Homer Rogue Taverna is set to open in Cronulla in July 2025, serving dinner from Wednesday to Sunday and lunch from Friday to Sunday.
The sibling duo behind Cronulla’s Ham cafe, Harry and Mario Kapoulas, will open Homer Rogue Taverna on the ground floor of a new residential development around the corner from their cafe, which they opened back in 2009. The brothers aim to bring a gritty Greek taverna reminiscent of the lively, casual eateries that line the edgy streets of Athens to Cronulla.
Named after the man credited as being the world’s first poet, the 100-cover venue will offer a relaxed take on Greek dining, with graffitied walls, non-uniformed staff, freshly-cooked meat, seafood and vegetables, and a pizza oven cooking up traditional flatbread.
Sydney chef James Watson (ex-The Italian Stallion and Peacock Trattoria) will head up the kitchen alongside Harry and Mario. Guests will be able to handpick their own, predominantly Greek, wines from custom-built fridges, with a large selection available by the glass.
Showcasing a new design approach, the space will be completely open-plan, with a bar located along the back wall rather than the traditional separation of front-of-house staff and diners.
Harry says he and Mario – who also co-own Rushi cafe in Cronulla and previously ran CC Babcoq in the same suburb – have been wanting to open a taverna for a long time.
“Greek food is part of who we are. It’s what we’ve grown up with, what we still choose to eat and we want to share it with people,” he says. “The inspiration for Homer is similar to how we felt before we opened Ham. There was a need for that kind of cafe in Cronulla, so we decided to create it and provide locals with something they hadn’t experienced before.”
While they’ll face no shortage of competition in Greek hospo venues, Harry says Homer Rogue Taverna will be different to anything else that’s on offer across the city.
“It seems like whenever anyone opens a Greek restaurant, it comes with that island-inspired white and blue and refined touches that are indicative of waterside dining in places like Mykonos,” he says. “Athens isn’t like that. It’s a cool, gritty city and it’s the tavernas that make it that way. They’re accessible, affordable and raw – people can come as they are to eat, drink, talk and have fun, without any pretentiousness.”
It’s that relaxed approach that Harry believes will work well in The Shire. “Cronulla is a laid back surf town,” he says. “We want people to feel comfortable to wander up from the beach, without feeling like they have to go home to get changed, but knowing they’ll be getting restaurant-quality food and wine.”
Photography by Aislin
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