Greek cuisine celebrated again! Last Wednesday, April 2, the magnificent ballroom of of the hotel "Makedonia Palace", once again became the point where the heart of our national gastronomy beat loudly, as the leading representatives of Greek taste, as well as important personalities of hospitality, art, culture and politics, gathered there from all over Greece, for the great awarding of the Greek Cuisine Awards 2025, from Athena vision within the framework of the institution of Gold Σdeaf.

And that was the award ceremony! Electrified by the joy of the award, but also the excitement for the upcoming summer season (despite the rainy weather outside the hall), the award ceremony Awards Greek Kitchen with a sticker This makes it a perfect choice for people with diabetes and for those who want to lose weight or follow a balanced diet. Athena vision was one of the most lively in the history of the institution: 88 restaurants from one end of the country to the other, who honor our national flavor in its traditional or modern version, saw the efforts of an entire year rewarded by the country's most important institution, in a highly successful organization, with a tight pace, impressive lighting, and a warm atmosphere, which often took on festive dimensions, thanks to the thunderous applause, but also the playful teasing between candidates and awardees.

This year's award ceremony, however, was also one of the most interesting gastronomically of the institution, since the awards dance was followed by a an excellent diner de gala, with top and award-winning chefs Sotiris Evangelou, Vasilis Mouratidis, Dimitris Pamboris, Manolis Papoutsakis reinventing emblematic dishes of Thessaloniki (dolmades, politiki lacerda, haminados eggs, Pontian varenika, fish with cauliflower and raisins and of course armenoville), to take the evening's distinguished guests on a fascinating journey through the gastronomic history of Thessaloniki and to prove in practice the evening's message: that the country's local cuisines hide inexhaustible flavor potential and it is the mission and obligation of young chefs of Greek cuisine to discover them and... reveal them!

The undisputed champion of Greek Cuisine remained for another year. Lefteris Lazarou, with the emblematic "Varoulko Seaside" maintaining the title of the best Greek cuisine restaurant in the country with a score of 16/20, while second place, with a score of 15,5/20, was won by "Selene" of Santorini and "Noble Gourmet" of Rhodes.

"I think that being recognized in this arena is something very great," Lefteris Lazarou said with emotion, holding the coveted trophy in his hand. "This award is something that keeps you alive, it is what challenges you to constantly become more creative," he added, saying that "seeing my efforts being praised, my late nights, my presence at the market very early, the anxiety to search, think, be inspired, shop and cook – a process that I still do every day and which takes me back to my adolescence – is for me great happiness. Because that is how I truly feel, as Yiannis Efstathiadis once wrote about me, as "the eternal teenager"!"

The "family" of the Greek Cuisine Awards, which for 2025 consists of 88 restaurants, saw almost half of the evening's awards go to the always very dynamic Cyclades (with 22 restaurants, 5 of which in Santorini and 5 in Mykonos), but also in the area endowed with deep tradition Northern Greece (20 restaurants, 8 of which are in Thessaloniki and 4 in Halkidiki). Of course, this year's list of the country's golden gastronomic addresses was not without its surprises and twists, with 9 restaurants losing their award this year due to a drop in their rating performance and 15 entering the institution for the first time, while special mention is due to restaurants that, although they lost their award last year (such as "Linou Soumassis & Co." in Athens, or "Naoumidis" on Lake Vegoritida), managed to make a strong comeback this year, regaining their place among the best in the country.

"The moment you lose the award is a very sad moment that finds you completely unprepared," admitted Angelos Naoumidis, speaking about his restaurant's comeback. "However, losing the award was a great push to get motivated again, to get even stronger, and the fact that we came back is something that gives us a great boost: the push to constantly seek improvement," he added, concluding that "this is something that makes us appreciate even more the work that the tasting committee of the Greek Cuisine Awards does."

At the same time, it is noteworthy that increasing shift of Athenian catering towards Greek taste, a fact that was reflected by the entries of 5 newly awarded restaurants in the gold list for this year (specifically "Akra" in Pagrati, the now completely Greek-oriented "Vezene Athens" in Ilisia, the upgraded "Taverna 37" in the Four Seasons Astir Palace and "Giovetsakia" in Glyfada, and the rebranded "Seychelles" in Kerameikos), while the dynamic entry of the Peloponnese on the map of the awards is also important, with 4 new entries and specifically the restaurants "Aspasia" in Mani, "Dex.Silo.01" in Ilia, Zerzova in mountainous Arcadia and "Versalies" in Kalamata, which joined the family of MEPs, securing a place next to the multi-awarded "Anama" in Gialova.

"It is of course a great joy, a joy that I wanted and sought a lot, I was waiting for it anyway," noted Stavriani Zervakakou, immediately after receiving the award for the "Aspasia" restaurant in Mani. "This award is another reason to feel even more confident, optimistic and strong for the coming season – not only culinary, but also internally – while I feel very good that through this distinction, my beloved Mani, my homeland and the place where I always return to fill up so much so that I can give more, is also distinguished," she added, concluding with a wish: "I would like the Athenaeum to soon ask a female chef to contribute to such an evening: And we can and we want to!", the chef said characteristically.

