Plateia Where Friends Meet5/2-14 Bayswater Rd
Potts Point, Sydney
Kings Cross may have lost its Iconic Coca Cola sign for now -another string in the suburbs’ guitar of reinvention - just a few metres down, on the corner of Darlinghurst and Bayswater roads, a new iconic food place has just opened its doors.
'PLATEIA –Where friends meet' is an authentic ‘Gyradiko” which in Greek means Gyros place. Now, don’t let that fool you into thinking that Gyros is the only thing on offer here.
Like you would expect to find in the backstreets of Athens, 'PLATEIA –where friends meet' also offers traditional Greek souvlaki, spanakopita, authentic sauces like tzatziki and hot chips that will have you coming back for more time and time again.
Count J and I arrived for lunch on a beautiful sunny day and were greeted by head Chef Nico upon arrival. Nico spent most of his life working in kitchens in Athens and other parts of Greece and let me tell you he knows all about meat and how to cook the perfect cut. Plateia –Where friends meet specialises in what Greeks call ‘street food’, so dining space on premises is bit small, but still a few tables inside and out, if you prefer to eat in rather than take away.
We started off with a couple of Gyros, One pork and one lamb. Both were stellar versions of a traditional Gyros you would find in Greece. Loaded with meat that was perfectly seasoned, moist and had just been carved off the Souvla (Greek word equivalent for rotisserie). The meat was covered in fresh tomato, crispy hot chips and beautiful mild tzatziki and all wrapped in a mouthwatering warm Greek pita. The end result is something so delicious, you have to try it to believe it.
Another famous Greek dish is the mix grill and here at Plateia –where friends meet – they have a very impressive one. We ordered the mix grill for one and when the plate arrived we were so surprised with the portion size, we thought they'd made a mistake and gave us the mixed grill for two. Apparently not. We can only imagine how big the mixed plate for two is.
This mix grill plate was loaded with huge pieces of mouthwatering chicken and lamb souvlaki. You can choose what type of souvlaki you want on your plate (there is also Pork on offer). The meat on the souvlaki was so juicy and tender it was sliding off the skewer. All this impressive meat was accompanied by delicious hot chips, warm pita bread and paprika flavoured tzatziki.
Greece is also well known for feta cheese and here at Plateia –Where friends meet – they serve it with hot chips. Creamy feta pieces crumbled over crispy hot chips seasoned with oregano and salt - absolutely delicious! Just a warning this dish is best eaten with a fork to maximise the amount of feta you get with every chip.
We also tried a traditional Greek Frappe, which is pretty much a Greek national Icon. A very refreshing coffee drink, with milk (we chose no sugar) beaten in something like a blender creating a creamy froth. If you haven’t had one before, we definitely recommend you try it.
After all this we were lucky to try one of Chef Nico’s special desserts. A freshly cooked Greek pita bread covered in Nutella, drizzled with honey and cinnamon. Ever had a Nutella pizza? Well this is ten times better. And just quietly folks, this isn’t on the menu folks but Nico is happy to make on request, so if you want to try it, make sure you ask for it.
'PLATEIA –where friends meet truly is a piece of Greece right in the heart of Kings Cross. With a real relaxed ambiance, good clean food (those souvlaki sticks are a perfect high protein post gym snack) and good service, it’s the perfect choice for your Greek food experience. Opa!The Counts, who are now doing reviews for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Plateia Where Friends Meet. Special thanks also to Pamela Rogaris for arranging this.
