Greek by George Calombaris at Crown Perth marks celebrated chef’s first foray into WA dining scene

When hundreds of eager diners take their seats at George Calombaris’ new pop-up restaurant at Crown Perth this weekend, they will be witnessing the acclaimed chef’s new era.

Or, as the avid football fan describes it, the start of the “second half” of a life which has seen incredible highs, public lows and countless lessons.

It is with excitement, renewed confidence and “a lot more thoughtfulness in the way I step forward” that Calombaris is approaching this chapter, which will be his first foray into WA’s restaurant scene.

Modern taverna Greek by George Calombaris opens on Saturday for a four-week residency in the Crown Metropol space which formerly housed Bistro Guillaume. It follows the popular six-week Fireback residency helmed by renowned chef David Thompson.

Thousands of West Australians have already booked at Greek, keen to experience Calombaris’ signature Hellenic flavour which he has blended with premium WA produce.

The menu includes spanakopita baked Abrolhos Island scallop, WA Marron kritharaki with stracciatella and BBQ Fremantle octopus with spicy green latholemono.

“I wanted to create something refined, which respects the fact we are in WA. It’s great to be able to celebrate that world class produce,” Calombaris said.

“This is my first time doing something like this in WA, so I’m thrilled and excited to see how people perceive and enjoy it.”

The pop-up comes hot on the heels of Auto Greek, a three-month residency in Melbourne which marked an emotional return to Calombaris’ hometown 20 years after he opened flagship restaurant The Press Club.

The Press Club, alongside Hellenic Republic and Gazi, enjoyed huge success in Melbourne and Calombaris’ profile soared during a decade-long stint on MasterChef Australia.

But less than three years after the company was hit by an underpayments controversy his restaurant empire crumbled in early 2020 and Calombaris retreated.

He now lives in Sydney with his family and is running a new hospitality business, with more than a dozen former staff members relocating from Melbourne to join him.

“Time is a healer, and time has given me my confidence back, which is something I struggled with for a good couple of years,” he said.

“To come out of it healthy, with my family healthy, and with a good chunk of those old team members coming back to do version two is bloody exciting.

“My team is everything, I’ll focus my energy in on them, on my family, and on what I do best. I don’t listen to the noise from the outside.”

The Perth residency comes during a pivotal year for the 47-year-old, who in January opened up about the dark times in his career during a stint on reality TV show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

“It was great because it got me vulnerable, it got me in a position where I’ve never really been before,” he said.

He says seeing “the real George” broadcast to the nation meant even more for his family and friends.

“They’ve gone through all of the emotions, and as much as I can sit there and lick my wounds and feel sorry for myself, and I did that for a bit of time, the light bulb went off and I went, ‘hang on, I have an incredible life to live’,” he said.

“It’s been an incredible first half, lots of lessons and a lot more lessons to learn.”

One of those lessons starts on Saturday, when he will find out how WA diners feel about his cuisine.

While he’s confident in the location, the menu and his head chef, long-time offsider Serradan Sharp, there are also nerves.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a new venue, or a pop-up, or a one-off event, there’s always nervousness, questioning yourself, questioning the menu. I’d be scared if I didn’t go through those emotions.”