The Organization for
the Gastronomic
Dialogue
The Organization for the Gastronomic Dialogue was born out of the need for a creative discourse for the country’s gastronomy. Its goal is to develop a fruitful interaction between all professionals in the field of restaurant business and hospitality, as well as the media and the public who are interested in gastronomy and enjoy taste and its culture.
Objectives
- The dynamic promotion of Greece on the international gastronomic scene.
- Strengthening Greece’s influence on global gastronomic and alimentary developments.
- Highlighting Greece’s culinary tradition and gastronomic culture.
- The promotion of gastronomic innovation.
The Organization for the Gastronomic Dialogue will undertake multiple activities, including digital initiatives, productions, podcasts, special publications, thematic conferences in Greece and abroad, and the International Gastronomic Conference “Athens Gastronomic Forum”.
CHAIRMAN
Dimitris Antonopoulos
Dimitris Antonopoulos is a journalist specialized in gastronomy. He began his career 38 years ago and is considered a leader in this field in Greece. For decades, he was the lead restaurant critic for the magazine “ATHINORAMA” and a member of the judging committee for the “Toques d’ Or” and the “Greek Cuisine Awards”. He has been a distinguished Academy Chair for the ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ awards from 2007 to 2014, in charge for Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and the Balkan countries. A passionate globetrotter, he explores and tastes flavours, having visited many of the world’s best restaurants across Europe, Asia, and America. He is also a wine and spirits critic and has been a publishing consultant for the magazines “Umami,” “EF ZIN” , and “Fooding”. Dimitris Antonopoulos has collaborated with many of Greece’s best magazines. He has been awarded for his contribution to Greek wine by the Union of Greek Oenologists.
ADVISORY BOARD
Sotiris Evaggelou
The award-winning Sotiris Evaggelou is one of the stars of Greek gastronomy and stands out among the top Greek chefs. He is very humble having gained the full recognition of his peers in the gastronomy and hospitality industry. He has successfully managed the kitchens of the country’s largest hotels, such as the Athenaeum Intercontinental, King George and Grande Bretagne. In 2017 he returned to Makedonia Palace Hotel, where he had already made history at the age of 28 as the youngest Executive Chef in Greece. Evaggelou is both a craftsman and an artist, elevating the beloved, popular Greek flavours to a higher level of modernization and refinement, creating a distinguished neoclassical Greek cuisine. He received further training at the school of Alain Ducasse, which has influenced his cooking; he has collaborated with Ducasse in the kitchen of the famous Plaza Athénée in Paris and has worked in restaurants and hotels in Hong Kong, France, and Monaco presenting Greek cuisine in many countries across the globe.
Lefteris Lazarou
Our «national» Master Chef Lefteris Lazarou is an iconic figure in the Greek culinary scene. He has been cooking since the age of 15 and in 1987 he revolutionized Greek seafood cuisine by opening “Varoulko” restaurant in Piraeus. He has received numerous awards from Greek institutions and in 2002, Varoulko became the first Greek restaurant with a Michelin star. Lazarou has a unique ability to compose beloved flavours that have since been imitated and spread throughout Greece. “Varoulko” and Lazarou are the foremost representatives of Greek cuisine to prominent international personalities visiting the country, including Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. Lefteris Lazarou is a dynamic ambassador of Greek flavours worldwide, travelling from Japan and Argentina to America and almost all European capitals. He has also taught Greek cuisine at the renowned Culinary Institute of America (CIA).
Ettore Botrini
The creative aura of top chef Ettore Botrini is reflected in the constant awards of his restaurants across Greece. His restaurant “Etrusco” is awarded as the best in the country and “Botrini’s” restaurant holds a Michelin star. He draws inspiration from the cuisine of his homeland, Corfu, and his Italian cultural roots, transforming them into dishes that offer a profound gastronomic and emotional experience. His father, Etrusco, was his mentor until he took over the restaurant in Corfu, in 1999. He has attended molecular gastronomy seminars in Spain and completed a training stage alongside his friend, the three-Michelin-starred chef Martin Berasategui. His culinary philosophy is holistic, connecting nature with memories from his family tradition and the places he has lived. Botrini is also a popular T.V. personality, having appeared on numerous TV shows.
Giorgos Papazacharias
Giorgos Papazacharias is the gifted visionary behind the cuisine of Delta Restaurant in the SNFCC (Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center), the only restaurant in Greece with 2 Michelin stars. His passion for presenting a complete “gastronomic narrative” drove him to create a 12-step journey with unexpected twists, using Scandinavian and Japanese techniques and fermentations with exceptional Greek products. Papazacharias made his own history in Scandinavia, serving as Head of R&D at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant “Maaemo” in Oslo. Furthermore, he was the creator of the menu for “Under” in Norway, the world’s only underwater restaurant, which also holds a Michelin star. He acquired invaluable expertise in experimental cuisine by working at “L’Air du Temps” (two Michelin stars) in Belgium and the culinary labs of the three-Michelin-starred restaurants “Alinea” in Chicago, “The Fat Duck” in London, and “Quique Dacosta” near Valencia.
PARTNERS
Production Design Advisor :
Vassilios Bartzokas
Vassilios Bartzokas is an entrepreneur, with an important presence in the fields
of Architecture and Design (Built Environment).
He is the founder of the Design Ambassador, a Berlin-based & Athens company undertaking a wide range of communication projects in the field of Architecture & Design for the Built Environment. Ηe has more than 25 years of experience in Communication, P.R., Consulting, Content Creation, Events and Productions.
Vassilios is also the founder & editor of leading greek architecture magazine archisearch.gr with over 5 million monthly reach in instagram & facebook. He works with & consults some of the best architects and designers in Greece and abroad.
He has created high end, fully booked events such as Hotel Experience, the Architect Show, Man on the Moon, Future of Work, Pandemic Architecture, Eso Conference, Green Design Festival, Invisible Hotel, Architecture & Design Film Festival Athens, Aluminium in Architecture, Hospitality Atmospheres, Design Month and many more.