Are Set Menus Worth It? Akti’s Executive Chef Rob Judd Explains

Sharing is caring at Akti, the one-year-old Greek restaurant sitting pretty along Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf. Translating to “coast”, Akti focuses on share plates that showcase Sydney’s fresh local produce and the kitchen’s loving handiwork.

So while Akti does offer à la carte dining, executive chef Rob Judd believes the restaurant’s strengths lie with the range of set menus. “It’s following the same philosophy we have here, which is family-style Greek food,” he says. “So it’s sharing.”

Set menus can feel daunting at first, but there’s a logic to it. Akti’s scale to suit every appetite, moving from a lighter introduction through a mid-size option to a full shared feast – so diners decide just how much they want to explore. Whichever you land on, everyone at the table ends up sampling far more than they would ordering solo.

“You get to try a little bit of everything,” Judd confirms. “And cost-wise, it’s shared amongst the whole table – unlike the old-school fine-dining set menus, where you get one little plate each. And diners can add on things if they want to, from the à la carte menu.”

Selecting a set menu gives guests a solid framework designed by those who know the food best. Instead of worrying about ordering too much or not enough, diners can trust that the portions and pricing have been worked out in advance.

“With set menus, it’s the best of what the chef can give you,” says Judd. “Then you can just enjoy the night, and everything is taken care of for you.”

All winter, Akti is part of SRG Hospitality’s annual discounted dining promotion, which gives diners up to 50 per cent off on multi-course meals on designated days. At Akti, it runs at lunch from Wednesday to Friday, and at dinner from Wednesday to Sunday. During those times, a special set menu is on offer for $62.50 per person, for a group of up to seven. Other participating restaurants include The Fenwick, Summer Salt, Noi and Ripples locations in Chowder Bay and Little Manly, as well as Chiosco, Ormeggio at The Spit, Vineria Luisa, and Postino Osteria.

Across 11 restaurants, the promotion runs until August 31. And the variety is the draw: menus across SRG usually change every four months, but for this promotion, they’ll refresh monthly and offer the best seasonal produce from winter well into spring.

“We talk to our suppliers every single week to see what’s coming up. We’re already planning our menu for three months in advance, based on what’s going to be best at that time,” says Judd.

Similarly, Judd and his team put the same care into the prices and portions. “With it being sharing style, it means we can go for more premium ingredients,” Judd explains.

Of the winter line-up, Judd lingers on a few favourites: a seafood pasta slicked with mussels, tomato, garlic and chilli, and finished with a hit of ouzo; pork neck coaxed low and slow until it yields; and, for the vegetarians, a moussaka layered with eggplant, potato, creamy manouri and tomato.

He’s also keen to point out how well the kitchen accommodates dietary requirements. There are vegan, pescetarian and gluten-free menus, and with notice, the kitchen can create a mini menu from scratch for more specific allergies.

“You’re coming into our home, and we want you to feel welcome,” he says. “That’s why we got into this industry: to be hospitable to everyone and to show hospitality at its best.”

That dovetails nicely with the Greek dining tradition, which is all about warmth and sharing. And while Akti has its modern touches, it keeps coming back to that.

“We’re a nice balance between authentic and modern,” says Judd. “I was trained very traditionally in Greek cuisine, and we’ve tried to modernise it a little bit. Greek food is about bold flavours and quite simplistic things, so we’ve stuck to those roots but put a little twist on it here and there.”

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with SRG Hospitality.