Vassili's Souviaki - Burnaby

If you're looking for plenty of free parking, you'll find it here. Just keep an eye out for the red Ferrari displayed in a plexiglass case. **Ambiance:** The building resembles an old house that's been transformed into an open dining area. It's filled with charming knick-knacks, live flowers, plants, vines, and decorative items like candles and lamps. This isn't your typical, mass-produced restaurant design—it's got character. The lighting is on the darker side, which some people might appreciate. **The Owner:** The owner is quite a character, and “curmudgeonly” might be an apt description. He mostly keeps to himself and doesn’t engage much with customers, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you can look beyond that and the negative reviews here, you'll discover some great food. Our server, Iolanthe (I had to double-check the spelling), was fantastic—ask for her, and you should be in good hands. **Space for Large Groups:** The restaurant has a sizable area that accommodates larger parties at the back, allowing guests to mingle and socialize comfortably. **Recommended Dishes:** A good starting point is the Vassilis Platter, which offers a delicious assortment—including Greek meatballs (keftedes), spinach pie, chicken skewers, prawn skewers, lamb chops, roasted potatoes, Greek salad, pita bread, and tzatziki. Everything was delightful, although I wasn't a fan of the roasted zucchini. While the hummus is an extra charge, it's homemade and arguably the best in Burnaby (unless it's made by someone's grandmother). **Something Unique:** Try the moussaka—think of it as eggplant lasagna; it really does hit the spot! **Pricing:** To be honest, it is a bit on the pricey side. Just be careful when ordering extra skewers—make sure you confirm the prices first. **Final Thoughts:** I'm writing this review as a tribute to my late friend Bia, who was a culinary enthusiast and left behind an impressive collection of cookbooks filled with her annotations. Vassilis was her preferred spot for Greek food in this area. She was selective in her choices, but she always enjoyed her meals here with great enthusiasm!

I lived in the New West area about 25 years ago and often visited this restaurant. I've just moved back and came here for the first time again. The food is still the best Greek cuisine in the area. Any restaurant that has been around for over 25 years must have something special, and this one certainly does.

Absolutely amazing! My boyfriend and I dined in and ordered garlic bread, a tandoori chicken pizza, and a lamb souvlaki pizza. The garlic bread arrived first, and we dug in immediately. It was fresh, with plenty of garlic, making it incredibly delicious and addictive. The pizzas followed shortly after. When I took my first bite, I was blown away. The pizza crust was to die for—crunchy, light, and perfectly seasoned. The wood-fired cooking added so much flavor. Honestly, I could have eaten just the crust as an appetizer! Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of the food and the service. I'm really sad that Melbourne doesn't have pizza like this; I will definitely be coming back when I'm in Daylesford next!

Glad I Didn't Check Urbanspoon. Walked in earlier in the day, liked the look of the restaurant and made a reservation for later in the evening. At this point had not checked urbanspoon had I, my girlfriend and I probably wouldn't have tried it out because of its 52 rating. I am very glad we didn't check urbanspoon prior to booking, because my girlfriend and I had a wonderful experience.<br/ <br/ Pizza was well priced for portion size, and importantly, tasted better than anything I have eaten in and around Fitzroy in Melbourne. Base was clearly baked fresh and garlic bread was equally good.<br/ <br/ Can't speak for anything else on the menu, although I was well placed to peak on others meals presentation looked delicious for the burgers and fish chips.<br/ <br/ The wait staff were friendly to us and took care of us.

Nice lamb roast. I went here with my dad for dinner one night. My dad and I both ordered roast lamb.<br/ It was fork tender and delicious. The sides included a greek salad, some rice, a uh.. single roasted small-medium sized potato cut in half (really? and I think some bread. It's been awhile.<br/ The main focus was on that roast though. Man, that was tasty. It just fell apart as I ate it.<br/ The service was adequate, certainly nothing special. They seemed bored and their smiles were weak.<br/ The window we were seated next to was drafty. My legs got a bit cold but I was enjoying my dinner so much that it didn't really bug me much. It's a very old-fashioned style building. Kind of gave me a nostalgic feeling being in there.<br/ <br/ So yeah, we had a decent time and considered returning. However, after seeing the overwhelming response from these other reviewers I sincerely doubt I would support this place any further. Wow. I really had no idea.<br/ We saw the owner's Ferrari parked outside but we didn't see or hear a word from him in the restaurant itself. Just a couple of older women handling waitressing.<br/ I had a fine enough experience but I can't ignore all these other reviews. I've never seen this many negative reviews in a row before. God dang.<br/ <br/ Take away from this what you will. Be careful out there.