Aimee O'Keefe
12 Best Greek Restaurants in Sydney | Man of Many
LIFESTYLE
This list was compiled through personal experience and online research, plus through commentary from food critics and expert restaurant reviews. We only looked at restaurants with a rating of 4.0/5 on Google Reviews and took into account the major gripes and positives from the public. We also studied a series of reviews from prominent critics and online publications such as Australian Good Food Guide, allowing us to cull it down to the Best Greek Restaurants in Sydney.
How We Chose This List of Best Greek Restaurants
Whether you’re in the mood for fine dining or are just looking for some take-away, these are the best Greek restaurants in Sydney to kick off your Greek culinary adventure.
Best Greek Restaurants in Sydney
Best for: Atmosphere
1. The Apollo
Best for: Selection
2. Ikaria Bondi
Located in leafy harbourside Balmain, Sofie’s Greek Restaurant & Meze Bar offers delicious, authentic Greek food. You’ll find the owners in the kitchen and doing the service, which makes for an inviting dining experience. On the menu, we love their classic spanakopita and their Dolmades with ground beef, tomato, rice & herbs, rolled in spinach served with tzatziki garlic cucumber yoghurt.
3. Sofie’s Greek Restaurant & Meze Bar
Sitting in the heart of the Sydney CBD is this authentic celebration of Greek cuisine, pride and history. The restaurant is massive, with a main dining area, top-floor mezzanine, basement bar, and a bunker-style hideout for you to choose from. In line with the Greek tradition, most of the dishes are designed for sharing, with the seafood options the star of the show. Pair your meal with one of the many types of ouzo on offer, and you’ll be sure to have a memorable evening.
4. M.I.M. by 1821
One of the best restaurants in Sydney for modern Greek dining, Topikós is a seamless marriage of traditional Greek fare with a subtle Australian influence. Arriving courtesy of the makers of Shell House and The Dolphin, the venue is a vibrant explosion of light blue hues and white-washed walls, elevated by some beautiful fixtures and fittings. On the outside, Topikós feels like a casual diner, but the moment the food arrives, you realise there is so much more going on behind the scenes.
5. Topikós
This Glebe institution offers a breath of fresh, Mediterranean air in Sydney’s inner west. With an intimate dining room and leafy outdoor area, the menu is based on traditional Mediterranean food and has been revisited with modern techniques. They offer a brunch menu full of falafel and halloumi as well as a bottomless brunch for $75pp. If you’re here for dinner, we can’t go past the baked eggplant with cashew cheese, herb crumb and roasted walnuts.
6. Ahgora
Best for: Take-Away
7. Stix and Pita
It’s no secret Marrickville is the coolest place on earth (seriously, look it up) but, somehow we’re still managing to find hole-in-the-wall hotspots that haven’t yet been taken over by the general public. Baba’s Place is definitely one of these. Located just off the beaten track in a warehouse that reeks of rustic charm, this Sydney restaurant is unlike any other, but that’s precisely the point. It’s a bit of a mish-mash of different cuisines, so while it’s probably the only spot on this list that isn’t strictly Greek food, you can expect to find some family favourites here, along with Lebanese and Macedonian delights that are seriously impressive. According to owners Alex Kelly and Jean Paul El Tom, the whole idea of Baba’s Place is to celebrate the uniting power of food, which has helped to bridge so many cultural divides, particularly in Western Sydney.
8. Baba’s Place
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Medusa Greek Taverna is the perfect pitstop for city-goers looking for a delicious, authentic Greek meal. Located in the CBD, the restaurant serves up Greek street food and just about everything on the menu is handmade, so you really can’t go wrong. Considering the venue has been open for decades, you can expect to see a few dated things on the menu and the walls, but it all adds tot he charm. There’s something very wholesome about Medusa Greek Taverna that feels almost homely in a way.
9. Medusa Greek Taverna
Best for: Fine Dining
10. Alpha
Best for: Drinks
11. EROS
A meeting place of Greek food, culture, music and dancing can be found at Koutouki, making it one of the best Greek restaurants in Sydney for Greek natives. Located in the heart of Leichhardt, a dinner here will always be a memorable one. Try the meze set menu if you feel like going all out!
12. Koutouki
A country built around a vibrant dining culture, Greece is home to some of the world’s best-loved foods, and for good reason. Similar to many of its Mediterranean neighbours, Greek food is founded on the triad of wheat, olive oil and wine, with a healthy dose of vegetables, fish and meat thrown in. A staple diet that has existed for millennia, this rich and fatty assortment of foods has become an internationally recognised symbol of Greek culture. Importantly, this extends well outside the home. In Greece, dining out is seen as a way of life, with the streets littered with tavernas and meze bars dishing out small plates and charcoal grilled meat by the handful.
Types of Greek Food
Most common greek food can be characterised by one important ingredient – olive oil. Used in most dishes, this rich, fatty substance has remained a core element in Greek cuisine for centuries, due to its steady supply and honed natural climate. Olive oil used in Greece is generally produced from trees grown locally, giving a more robust and earthy taste than some other regional producers.
Typical ingredients
In Greek cuisine, you’re likely to see a number of common foods pop up. While the westernised version of Greek food differs slightly from the traditional fare, the cuisine remarkably hasn’t changed that much over the past few centuries. Whether you find yourself in Mykonos or you’re walking the streets of Surry Hills, you’ll be able to score some classic Greek food year-round. Staples include:
Classic Greek Foods
If you don’t feel like Greek food, why not check out our rundown on the best steakhouses, Italian restaurants, burger joints and Asian fusion restaurants in Sydney?
Alternatives to Greek Food in Sydney
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