Pleasanton’s seasonal Greek restaurant expands to Walnut Creek

A new-ish Greek restaurant known for brandy-flamed saganaki and grilled octapodaki is already expanding to Walnut Creek.

Elia, the seasonal Greek restaurant established in 2021 in Pleasanton, is opening a second location in the former Lokanta Grill & Bar space at 1521 Locust St. in Walnut Creek. Owners Fatih Ulas and Chef Mehmet Duygu promise a similar menu of upscale Greek and other Mediterranean-inspired dishes. They hope to open the doors in the next few months and bring a Mykonos and Santorini vibe to the city, Ulas says.

They’ll certainly accomplish that with the design, which is an elegant version of the typical blue-and-white Greek tavernas. In Pleasanton, the walls are ultra white, with air plants, bamboo floors, sun-bleached manzanita branches and servers dressed in light khaki.

The refined menu is split into mezethes ($12-$24), soupa and salates ($11-$18) and kirio piato, or entrees ($28-$49). Lavraki, a semi-boneless grilled whole Mediterranean sea bass served with Israeli couscous and grilled eggplant, is among the popular dishes.