Avid east coast foodies have something to look forward to, with a new restaurant coming to Sydney’s CBD. The latest brainchild of Jim Kospetas, 1821 will take the place of his former Vault Hotel in Martin Place.

Mr Kospetas has confirmed the opening will take place early next year after delays were experienced due to heritage issues, with the building dating back in the 1800s. “We had applications approved by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage quite a while ago, but then as we kept working we decided to do some more changes internally.

“When it comes to buildings of National Trust, for every little change you make you have to get approvals. We were caught up in all the paper pushing, but there is no one to blame. It’s just the way it is here in Australia,” explains Kospetas.

The restaurateur hopes the launch will coincide with the Greek national holiday of 25 March, from which the restaurant took its name.

“I consider 1821 to be the most significant date of Greek heritage as it was the first year of the Greek War of Independence after 400 years of occupation. I thought it was very fitting to do something to commemorate that year,” he tells Neos Kosmos.

The menu, designed by renowned chef David Tsirekas, is expected to be a fusion of classic products in their purest form and modern Greek cuisine. Tsirekas was behind the kitchen doors of popular restaurants Perama and Xanthi.

“We want to keep it simple and make it amazing, by taking the simplest form of peasant food from the Greek horia and kind of refining it to the level of dining,” says Kospetas, adding that Tsirekas has just come back from a six-week journey in Greece, where he visited remote areas and small villages, gathering ideas and observing the trends.

Aside from the main dining room, 1821 features a private dining area located on the mezzanine floor and a high-end vodka bar in the basement.

Kospetas gives us an idea of what the decoration will be like, revealing he is in the final stages of an agreement with interior designer Dimitri Oikonomou.

Oikonomou owns an Athens-based firm and is known for executing projects in clubs and restaurants in Mykonos, Santorini and Crete.

“The final feel is going to be neoclassical. I wanted to take 1821 a bit further and I had heard about Oikonomou, so I decided to go to Greece to meet him.

“I’m just trying to cover the whole spectrum of what Greeks can do, after all, it’s better to put some good news out.”