From lamb souvlaki to layered moussaka, this is where to get your Greek fix in Sydney
These restaurants make a strong argument for switching permanently to a Mediterranean diet. You can do fancy Greek at the Apollo where you can order up saganaki (that's fried cheese) and slow-roasted lamb shoulder, or you can hit up an old school gyros joint, and smash grilled Greek pita bread jammed with crisp, fatty pork bits. Whether it's a late night snack or a full family feast, these are the best places to eat Greek food in Sydney.
The Apollo has been serving some of Sydney's tastiest Greek food for more than a decade now, with nearly as many hits as Dua. Take for example, the saganaki: a dish of golden and piping hot cheese, drizzled with honey and fragrant oregano. Or, Apollo's crowning glory: an oven-baked lamb shoulder, with perfectly tender, fall-off-the-bone-meat. Order with a side of garlicky roast potatoes and a fresh village salad and you’ve got yourself one heck of a brilliant Greek feast.
Housed in the heritage-listed Campbell's Stores building in the Rocks, and boasting million-dollar views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, is Ploos, a stellar Greek restaurant by celebrated chef Peter Conistis. Here, Conistis focuses on South Aegean cuisine with Mediterranean touches. That may look like spiced lamb and almond rice wrapped in vine leaves, topped with a lemony saffron avgolemono sauce; and pumpkin keftedes (fritters) with fresh mint, coriander and coconut yogurt. Be sure to order the Wagyu rump camp, which comes out charred yet tender and served with a wedge of lemon and tahini. Service is on-point – and did we mention the views? Make the most of them and come for a long boozy Greek lunch.
Norma’s Deli is a banging all-day bakery, café, diner and grocer in Manly. Named after owner James Siberis’ grandmother, this sprawling space on Manly corso is absolutely gorgeous. Come for take-home goods all made in-house, including; spanakopita, Greek stuffed capsicums, moussaka, pastitso (a traditional Greek beef and pork ragu pasta bake) – as well as fresh loaves of sourdough and croissants, which are all baked in house daily. Dining in? Our picks are the pork souvlaki and legit Greek salad.
Alevri is a rocking Greek bakery and café serving soul-warm pastries and carbs. The cabinet is the real star of the show and warrants a return visit in itself – most who dine in still walk away with bags of treats to enjoy later. It’s bold, brash and loud, but it’s clear that Alevri marches to its own toubeleki beat. Oh, and they serve baklava shakes. Yes, really.
Peter Conistis has some sort of mystical way with pastry. His spanakopita sees tissue-paper-light pastry supporting a deliciously salty mix of fetta and spinach. And lightness is definitely a theme at Alpha. Check out the loukoumades – sweet and moreish honeyed-doughnut puffs. This restaurant on the old Hellenic Club site is absolutely packed, night and day.
First up, it’s all about the bread: fluffy rounds of fresh pita, scorched lightly on the grill. They're filled with slices of juicy pork or chicken – just like in Greece – carved straight off the vertical spit. There’s a smattering of salad: ripe tomato wedges, red onion, parsley and a slick of tzatziki, but mostly it’s one helluva meatfest. They add a couple of chips inside as well, traditional-style. It ain’t pretty eating but that’s half the fun. The pillowy-soft pita soaks up all the juices from the meat. And back to those chips. Joined with the bread, they offer outrageously good carb-on-carb action.
Forget those fancy new yeeros joints. The Yeeros Shop has been keeping it old skool since 1976. That means hand cut chips cooked to order (adjusted to soft or extra crunchy if you ask nicely) wrapped up in butchers paper for takeaway. Yassss. The menu includes old-fashioned hamburgers, steak sandwiches or good ol’ yeeros meat on chips aka the Halal snack pack. The lamb yeeros is what everyone’s ordering though, crispy fatty lamb bits jammed into grilled Greek pita bread with salad. Get the small chips and laugh with delirium at what passes as extra large in most other takeaways.
Meet Medusa, the Greek restaurant with a lot to give. It's in the heart of the CBD, offering fresh simple food in a casual yet polished room. Owner Peter Koutsopoulos works the room, serving jokes and backslaps along with souvlaki and haloumi. The room's mostly filled with blokes in suits eating lamb and drinking red wine, but it's not just a place for corporate canivores. Start with fava Santorinis – a smooth puree of chickpeas dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. It's not hummus, but it's not far off.
What this restaurant does well is wholesome simplicity. Greek food that's traditional and very homely. You won't find anything tricked up, foamed or soiled here - just honest earthy dishes made with care. And it's cheap, too.
Petersham has long been known as little Portugal, being home to Frangos, Silvas, and Sweet Belem. Now, thanks to some new additions, it’s started turning into a little urban slice of the Mediterranean. As well as covering off Portugal, the small dining strip strongly reps Italy with new restaurant Noi and aperitivo bar the Majestic – and now, Greece, thanks to the arrival of Perama 2.0. Why the 2.0? Well, this is a second rendition of the original Perama, which was there in the same spot in Petersham many years back. Come for this gorgeous sizzling cheese, Mykonos vibes, 12-hour slow-cooked lamb, and pork belly baklava (yes, really).
New restaurants are often in the spotlight, ready for their Instagram close-up. But Sydney is also home to a host of long-running venues that are still at the top of people’s dining hit lists – hell, Time Out has been writing about them from our very first issue, back in 2007. These establishments have stuck to their mission statement, offering great food with polish and personality.
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