The Greek-inspired venue has taken over Melbourne’s AFLOAT, and this dish tastes like a Euro summer.

Melbourne summer hotspot AFLOAT has come out of hibernation for another year and, this time, it’s been reinvented as Yamas Greece. It marks the 11th season for the Yarra River’s beloved floating bar and restaurant, which switches up its theme, menu and setting each year. Yamas Greece takes inspiration from everyone’s favourite Greek destinations like Athens, Crete and Santorini, along with the beaches of Paros and Milos, and the spirit of Mykonos. Sounds like a pretty good time, doesn’t it?

Like every AFLOAT residency, Yamas Greece is here for a good time, not a long time – you can visit until June (right before the lucky ducks behind it jump on a plane to chase a Euro summer). So, don’t miss the chance to be transported to Greece, under the Aussie sun in Melbourne’s CBD.

The menu at Yamas Greece is full of fresh seafood, meze plates – like taramasalata and pita, dolmades and zucchini fritters – and there’s grilled lamb chops, gyros (obviously) and Greek sweets. But our favourite dish? The yoghurt and herb marinated chicken thigh, and the Yamas Greece team has generously shared the recipe so we can recreate its genius at home.

“It goes great with any type of salad or roasted vegetables, and you can also wrap it in pita,” says Paul Dunlop, group executive chef at HQ Group, the team behind AFLOAT, as well as Arbory Bar and Eatery, and the multi-level HER, which includes BKK, Music Room and HER Rooftop.

The yoghurt and herb marinated chicken thigh has quickly become a menu favourite and was inspired by the time Paul spent in Greece. “[I was] eating and drinking multiple meals in a day. Yes, I know, tough gig,” he says. Paul then returned to Melbourne to develop the menu for Yamas Greece, alongside AFLOAT’s head chef. “We’ve had the freedom to take inspiration from the islands, our travels and our own experiences, and have a little fun with the menu,” Paul says. “We’ve taken flavours, dishes and moments that we’ve loved along the way and given them an AFLOAT twist.”

That twist includes sourcing authentic ingredients while championing local produce. “The succulent, well-flavoured meats we experienced throughout the country were a real standout for us, and we knew we wanted to bring that back to the menu.” For the best results, Paul recommends marinating the chicken for up to two days before serving it – marinate the thigh, pop it in the fridge, and 48 hours later it’ll be ready to grill.

And you know what pairs perfectly with barbecued chicken? A glass of Sidewood’s Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris. This South Australian gris was crowned the ‘best pinot gris’ in the Dan Murphy’s Best in Glass Wine Awards earlier this year, and right now, My Dan’s members (it’s free to join) can snap up a bottle for just 20 bucks. You can expect flavours of citrus, pear, grapefruit, honey and orange blossom – serve it ice-cold.

If sparkling wine or a red is more your speed, we have plenty of those at the bottom of this page (and they’re all under $25, too).

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The setting at Yamas Greece on Melbourne's Yarra River

Yoghurt and herb marinated chicken ingredients

½ bunch parsley
½ bunch coriander
½ bunch mint
¼ bunch dill
2.5 tbsp salt flakes
2 tbsp ginger, chopped
2 tbsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground
3.5 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground
4 tsp fennel seeds, roasted and ground
1.5 tsp star anise, roasted and ground
4 medium shallots, roughly chopped
3 tsp garlic, roughly chopped
2 lemons, zest and juice
1kg natural Greek yoghurt
2 kg chicken thigh (boneless, skinless)
60mL olive oil

Method

Remove large stems from herbs, wash and spin dry
For the marinade, mix all ingredients, except chicken and oil, and using just 250g of yoghurt
Blitz in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth
In a large bowl, fold through the blended ingredients with the remaining yoghurt and oil
Add chicken thighs and combine so the meat is well covered in the marinade, cover it and refrigerate for up to two days
Once ready, grill chicken on a hot grill or barbecue until charred and cooked through
Serve with roast vegetables, salad or with pita bread

Paul’s top tips

This is a pretty handy marinade to have in your repertoire. Even though this recipe calls for chicken thighs, Paul says it can be used for chicken skewers – perfect for summer hangs with your mates – or even on a whole chicken. “When grilling, avoid turning the chicken until it is well sealed and has some colour,” he says.
While it’s ideal to start this recipe a couple of days ahead to marinate the chicken for a full 48 hours, aim for at least overnight – it really will make all the difference to the final results.
As for how to enjoy this dish, choose from Paul’s suggestions of pairing it with salad or veg, or both – and you could lay it all out with fresh pita for people to serve it as they like. With this recipe using 2kg of chicken, it makes the ultimate easy, summer spread for a crowd.