Lygaria: The restaurant that put Kea on the gastronomic map

The story goes like this: Many - almost forty - summers ago, Zviki and Anat Eshet found themselves on holiday in Kea from Tel Aviv, and their love affair with the island turned out to be love at first sight. But a key phrase from a monk they met at the Kastriani monastery flipped an internal switch for them—something like a call they couldn`t ignore. Returning to Israel, they decided to sell most of their settlements and began buying land in Tzia. Yoni and Uriel, their two children who ran Kea Retreat for three years until they decided to work together, took different paths. Uriel was won over by cooking. Although a kid, he has made passes at great restaurants like Blue Hill and Estella in New York, Noma in Copenhagen and London`s Ikoyi. In addition to talent, he had the intelligence and insight to incorporate into his aesthetic the experiences he gained from these kitchens, creating at Lygaria, the restaurant at Kea Retreat, a very personal and unique "gastronomic ecosystem" that would speak the language of the landscape. What did Marco Pierre White call it? "Mother nature is the true artist, and you are the cook". That`s precisely what it is, except that Uriel is much more than a cook.

Kea Retreat has just eight rooms and is a very different hotel from the ones you might have in mind; a reflection of slow living, a love of nature, and holistically nourishing the body and spirit runs through the Eshet family`s mindset from end to end. Located almost an hour from the island`s port, Korissia, and with the last ten minutes until one reaches the Retreat being for complex stomachs, this place that stretches between rolling hills and wets its feet on one of the island`s most beautiful beaches is more than serene. They can provide transportation to and from the harbour for those without a car or any assistance you may need. When you arrive, the reward is so great you will be "compensated". 

When the hotel was under construction, the family and the crews used to spend their lunches under a wicker tree, and somehow, spontaneously, they named the restaurant after it. Lygaria serves all of Kea Retreat`s needs, from breakfast to lunch and dinner for those who participate in the weekly programs, and the restaurant also operates independently every lunch and evening, serving only two tasting menus, which change every day: a ten-stage one at €120 and a six-stage one for lunch only at €85. The products used by Uriel Eshet come exclusively from the island. Most of the herbs, vegetables and fruit are taken from their bush, and he only works with boats from the island, from which he only takes the sea foam. After all, Lygaria`s menu is valued around fish food. Once in a while, the chef adds a meat dish to the finale. The last time I went, a few days ago, I tasted, among other things, a sensational wild goat with noodles and bowed to his mastery of refining such a wild, raw material, endowing the dish with the purity of flavour and endless aftertaste.

Uriel Eshet`s naturalistic cuisine is based on the philosophy of zero waste, has many influences on technique from modern Scandinavian gastronomy, likes to experiment with rare ingredients, which he often transforms with various natural treatments, does very successful exercises in omnivorousness, loves minimalist presentations, is distinguished by variations of textures, by original but not eccentric combinations. This is a high-level experience, and I must admit that compared to last year when the restaurant was awarded two FNL stars and "locked" the fifth place in The List by FNL BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS` top ten of the most exciting restaurants of the year for 2024, it has evolved even more. I could list many excellent dishes from my two meals at Lygaria this year. But with the menu changing daily, I wonder if this has any substance. If I closed my eyes, I would see before me again the velvety brioche with fig leaves, a steamed pumpkin served with roasted heads of local prawns, the excellent colour and fig pie or the alabaster-roasted sea bass - the technique in roasting is world-class - with honeyed honeys cooked with staka and served with the roasted fish liver. Finally, the cream of bee pollen with saffron and aged wild thyme honey served in a beeswax jar is an ethereal dessert that should never be off the menu.

The wine list could have been better, although they have progressed in this area compared to last year. It is still open to much improvement, as it would be worthy of the best wines to stand next to these flavours, even if only from the Greek vineyard. However, the harmonies that Yoni makes with the few natural wines they have are thoughtful. But even with wine on the back burner - Lygaria is, in my opinion, a unique restaurant by an incredibly talented chef who deposited his whole being there with absolute sincerity and commitment to his beliefs. If you decide to go, ensure your defences are a little looser, as the setting will be slightly more relaxed than usual.