The Ripples Team Means “No Disrespect to Yiayia” at Akti, Woolloomooloo’s Greek Newcomer

When Bill Drakopoulos was presented the opportunity to buy Manta, a stalwart of Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf, the poetry of the situation wasn’t lost on him. Not only was it the perfect place for Akti, his first Greek restaurant, it was also the spot where his mum and dad disembarked from the steamships that carried them from Greece to Australia in the 1950s.

“I was born in Sydney, and for 45 years I’ve been in the restaurant business,” the CEO of Sydney Restaurant Group (behind Ripples, Sails, Noi) tells Broadsheet. “I’ve always wanted to open a Greek restaurant. Mum and Dad are long gone now, but what a story this is for me.”

The view of the CBD skyline isn’t quite the Athens Riviera, but something about Finger Wharf reminds Drakopoulos of Greece. “It has a similar vibe to coastal dining in Greece. There’s a level of sophistication in Athens and the islands, but it’s very laid back. It’s the same here.”

Akti (meaning “coast” in Greek) has a holiday vibe: the sunset hues of the fit-out, a lounge area serviced by a baraka (or small bar) and a menu of meze and sharing plates.

In March, before Akti officially opened, executive chef Ntinos Fotinakis jetted over from Europe to run a Greek pop-up. It was a hit. Ex-Hellenika chef Robert Judd has since joined Fotinakis at the helm, serving Greek classics “turned on their head, no disrespect to yiayia,” Drakopoulos says.

There’s meze like briny, fried saganaki finished with smoked lemon and oregano; lahanodolmades – vine leaves arrive stuffed with pork, rice and spinach; and charred Fremantle octopus with fava-bean cream. Plates come stacked with swordfish, Moreton Bay bugs and lamb shoulder to share, and the banquet will have you trying everything.

Then there are the moussaka croquettes, where the homely classic is taken up a notch. “Yes, croquettes are everywhere, but these reminded me of my mother making me moussaka. The first time I tried them, I couldn’t believe [Fotinakis] got all those flavours into a croquette. I think for a lot of people it’s so nostalgic.”

While Drakopoulos is an old hand at restaurant openings, opening his first Greek restaurant has amplified that nostalgia.

“My introduction to hospitality was when I was a boy. Every weekend, all these people we’d call aunty and uncle, even if they weren’t, would bring food for the table. The kids ran amok, the dads would be on the charcoal grill, the mums inside cooking. It was organised chaos, hands everywhere grabbing food.”

Like those weekend meals, Akti is a family effort. Drakopoulos’s son Perry is responsible for the design, daughter Nikola the neat drinks menu. Herbs, cucumber and olives dominate the savoury cocktails, while drinks like the Karpouzi Klub (with vodka, watermelon and mint) are punctuated with citrus.

When Broadsheet chats to Drakopoulos, it’s a few hours before Akti’s opening night. “I get so nervous even after so many years. You always second guess yourself. You wonder, ‘Have I done this right?’ There’s a sense of anxiousness – I don’t want to take anything for granted or be presumptuous just because I’ve done this so many times. And this time, it’s a new experience: to represent my heritage. I have to say, it’s a surreal feeling.”

Akti
6 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo

Hours:
Wed to Sun midday–3pm, 6pm–9pm

sydneyrestaurantgroup.com.au/akti
@aktisydney_