We recently went to our friend’s birthday at the Apollo, a long time standing Greek restaurant in Potts Point in Sydney. The food was amazing but the service was overbearing (more below in “service”). We got the Apollo’s Feast for $85 pp 👌🏻.
Apologies, I only took a sneaky shot with my phone so the quality is low.
Apologies, I only took a sneaky shot with my phone so the quality is low.
Apollo's Feast
Starting our course was the meze, a common Mediterranean entrée. There was:
- Olives – self explanatory
- Taramasalata, mullet roe dip – The dip was velvety smooth but very acidic in taste. We only needed a teaspoon of it on a quarter of our bread.
- Split pea dip, chickpea, oregano – This was also very smooth and a much more mild and savoury dip. I wanted to lick the plate clean 👅
- Warm pita bread – Fluffy, airy and with a nice oven-charred exterior
Next was one of the most loved dishes of the night, the saganaki cheese, honey, and oregano. This was a scrumptious fried cheese with the sweetest, charred layer. It was divine; so simple yet so delicious. The cheese had a mild
milky taste that balanced the honeyed layer well.
There was also a Village salad, cucumber, tomato, feta, olives that went around but this was straightforward and refreshing, with no dressing.
There was also a Village salad, cucumber, tomato, feta, olives that went around but this was straightforward and refreshing, with no dressing.
The baked snapper, vine leaves was shared between the 4 of us. The fish was tender, falling off the bone. The sauce was a savoury marinade, with salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic and onion powder. The snapper size was a tad small to be shared amongst so many people because we only had 1-2 spoonfuls each. And the server took away the fish before we could scrap the bones or eat the head 😣.
We had spanakorizo, spinach lemon rice on the side. This was long-grain rice and spinach, cooked in a tomato-based sauce and finished with
lemon squirts. It was an acidic and bitter bite with very chewy textures. It paired perfectly with the mild fish but was not fancied well on its own on our umami palates.
Another side dish was the roast potatoes, garlic, and parsley. I am a sucker for this starch so it comes as no surprise that I was in love with these fluffy balls 🤤. It was soft and creamy, with an enjoyable salty and garlic covering.
The eggplant, fennel, and pine nuts were sweet and refreshing, cutting through the lamb fat and balancing out the main course. We were surprised by how soft and flavourful the eggplant was in this dish, and loved the lack of skin.
Our main was an oven baked lamb shoulder, lemon, Greek yoghurt, shared between 4 again. This was a huge chunk of tenderised, fatty lamb, smothered in its own grease and the tangy yoghurt. The lemon was absolutely necessary to cut through all the fat. After a few bites, it was clear the dish was becoming too much to finish, as we ended up leaving 1/8th of the lamb behind.
Our two desserts were shared between the 4 of us as well. On the left were the walnuts, filo pastry, coffee cream and on the right were the watermelon, mint, ouzo.
The pastry was a bit too soft and bland, tasting more like a mouthful of dried nuts than any other flavour. The watermelon was the favourite, being a refreshing, moderately sweet and light dessert to end the night.
The pastry was a bit too soft and bland, tasting more like a mouthful of dried nuts than any other flavour. The watermelon was the favourite, being a refreshing, moderately sweet and light dessert to end the night.
Service
The service was too much. It started with our drinks. Mick ordered a bottle of wine, to be shared between us and the birthday girl because 1) we didn’t know her friends (nor did they bother to talk to us) and 2) the bill was not being split evenly therefore, whatever we ordered, we paid for. We told the server this twice and he still brought out a glass for everyone single person on the table and then went around twice, offering them a glass.
Afterwards Mick wanted another drink and the server continued to upsell every wine bottle on the menu because 💡 Mick looked like a rich kid. When our friends ordered an expresso martini (2 people), the server shouted out “expresso martini for everyone” (8 people). Our friends had to explain twice that no, they only wanted 2 martinis.
It also didn’t help that this so-called “private dining room” was literally a storage room in the kitchen they decided to throw a table and chair in. Half the wall was covered with shelves and it was awkward when staff kept coming in to get supplies.
Afterwards Mick wanted another drink and the server continued to upsell every wine bottle on the menu because 💡 Mick looked like a rich kid. When our friends ordered an expresso martini (2 people), the server shouted out “expresso martini for everyone” (8 people). Our friends had to explain twice that no, they only wanted 2 martinis.
It also didn’t help that this so-called “private dining room” was literally a storage room in the kitchen they decided to throw a table and chair in. Half the wall was covered with shelves and it was awkward when staff kept coming in to get supplies.
Review
We liked the food but the service spoiled the experience for us. We rarely have a craving for Greek food so the chances of returning are neigh, never. The Apollo has been around Potts Point for years so as a ‘standard recommendation’ it may come up in a whispered conversation but not a place we would vouch for at the top of our lungs right now.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating! 😄
Thanks for reading. Happy eating! 😄
