Medusa Greek Meze

Ever come face to face with a wall of judgmental abs? Eat in the courtyard at this new CBD meze bar and be greeted by a wall of bright lyra-clad mannequins at the neighbouring Bloch store.

Stare at their rock-hard plastic middles and think of how very inactive you're being as you dip another triangle of cushiony pita bread into your taramasalata and squeeze a little more lemon onto your golden-fried, squeaky haloumi.

So this is Medusa Greek Meze – baby sister to Market Street's Medusa Greek Taverna. It's set in an old takeaway shop with a big front-facing courtyard, and still has the big glass counters where you may have once seen the tinned beetroot and cheese squares.

The adjoining mall is one of those funny places you stumble across around Sydney where you can't help wondering how the strange little jewellery places and dusty barber shops that have been giving the same short back and sides, and cut-throat shaves for the past 50 years, keep on keeping on. You're happy they exist, you're just a little confused by how.

Anyhow, never mind Brylcreem​, bring on dinner. It's a menu of casual Greek snacking – little bites that come out fast, accompanied by a short wine list with a dedicated Greek section.

The big, bold and peppery Skouras​ cabernet sauvignon does a fine job of standing up to the keftedes​ – soft, yielding and slightly funky-tasting Greek meatballs, fried and doused in an almost free-form tomato sauce.

Pork bekri, a sweet, spicy and vinegary dish of little pork pieces sauteed with onions and capsicum, a fair whack of chilli and red wine, has a sort of sweet-and-sour pork tang to it.

It's not what you'd call a particularly polished experience. The lights inside are set to "unflattering for everyone – yes, even you, Miranda Kerr" and service is perfunctory at best.

But there's also something kind of charming about sitting outdoors with a bottle of wine and a big platter of deep-fried calamari and serve of spiced rice bejewelled with currants and pinenuts wrapped in vine leaves.

Of course, nothing says "time to start the party" like rice pudding. Said, um, nobody ever. Still, they do a good one here – all cool, soothing and just a little gelatinous.

Will this super-casual mezze bar change your life? Probably not. But it might change the way you think about pairing active wear with Greek food. And that, friends, can only be a good thing – right?

THE LOW-DOWN
Pro tip Stuck for a morning snack in the city? These guys have your back with a full Greek breakfast menu.
Try this Go the galaktoboureko – think of it as Greece's answer to the vanilla slice.
Like this? Check out Kerasma Souvlaki Merchant for grilled extremities and snails stuffed in pita bread. 2/324A King Street, Newtown.