Aegean Soul, Sydney Style

There’s something different in the air at Woolloomooloo Wharf these days. It might be the scent of rosemary smoke drifting from the kitchen, or the light bouncing off pale pink tablecloths at golden hour. But more than anything, it’s a feeling - of warmth, of belonging, of being somewhere that just gets it. That feeling didn’t happen by chance. It’s the vision of our wonderfully talented Creative Director Perry Drakopoulos.

For Perry, designing Akti wasn’t about reimagining current trends. It was about creating a space that captured the energy of the Greek coast and channelled it through the lens of Sydney’s harbour-front lifestyle.

“We want our diners to be able to relax into the meal the way one would sitting harbourside in Greece - surrounded by both natural and decorative beauty, and comfortable enough to socialise for hours over delicious food and drinks.” Perry said.Akti’s stunning colour palette of soft pinks, plums, and creamy ivory nods to the warmth of Aegean sunsets.

The upholstery is textured, layered and nostalgic. There’s a quiet confidence to the space; it feels designed, not decorated. The tables are dressed in salmon-toned linen, set with curated plateware chosen to let the food shine. Even the uniforms were considered as part of the visual experience - chic, simple, and not forced.

Akti is a place where laidback long lunches drift into lively evenings. The open plan makes the most of the water views, with alfresco terraces catching the sea breeze and a private dining room offering a cosy yet sophisticated front-row seat to the harbour. Tucked at one end is Baraki, Greek for ‘small bar’, a relaxed space made for late-night drinks and spontaneous mezze, perfect for weekend catchups and pre-dinner drinks.

The interiors don’t just complement the food—they share its spirit. Just as chefs Ntinos Fotinakis and Robert Judd bring modern technique to nostalgic dishes, Perry’s design updates the Greek taverna through a Sydney lens. The result is seamless. A crudo glows against a handmade ceramic plate. A martini glints beside the afternoon sun. A guest leans back into plush upholstery, completely at ease.

“We thought about everything—how it would feel, how it would photograph, how it would evolve from lunch into night,” says Perry.

Akti isn’t meant to be admired at a distance. It’s meant to be lived in. Laughed in. Dined in. It’s a restaurant with soul, with nostalgia, with filoxenia - the Greek tradition of wholehearted hospitality - and that’s what makes it truly Greek.