Hellenic is a truly family affair - Nikol Zarbalas pictured here with her son Dimitrios.
Credit: Marisa Plotnick Photography
After a soft opening starting in January, Hellenic is now officially up and running in Coral Springs, bringing chef-driven Greek and Mediterranean-inspired cooking to a bigger space - 10436 W. Atlantic Blvd. The restaurant, led by acclaimed chef-owner Nikol Zarbalas, is serving lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., along with Sunday brunch from noon to 4 p.m.
If Zarbalas’ name sounds familiar, there’s a reason. The chef has appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy’s Grocery Games, but Hellenic – which originally opened in 2019 in a smaller space – feels so rooted in something more personal than TV credentials.
Her cooking draws from a Greek upbringing and a family history in hospitality, including her parents’ Zorba’s Diner locations in New York and Philadelphia, plus pizza shops, food carts and food trucks where she first learned the unique rhythms of the biz. Before opening Hellenic, Zarbalas also operated a catering company and Fort Lauderdale’s The Food Republic, building a reputation for bold flavors and heartfelt hosting along the way.
That foundation shows up all over Hellenic’s menu, which takes traditional Greek flavors and gives them a modern, crowd-pleasing spin. Standouts include Greek Heat Wings, the Greek Quesadilla featured on Food Network, and the Greek Dip, stacked with braised lamb, caramelized onion and cheese on crusty bread with au jus for dipping.
Entrées like kataifi fried shrimp over cheesy Greek-style grits, moussaka and smothered chicken with feta cream sauce continue the theme, while brunch brings dishes like Chef’s Waffle Melt and Shrimp & Trahana. Dessert is no afterthought either, with bougatsa, scratch-made baklava and baklava cheesecake all in the mix.
The restaurant’s new Coral Springs home gives Hellenic room to stretch out, with a warm, industrial-meets-homey design, a 20-seat communal table repurposed from the original location and even a free library for guests to browse. There is also a quiet community-minded thread running through the operation, with a focus on minimizing waste and making hospitality feel like something bigger than what ultimately lands on the plate.
For more information, visit orderhellenic.com.
