The opening of the Northern Territory’s newest Greek restaurant ‘Klimataria’ has been a long-time dream for Foula Karambetis and her husband Nick Manikaros.
Both Mrs Karambetis and Mr Manikaros previously worked at the popular Kalidonis Taverna for five years before it closed down in January 2022.
The restauranters spoke with NT News and said that they both felt honoured with all the overwhelming love and support they had received from the community since opening up their new venture in Stuart Park.
“When I saw all my customers, my loyal customers, they just came to me and were hugging me,” Mrs Karambetis said.
“I felt really honoured that to have achieved something like this in my life.”
Klimataria received glowing reviews as the excitement grew for those so excited to experience authentic Greek cuisine that is cooked fresh everyday by Mrs Karambetis and Mr Manikaros using generational Greek recipes.
The restauranteurs met in Greece after Mrs Karambetis went on a holiday and extended her trip when she met her husband, who used to be a fisherman in Greece so he brings that specialty to Klimataria.
Seafood, produce and meats are all sourced locally through Territorian businesses with the exception of some herbs that are transported from Greece as they cannot be sourced here. This adds to the authentic Greek taste and feel of Klimataria.
“I try to provide the best quality with everything, like for the seafood … for the meat, we get the best quality,” Mrs Karambetis said.
“We do not pre-cook, so we do freshly cooked food on the day.”
The couple hope to incorporate Greek style nights with Greek dancing and souvlas into their outdoor dining experience but say their customers will have to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere in the meantime.
“We’ve got the Darwin sunset, we’ve got our Greek music playing, the thing that I can’t bring to us, is the beach from Greece,” Mrs Karambetis said.
“I can’t bring you the sea, that’s the only thing missing.”
Source: NT News
