The Apollo

We were dined here again because the last time was so good… and still, this place continues to go from strength to strength, and getting better and better!
The meals are simply world class, and consistently so. Delightful people serve in this place at a standard that is high. The Kritharaki Pasta with braised oxtail tomato skordalia is stunning, the oven baked lamb shoulder with lemon and greek yohurt is also amazing and so too the grilled octopus. Beyond these three dishes, there is nothing on the menu that I would not be excited about or have again. The wine list is excellent and well priced. This place serves food with love, passion and care… simply an extraordinary dining destination.
One of our favourites on the globe!

Great location with great dining environment. Although not so familiar with greek food, we went there so many times, mainly for the grilled cheese and pitta bread. The grilled pig shoulder is good as well. However, too salty for majority of other dishes that we could not get used to. Price is all right.

Lunch today for four.
Excellent service. great vibe and wonderful food.
Ask for their signature dishes and try them all

They do Greek dishes with a modern twist and everything is so flavoursome! I’ve been here a few times and it does not disappoint. I loved the lamb, octopus, pita bread, Greek salad, Loukemades… Most things on the menu! The atmosphere is nice and friendly too!

There’s nothing I didn’t like about this place. The atmos was great, the food was delicious (we had that greek feast thing which included salad, breads, dips and lamb and potatoes and all other sorts of Greek things). The prices are bloody reasonable for the locale too — so don’t fear wallet rape here.
The potts point crowd are usually able to drag down any experience with their –whatever the opposite of effortless coolness is — you know what I mean? Straight-​cut fringes, big glasses, pasty starvation gazing, clothes that are deliberately mis-​shaped, Ill-​fitting, overpriced and so on. But not even their mundane pseudo intellectualizing could dent the relaxed sure-​footedness of the place. Service needs some tuning but who cares. Restaurants are for food and atmosphere.

Very difficult to find out how many stars it deserves… I am sure I could have rated it 4 or 5 if we had a different waiter.
Honestly the food is amazing: super original, colourful and tasteful. The lamb was memorable.
But, when you go to a nice restaurant, you are looking for a nice experience and food is not enough.
Our waiter was one of the worst I ever had: impatient while we were choosing and asking for recommendations, useless when we asked him to reduce Air Con (it was freezing), arrogant when we asked questions about wine/​food…
We were so pissed off that we did not order deserts or more drinks because we wanted to leave as soon as possible.
I might be back but I will specifically ask not to be served by this guy…

