Salona and Agapi were both born in 1969, when Swan Street was Melbourne’s unofficial Greek precinct. The strip pulsed with life; home to nine Greek restaurants, a smoky cabaret, and underground gambling houses filled with men playing popular card game Manila until sunrise.
Into this world stepped Tony Atherinos from a long line of chefs. His grandfather ran a taverna on his island, Kastellorizo, and his father was a trained chef, working at hotels. He started working at Salona, named after the folk song ‘Στα Σάλωνα σφάζουν τα αρνιά’, likely inspired by its original signature dish: spit-fired lamb’s head. Tony officially took over Salona in the 1970s.
A generous, big-hearted immigrant, he brought more than recipes, he brought a philosophy.
“He used to say, ‘O ήλιος είναι για όλους’ ‘The sun shines for everyone.’ That’s how he treated people,” says his grandson Stavros Konis, Salona’s third-generation owner since 2004.
Tony’s son-in-law, Tom Konis, shared this philosophy, passed down the line along with the recipes.
Next door, Agapi was launched by Kostas another charismatic Greek with a talent for hospitality.
“The story goes two blokes were fighting over what to call the restaurant,” laughs Peter Vorilas, Agapi’s current owner. “Then someone said, ‘Let’s not fight, let’s just be agapiméni (loving)!’ And that was it. Agapi. Done.”
Kostas eventually moved to Darwin to start a concrete business, and Peter took over in 1992. He peeled back the plaster, exposed raw brick, and gave the space a rustic Spartan character.
“We never needed to be flashy,” he says. “Just good food, quality ingredients, charcoal grills, kokkinisto, and love.”
Agapi has stayed loyal to the same suppliers for over five decades, building trust and ensuring top-quality produce. But Peter insists it’s about more than food. “We treat our customers like they’re visiting our house. We laugh. We cry. We care. That’s what makes Agapi special.”
Whenever the original owner drops by, it’s always an emotional homecoming. “It means a lot to him that he still recognises the place he started. So much has stayed the same. Authentic.”
At Salona, Tony may no longer be alive to see what it’s become, but Stav believes he’d be proud. One of the restaurant’s original murals, painted by a regular in the 1970s, was recently refreshed by local artist Efrossini. “She managed to keep the original energy alive,” Stav says, adding that he’s carrying the baton from his father Tom, who preserved Salona’s warmth while adding new layers.
Tony’s spirit still lingers, especially when kleftiko is served. “Kleftiko is more than just a dish, it’s a nod to our family roots and the stories of resilience that shaped Salona. It was my grandfather and father’s favourite, cooked slow and full of meaning. Every time we prepare it, we remember where we came from.”
Family bonds
The bond between Salona and Agapi goes deeper than proximity. It’s about friendship, mentorship, and shared history.
“Our families go way back,” Stav says. “My grandfather Tony and Peter’s dad, Saki, were great mates.”
Saki even managed Salona for a few years in the 1970s. “I have memories of hiding behind the drinks fridge at Salona as a kid, drinking apricot juice out of tiny tins from Greece,” recalls Peter.
“I even remember holding the lambada at Stav’s christening.”
The ties extend to the front of house too. “Tim Asimakopoulos, Agapi’s iconic frontman (since 1997), is actually my fourth cousin,” Stav says. “His dad and my grandmother were first cousins. Family ties run deep in Richmond.”
Tim, a stalwart of Richmond, is remembered by old-timers for his family’s ownership of Kaliva. “Swan Street was all Greek back then,” he says, remembering the Eighties while rattling off names of restaurants that once graced the street. “Laikon, Nikites, Minore tis Avgis, Elatos were all here. Now, only Agapi and Salona are left. The rest have moved to Oakleigh.”
Sometimes, customers wander into Salona looking for Tim. No one minds. “We laugh, point them in the right direction, and sometimes give them a drink for the road,” Stav chuckles.
Support between the two venues is constant. “If we run out of ouzo, Stav passes it over the fence. Same with lemons, cucumbers, Greek mineral water, you name it,” Peter says.
Stav adds, “Peter has been a close friend, sharing wisdom and advice, mentoring me like a big brother.”
Peter feels the same.
“Stav’s always trying to improve. He’s got a huge heart, looking after people, and has the interests of other restauranteurs at heart.”
Looking ahead
Despite changing times, both restaurants remain deeply rooted, sustained by generations of loyal customers.
“Like us, Agapi’s weathered trends, recessions, the whole lot,” Stav says. “When you see your neighbour show up every day and still care deeply about what they do, it pushes you to keep showing up, too.”
Stav, who also runs Kafeneion, dreams of more collaboration. “A Greek street party has been a dream, a celebration of our shared heritage, with food stalls, music, and ouzo flowing. It would be a beautiful way to unite the community. Or maybe a collaboration at the Greek festival. We would love to see it happen.”
Peter, true to his Spartan roots, is more laconic. “Nothing planned just yet,” he says. “But never say never.”
After 55 years, Salona and Agapi stand as love letters to migration, family, and enduring friendship places where kleftiko and kokkinisto are neighbours, kinship trumps competition, and Greek hospitality lives on, one plate at a time.