The theatrical concept of the award presented by Myrto Alikakis and Akis Sakellariou, as well as the dinner de gala that followed, were this year dedicated to special culinary heritage of Thessaloniki, of the institution's headquarters in recent years. What does the verb savor have to do with the hot sauce they ate in Byzantine Thessaloniki? What were collyria and how do we still enjoy them today, as the city's favorite street snack? What did Muslims eat in the Upper Town during the Ottoman era and what did Sephardic Jews eat? How much did the Pontians and Thracians influence the cuisine of Thessaloniki and in which dishes does its political heritage still resonate? These were just some of the questions answered by the evening's masters of ceremony and revealed how the city's different culinary cultures have left their strong imprints over the centuries, creating a unique and diverse anthology for the cuisine of Thessaloniki. Thus, through the evening's targeted texts, which emerged after in-depth study and research, flavors and memories were brought to life that offered a unique journey into the city's gastronomic history, with a special moment in the moving reference to the late Giannis Boutari and in the way that memory, as he had characteristically said, permeates the cuisine of Thessaloniki, for which he himself did so much.

"If there is one element beyond democracy and culture that is a component of European identity, it is its cuisine" as a living set of local flavors, he also noted. Former Vice-President of the European Commission for Promoting the European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas, who attended as an awardee at this great celebration of Greek taste. "European food and European cuisine are part of what it means to be European and within this, Greek cuisine is a champion of champions", he added, highlighting the importance of the Greek Cuisine Awards and the Athenarama in highlighting an aspect of Greek cultural heritage that has a direct reflection on the country's tourism potential: "25 to 30 million tourists visit the country every year and they do so not only for our beauties, but also for our cuisine!", he underlined and "the very important institution of the Greek Cuisine Awards contributes to the continuous evolution of this cuisine".

The direct relationship between tourism and gastronomy was also underlined by Rural Deputy Governor of Cyclades, George Leontaritis, emphasizing that "the institution of the Greek Cuisine Awards by the Athenaeum is a very important pillar of promoting local gastronomy" and explaining that the main goal of the regional authority has been from day one to combine tourism, gastronomy and the primary sector in a way that capitalizes on the global trend of international travelers to systematically seek out the taste of the places they visit. "The Greek Cuisine Awards help in exactly this direction and deserve congratulations for the initiative, but also for the excellent work they do", he concluded.

The dinner that followed the awards ceremony was perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the evening. Four important and influential chefs of the city researched and selected emblematic dishes from the cuisine of Thessaloniki, which they modernized and brought to the present day through a creative approach that did not, however, cut the umbilical cord with tradition. Sotiris Evangelou presented his own perspective on meze, paying tribute to the urban cuisine of Thessaloniki. Vasilis Mouratidis imaginatively honored the Pontic gastronomic culture of the city, while Manolis Papoutsakis creatively confronted the rich Jewish tradition. Dimitris Pamporis elaborately illuminated the urban side of Thessaloniki's cuisine and its Western character. Together they created a unique 8 hands menu and together a new fine dining narrative about the cuisine of Thessaloniki.

The four chefs were enthusiastically applauded at the end of the dinner for their exceptional creations that impressed the guests of the award ceremony. The iconic "Makedonia Palace" hosted and supported this demanding and high-level event for another year in the best possible way. The hotel's highly trained kitchen crew and the service team, with new uniforms especially for the occasion, were also applauded for the excellent flow of an evening dedicated to the best exponents of Greek flavor.

The awards to the winners were presented by the Governor of Central Macedonia Athina Athanasiadou-Aidona, the Mayor of Thessaloniki Stelios Angeloudis, the Deputy Governor of Thessaloniki Konstantinos Gioutikas, the Rural Deputy Governor of Cyclades Giorgos Leontaritis, the Director of External Offices of the Greek National Tourism Organization Angela Varela representing the Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni, the Former Vice-President of the European Commission for the Promotion of the European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas, the CEO of HELEXPO Kyriakos Pozrikides, the Sales Development manager of Nestlé Waters Giorgos Symeonidis, the Regional Director of AB Vassilopoulos Andreas Garefis, the President of the Board of Directors of Desmi Publishing S.A. and Head of the institution Annie Iliopoulou and the Publisher of Athenorama Dimitris Iliopoulos.

The Greek Cuisine Awards were held with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, the Greek National Tourism Organization, the Region of Central Macedonia and the Region of South Aegean. Also under the auspices of the Ministry of Development, the Ministry of Rural Development and the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

Sponsors
S.Pellegrino - Acqua Panna
AB Vassilopoulos

Official Airline Sponsor 
AEGEAN

See the highlights of the award night here.