Food for the Gods sent down from Oympus to us mere mortals. Sydney has a thriving Greek community that requires a certain level of quality in the kitchen. Alas, Los Angeles, has only a light dusting of of Greek restaurants none of which are noteworthy except perhaps the provincial every day fare at Papa Cristos behind C and K Imports Market. So, a flight to Sydney for excellent Greek cuisine made more sense than slogging through LA traffic. My Apollo mission resulted in a perfect landing.
The kitchen is definitely Greek, however all the dishes have been tweaked, updated and modified to please and entice any discriminating palate. The restaurant is large and beautifully appointed. It is elegantly understated with a large granite bar and soft lighting which creates a lovely atmosphere worthy of a Greek shipping magnate. Plus there is no annoying Greek music blaring at concert volume, no drunks awash in cheap Ouzo yelling yasou and flinging dinner plates against a brick wall. No chubby belly dancer in a sweat stained thong imploring you to put down your fork full of Moussaka and join her gyrations for a bill pushed in her cleavage. Thank the Gods for being kind as there is none of that here.
The Apollo does not take reservations (bookings Down Unda) for less than 6 and the place is jammed every night they are open, and rightfully so, as the food is truly divine. For example, the Vine Leaf Parcels Baked Onion Pork Tomato were exquisite. The vine leaf was oven crisped, and laid open to reveal the caramelized onion stuffed with pork and tomato. I thought that was a wonderful dish until the Calamari with Sumac Chili appeared. It seemed the kitchen presents dishes that are both simple and yet complex. Its like dining with Siamese twins joined at the lips. The Krithramaki Pasta (Greek orzo) with Oxtail Ragu and Tomato Skodalia (tradionally a purée of potato and garlic) was rich and terrific too. I only wish I had room for all the dishes. Okay, who doesn’t have room for Saganaki? Here, it is served with Greek oregano and a drizzle of honey. The drizzle of honey was new and interesting. It was the ultimate bar snack which was great as the bar was truly equal to the food. The Bar is often the «A» table. At The Apollo The Bartender was friendly, engaging, helpful and made me two killer whiskey sours. One with good old Makers Mark and one with a smoky blend he had stashed. Heroic pours, both of them. In fact the entire staff was efficient and professional. Teh small share plates came out as soon as they were prepared and the yet the plates didn’t stack up. Everything the ktichen sent was timed to generate a fine experience.
I did my best to shyly forego dessert until I saw the Caramelized Pineapple Frozen Yogurt with Sheets of White Chocolate beckoning from the menu. Go ahead twist my arm, although it would have been difficult to eat that way. I managed. I think a rich dark chocolate might have worked better but that’s just one over stuffed diner’s humble opinion. Was it Greek? No. Was it great? Yes. Light and a nice balance to an excellent Greek meal.
Most dining adventures in a Greek restaurant end in a Greek tragedy, but at the The Apollo it is a Greek triumph. It’s not all Greek to me.
If I had a choice of an evening at home with Helena Paparizou or dinner out at the Apollo, sorry honey, don’t wait up.
.

Look don’t get me wrong the food was very good but in our opinion the Apollo is just trying to make good grrek food fanciful
Just keep it simple guys, keep it simple

Worst service experience! Got kicked out after dropping $ 500 because our F time run out？seriously?

I’ve been here twice now and both times the table has ordered «the full Greek,» which is their version of a tasting menu. At $ 55 per person I’m convinced it’s one of the best kept secrets in Sydney. All of us left STUFFED with a massive doggie bag as well.
You start with olives and a mullet roe dip/​pita bread. The dip is good (not too fishy) but don’t make the rookie mistake I did and fill up on the bread. I promise the even better stuff is yet to come, like the melted ooey gooey saganaki cheese skillet that is to DIE FOR.
The lamb shoulder and chat potatoes are considered the main dishes and do not disappoint; although by this time you’ll be unbuttoning your pants and wishing you hadn’t eaten anything earlier in the day.
By the time dessert came I could only take a couple of bites– I’m not big into greek desserts and would rather have had more cheese, but it was a nice finish to the meal.
Great wine selection (and great range of price points for bottles), great service– only downside would be that you can’t book a table if you’re under 6 people and this place is packed, so if you are going at a popular time you may have to wait.
Definitely has become one of my favorites in Sydney!

Went earlyish (7pm) with a friend last week — was seated immediately at the bar overlooking the other diners.
The ice berg lettuce, grilled cheese, pita were highlights for me (vegetarian) and the sharing ease was lovely.
Highly recommended as a chic, upper end restaurant in Elizabeth Bay/​Potts Point area — affordable & great service & food.

Stopped in for a light lunch; we weren’t in Sydney for long, and my wife wanted to get some good lamb. We and our friend shared a calamari special, octopus, greek salad and the lamb shoulder. Calamari was fine but nothing special. The octopus was wonderful, on a par with the best we’ve had, the preparation with, I believe, fennel, onions olives, etc, was fabulous. Excellent, fresh salad; but the lamb was probably the best we’ve ever had. The raving reviews were right! We ate outside, on the cool, shady sidewalk; very glad we did, the indoor dining room (at 2 on a Sunday afternoon) was quite loud.

Outstanding food is worth the wait for a table — go for the octopus starter, lamb main and lemon meringue desert. The latest evictees from the Big Brother show were there on the night we visited which made the place feel tacky and touristy. The service was okay but wasn’t up to the same standard as the food.

