Bagatelle Athens: Festive Cosmopolitanism with a French Flair

The cosmopolitanism and joie de vivre of the French south are at the core of the Bagatelle concept, which made its debut in New York in the early 2000s, created by the French duo Rémi Laba and Aymeric Clemente. Since then, they have opened a total of 15 restaurants and are preparing to launch three more. A handful of capitals, such as London, Mexico City, Doha, and now Athens, along with most luxury holiday destinations (from Dubai and St. Tropez to Courchevel, Miami, and St. Barth—although the brand faced challenges opening in Mykonos at a location where they could not play music), host these now-famous festive restaurants with their French DNA. 
 
Bagatelle Athens opened in November under the hospitality group “7 Management”—with roots in Lebanon and primarily active in Dubai. The partner and manager here is Mohamed Ali, known to us from Island & Principote. For the ill-timed opening of the Athens Bagatelle, the Astir Marina Vouliagmeni, home to numerous international luxury brands, was chosen as its location, specifically positioned in front of the mega yacht marina and above Dior. The combination of brand and location inevitably leads to sky-high prices, and a glance at the menus confirms the expectation. The wines are priced at either four or five times their retail value (as seen in other international brands in the area, reaching or even exceeding the exorbitant prices of Mykonos), and the simple cocktails start at €24, meaning a full dinner easily approaches €500 for a couple. At this point, I must express some confusion: why is Bagatelle Athens the only restaurant in the chain that does not list prices on the menu posted on its website? If nothing else, it’s one of those restaurants where a warning is definitely needed!

There is no doubt that Bagatelle Athens is a stunning, luxurious restaurant located in one of the top spots in Athens. It impresses with its grand entrance and the incredible patio outside, in front of the mega yachts. Inside, the dining room exudes warmth and attention to detail with dark wood, beautiful fabrics, and private booths featuring sofas, while I am sure the expansive outdoor area is even more impressive.

It perfectly embodies one of the dominant international trends of our time, which sees restaurants combining luxurious comfort food (with various gastronomic "themes") with fine dining, appealing to fashionable and affluent elites. This trend began with the creation of the first international luxury restaurant brands and grew as Dubai gradually established itself as a luxury destination, subsequently influencing other locations… such as "our own" Mykonos, for example.

Perfection and professionalism dominate the restaurant; the staff is present everywhere, highly skilled, and combines knowledge with well-balanced doses of friendliness. However, I must mention that the 3-4 suited captains, who monitored the dining room vigilantly through earpieces (which had about 20 customers on the Thursday evening I visited), seemed excessive to me, reminiscent of inspectors in a casino.

The wine list is very good, characterised by careful selections and cosmopolitanism, given the pricing notes, of course. The menu is largely based on the international offerings of Bagatelle, while the kitchen features a strong duo consisting of Executive Chef Joseph Kahat and Chef de Cuisine Pavlos Oikonomidis.

The food is predictably good; it never disappoints at any point, but apart from one main dish, it doesn`t excite either. We tried almost all of the restaurant`s signature starters and two excellent main courses. The famous Pizza Romaine à la fior di latte, Cacio & pepe, truffe de saison is Roman-style, with a fairly crispy and tasty crust and obviously good-quality ingredients, but nothing thrilling and not as airy and aromatic as it should be. In short, for a pizza priced at €52, I expect it to be simply the best in Athens... and it fell far short of that.

The ceviche was very successful and fragrant, with properly cut fish, and the spiciness and acidity one would expect, while the tuna tartare was also very good, paired with an excellent vinaigrette featuring Espelette pepper, though the excessive quantity of avocado mousse was a drawback, overpowering the flavours. On the other hand, the sea bass carpaccio in a tonnato style was completely uninspiring. The crispy and delicate tartlets with beef tartare were well executed, but the grated egg yolk on top was excessive, overshadowing everything in taste.

Moving on to the mains, the steamed turbot with "risotto" made from sweet pumpkin and harissa was the best dish of the evening: exceptionally executed and incredibly tasty. The pork ribs, glazed with spices, lemon, and honey, were also excellent—delicious and juicy. For dessert, the signature Crêpes dentelles with light Sicilian pistachio cream was utterly elegant, airy, and delightful, as was the variation on the classic Affogato.

On Friday and Saturday nights, Bagatelle Athens starts out as a "simple" restaurant with the pleasant background music that accompanies it on other days. As the evening progresses, it transforms into the festive restaurant promised by its concept, and the party begins, driven by the service staff and the music. In summer, the party will be a daily occurrence, but inside, as the impressive terrace is very close to the yachts and the back rooms of the Four Seasons, loud music is out of the question.

If one considers the prices in light of the investment, the location, and so on, they are reasonable when viewed within the context of a complete entertainment experience. However, for the other days—especially in winter—I struggle to understand who will fill the restaurant as a "simple" dining venue.

Athens is a unique case when it comes to cities. Certainly, the combination of being the capital of a European country and a developed tourist destination is not unprecedented, but due to its location and the development of the so-called Athenian Riviera, and of course in anticipation of The Ellinikon Project, it shows a tendency to evolve into a popular summer resort. While it may initially seem reasonable to incorporate a bit of Cannes, Miami, or Mykonos into the "Athens product," caution is needed, as a complete "Mykonos-ification" of the southern suburbs of the city and the establishment of prohibitively high prices cannot be desirable. We are talking about the capital of a country where approximately half of the Greeks reside, and reaching a point where the city`s facade does not concern the Athenians (or at least 99% of them) is undesirable, if not dangerous.