I so wanted to gatekeep this 22-seat Greek kitchen tucked behind Sydney’s buzziest waterside strip… one bite and I knew I couldn’t: THE DETOUR

Welcome to The Detour: Your food and travel guide to the best flavours, hidden haunts, insider tips and unforgettable new experiences that reward those who wander off course.

If there’s one hill I’ll die on, it’s that a cosy, family-style restaurant will always outshine the rest.

And Jimmy’s Kitchen has every element to send it soaring into the ranks of Sydney’s very best.

Tucked away out of sight, boasting just 22 seats and relying on a mouthwatering menu and a tight team, this is exactly the kind of place we need more of right now. 

The family-run Greek taverna in The Rocks, hidden in the heart of Campbells Cove right behind 6HEAD, was created as a ‘living tribute’ to hospitality veteran Chris Drivas’s late father, Jimmy.

When I first heard about a spot delivering the traditional Greek hillside taverna spirit to a nook 15-minutes from my front door, I fully intended to, for lack of a better term, gatekeep it. 

That was until I took my first bite of the homemade pita. After that, there was no chance of keeping it quiet.

With more than 50 years in hospitality, Chris described the restaurant’s December opening as deeply personal. Jimmy ran tavernas in Greece before relocating to Sydney, where the father and son duo went on to open 13 cafés together.

And you can feel, see and taste how that legacy lives on here, from the intimate, family-filled sandstone interiors to the warm, welcoming service philosophy Jimmy instilled.

‘Treat every guest like they’re coming into your home,’ Jimmy would say.

‘When customers walk through your door you treat them like they’re coming into your house,’ Chris now says, echoing his dad’s mantra.

I visited on a Saturday night and, while the front-of-house team wasn’t buzzing with the loud, excitable energy you might expect from a classic Greek taverna, their passion quickly became clear.

Leaving guests (yes every table was full!) to settle into their own conversations (yes, you could actually hear each other over the traditional music!), the team moved with quiet precision, reading the room and delivering exactly what the night needed. 

And when they were called upon for anything at all, they delivered top notch, genuinely fun and impressively (yet unpretentiously) informed hospitality. 

New and can’t pick between the Greek wines? Taste them all and choose your favourite. Need more pita? Already on the way. Want an honest recommendation? Ask and you shall receive.

It may not have felt like ‘home’ the moment we walked in, but my word did it once we settled in. Refreshing for a 2026 ‘newbie’.

In the kitchen you will (most nights) find 83-year-old chef Marko Taxidis, who has worked alongside the Drivas family for more than four decades cooking traditional Greek dishes designed for sharing.

And the food is the real deal. The really real yummy deal.

Combining traditional Greek cooking with subtle modern touches, the menu draws heavily on recipes Jimmy cooked and shared with his wife.

Standouts include the astakos kritharaki, delicate orzo pasta served beneath a rich lobster and tomato bisque, the lamb kleftiko, a slow-braised lamb shoulder with lemon, oregano, cinnamon and rosemary, and prawn saganaki, baked king prawns with tomato, feta and oregano.

My favourites? The dangerously addictive pita with tzatziki, the grilled octopus with potato, lemon, chilli and oregano vinaigrette, the lamb souvlaki and my number one, the oven-baked black cod with tomato, onion, capers and caperberry.

My hot tip: try a little of the tomato mixture with the octopus. Chef’s kiss.

Oh and the haloumi? Drizzled with honey and drenched in herbs, it was the best I’ve had. I don’t say that lightly.

The drinks list is proudly Greek, featuring crisp Assyrtiko and Xinomavro wines, classic Greek beers and iconic spirits like Mastiha and Tsipouro. They perfectly complement the generous, family-style menu.

There’s also plenty of classics and a tight yet thoughtful cocktail menu served in some seriously fun glassware.

From the cherished family recipes to the immersive interiors and thoughtfully curated drinks list, Jimmy’s Kitchen is more than a restaurant. It is an ode to family, tradition and the heart of Greek hospitality.

I really, really want this one to thrive. It feels like it is right on the cusp of becoming one of the city’s most beloved restaurants – one with staying power.

