The setting takes some beating: on a spacious, flag-stoned terrace, with views overlooking the shimmering Ionian sea, I’m sat with other diners at simple, white marble tables on rustic wooden chairs.
The low-key table arrangements belie the exquisite food which is about to be served to us, for this is no ordinary evening meal at the Apaggio restaurant in the elegant Nido hotel, on Corfu’s eastern coast.
Instead of the range of Corfiot classics normally found on the menu, tonight Nido is playing host to one of the best chefs in Europe: Georges Athanassopoulos, a Belgian-born Greek chef who runs his own restaurant, Maloma, in Brussels, and was recently hailed ‘Best Young Chef of the Year’ by the prestigious restaurant guide, Gault & Millau.
Athanassopoulos is kicking off the fourth in an annual summer series held at Mar-Bella Collection’s hotels, which include Elix in Parga on the mainland (a 40 minute ferry-trip away), and MarBella, which neighbours Nido.
Called Greek Chefs Abroad, the event aims to celebrate Greek cuisine from Greek chefs who live and work in other countries and the initiative was the brainchild of the group’s sales and marketing director, Periklis Gompakis, who started it when he joined the company. “Many hotels globally produce food festivals bringing Michelin-starred chefs from all over the world. When I came to Mar-Bella a few years ago, I wondered whether we could introduce something similar here but with its own unique concept.”
The Greek chefs who are invited to participate are those making a name for themselves overseas. For their inaugural season in 2021, Mar-Bella invited Irini Tzortzoglou, winner of UK MasterChef in 2019, amongst others, and the emphasis is always on highlighting Greek gastronomy. Why? “Greek food mixes finesse with flavour,” explains Gompakis, “and we know our guests love it.”
More on the menu
Foodie clients rejoice; this summer will also see dinners cooked by Konstantin Filippou, who has a restaurant of the same name in Vienna (13 July at Nido), Dimitrios Moudios of Bangkok restaurant Ore (3 August at Elix) and Nicholas Poulmentis of Noema in Long Island, NY (6 September at Elix).
The idea is their menus keep to the basis of Greek cuisine, but with an influence from their own restaurants. It’s an idea that certainly appealed to Athanassopoulos, who was delighted to return to his motherland.
“My family are from Athens but I was born and brought up in Belgium,” he explains, “so it was a huge honour for me to come and show what I can do here, and demonstrate a different way of cooking Greek food that guests might not have encountered before.”
“Greek food mixes finesse with flavour and we know our guests love it”
His insanely good, modern menu includes parsley churros with smoked Greek yoghurt cream and mastiha liqueur gel, local Epirus oysters with radish granita and tsipouro foam, and confit goat ravioli.
The chefs have a stunning backdrop in which to work. Nido, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is an all-suite, adults-only hotel. With decor inspired by a tasteful Corfiot village, 70 elegant iterations across three categories – deluxe, junior, and deluxe junior – spill down a hillside towards to the sea. There’s a long, slender pool, in which I enjoy doing several lengths, and three restaurants; the aforementioned Apaggio; the buffet-only, all-day-dining San Giovanni; and pool bar Aquavit.
I’m staying, however, next door, at the family-friendly, all-inclusive MarBella, a much more lively proposition, with 362 contemporary-style rooms, several pools and even its own waterpark. That said, there are plenty of quieter places to relax; my favourite spot becomes the decked area by the beach, where the cocktails come to your sun lounger.
Meals on-site are delicious too; I love the French cuisine at a-la-carte restaurant Celeste (the seafood rigatoni was a highlight), as well as the freshly-grilled fish and seafood served at the Deck Bar and Grill.
“We also do many group fam trips, so that operators get to know the product and the offering”
Clients can also book excursions, from a fascinating food and walking tour of historic, Venetian-influenced Corfu Town (from approx. £72pp), to a beautiful boat trip to the island’s southern beaches, where jumping into the bath-temperature water, then enjoying a delicious lunch on board is the order of the day (private cruises from approx. £634).
If it’s not already apparent why you should steer clients here, Gompakis has this to add: “The brand stands out in Corfu because of our family values; we have been family-owned for over 50 years, and we treat our guests like family, which is why so many keep coming back.”
“Plus – we are very travel agent friendly; we offer lots of incentives and bonuses, and from September we’ll start a loyalty initiative for agents as well. We also do many group fam trips, so that operators get to know the product and the offering.”
Business this season has however been affected by big events like the Euros and the Olympics, he says. “People are booking late, sometimes even today for tomorrow. But they are still booking!”
How to book it
Rates start from €277 (approx. £234) for a double room on a Premium All-Inclusive basis at MarBella. Mar-Bella Collection works with all key tour operators and travel agents. For more info, visit marbella.gr
