In the heart of the CBD, lies 1821, a Greek restaurant developed by Greek Chef David Tsirekas. Named after the year that the Greeks revolted against the Ottoman Empire, this restaurant is proud of its Greek heritage and it showcases their history in its fit out and culture through their menu. We were invited to return to sample the winter menu after our first experience had indifferent service. The Chef felt let down by one of his service staff and wanted to show the improvement in the service standards of the restaurant.
In a CBD full of thriving cafes and food courts, this is a place to have a quality lunch in peace or may I recommend a weekend as it is quiet and calm around. It was a Saturday we visited, and were politely greeted and taken to our table at a booth. The face of the restaurant has high and open windows, making it extremely encouraging to the passer by. This restaurant is a huge space, fitted with booths, tables and an upstairs dining area. The walls have Greek motifs, including an artwork of the Greek flag, columns and geometric patterns, apparently shipped in from Greece. With high ceilings, clean and crisp dining ware, the restaurant feels classy and sophisticated.

Our waiter was outstanding and made a significant effort to offer advice and suggestions, check up on our meal and he had a lovely demeanour. We also met the floor manager who was extremely charismatic and professional.

The food was incredible on our first visit where we an absolute highlight was the lamb shoulder and the second visit met our expectations. On this occasion we sampled some of the Greek wine on the menu which was also impressive. Upon asking the waiter for a white wine, informing that our usual choice is a dry Sav Blanc. The Alpha Estate Malagousi was suggested and it hit the mark. The red we opted for the Alpha Axia Syrah/Xinomavro was also very nice. Greek is wine now on our radar and we will keep an eye out.

We started with the Beef Tartare, a lovely combined mixture of nicely seasoned beef served on 4 individual crisp breads, spread with an eggplant puree and topped with raw egg and fresh herbs.

From the medium dish list we ordered the saganaki – Graviera cheese with wild mushrooms, truffle paste and thyme honey. A Classic flavour combination cheese, truffle and honey. This dish was warming to the core and the sweetness of the honey along with the truffle, made it so flavoursome.

For something substantial we tried the Vegetarian Pastitsio, despite us not being vegetarians was very appealing. Like a moussaka, but with a lentil and eggplant ‘mince’, macaroni, and bechemel sauce, we absolutely devoured this. With a refreshing salad, this was delicious. To accompany this, we had patates baked in olive oil, lemon and herbs were a great traditional flavours.

Whilst we were quite full, we just could not go past the Caramel baklava ice-cream. Slices of caramel icecream, with a baklava crumb in the centre. This was the icing on the cake, an absolute standout and matched nicely with the Samos dessert wine.

We appreciate the invitation to return. It was great to see the restauranteur making all efforts to improve the service, to match the high quality dining space and food on offer. We would certainly recommend this and will return.

http://universalhotels.com.au/1821restaurant-2/