I went at 5pm on a Sunday, not realising that it is usually tough to get a table during peak times — great timing! We ordered way too much food, bu… fennel and orange salad; the OCTOPUS! Oh God — the octopus. Chargrilled, tender and flavour to boot.
Lamb. Oh there was lamb. She was slow roasted and melted in the mouth. Served up with a Greek salad, which can be cold, clunky and boring — but THIS one. The cheese was soft and creamy. Plenty of good quality olive oil and oregano flavours — the TOMATOES! Hooooh those tomatoes. Mouthgasm.
I have not tried such vibrant, juicy, bright, RED tomatoes like that since… since — PAROS, GREECE!
Nailed it.

Wow, everyone loves The Apollo, huh?
Well, we had a damn fine meal here. And yes, the saganaki grilled haloumi thing is something you MUST try if you come here!!! Grilled haloumi-​style cheese swimming in bubbling hot honey might sound weird, but trust me its absolutely heavenly!
The barramundi is spectacular.
The lamb is spectacular.
The chicken is great.
Dessert is just… out of this world!!! We had the honey doughnuts and the lemon curd pie. The lemon curd pie was just… you just want to stick your face in it and eat it, lol.
The service… sigh. We had a total dingbat waiter. It was like pulling teeth to get suggestions and advice on how to order and what menu items are what, he forgot stuff we ordered, never checked on us, didn’t clear our plates for ages and ages. Then, mid meal, he shoved his bum in my friends face while leaning over and talking to the table next to us, like right in it!!! He moved just as I was leaning over to poke him in his skinny hipster bum with my fork. I’m not even kidding. LOL.
Also, we all agreed that since the mains are supposedly designed to be shared by 2, the portions are pretty small and not enough.

I think I’m slightly obsessed with Greek food!
Earlier this year I tried Alpha and absolutely loved it and now I can say I’m a huge fan of Apollo too. I can’t decide which I love more. The food, service and ambience are impressive at both restaurants. Alpha is more on the sophisticated side, where Apollo has an understated, contemporary, urban feel. Both amazing! Here’s the low down on Apollo…
Chef
Johnathan Barthelmess, former head chef of Manly Pavillion
The Vibe
This elegantly simple, yet highly impactful minimalistic restaurant is situated on the corner of Macleay St and Crick Ave. Peering through the glowing arched windows before walking in, I was so surprised to see the place was absolutely packed at 7.30pm on a Monday. Inside — unfinished concrete walls, oversized rustic pillars and an exposed off-​white painted ceiling.
Will impress
This place is great for group bookings; the restaurant caters for larger groups really well. Reservations are only accepted for groups of 6 or more and there’s a very generous and affordable set menu to simplify the bill split. I however came here for a casual dinner date for two, which I would also recommend. We only had to wait 10mins to be seated at the candle lit marble bar to begin our Greek feast. The bar area is a little small if you’re ordering multiple dishes (which you will be as most dishes are to share); luckily the staff are very quick to remove finished plates. Unfortunately, this means Marc J, Louis or Givenchy will need to be seated on the floor as there are no hooks either.
Spend
$$$ Mains are between $ 25-​$ 35. The $ 55 set menu is exceptional value
Dress Code Keep it casual but modern. Opted for clean cuts like a tailored jacket (love the over the shoulder look) or a shirt.
Food
WOW –We (Evan too!) love the food here. We got a bit greedy and wanted to try as much food as possible so we went for the set menu. Can I just say it’s a hell of a lot of food for two people (9 dishes). I’m salivating just thinking about it. My favourites were: The taramasalata is smooth and slightly sour, served with a side of warm herbed pita bread — Divine! The saganakI is a dream, it comes sizzling hot, inside: soft and salty, outside: the crispy grilled layer is sweet (honey) and tangy (lemon & oregano). The slow cooked lamb is so tender, it just breaks into pieces and it’s nicely complimented by the garlic yoghurt, lemon and lamb juice… To die for! The roast chat potatoes are a must if you’re ordering the lamb. The original set menu comes with the walnuts filo pastry coffee cream but we changed ours to loukoumades (honey doughnuts), they were really fluffy inside and crisp on the outside, however I wasn’t a huge fan of the lemon, honey cinnamon flavouring. The lemon spoiled it for me and alone it’s a dry dished, the yoghurt is not enough, instead I would have liked some ice cream on the side.
Drinks
To drink, make sure you order the Pearsephone (ketel one, st germain elderflower, pear coriander), such a beautiful aroma. It’s dangerously easy to drink! If you’re not planning on an early night, you must try the All Press espresso! The coffee is so smooth and full bodied. Makes you wish they were open for my morning coffee.
Love Bangers x

