David Tsirekas farewells Perama 2.0 in Petersham

Chef David Tsirekas has departed Perama 2.0, the Petersham restaurant he rebooted last year

Perama had an unbroken decade-long run of chefs' hats up to its closure in 2011, and by all reports it has been playing to packed houses since its October 2021 relaunch.

"Saturday night was my last shift, I'm no longer involved in the restaurant," the chef told Good Food.

Tsirekas suffered a stroke in 2019 and explained its impact and the general challenges of the past two years had left him looking for greater life balance.

"My mental and physical health is the priority," he says.

Elvis Sabapathy, the restaurateur who bank-rolled the restaurant's relaunch, will continue to operate it. Tsirekas said he wishes Elvis and the team "all the best for the future".

He hasn't had time to consider his next move and whether that'll be in the kitchen, but is grateful for decades of support from Perama's loyal diners.

"They've been my guiding light, my motivation and inspiration," he says.