Sydney’s Greek food binge continues with new waterfront restaurant, Jaaks

• Jaaks Kyle Bay has moved away from fine-dining with a renewed focus on casual Greek dining.
• Gorgeous views of Georges Bay help frame a scene of mezze plates and Greek wines.
• The popular spot was mostly known for its upscale approach to Greek food, but that’s been replaced with something vastly more approachable.

An under-radar waterfront favourite has been completely transformed over at South Sydney’s Kyle Bay, with beloved fine diner Jaaks falling in line with Sydney’s reinvigorated love for more casual Greek food.

Jaaks is now a Greek tapas bar— a mezedopolio, if you will—that’s gearing up for late summer nights pairing souvlakia with ouzo and hopping around culinary-forward Greek islands like Cyprus and Lesvos (where Ouzo was born). This is after spending eight years as a Greek fine dining restaurant, cutting away the stuffiness and landing on something more approachable to align with Sydney’s increasingly casual tastes.

“This is how our families cooked during our childhood,” explained executive chef Arman Uz, who returns to the Jaaks kitchen after first starting his local career there when he arrived in Sydney in 2017.

“They couldn’t afford expensive cuts so they had to make do with what they had, by utilising every part of an animal or vegetable. It doesn’t always have to be wagyu or lobster to be high quality, good food. We want to show that there are plenty of options available that can be celebrated and enjoyed.”

Owners and siblings George Christodoulou and Diana Valsamis have stripped away the white tablecloths and fine-dining standards, opting for lighter timbers, more neutral colours and bright features to dial in a “beachside vibe.” Large windows look out over the calm waters of Georges River, making this intimate pocket, just south of Hurstville, one of the few spots in Sydney that truly feels like The Med.

What’s on the menu at Jaaks?

Uz has written a list of around 20 different mezedes plates including lakerda with green tomato and papara, and sheftalies, which is a traditional sausage dish from Cyprus, but instead of pork, Uz switches to the local tastes by using salmon belly.

Some highlights include:

• King prawn with ouzo bisque
• Octopus with butter beans plaki and chermoula
• Taramasalata with salmon roe, chives and beach succulents
• Pitakia kaisarias with pasturma, kasseri and banana peppers
• Lakerda with kingfish, pickled tomato and papara

Uz seems dedicated to constant change. He says that if something can be skewered, he’ll consider it for the menu. This includes off-cuts like offal and vegetarian options like haloumi and cabbage, crisped over a hibachi grill.

Baskets of house-baked bread should help ground each meal. Here, the bread is cooked daily and comes served simply with sea salt and oregano. But there will also be options topped with tomato and garlic, or halloumi and honey.

Drinks steady a tight focus on Greek flavours, with an extensive list of wine from The Isles, as well as cocktails like a Ouzotini and a Lemonada made with gin, cucumber and homemade lemonade. There’s also a large selection of ouzo and tsipouro alongside a large range of Greek spirits.

Jaaks

Address: 12 Merriman St, Kyle Bay 
Contact: (02) 9546 5953
Opening Hours: Friday – Sunday (open for lunch); Thursday – Saturday (open for dinner from 6)

jaaks.com.au