Ouzeri Bistro Ellas: Exploring Mediterranean Flavors in the Heart of Vienna

Continuing our food exploration in Vienna. While our previous posts (Unveiling Vienna and Unveiling Vienna Continues) highlighted the iconic Viennese dishes like Schnitzel, this time we’ll move beyond the traditional Austrian fare, and into the international flavors, specifically, a Mediterranean encounter.

Nestled in the heart of the city is quaint Greek tavern. It’s owned and operated by a passionate Greek proprietor. The restaurant is very cozy. Everywhere you see decors and pictures celebrating the azure hues of the Aegean Sea and the warmth of the sun-drenched olive groves. As the appetizing Mediterranean aroma greets us, it’s like an instant trip to the sun-kissed shores of Greece.

Perfect for winter time, the Shrimp Saganaki is a delicious and comforting appetizer. It features succulent shrimp cooked in a flavorful tomato-based sauce. Simple and appealing.

The vegetable mix of bell peppers and zucchini adds crunch and a little sweetness that complements the shrimp beautifully. Crumbled feta cheese brings a rich creaminess and a subtle tangy kick. Together with oregano, aromatic garlic and onion, they create a robust and savory sauce base. Meanwhile, the fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon brighten up the rich flavors with a refreshing contrast.

Served with bread to soak up the flavorful sauce, you’ll have a blended aroma of juicy shrimps, savory vegetables, rich cheese and Mediterranean herbs. Pair it with veggies and a tender shrimp for a vibrant and satisfying mouthfeel that warms you inside out!

Just as heartwarming is the appetizer Greek Sausage with Tomatoes and Red Peppers. It has a rich tomato base like the Shrimp Saganaki, yet boasting a unique robust flavor, thanks to the infusion of the Greek sausage.

The sausage is peppery, lightly spicy, very lean and slightly chewy. Each slice is sautéed to a golden-brown before being mixed with the peppers and ripe tomatoes. This allows the sausages’ rich and umami taste to fully impart into the sauce. Everything simmers together until all flavors meld and the sauce thickens to a rich flavorful base. The peppery kick, subtle spiciness, hint of parsley freshness, and garlicky note make it overall a very tantalizing dish.

For this dish too is the bread a good companion. Soak it up with the delicious sauce, layer it with soft juicy veggies and the firm savory Greek sausage, each bite promises a blend of taste that’s both comforting and invigorating!  

It’s a restaurant where the appetizers shine as main courses, served in generous portions. For those with a light appetite, the warm appetizers alone are a satisfying feast. Yet our dinner continues. The main courses, not surprisingly, match the generosity and offer an abundance of flavors.

The first is the Mediterranean Seafood Platter – a dish of ocean-fresh delicacies including grilled succulent shrimps, calamari and tender squid. Skillfully grilled to gain a crunchy outside and juicy inside, they burst with a subtle blend of – garlic, citrus, the right touch of salt and pepper, and a vibrant earthy herb of oregano and parsley. All perfectly complements the fragrance of the seafood.

Paired with the seafood ensemble is aromatic rice – each grain distinct – a hearty foundation to warm up our stomachs for the seafood feast!

French fries and hummus make a creative duo. This creamy Middle Eastern dip, made with chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic, turns out to be a healthier and tastier alternative to traditional sides like ketchup. The velvety hummus, drizzled with mildly sweet balsamic, perfectly balances and enriches the savory seafood medley.

Fresh veggies, crisp cucumbers, and ripe tomato slices give a light and refreshing twist to the robust seafood flavors, beckoning a typical Greek coastal dining – fresh, rich, and flavorful!

Presenting the final dish: Lamm Fourno. It features a sizeable lamp shank, slowly braised and baked for an extended period. During the low-heat roasting, the lamb gets occasional basted with its own broth, wine or water to keep the moist and let the flavor penetrate every fiber.

Baked together with potatoes, fresh tomato herb sauce, and melted feta cheese, the result is an incredibly flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth lamp dish. Feta blankets it like snow, infusing its distinctive flavor. The sauce absorbs the deep flavors of the bone, melting everything, including the potatoes. The slightly tangy tomato sauce deftly balances the rich earthy lamb flavor. At the touch of a fork, the meat easily shreds and breaks apart, revealing juiciness and rich aroma trapped in each bite, that dissolves in your mouth. It’s an unparalleled experience that spoils you for anything less mouthwatering.

The owner is as friendly as your neighbor next-door. As the evening cooled, he warmly invited the outside diners to sit inside. He went to each table, engaging the guests in a casual little chat without a hint of intrusion, genuinely wanting everyone to have a good time. Despite the language differences, be it Korean, Italian, German or Chinese, the love for great food and the bright resonant laughter seems to have become the most effective common tongue in this little haven, bringing people together, sparkling and brewing in the warmth of Greek hospitality.