showcasing lesser-known regional dishes. Nic explains, “savoro is a traditional fish preservation technique using vinegar and regional herbs, seen often in the Ionian Islands, where there’s a strong Venetian influence. It’s believed this style was brought to the islands by the Venetians. We’ve adapted it, preserving prawns in vinegar and wild rosemary from two different local farms.”
When asked what his personal favourite dish on the current menu is, Nic’s response is the eliopita, a traditional Cypriot bread, packed with wonderful spices and olives. “I spent countless hours perfecting it in my tiny apartment kitchen before opening. It’s also a recipe and memory tied to my Cypriot grandmother. Being able to share it with others fills me with pride,” says Nic. Ouzeri’s fabulous version is topped with anchovies and served with whole roasted cloves of garlic, that are meant to be squeezed out and slathered onto the bread.
Each dish on Ouzeri’s concise and well-considered menu is a testament to Nic’s commitment to authenticity, innovation, and local sourcing, all the while taking diners on a journey through Cyprus and Greece that highlights regional favourites and traditional specialities. For Nic, it’s more than just what dishes to put on the menu, it’s also about the ingredients he uses. He’s committed to supporting the ‘right kind of farming’ and can account for the provenance of the ingredients in all the dishes on the menu. “Conscious sourcing of produce is how traditional ouzeris operate, and it was important for me to replicate that here,” he says.
Ouzeri’s dedication to supporting local, seasonal and sustainable, extends through the kitchen and into the wine selection. Many of the wines featured are from young wine makers, with a focus on natural, low-intervention, small-batch wines that celebrate the Western Cape’s vibrant winemaking scene. These wines are vibrant, approachable, and perfect for sharing. It’s not about prestige labels here, rather, it’s about pairing food and drink in a way that’s easy and celebratory.
The restaurant’s barrel wine, a staple of any traditional ouzeri, is a collaboration with local winemaker Tremayne Smith of Blacksmith Wines. “This was always something I wanted to incorporate into our experience. In Greek taverns, we order wine by the “hima” (χύμα). Usually sold in 1-litre carafes, the wine is unbottled, unlabelled, and its origins – winery, winemaker, or varietal – are often a mystery. Sometimes the tavern owner is the winemaker, or it’s sourced from local wineries and stored in barrels. We wanted to celebrate this tradition by working with local winemakers,” says Nic.
Beyond the food, the interiors at Ouzeri are like a living postcard, a blend of old-world nostalgia and modern elegance. The mosaicked entrance, white plaster walls with arched niches, tapestries and printed cushions, are all reminiscent of a traditional Cypriot café. Then there are the playful touches, with a marble pedestal here, a sculpted bust there, and a smattering of scalloped wall lamps in between, a dash of tongue-in-cheek that’s designed to keep the space from feeling too serious – this is a place for laughter and enjoyment after all.
In a city brimming with world-class restaurants, Ouzeri distinguishes itself not just with flavour, but with feeling. It’s not trying to be trendy, but it happens to be very much on trend; it’s not trying to be nostalgic, yet somehow feels like it’s always been there. Traditional ouzeris exude community and warmth, which is precisely the environment Nic Charalambous has created at Ouzeri. There’s no pretence here, just a genuine enthusiasm for good food and good company.
Images (C) Jan Ras Photography and Courtney Munna Photography
Tell Me More About Ouzeri
Ouzeri 58 Wale Street, Cape Town City Centre, South Africa.
Phone: WhatsApp +2761533 9071 or book via DinePlan
Opening hours: Tuesday – Thursday: 18:00 – 21:30 Friday – Saturday: 12:30 – 21:30 Sunday – Monday: Closed
The menu is designed for sharing multiple dishes between diners with entrée dishes starting from £4 /$5 and main course dishes ranging from £5/$7 – £14/$19. There is an extensive drinks menu that includes Ouzo, cocktails, and a good selection of wines ranging in price from £2.50 /$3 for a glass of Chenin Blanc to £57 /$76 for the most expensive bottle of Shiraz on the wine list.
