The Arrival
I walk into Olympus Dinging on a blisteringly hot Sydney lunchtime with the scepticism of someone who has heard a lot about this place. It’s now ticked over one years old. Surely it can’t be that good? Within about 30 seconds, I want to eat my doubt for entrée. Olympus sits inside Wunderlich Lane in Redfern, and the moment I step in, I am no longer in Sydney. I am somewhere on the Greek mainland, except better dressed and with a much better wine list.
The Design
It’s a cliché, but there are some restaurants where photos simply don’t do justice. Much like watching a video of a spot in Greece versus actually sitting on its shores with your toes in the water. Olympus transports me completely. Sitting beneath a glorious fifty year-old Bounganvilla tree, surrounded by limestone rocks, curved bench seating, white linen umbrellas, gold accents and heaps of stone. I feel genuinely elsewhere. Servers glide past in cute navy linen jumpsuits, the open kitchen hums at the back, and red fishing nets cascade dramatically from the ceiling indiscriminately. It is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Someone has thought very, very hard about every single detail here and it shows.
The Team, Chef & Service
Olympus is led by the team behind The Apollo, Cho Cho San, Yoko Dining and Greca in Brisbane. Head chef Ozge Kalvo (ex Ester and Baba’s Place), brings a confident command of cooking over charcoal and fire to classic Greek fare. To borrow a Greek phrase, her cuisine is kali orexi (good appetite). It’s a menu of nostalgia, authenticity and finesse without fuss.
Our server Sophie, is what I would call a total stunner and I mean that in the most professional sense. Mum of two, she started her career learning to cook at Spice Temple under the legendary Neil Perry, then made her way to Melbourne with Long Grain, where she fell hard for Thai food. She’s also done time at Mr. Wong. The result is a woman who knows her food, understands every element of how it’s cooked and cares about ensuring you understand what you are eating, whilst making us feel like we are the most important table in the room. Warm, insanely knowledgeable, genuinely enthusiastic. She shares this is her first time as a server, but as a chef, she never knew if the plates she worked so hard to create were given the care and knowledge it deserved at the point of consumption – if you are lucky enough to have her look after you, your food will taste even better for the detail she shares tableside.
The Olympus A’la Carte Menu
If you love lamb, this is your spiritual homeland.The Greeks didn’t build a civilization around democracy and philosophy, they built it around a good roasted shoulder. There is a ‘lamb menu’ which includes lamb cutlets, lamb (democracy) sausage, chop, roasted shoulder, and a whole milk-fed lamb at 1.3kg for $160.
I am joined by Robyn, my dining companion and we both agree its too hot for lamb. We order the village bread that looks like a mini British cob! Glossy on top, fluffy and a sponge for flavours. The taramasalata is a shock. It is a glorious ivory hue due to using white roe. The final plate of raw tuna is laid, which has been flattened on a taco press to create a wafer thin sheet of tuna kissed by horseradish, olive oil and grated lemon. Sophie shares her preferred method delivered with the seriousness of someone entering a Tim Tam debate. “Bread first. Add the tuna. Let it soak up the oil, dab on the tara.” Bloom’in heck! It’s a triple decker flavour bomb!
This is so much fun. The Saganaki cheese, which Apollo made famous is a classic. A melty slab of cheese, languishing in a pool of honey, lemon and oregano arrives still sizzling. Perfection. The calamari shows up in a way I have never seen before. It’s shaved, not cut, creating charred corkscrew furls tumbled with pea tendrils and cucumber. Texturally fun and delicate. Rather than a traditional spanakopita the leek and potato version has all the crunch, class plus has a wonderful creamy texture.
We finish with ‘Souvlakia Kotopoulo’. The chicken is licked by flame, juicy and underscored by sesame yogurt. The beetroot salad is cooked two ways, roasted then pickled and hand turned to look like a garden of flowers. The rice pilafi has us in awe. Sohpie explains that the kataifi pastry is fried, then the pilaf follows a cooking method similar to a risotto with the addition of chicken fat. Hell yeah. It’s not a side dish, it’s a hero. This is a Greek nonna hug. Whatever you do. Honour it, and order it.
The Verdict
What are we Addicted to? The vibe. Sitting underneath a beautiful tree, eating wonderful Greek food of the land. Everything aligns to the mission. It’s food to be shared and loved.
What would make us more Addicted? It commands a price point deserving of the care and attention to detail. The best way to experience Olympus is with friends rather than just two.
Olympus Dining; Wunderlich Lane, 2 Baptist St, Redfern
Hours: Mon – Fri 12pm until late, Sat – Sun 11.30am until late