The Novotel at Brighton-Le-Sands is a random Sydney icon. Since the hotel, with its signature pyramid-meets-staircase shape, opened in the ‘80s, it’s been the first distinctive building you see when you fly into Sydney, coming in over Botany Bay. For tourists, this outpost of the Accor empire is literally their first architectural impression of Australia. For locals, even ones who’ve never set foot in Brighton-Le-Sands, seeing that Novotel through the plane window tells you that you’ve made it home.

It’s weird, but it is what it is.

Most Sydneysiders could recognise the building by silhouette alone, but ask them if they’ve actually been there – probably not.

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Novotel wants to change that, and it’s currently in the closing stages of a years-long, multimillion-dollar top-to-bottom renovation to bring the hotel up to date, enticing guests back into its rooms and local patrons back to its restaurants.

Enter Ammos. It’s a new Greek spot by Peter Conistis, one of the legends of Sydney’s restaurant game.

“I’m ticking a few new boxes with this one,” Conistis tells Broadsheet. “I’ve never had a restaurant within a hotel before and never one out of the city like this.”

“But I’ve just been taken aback – from the moment we opened, it’s just been insane in a very positive way. I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I wasn’t prepared for what was going to be happening down here in Brighton.”

While Conistis’s other recent venture, Ela Ela at The Bristol in the CBD, is all about smaller meze plates, Ammos (which means sand in Greek) is focused on larger dishes, with an emphasis on woodfired meat and seafood.

“I’ve homed in on the food that I really grew up with, that my mum used to do, my grandma used to do,” says Conistis. “It’s a more pure, classic approach to Greek food – I’ve done the bells and whistles, the reinterpretations – I’ve done all that. I want people dining here to feel like they’re eating as they would at a Greek restaurant in Greece.”

That might mean getting stuck into a few starters, before progressing through to some mezes – maybe some white cod roe taramasalata and some fried chicken livers and giblets – and then splitting a couple of the larger mains. There are whole menu sections dedicated to seafood and lamb (including a lamb tomahawk), and a range of options from the woodfired selection, including fire-roasted whole rock lobster and barbeque chicken.

Long-time Conistis fan? You’ll still find some of your favourites.

“There’s a couple of dishes that I just can’t take off the menu,” he says. “My classic scallop moussaka with eggplant taramasalata has been on the menu at every restaurant, same for the 11-hour slow-roasted lamb shoulder – and then the spanakopita, based on my mum’s recipe, which I’ve been doing for over 20 years.”

Dishes are complemented by a drinks list made up of nearly 50 per cent Greek wines. Long-time collaborator sommelier John Clancy is behind the offering, which also includes champagnes, New Zealand and Australian wines – but not a lot of Old World drops. Plus, there’s an ouzo trolley, with over 30 different ouzos.

“Years ago, you’d have to do these long explanations of the varietals,” Conistis says. “But now you’ll have people ordering malagousias and assyrtikos, and the words just roll off their tongues. I think it’s great.”

It’s all set within a bright, airy space that takes full advantage of the ample ocean-views and abundant natural light. In a couple of weeks’ time, Conistis is opening Ammos’s beach bar counterpart, which will serve poolside woodfired snacks to hotel guests. Next year, Conistis’s final contribution to the Novotel relaunch will come in the form of a Greek bakery and pastry shop.

“This is our next chapter and it’s just ever-evolving,” he says. “I love having the opportunity to have so many of variations of Greek food in the one space.”

Ammos
Level 3/2 Princess Street, Brighton-Le-Sands
(02) 9556 5115

Hours
Tue to Fri 12pm–2.30pm, 5.30pm–9.30pm
Sat 12pm–2.30pm, 5pm–9pm
Sunday 12pm–7pm

ammosrestaurant.com.au
@ammosbrighton