Atelier Papaioannou: A Creative Approach in Stoa Spyromiliou

When, for over twenty years, you have built your entire culinary philosophy around minimalist seafood cuisine, creating one of the most significant "schools" in Greece, the decision to approach your "art" more creatively in a new restaurant is undoubtedly a challenge that requires courage, determination, perseverance, and time. George Papaioannou and S | One Hospitality, with whom he has partnered in recent years, possess all of these qualities.

A few months ago, they also opened Atelier Papaioannou in Stoa Spyromiliou, effectively filling a long-standing gap in the City Link. This arcade has seen many restaurants come and go over the years, some of which deserved to flourish. Yet, nothing lasted. I hope that the ambitious Atelier Papaioannou, which I believe is the finest and most interesting establishment to open there, finds the antidote to this and establishes itself.

The restaurant, aside from the artificial bougainvillea on the outdoor deck, features beautiful and classy decor elements reminiscent of elegant bistros in European metropolises. I understand that with the foot traffic in the area, the outdoor tables are likely to be fully booked; however, the interior dining room has its own charm. It’s worth mentioning that the service at Atelier Papaioannou is very attentive, and the wine list, curated by the group’s head sommelier, Vasiliki Giannarοu, and managed onsite with remarkable ease by the charismatic sommelier Giorgos Somarakis, is genuinely intriguing. He could even sell ice to Eskimos!

In the kitchen of Atelier Papaioannou, while George Papaioannou (pictured) oversees everything, the lead role is held by 26-year-old Konstantinos Pappas, who is also his nephew. For the past year and a half, he has served as executive chef across all the restaurants, although he worked diligently for many years alongside his mentor before earning this position through hard work. "For two years, the only thing I did at Papaioannou was clean sardines and anchovies. George is such a perfectionist and meticulous," he tells me, "and he makes no compromises on quality, so to earn his trust, you have to prove that everything will be done to the letter and with absolute precision."

I must admit that when I first dined at Atelier last February, I didn’t fully recognise Konstantinos Pappas for the talent he deserves. While the dishes clearly showcased his skill and creativity, we are not talking about just any talent. I will pause here and hope that he continues to develop this gift. But what is it that he aims to achieve at Atelier, and how does it differ from the classic Papaioannou restaurants?

This represents a more "culinary," bolder, and more creative approach to the Papaioannou style, extending its nets into more gastronomic waters. The raw ingredients here are also exceptional. However, they strive to experiment with combinations and techniques that break away from the conventional, while at Atelier, there`s an effort to give a platform to less expected fish varieties. I greatly appreciated that our dish arrived with fresh, delicious Greek solea instead of the more typical yellowbelly grouper, which, at the rate it is fished, will soon exist only as a memory in the sea. We enjoyed it thoroughly, and that was that.

And since I started with the last dish, the fish soup at the beginning was truly a balm, featuring wonderful density, refined acidity, and perfectly boiled potatoes. I tried beautifully cooked langoustines and prawns, alongside a vividly red tomato bursting with summer flavour, topped with capers and caper leaves, and their exceptional tarama. Among Konstantinos Pappas’s more complex specialities, I particularly highlighted his striped red mullet, sliced into thick sashimi, accompanied by various textures of tomato and unripe olive oil, offering a very pleasant complexity. The tuna tartare with a foam made from the fish bones, truffle, and fried onion is certainly indulgent; however, the recipe requires a balancing element to fully enhance the flavour of the tuna.

The standout dish was the Oscar-style roasted scorpionfish, served with sea urchin sauce and fragrant sautéed wild greens, which could easily be served in any Michelin-starred restaurant worldwide. I would rank the tomahawk tuna belly, weighing over 300 kilos, equally highly, which we enjoyed in a chop version. The plate is drizzled with a sauce made from shrimp heads, complementing the tuna`s marrow and accompanied by textures of bitter orange. While the sweetness of the sauce may be slightly excessive, even so, the dish is impressive and, with minor adjustments, could reach an even higher level.

Their linguine with grilled prawns and prawn tartare topped with caviar also nods to the mastery of a restaurant bearing the signature of George Papaioannou. It`s hard to find such pasta in Athens. Among the desserts, the apple terrine with kaimaki ice cream and rose sauce is a lovely tribute to George Papaioannou`s father, who, when he first opened the restaurant, would prepare this dessert in its simplest form to treat his customers at the end of their meal. Conversely, the pear tart, while decent, could benefit from improvements, particularly in technique and sweetness intensity, to make it even better.

In summary, I must say that during this second visit, Atelier Papaioannou has evolved even further. It is certainly not an easy endeavour, nor the most advantageous location, despite being in the heart of the city. However, it has all the credentials to excel: a prestigious name, top-quality ingredients, and a very talented chef who isn`t afraid to experiment, yet also doesn’t rush to impose his "self" over the dishes at the expense of their refined flavour. Ultimately, it is in his hands to update this legacy, thereby opening a new chapter in the history of Papaioannou. Will he succeed in this endeavour? If he remains focused on his goals and pays even greater attention to detail, I believe he will. I’m not sure if time is the best judge, but it is undoubtedly the best ally in the pursuit of culinary excellence.