These twins are bringing their Cypriot soul to The Parade

Growing up in a Greek Cypriot family, twin brothers Savvas and Sotiri were constantly surrounded by food and family. 

“Some of our best memories are helping our Pappou with traditional kontosouvla (slow-roasted pork souvlaki), or going over to Yiayia and Pappou’s house for coffee and meze,” says Savvas, who laughs that it ruined his diet every time. 

And though both brothers went on to work in mobile apps and website development, that family culture of food and hospitality was never far away. 

So when the premises below their office in North Adelaide became vacant, they reached out to the landlord about opening a restaurant there. 

The aim at Ammos was clear: “We wanted to give people a genuine, traditional Greek experience.” 

So the pair flew a chef over from Greece and made sure the menu included plenty of dishes inspired by their grandparents' cooking. 

That restaurant was so successful that late last year the siblings decided it was time to open a second venue, and choosing the location was easy. 

“Sotiri and I both went to school in Norwood, so we’ve always been familiar with the area,” explains Savvas. 

“There’s great foot traffic and a strong local community, and there hasn’t been a Greek restaurant on The Parade for quite some time, so we saw it as a great opportunity to bring something new and add more life to the strip. 

Taking the name of the original and turning it around, SOMMA is a more refined venue offering an upscale take on modern Greek cuisine. 

At the helm is chef Grant Schooling, who has specialised in Mediterranean cuisine for more than 30 years. 

“He takes traditional flavours and turns them into something that looks like art, while still respecting the roots of the dish.” 

There's a strong Cypriot influence in traditional dishes like crispy koubes, moreish sheftalies sausages and tightly wrapped koubebia (dolmades). 

But the forward-leaning menu also has room for ouzo-pressed watermelon salad and a tuna crudo pita pocket with lemon sesame tarator and crispy vine leaves. 

On the design front, “the vision was simple; we wanted people to walk in and feel like they weren’t in Australia.” 

That meant starting with clean lines and white walls, then adding texture with arched recesses and niches that display pots hand-picked from their grandparents' home village of Mosfiloti. 

The result is a venue that's both elegant and versatile. 

It's equally suited to a date night or a family gathering, and on Friday and Saturday nights the restaurant transitions into a cocktail bar with mezethes, drinks like the famous Santorini Sour and a live DJ. 

“When it’s full, it really reminds me why we called it SOMMA,” says Savvas. 

“It means body and soul in Greek, and when the venue is packed, it genuinely has a soul.”

Visit today

W: www.somma.au
I: /somma.adl