Sydney Food Guide: The Greek at the Belvedere!

I had no idea how delicious Greek food would be prior to my holiday in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini! I was craving for souvlakis, gyros and baklavas like a pregnant woman as soon as I came back to Sydney! So when I received an invitation to dine at The Greek at the Belvedere, I RSVP’d immediately!

As soon as I stepped in the restaurant, I felt the Greek hospitality straight away! I felt like I was being welcomed in someone’s home! The blue and white décor, white washed walls and furniture, light timber floors and small vases of flowers made me feel like I was transported back to the Greek islands!

Mick, Alex, Marie and I savoured and shared authentic and homely dishes prepared by head Chef, Stergios Zdralis that night.

APERITIF
Ouzo Meze Plate: This is obvious, we have to start the night with Greece’s most popular alcoholic drink, the OUZO! We drunk it straight from a shot glass without hesitation! The distinct flavour of licorice and star-anise certainly unleashed our friendly and outgoing spirits! HAHA! What a way to kick start the night! Our Meze platter had meatballs, calamari, olives and of course the holy tzatziki and pita bread! It was such a delight snacking on these little tasty things while catching up with the crew!

ENTRÉE
Saganaki Kefalograviera: I forgot my all-time favourite fried Halloumi cheese when I tried the Saganaki Cheese! Saganaki is the frying pan used to fry the Kefalograviera which is a salty hard traditional Greek table cheese! For the cheese lovers out there, this is a must try! Slightly crunchy on the outside and melty on the inside! I loved the sticky sweet combination of honey and salty cheese. Add those hot peppers pistachios and it has now become one of my favourite Greek dishes!

Grilled Octopus: When I saw this dish, I thought of my first dining experience in a seafood taverna while in Santorini. Plates after plates of seafood arrived and the star of the show was the octopus! I love the octopus’ subtle taste, it wasn’t fishy at all. Chef Stergios cooked it perfectly… the flesh was so tender and moist! He also used the savoury and mildly sweet taste of fava bean puree as a base for this dish! And, yes… it was a wondrous pairing!

MAIN
Slow roasted Lamb Shoulder: This succulent lamb shoulder was cooked low and slow until the meat falls off the bone. It was meltingly tender and full of flavour that can seriously serve as a centrepiece for any feast or celebration! The juice from the lemon and thyme and who knows what else that flowed out from the meat was divine! Such amazing aromas and tangs!

Grilled Lamb cutlets: These gorgeously grilled lamb chops came out with fat surrounding the eye of the meat that extends to the bone! It was a mouth-watering dish that I can have over and over again! So flavoursome!

Moussaka: This dish was the star of the evening! This moreish moussaka had luscious layers of beef mince that was cooked in a tomato-based sauce layered with sweet eggplants and creamy bechamel sauce! It was light and fluffy with a golden crust, just simply irresistible!

DESSERT
Galaktoboureko with Baklava Ice cream: OMGGGG! Can I just say that Chef Stergio’s custard pie taste better than the one that I had in Athens!? I don’t know what butter, semolina and syrup he used that made his creation so bespoke! Also, I have a slight baklava and ice cream obsession… Put them together and I’m in cloud nine!!!

It was an insane feast; The Greek at the Belvedere is really killing it! No doubt you’ll want to order everything! Head over to the 1st floor of the Belvedere hotel and experience the simple and wonderful flavours of Greek Cuisine right in the heart of Sydney’s CBD!

For bookings and reservations, please call: 02 9264 1688
Address: 482 Kent Street Sydney, 2000 NSW

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xoxo, The Travel Belle