Featuring: Ploos, Bouillon L’Entrecote, MuMu…

THE location of Ploos couldn’t be more redolent of Sydney’s history and modern development. Housed in the renovated, heritage-listed Campbell’s Store with its convict-hewn sandstone interiors, Peter Conistis’ new harbourfront restaurant also offers in-your-face views of the Sydney Opera House. The name means voyage in Greek and the menu delivers by tracing the fabled journey of Odysseus through the Greek islands with a detour to the Middle East.
Conistis is the recognised Master of Modern Greek cuisine in Sydney through his popular Alpha restaurant and former foodie boltholes, Omega, Eleni’s and Cosmos. Ploos is definitely not a repeat performance of these storied establishments but has carved out new territory and takes its inspiration from Cyprus, Crete and the southern Aegean for its contemporary interpretations.
The outdoor bar and alfresco dining area was buzzing when we arrived for dinner and felt even more festive with the brightly illuminated Harbour Bridge and Opera House as a backdrop. You can also dine inside amid the honey-coloured sandstone walls, burnished wood and metal and green and burgundy marble detailing. We were offered a meze of kataifi pastry tart filled with whipped feta, pastourmas (air-dried cured beef) and candied eggplant as we perused the menu.
Conistis has sourced artisanal cheeses including haloumi, cured meats, single origin Cretan olive oils and spices to double down on authenticity. Even the traditional Greek salad gets a makeover at Ploos via the Nissiotiki salad of heirloom tomatoes, aged feta, onion, cucumber and pickled samphire.
Haloumi cheese can be rubbery in the wrong hands but not at Ploos. Apart from the kataifi tart, other tempting meze dishes include grilled haloumi, fennel glyko, lemon and isot pepper, Aylesbury duck koupes, tahinosalata, vissino and herb salad – a Cypriot version of kibbeh filled with shredded duck and pine nuts – and Abrolhos octopus, carob, taramasalata and caper shoots. All deeply flavoured and deceptively simple.
The main course listings are tightly edited and ever-changing. Two vegetable-focused offerings stood out on our visit – roast eggplant, imam bayildi, lentils and graviera (a Greek cheese similar to gruyere) and spanakopita-filled manti, dill yogurt and burnt butter. The latter used the typical filling for the well-known filo pie for the moreish dumplings enjoyed in Turkey, the Caucasus and the Balkans.
Meatlovers had the choice of grilled organic chicken, biber salcasi (Turkish pepper paste) and almond skordalia or honey-roasted lamb rack with eggplant hummous and artichoke. The sides on offer should be given serious consideration because they are treats in themselves from the Aegean greens, grape molasses, olive oil and boukovo (hot paprika flakes) to the fried pumpkin savoro, rose vinegar and herbs.
You can drop by for cocktails you won’t find elsewhere like Ouzo Fizz (ouzo, pink gin, watermelon, mint and lemon) and Old Fashioned Glyko (rye whiskey, creme de banane and xocoloti – the artisan chocolate made by the Partsioglou family of Melbourne). The eight-page wine list spans champagnes, Greek spirits and wines such as the 2019 Skouros Almyra chardonnay and Australian, New Zealand and Californian varietals. Biodynamic wines are also a strong focus.
Dessert choices have a strong Greek thread from Cretan-style ricotta tart to baklava with raki ice-cream. But Ploos doesn’t have to gild the lily. Whether you are entertaining visitors, out to impress business colleagues or just want to relax in one of the most beautiful settings in the world, few other Sydney venues can compete.
Ploos, Bay 7, 7-27 Circular Quay West, The Rocks. Phone (02) 8231 4890.

Sydney diners have renewed their interest in French bistro food over the past couple of years. The success of Bistro 916, Porcine and others paved the way for Bouillon L’Entrecote – a centrepiece of the city’s newest CBD dining and shopping precinct, Quay Quarter Lanes.
French business partners Johan Giausseran and Vincent Ventura opened Brasserie L’Entrecote in Pymble six years ago and are also behind its south of the harbour twin. The two-level, 70 seat Bouillon L’Entrecote is decorated with artworks from France and the staff are mainly French, too. The wine list follows suit with listings from Champagne to the Rhone Valley and the house beer is Kronenbourg.
In a tip of the hat to Relais de l’Entrecote, the famed Parisian steakhouse chain, steaks are the main act. Sourced from Rangers Valley in NSW, there’s a choice of small 200g grilled sirloin cuts of Wagyu tomahawk for up to three people. The meats come with frites and a “secret sauce”.
The rest of the menu is a stroll down memory lane but really well done – charcuterie, French onion soup, duck liver parfait and plats du jour such as coq au vin and beef bourguignon. To top off the air-freighted from France feel, there’s classic bistro chairs, a ground floor wine bar and a playlist heavy with French jazz.
Bouillon L’Entrecote, 6 Loftus Street, Sydney. Visit lentrecotesydney.com.au.
Merivale’s Ivy precinct hosts some of the CBD’s most popular dining spots from Felix to Bar Totti’s. City visitors and workers can now add MuMu to their favourite go-to list. Oliver Hua is in charge of the kitchen under the guidance of Dan Hong, Merivale’s man with the Midas touch at Mr Wong and Mrs G’s.
Housed in a funky space designed by George Livissianis (The Apollo, Cho Cho San), there’s plenty of seating at the bar to enjoy the expertly made cocktails. But the terrific takes on Southeast Asian street food favourites from Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are the main attraction and there’s plenty to choose from with 30 share plates.
The star choice is prahok ktis, a Cambodian dish of spicy pork, fermented fish and pea eggplants. Or sashay through the other great offerings from rock oysters with ginger, scallion and Vietnamese mint vinaigrette to jungle curry of pipis. Sommelier Robyn Fisher has come up with a wine list peppered with French, German and Australian varietals that can take the heat of the spices and liberal use of chilli.
MuMu, 330 George Street, Sydney. Phone (02) 9114 7393.