Makris Athens: Thriving Under the Leadership of Petros Dimas

In my first review written eleven months ago for Makris Athens, I included various details about the restaurant`s culinary identity and style, its beginnings, and the journey it took to demonstrate its potential. I also discussed how Chef Petros Dimas, despite initially presenting an awkward menu with some technical missteps, managed to consistently elevate his culinary stance, work tirelessly, and reach the level of excellence it enjoys today.

Which one exactly? In my opinion, Makris Athens belongs to the top ten restaurants in Athens, a fact supported by the rating of this review, the two stars it earned at this year’s FNL Best Restaurant Awards, as well as the star from the Michelin Guide last December. Since then, and until writing this second review, I have visited Makris Athens, which is part of the Domes Resorts Group, two more times. It was evident that Petros Dimas was creatively and technically pushing his kitchen towards overall evolution. The restaurant now offers three tasting menus: Genesis (9 courses, €95), Utopia (11 courses featuring different dishes and more premium ingredients, €145), and Physis, which is their vegan degustation menu priced at €88. They have also introduced a shorter à la carte option featuring creations from the tasting menus, including an appetiser, a main course, and a dessert. At Makris, I always choose Genesis and I never regret it, as it captures the culinary identity of the chef to the fullest. In his hands, Greek cuisine incorporates influences from high international gastronomy, yet in a way that retains its familiar aromas, reaching a creativity that knows no boundaries.

The chef`s private farm in Ancient Corinth supplies him with a plethora of vegetables and herbs. This is not just for show, nor is it merely five pots in his family`s backyard that he`s dubbed a farm. Far from it. One only needs to taste Dimas`s floral arrangement at the Athens-based Makris to savour a piece of the beauty of this garden. This fantastic bouquet combines more than fifteen different herbs, Sifnos manoura (a type of cheese), lettuce emulsion, crunchy bread made with Greek dark beer, pear pearls, and macadamia nuts, integrating different textures, intensities, and aromas that reflect the mark of a great chef. Let’s also discuss another wonderful dish, which I believe should serve as a benchmark for the restaurant`s next chapter. It features a duet of raw and warm lobster: On the left, the cold option is a lobster tartare with "petals" of pink radish, accompanied by ginger emulsion and kumquat. The creamy texture of the lobster is highlighted with perfect technique, the pink radish provides a refined, crunchy texture, and the emulsion adds a very pleasant, subtle acidity. On the right, the warm sautéed lobster is served with two exceptional sauces. The spicy one is made from organic carrots and offers a sweet yet sharp dimension, while the sabayon made from the remaining parts of the lobster promotes the zero-waste philosophy, providing a rich aromatic background that complements the first sauce, elevating the entire dish. I’ll be honest: I did not expect to see a dish like this at Makris so soon. But as mentioned, Dimas seems to keep his foot firmly on the gas. I could list other impressive dishes, such as the increasingly airy brioche feuilletée with mushroom "cappuccino," or the best Greek Iberico pork I have eaten in the last three years at a gastronomic restaurant in Athens, which can be substituted with starred wagyu.

The observations I have this time for Makris are minimal and primarily focus on the choice of ingredients that "shortchange" certain dishes, such as the lace-like ravioli filled with lobster, where the quality of the caviar is dull and somewhat muddy. Here, top-tier caviar is required to elevate the dish to another level. In terms of desserts, there has been progress compared to the past, but improvements are still needed, along with a more holistic approach. Part of this would involve replacing the mignardises, which are good but lack the refinement of the other dishes. I mention all this because I believe that Makris is one of the few restaurants in Athens that could aspire to higher accolades, not only at the national level but also on an international scale.