The Hellenic Museum, which is home to hundreds of works of art and objects of antiquity, has added a Greek restaurant to its collection of treasures. Housed within the museum’s garden, the restaurant offers up hearty Mediterranean fare which celebrates the country’s meandering coastline, from Spetses-style whole baked snapper with sautéed fregola to kritharaki, a seafood risoni from Corfu. Finish with an ambrosial galaktoboureko with cinnamon chocolate spears. 280 William Street, Melbourne. groundsofarcadia.com.au.

In the leafy surrounds of the Museum’s garden, Sean Godsell’s award winning MPavilion has been reimagined as an alfresco dining room. On a cold day, the silver cube sits slightly elevated from the ground, cocooning guests from the chill, while in warm weather, its wall panels are lifted to allow sunlight to stream inside.

Grounds of Arcadia’s menu will focus on simple, hearty Mediterranean fare, with dishes inspired by Greece’s many diverse islands and mainland regions. “The kitchen will revolve around a bespoke wood-fire oven, which is a very traditional style of cooking,” says Tatoulis. Celebrating the meandering Greek coastline, diners will be able to feast on Spetses-style whole baked snapper with sautéed fregola, and kritharaki, a seafood risoni from Corfu.

An ambrosial dessert menu will revolve around traditional Greek sweets, with options like the housemade baklava with candied walnuts and honeyed yoghurt, and galaktoboureko, a milk custard pie served with cinnamon chocolate spears.

Diners will be able to try a number of indigenous Greek wine varietals as well as Hellenic beers and spirits. “There’s amazing things happening in Greece now in terms of wines, particularly with the reemergence of ancient varietals, some of which can only be found in Greece,” says Tatoulis. The list also includes ouzo, raki as well as Greek vermouths and brandies.

In addition to the courtyard restaurant, two of the Museum’s galleries have been made available for immersive private dining experiences. The first gallery houses The Messenger, a golden winged sculpture by Melbourne artist Sam Jinks, while the second is home to a photographic series by Bill Henson, which captures historical objects from the Benaki Museum.

The behind-the-scenes team includes (L-R) Hellenic Museum CEO John Tatoulis, head chef Safat Hossain (ex-Pilu at Freshwater) and venue manager Samir Slimane (ex-Vivo, Fonda, Chanteen).

Grounds of Arcadia is located within the Hellenic Museum at 280 William Street, Melbourne. The restaurant is currently open for lunch Tuesday – Friday 11.30am – 4pm with evening opening hours soon to follow. For more details or to book, head to groundsofarcadia.com.au.