As well known dominating a corner of MacLeay Street as the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis, The Apollo remains one of the most popular plays on Aus-Greek food in the city. Chef Jonathan Barthelmess may have one eye on soon-to-open Greca in Brisbane, but he’s taken no shortcuts at The Apollo in the process.

Dimly lit and still opulent in its rusticity, the packed dining room welcomes pots of taramasalata and boxes of pillowy, warm pita in droves. Bubbling saganaki with honey and oregano, served in red-hot pan, is hard to miss, while kritharaki pasta with meltingly tender oxtail is a generous portion even by the half serve. Barbecued octopus is a fat, perfectly cooked tentacle showered in parsley and olives, while the richness of Apollo sausage with lentils is cut through by preserved lemon. A village salad of feta, tomato and cucumber is the fresh hit you need on the side of this feast.

Wines lean internationally, with a good selection from Greece and Italy, and swift, smooth service lets you bask in the romance of the dramatic space.

Must eat dish: Kritharaki pasta, braised oxtail, tomato, skordalia