How Greek cuisine reached a new level in London

There’s mastery behind the simplicity and honesty of the cuisine at Oma. It focuses on lighter, brighter flavours cooked with a more delicate touch, with careful sourcing and special attention paid to texture and temperature, plus a nerdy attention to detail – the chefs bake bread up to five times throughout service.

Greek wine, too, shares the limelight. The wine list at Oma has more than 100 Greek wines, from interesting fizz and crisp island whites to structured reds from the mainland, pulled together by Puglia-born sommelier Alessandra Tasca. ‘I’d never paid much attention to Greek wine until I began working on the list but it’s been a game-changer. On the one hand, it’s been full of incredible discoveries; on the other, a humbling reminder of how much there is still to learn.’

‘Greek wine is full of promise,’ she continues, ‘with a strong focus on indigenous varieties and characterful wines, with many producers striving to express a sense of place, which for me is essential to great winemaking. Prices, too, are much more accessible compared with other well-established regions. It’s almost absurd that Greek wine has remained on the sidelines but it’s finally getting the recognition it deserves.’ It’s a sentiment echoed by Carter for the country’s cuisine: ‘Greek food is so simple and it translates so well – I think it was just matter of time before it took off here.’

Another strong modern Greek contender for a Michelin star is Myrtos, one of London’s latest openings. Chef-patron Asimakis Chaniotis is a previous winner of a star, having earnt one at Charlotte Street fine-dining hotspot Pied à Terre, but the call of his home country was irresistible. ‘Opening Myrtos is more than just a dream come true, it’s a full-circle moment. For years, I carried Greece with me in my heart, through every menu I created. But this is the first time I’ve been able to present my heritage in my own way. Myrtos is my tribute to Kefalonia, to the food I grew up with, and to the idea that Greek cuisine deserves a seat at the top table of global gastronomy – not just as rustic or nostalgic, but as refined, emotional and expressive.’

Myrtos is certainly that. Opened in May in South Kensington, each dish tells a story, says Chaniotis. ‘Whether it’s a slow emulsification of an avgolemeno [a Greek soup made with egg and lemon] or the precision of stuffing vine leaves, it zooms in on the details of the cuisine, elevating them visually and technically. Greek cuisine is finally getting the attention it deserves, with chefs digging deeper into their roots and producers pushing boundaries back home. There’s a wave of confidence coming through – and London is responding to that.’

The swell in Greek restaurants in London started slowly. Fans of Opso in Marylebone, from Andreas Labridis and chef Nikos Roussos, were waving the flag back in 2014 when the restaurant first opened its doors. There was a sense that it was one of the first places to shout about Greek cuisine’s potential sophistication. ‘Things were very different back then. Greek food was underrepresented and somewhat dated. Guests were asking, “what is modern Greek food and what do you mean Greece makes wine?”’, remembers Labridis. Then they launched Kima and it blew the proverbial doors off.

Since its opening two years ago, Kima has changed the way we think about fish, thanks to its revolutionary ‘Fin to Gill’ tasting menu. The restaurant uses the entire fish, nothing goes to waste, in dishes ‘that reflect our culinary heritage’. Heads and collars? ‘Absolutely – they are the tastiest part of the fish,’ says Roussos, who earned two Michelin stars for his first restaurant in Athens, Funky Gourmet, before moving to London. He reports that guests are open to their approach, appreciating the commitment to sustainability, waste reduction and seasonality.

Kima ages its fish too – another first for many. ‘We do it to intensify flavours and create new textures, ageing at optimal temperatures and humidity,’ says Roussos. Sea bream shanks and yellow fin tuna racks hang like steaks in a specially controlled, glass-fronted fridge near the entrance.

Labridis oversees the 80-bin wine list. Half of it is dedicated to Greece, including many imported directly by the restaurant, and there’s a whole section focused on Greece’s star grape Assyrtiko, which is the perfect match for their dishes, he declares. ‘We just feel proud to have contributed to this evolution and to have spread the flavours of our homeland to our guests from all over the world,’ says Libridis.

With Greek wines and spirits now listed in international restaurants and signature Greek products, such as feta and bottarga widely incorporated in dishes, Greek cuisine is here to stay, whether creative or not.

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