Back in March, former MasterChef judge George Calombaris was announced as creative partner at glam Sydney Greek restaurant Alpha, replacing Alpha’s founding chef, Peter Conistis. Fast-forward five months, and Alpha has changed operators, while on Friday, July 12, Conistis opens the doors at mammoth waterfront restaurant Ammos.

Calombaris was the prized signing by Public Hospitality, which ran Alpha up until last month, when it lost the tender. Alpha’s new operator, Con Dedes, explains Calombaris’ dishes will disappear from the menu in coming weeks.

“I had conversations with George [about staying on after the change in operator] but we agreed mutually not to join forces. To George’s credit, he lightened up the menu, which is the direction we’re taking,” Dedes says.

Calombaris describes Dedes as a brilliant operator but says the new situation “just didn’t match”.

“I love Sydney, and I loved my time at Alpha,” Calombaris told the Herald on the phone from Greece. “But I feel like I’ve been teased. I wouldn’t say I was upset, I was saddened [that the Alpha stint was brief]. But it did open up other opportunities. Sydney is definitely on my agenda.”

Calombaris didn’t expand with any details on the new opportunities, nor did he rule out being involved at another venue in the Public portfolio.

Public Hospitality’s portfolio shrunk last Friday when Maybe Group, the operator of award-winning Sydney CBD cocktail bar Maybe Sammy, Paddington tequila bar El Primo Sanchez and Randwick pizzeria Maybe Frank, decided to split from Jon Adgemis’ Public. Last year Public also split with the Love Tilly Group, which operates venues including Fabbricaand Ragazzi.

At Alpha, Dedes is backing head chef Alessandro Mandelli, who has worked under both Conistis and Calombaris, to chart Alpha’s new direction. He says the Alpha menu will keep one eye on Greek classics and another on modern dishes and plenty of seafood.

As for Conistis, he now looks back on his departure from Alpha, after an 11-year run, in a positive light. “It was the perfect time for me to move on,” he says on the eve of opening the sprawling Ammos.

“I have all of level three,” Conistis says, hunkered down in the sprawling new Brighton-le-Sands site, ripe with water views. “In September, we’ll open a bistro, my take on a taverna.”

Plans also include a whiskey room, with a food menu of Greek caviar and lobster rolls also part of the plans. But first, there’s the launch this week of the Paul Papadopoulos-designed Ammos restaurant in the space.

The 160-seat restaurant has its own saganaki station, from which staff will direct flaming dishes to customers.

“I’m doing six different lamb dishes,” Conistis says. They’ll include a Sovereign Lamb “tomahawk” with celeriac skordalia and lemon, and a pot-roasted lamb neck with moussaka flavours.

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A fire-roasted lobster with a la grecque butter is on the opening menu, along with quail avgolemono soup and loukoumades with spiced honey and halva ice-cream. The chef also wants to rekindle some once popular dishes in Greece that have lost favour. “There’s a polenta dish I’d like to [bring back].”

Ammos has a seasoned senior team. Executive chef James Roberts is the former head chef at Ploos restaurant at The Rocks, while venue manager Kosta Lambroglou previously worked at Felix and Mr Wong.

Conistis will also give a nod to his mother, Eleni, who he describes as his biggest inspiration for his cooking and respect for Greek food. “I’ll do a dinner with her here,” he says.

Open lunch and dinner Wed-Sun

Level 3, 2 Princess Street, Brighton-Le-Sands, ammosrestaurant.com.au