Now Open: Claremont's Avalon Serves Mediterranean Food on Its Own Terms
For Avalon co-founders Simone Sichel and George Tsimpidis, Mediterranean cooking is a state of mind.
“Mediterranean cuisine is built on simplicity and quality,” Tsimpidis tells Broadsheet. “It’s about using the best, freshest ingredients at hand. In Greece, when you sit down to eat, you’re tasting what was grown, caught, or made nearby, not something shipped in from halfway across the world.”
This mindset guides Avalon, a 120-seat restaurant inside The Grove Residences in Claremont, which Sichel and Tsimpidis opened in February. It’s the latest venture from the team behind Cup & Co in Floreat, and while the menu leans Greek and Italian – reflecting the pair’s heritage – the approach is broader.
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“We have Wagin duck on the menu. Some people might say, ‘But duck isn’t a Mediterranean ingredient’. But if the best ducks in Australia are grown 150 kilometres from our restaurant and we’re not using them, then that’s just stupid,” says Tsimpidis. “It might not be a Mediterranean ingredient, but this is the Mediterranean philosophy.”
The menu moves between the classically Mediterranean and the more inventive. Dishes like vine leaf-wrapped snapper with preserved lemon and roasted tomatoes nod to the way Tsimpidis’s family cooked in Greece, and the blue mackerel dish with tomatoes and charred onion is a near replica of the dish his grandmother made on Sundays. Then there are looser interpretations, like prawn macarons with sea urchin and crisp basil leaves, a sweet-and-salty bite that plays with expectations.
That same balance of tradition and experimentation carries through the rest of the menu. There’s a Margaret River beef fillet with smoked scamorza cheese, a dish that pulls from Sichel’s Italian background, alongside a tiramisu kataifi, which layers coffee-infused mascarpone between crisp threads of the Greek shredded pastry. “It’s about bringing the two cultures together in a way that makes sense,” says Sichel. “Not just for the sake of it.”
Sourcing is key, but not in a restrictive way. Ceviche features snapper, rather than the more commonly used kingfish, because, as Tsimpidis puts it, “Snapper has a stronger flavour, like Mediterranean fish.” Other ingredients are picked with the same level of consideration: almond za’atar alongside beef Wellington; pistachio cream with prawns and scampi; parmesan and fish roe spread on grilled cauliflower. It’s Mediterranean cooking, but on the venue’s own terms.
The drinks menu takes a similar approach: mostly local, with a few key exceptions. Western Australian and South Australian wines dominate the list, from crisp vermentinos and chenin blancs to bigger reds from Margaret River and the Barossa Valley. There’s also a strong emphasis on champagne, with bottles ranging from houses such as Louis Roederer, Billecart-Salmon and Ruinart. “We wanted to create a list that reflects our surroundings, but also one that gives people a reason to celebrate,” says Sichel. “And champagne always feels like a celebration.”
Cocktails lean fresh and herbaceous. There’s a limoncello and elderflower spritz, a smoky Espresso Martini with Old Young’s vodka, and an umami Old Fashioned that layers dark rum with port, maple and soy sauce. Meanwhile, a tight selection of gins is poured with hyper-specific tonic pairings chosen to highlight their aromatics.
Live music is another piece of the puzzle. One night might bring a jazz trio, another night classical piano. Sichel and Tsimpidis want the experience to feel layered: refined dining, but warm and lived-in. “We want to grow in the right direction with the right people,” Sichel says. “And we want to do the right things.”
1 Airlie Street, Claremont
0427 240 588
Sun & Mon closed
Tues & Wed 5.30pm–10pm
Thu to Sat 11am–3pm, 5.30pm–11pm
