It was bucketing down the day I found Jimmy’s Kitchen. The kind of relentless Sydney rain that makes you question your life choices until someone opens a back door and ushers you, dripping, through a secret maze behind the restaurant promenade. Wedged between the Sydney Harbour bridge and the international shipping terminal sits a fleet of restaurants with the back passages akin to the hidden orlop layer. Past the sizzle of pans and the hum of quiet kitchen talk – I emerge through Japanese Noren (you read that right) and suddenly we’re in Greece.
The Vibe
Inside, it’s as though someone picked up a small taverna from a cobblestoned alley in Santorini and whispered, let’s hide it in The Rocks. Blue crockery pops against sandstone walls, jars of preserves line rustic shelves, and there are even framed family photos keeping watch over the intimate 22-seat dining room. It’s softly lit, quietly humming, and blissfully unpretentious, a rare thing in these waterfront surrounds. Forget white tablecloths and pomp; this is your secret invite to your Nonna’s Sunday table, where the warmth is real and the food speaks fluent Greek.
The Chef & Team behind Jimmy’s Kitchen
Behind the stoves is Marko Taxidis, who’s been cooking Greek food in Sydney since the 1950s when he trained under the restaurant’s namesake, Jimmy Drivas. That lineage shows on the plate and in the soul of the place. Jimmy’s son, Chris Drivas, now carries the torch, steering the family legacy that’s been shaping Sydney’s Greek dining scene for decades. The venue itself is part of The Venues Collection, known for their showpiece waterfront locations, but this one? It’s their best-kept secret.
The Menu & Drinks
We started with the house-made dips, all fresh, all fabulous. However the silky smooth Taramasalata layered with fresh fish roe was the standout. And yes, you read that right: waterfront canapés for ten bucks, served with warm grilled pita. Next came a rustic twist on the traditional Greek pie, a rounded finish with zucchini and ricotta that tasted like home, followed by the Prawn Saganaki, where locally sourced skull King prawns flirt tomato, feta and herbs to tantilise your taste buds. We paired this with the sweetly honeyed Saganaki Halloumi with a whisper of spice.
But the main event? We could have opted for the baked lamb shoulder to share ($130) bathed in lemon and oregano. We however, chose their other signature dish – the Astakos Kritharaki, the lobster with orzo. A generous serve of orzo rich in house-made lobster broth gives it a unique flavour that feels like something Nonna would make for New Year’s dinner. Real, comforting, and absolutely magical, served with a charred lemon an half cut market lobster. For lobster fanatics, you can choose a market fresh live lobster, market price, go half (live) or opt for a frozen pending on your budget. Ask nicely and they might even swap lobster for prawns.
Even the wine list stays honest once exclusively a Greek selection, now joined by a few Aussie favourites. We loved the Assyrtiko Amyndeon and the Assyrtiko & Athiri Santorini both refreshingly balanced with a Chardonnay style pallet, like a Greek summer in a glass.
What We’re ADDICTED To? That lobster orzo. Silky, ocean-sweet, and deeply soulful, it’s the dish you dream about days later and the house made broth will have you coming back for more.
What We Need To Be More ADDICTED? The dips. Because where else in Sydney can you sit by the harbour, eat taramasalata for a tenner, and feel like you’ve discovered your Greek godmother’s secret kitchen?
Jimmy’s Kitchen, Bay 9, 7-27 Circular Quay W, The Rocks NSW 2000
Hours – Thursday, 5:30pm – 9:00pm. Friday & Saturday 12pm – 2:30pm & 5:30pm – 9:00pm
