On a rainy Wednesday night, we trudged our way up Pitt Street in Sydney’s CBD and found our respite from the terrible weather: M.I.M by 1821. A co-production between two families of restaurateurs bringing the best traditional Grecian flavours to large communal tables.

Walking into the restaurant the first thing that grabbed my eye were the giant horse statues emerging from the wall. I didn’t expect that from a Greek restaurant, I expected more white and blue typical of the Greek flag and the iconic Santorini. But they have taken the décor in a different direction, even the Greek flag proudly displayed out front is pure white metal lit up with a white light and no blue. Tacky it isn’t, M.I.M isn’t leaning into the typical Greek trappings. A great example is the comfortable diner style booths that make sharing the dishes ideal. The décor might not be for everyone, but I personally found it delightfully Greek without being overly tacky… or maybe I just love the big horses.

The service at M.I.M by 1821 was absolutely fantastic. Not only were the staff friendly, but they also gave us genuinely fantastic recommendations especially in regard to the wine. We ended up trying the Thymiopoulos Estate ‘Young Vines’, Xinomavro from Naoussa, Greece. Let me say, this was absolutely delicious. Sweet and easy to drink, we could’ve polished a whole bottle in no time had it not been a Wednesday night.

Before the wine though, we had a cocktail. I tried the Poseidon (gin, limoncello, basil, and tonic water) mostly because I really wanted to lean into the Greek cliches. Like picking a horse to win based on its name alone, sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you’re left disappointed. Thankfully, this time it was the former because the Poseidon was absolutely delicious! Obviously the citrus was the main flavour present but the basil added such a delightful flavour that made the already refreshing drink even more so.