Came here on a date night right before Christmas after hearing great things. It’s only a block away from where I live so I was pretty excited to check it out.
It was really busy for a Monday so we took a seat at the bar. After scanning the menu, we decided to do the Greek sampler (can’t remember what it’s called).
It was fantastic! Our dinner started with some warm olives and warm pita bread. Then we got a caviar spread that was actually delicious. I’m not one for fishy tasting things and this spread was really good!
Then we had my favorite course, the grilled cheese with honey. This was absolutely to die for. Words can’t even do justice. Just make sure you get it no matter what.
For the main course we had lamb with a side salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta and roasted potatoes. The salad and potatoes were good but the lamb was FANTASTIC! I don’t love lamb but I would go back for more at Apollo.
Lastly we had baklava for desert which I have to admit was my least favorite course.
Regardless, this meal costs $ 55 per person, a bargain for Sydney and Potts point! Highly recommend.

I came to The Apollo for my Birthday a few months ago and couldn’t be happier with the choice.
First is the restaurant itself. That romantic Grecian room is damn easy on the eyes. The décor is dramatic, but somehow understated. Those arched windows, the time-​worn columns, golden lighting and the peeling white walls. Warm, sultry and lively with diners. The perfect mix of good feelings. One might call it an ambience trifecta.
The Greek food here is as beautiful. It’s what I love so much about Mediterranean cuisine; the ability to extract so much flavour from a few well-​sourced ingredients. As a cheese enthusiast, ordering the baked cheese dish was a no-​brainer. Golden fried haloumi came out sizzling in a little pan, covered in bubbling honey and dried oregano. So friggen good.
We had a group table, but the L shaped bar is super sexy. I want to sit there next time.
Our waitress was so accommodating and lovely that we felt compelled to invite her to sit and have birthday cake with us afterwards.

Amazing. Incredible food and incredible service. I took some Greek family members, (who are used to traditional Greek home cooking so were a tad apprehensive) and we were all blown away by the calibre of the food. We ordered marinated olives, village Greek salad, fried king prawns and slow-​cooked lamb shoulder. All delicious and exquisitely presented, but the stand-​out was the lamb shoulder, which was cooked so beautifully it fell straight off the bone.
Even more impressive however was the service — helpful, attentive waitstaff who are knowledgeable on everything on the menu, from what dip to start with, to which of the many Greek wines on offer will best match your dish selection.
Cannot recommend enough.

There were no plates (intentionally) broken at The Apollo
No «Opa!“s shouted
No napkins waved above heads
No scantily-​clad women playing finger cymbals
No togas, plastic pillars or ivy to be seen
They seemingly skipped all the, ahem, «traditional» Greek restaurant ingredients in favour of stunning food, fresh, traditional meat and produce, and minimalist, urban-​chic décor. Why they would serve up bubbling fried saganaki with honey and oregano and crispy roasted chat potatoes with garlic and herbs instead of dishes called «Betta Wit Feta,» «Gyro K» and «Ouzo Daddy» is just beyond me.
I mean… what were they thinking?