Greek Chefs Abroad Volume V

Celebrating a landmark anniversary

We’re excited to welcome back our annual festival of Greek gastronomy, for its landmark fifth anniversary. A feast of culinary innovation, Greek Chefs Abroad Volume V brings together five renowned Greek chefs who will create dishes inspired by their own global journey, their Greek heritage and their love for the very finest of local ingredients. Get ready to be wowed by a curated programme of special events and delicious menus paired with the finest Greek wines and designed to tantalise the five senses.

28nd of June 2025 - George Kataras at Pearl, Elix

Born in Athens, George Kataras initially trained as a musician and only decided to become a chef after graduating from university. Realising food was another way to express himself, he headed to Paris for a culinary course, followed by London to work under one of the best chefs in the UK.

His culinary journey continued with a position at three-Michelin star Geranium in Copenhagen, followed by stops in California and the Caribbean. He finally opened his own restaurant in Amsterdam, which quickly received a Michelin star, but sadly became a casualty of Coronavirus.

He stayed in the city and opened CUE Amsterdam, an imaginative listening bar and restaurant combining his passions for food and music. Describing his style as a mix of North European and Mediterranean, his dishes are produce-driven and bold, delivering fine dining that’s fun and accessible.

12th of July 2025 - Giorgio Pintzas Monzani at Apaggio, Nido

Based in Italy, Giorgio Pintzas Monzani is an Italian-Greek chef and writer, born in Thessaloniki, known for his modern cuisine that draws inspiration from the culinary traditions of the past.

Over the past few years, he has represented a new way of uniting Greek and Italian culture through innovative dishes that fuse elements of the two cuisines. His writings often connect contemporary cuisine to the historical and cultural roots of foods, offering a unique perspective on culinary heritage. He is a private chef as well as a resident chef instructor at Congusto Gourmet Institute in Milan, also participating in culinary events such as Pitti Taste 2025 in Florence.

His exciting dishes combine the best of both worlds, often reworking traditional dishes with a contemporary twist and focusing on authentic ingredients such as Greek trahana or pecorino cheese from Amphilochia. With a mission to give new life to the Greek-Italian gastronomic relationship, we can’t wait to welcome him to Nido.

24th of July 2025 - Takis Panagakis at Apaggio, Nido

Born and raised in Greece, Michelin-starred Takis learned to cook with the freshest ingredients. He went on to work at Etrusco in Corfu, before moving to The Netherlands where he worked at one Michelin-star Basiliek in Harderwijk, two Michelin-star Brouwerskolkje in Overveen, and Mazie in The Hague, the city where he eventually opened his own restaurant, Elea, where subtle Greek influences can be found in both his menus and wine list.

He offers diners a new type of cuisine that showcases his vision for modern Greek cuisine, combining the influences from his homeland and experience cooking in Michelin-star restaurants. His dishes are always well thought out and innovative. Not immediately recognisable as Greek, but full of Greek elements, such as the emphasis on pure taste and fresh ingredients

29th of August 2025 - Arsenios Fourkiotis at Pearl, Elix

Chef Arsenios Fourkiotis has lived and worked in Finland for a long time and always aims to offer the best of his homeland’s cuisine, presented in a modern way. With a focus on fresh, high-quality seasonal ingredients, he opened Le Greq in Helsinki in 2024.

This modern Greek bistro is primarily inspired by the contemporary restaurants of Athens as opposed to the traditional cuisine of Greece’s holiday islands. His emphasis is on dishes with few ingredients, but always packed with flavour. The menu changes five times a year, and as much as possible, everything is made in-house, including pita bread, yoghurt and ice cream.

30th of August 2025 - Niko Koulousias at Apaggio, Nido

Born in Kozani, Northern Greece, chef Niko Koulousias knew from a very early age that he wanted to be a chef. Enrolling in culinary school, he followed his dream and graduated with a degree in culinary arts from New England Culinary Art Institute and has a Culinary Master’s degree from Claude Dornier-Schule Friedrichshafen.

A globetrotting chef, he has worked all over the world, from Europe to Africa and the Middle-East – helping set up a culinary art school in Lebanon. As well as at leading restaurants, Niko has cooked for governments, celebrities and is the choice of royals, having been proudly selected to cook at Harry and Meghan’s wedding and later for the Queen’s 70th Jubilee celebrations. His passion for local ingredients is renowned, amongst them his use of truffles, saffron and honey from Kozani – something reflected in his many awards, including Best Chef in Northern Greece.