Hellenic history and art tells us that wine was a fundamental cultural pillar of Ancient Greece. But many fine varieties have been lost to the ages. Amanda Dardanis meets Kostas Bakasietas, the man who is raising extinct Greek varieties from the Dead. Greeks, it is said, were the first to produce wine. Certainly, we gave th...
Read moreImmerse in the magic of the season at the iconic Hotel Grande Bretagne and King George Hotel. A TIMELESS CELEBRATION This year, the Hotel Grande Bretagne crowns its 150th anniversary with Always Grand holiday experiences that redefine festive sophistication. The “Grand Dame of Athens” dazzles with an 8-meter Christmas tree ...
Read moreIt’s not Christmas in Greece until the zacharoplasteia start piling mounds of melomakarona and kourabiedes. And it cleaves Greek society into two clans: those who prefer the crunchy intensity of melomakarona and those who swear by the ethereal, melt in the mouth, buttery bite of a kourabie. By Diana Farr Louis More traditional...
Read moreHead to the Kokotos Estate, this Sunday, December 1 for a tour of one of Attica’s finest vineyards. The First Sundays of the month have become a fixture in the Athenian calendar as Kokotos Estate opens its doors for guided tours of the vineyard and winery. A visual treat to take in an unlikely Athenian landscape as well as a brilliant ex...
Read moreWho remembers that great scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding when Aunt Voula reacts, shocked, to the news that her niece’s non-Greek date doesn’t eat meat? ("Oh, that’s okay. I make lamb.”) The Greek culinary scene may have evolved since then, but meat still dominates the dinner table. Insider recommends 10 super-stylish and great-value m...
Read moreWhat started as a local tradition to celebrate the shipment of the new vintage was co-opted by the gods of marketing into a whacky race to be the first to sample the then famous Beaujolais Nouveau. Now one of the most exciting wine regions in France, Beaujolais is much more than a sprint to sample the first sip. Given that thi...
Read moreGreek cuisine is quite rightly respected around the world for the quality of its produce, the magical health giving properties and the sheer pleasure in its varied deliciousness. There are a core of classics that are so called for a reason. Tried and tested by generations of yiayiades and visitors alike, moussaka, pastitsio, h...
Read moreOkupa is a new multi-hyphenate hotel, restaurant, bar, record shop, co-working space and archaeological display and undoubtedly more, on the border of Psiri and Keramikos. Led by an impressive pair of longtime hospitality experts, and charming hosts, George Batrouni and Hrag Darakjian, Okupa was conceived as an urban hub to ad...
Read moreGreek-American chef Diane Kochilas taps into November with some comforting Greek winter squash recipes! It's an interesting month...so why not make it tasty, too, with a few surprising Greek pumpkin recipes? Here’s a menu of savoury...
Read moreYou don't need a bright blue syrup with an eyeball ice cube in it to celebrate the darker side of cocktails. Since their popularity in the 19th century, cocktails, and cocktails makers, have embraced the macabre. Insider's in-house expert on all things spirits weighs in on classically chilling cocktails with tried-and-tested recipes throw...
Read moreChef Georgianna Hiliadaki tells us about winning 2 Michelin stars, tips for aspiring chefs and her new restaurant Iodio. About you: What do you do? I am Georgianna Hiliadaki, I am the only 2 Michelin star female Greek Chef in the world, with Funky Gourmet restaurant, of which I’m really proud! I love cooking and designing me...
Read moreRightly famous for the perfect Summer wines, Greece's cellar can also cater for the cooler evenings and heartier meals. Autumn is the time to let some of the more full bodied and flavourful wines back into your life alongside some powerful dishes to compliment them (some would say it’s the other way round but I can’t be respon...
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