‘It’s intimate, unpretentious, and designed to feel like you’ve stepped into a family kitchen,’ Chris says.

‘The food is real, the welcome is genuine, and every dish brings people together.’

He’s dead right. 

Sofitel Wentworth has our attention 

This iconic Sydney hotel has taken its recent hospitality shake-up in its stride, delivering a sleek new wellness offering designed for reset-driven stays without shedding the classic five-star hospitality it is known for.

While many visitors and Sydneysiders are well acquainted with the CBD spot, few realise the hotel is quietly leaning into a wellness-focused era. Think in-room sleep rituals, a refreshed fitness space and a fancy new recovery sanctuary that is, forgive the cliché, the very definition of a hidden gem.

The slick new direction is evident the moment you walk in, even though the notoriously fiddly self check-in counters remain.

Guests still receive the same luxury service the Sofitel brand is known for, but they’re on a mission to showcase its potential as a true wellness destination tucked high above the bustling streets. This, I’d confidently say, is something locals are very much willing to fork out for right now.

There is nothing better than a central spot that makes you feel miles away the moment you walk through the doors. Even better when you walk out well-slept, rejuvenated and just fed enough, rather than a little hungover and over-indulged.

Alongside the classic hotel offerings, evening drinks, canapés, afternoon tea and plenty of drool-worthy food options, the space now feels like an investment in sleep and recovery.

How? Start with the bed. The unbelievably comfortable MYBED™ remains one of the hotel’s biggest drawcards. Then there is the shiny new gym and the dedicated, and very little-known, recovery space within.

Guided by the philosophy that ‘wellness is the art of balancing pleasure and wellbeing’, the new fitness space is designed as a sanctuary for guests, though anybody can visit.

The space includes state-of-the-art Technogym equipment and solo Reformer Pilates, with reformer beds available whenever you need them. This is a first for me. I have not seen on-demand Reformers this well-kept, let alone so available.

Then there are the immersive recovery therapies hidden behind a large black door within the gym. Inside you will find beautifully maintained infrared saunas, a larger traditional sauna, a series of cold plunge baths and an arctic shower. Something for everyone in a space many walk straight past each morning.

Wellness extends beyond the gym, too. Guests can enjoy sleep-supportive in-room rituals, curated bedtime playlists, smart lighting and mindful dining designed to nourish and restore. For couples, solo travellers, locals or parents looking for a breather, it is a winner.

I love the direction this is heading. With these offerings as a base, it will be exciting to see how they evolve in the months ahead. I would love to see them expand the bath menu, introduce a more health-focused option into the in-room dining selection and promote that spectacular recovery nook even more.

Because while a cheeky reset staycation is always fabulous, it is even better when you leave feeling genuinely rejuvenated and pampered ahead of the working week.

A ‘guilty pleasure’ without the guilt? You can answer that one for me. 

Bondi is on a roll 

Besa, the latest venue from the team behind Sydney favourites Nour, Henrietta and Aalia, has opened on Hall Street in Bondi, bringing a lively slice of Spanish tapas culture to the beachside suburb.

The first thing you notice is the fit-out. Moody red tones, spotted gum timber and curved booths give the 65-seat venue a dramatic, almost cinematic feel.

The vibe is more Madrid wine bar than laid-back Bondi eatery, and on weekends, DJs add to the high-energy atmosphere.

The cocktail list is equally playful, drawing inspiration from the Spanish novel Don Quixote.

It’s the kind of menu that makes it easy to settle in for the night while working your way through a spread of share plates.

Food-wise, the pan con tomate was an instant standout. The classic Spanish dish of grilled bread topped with tomato and olive oil sounds simple, but Besa executes it beautifully.

The friendly waitress also recommended trying a Gilda, a traditional Spanish Basque bar snack. Served on a skewer with a green olive, pickled guindilla pepper and anchovy – a small but unforgettable bite.

Other notable mentions are the beef carpaccio, croquetas and crudo, plus mains of wagyu sirloin and a side of crispy potatoes topped with spicy bravas sauce and aioli to share.

Then round off your evening with one of the delicious rotating daily dessert specials – the churros were moreish.