Melbourne’s iconic Greek restaurant Stalactites teamed up with international basketball superstars to celebrate the arrival of Panathinaikos BC in Australia.
On Wednesday, September 17, players Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Jerian Grant stepped into the Stalactites kitchen, rolling up their sleeves to create a special limited-edition dish — the PAO Souvlaki.
The collaboration marked Panathinaikos’ first-ever visit to Australia and their much-anticipated clash with Serbian powerhouse KK Partizan tonight.
To honour the historic moment, Stalactites crafted a souvlaki that paid tribute to the Greens’ iconic colour: their signature gyros, topped with crisp lettuce, tomato, onion and finished with a vibrant green tzatziki infused with mint, dill, and parsley.
The PAO Souvlaki will be made available exclusively at Stalactites until Sunday, September 21, with a portion of proceeds donated to Helping Hoops, a grassroots organisation providing free basketball programs for disadvantaged children across Melbourne.
This is not the first time Stalactites has paired sport with food. The family-run institution famously collaborated with tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2019, serving up the popular “Tsitsipas Souvlaki” during the Australian Open.
With Panathinaikos in town, the restaurant continued its tradition of fusing Melbourne’s love of sport with its proud Greek heritage.
Basketball royalty behind the counter and a new souvlaki on the menu gave Melbourne fans a unique taste of Greece both on and off the court.
