The Worldwide Press talks about Papadakis Restaurant

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La cena glamour al ristorante Papadakis

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L’indirizzo da segnare in agenda se amate i sapori tradizionali, ma non rinunciate a un tocco più contemporaneo, è il Papadakis Restaurant, ai piedi del Monte Lycabettus, nel famoso e raffinato quartiere Kolonaki. «Credo che la cucina greca meriti una posizione di rilievo nella gastronomia mondiale», dice la nota chef Argiro Barbarigou. «La Grecia è molto più che souvlaki e taverne. La nostra cucina è pura e raffinata come il nostro spirito, non diversamente dalla filosofia o dal teatro greco. Sono determinata a condividere il mio amore e la mia conoscenza in tutto il paese. Il mio motto, quando ho iniziato, era che non ci sono segreti in cucina. O almeno non ce n’erano per me». Il nome del ristorante arriva dalla storia di famiglia, con il signor Papadakis alla guida del ristorante negli anni Settanta. Il menù caratteristico era a base di pesce fresco e frutti di mare, che la chef Argiro ha fatto rivivere nel marzo 1996, riaprendo le porte del ristorante a Naoussa, Paros. Il passo successivo è stata l’apertura ad Atene, a novembre 2005. Da allora, alcune delle più famose celebrity internazionali (da Jean Paul Gaultier a Carla Bruni) hanno visitato il ristorante per assaggiare il puré di fave, la cevice di pesce, le tagliatelle con funghi, noci e formaggio San Michali dell’isola di Syros, l’octopus con il miele e gli spaghetti all’aragosta . Oggi ad affollare i tavolini del Papadakis ci sono gli abitanti del posto, turisti sofisticati, clienti storici che non rinunciano alla cucina tipica delle isole dell’Egeo, ma con un tocco contemporaneo.

Read the full article by Alessandra Pellegrino.

Travel & Leisure

How to Spend One Perfect Day in Athens

Papadakis, located in the Kolonaki neighborhood, is a love letter to Greek cuisine by famed chef Argiro Barbarigou, who pours her heart and soul into creating fresh, local dishes like her white grouper with truffle, greek salads, and a chickpea stew that cannot be missed. And it’s all served with an epic view. Expect to spend about $30 per person for a starter and a main.

Read the full article by Stacey Leasca

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Insider’s Guide to Athens, Greece

The best restaurants, cafes, stores, hotels, bars, museums, galleries and more from chef Argiro Barbarigou, beauty guru Lena Korres, real-estate developer Iasson Tsakonas and Prince Nikolaos

Read the full article by Gisela Williams

FORBES

Best of Greece: Secret Spots Where The Locals Go

“Argiro Barbarigou: Greece’s media darling, Argiro Barbarigou has cookbooks, a television show and a magazine. She is also the country’s foremost female celebrity chef and the force behind the restaurant, Papadakis, in Athens.”

Read the full article by Laura Begley Bloom

10 Reasons To Love Athens This Summer

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“Seafood at Papadakis”

Chef Argiro Barbarigou may be a celebrity—who counts Pierce Brosnan, Carla Bruni and fellow big-name chefs like Cat Cora and Michel Roux among her clientele—but there’s nothing overwrought about her intimate restaurant in the upscale Kolonaki neighborhood. She works magic with local seafood and traditional dishes like octopus stewed with honey and vinsanto (sweet wine from Santorini).”

Read the full article by Ann Abel

THE NEW YORK TIMES STYLE MAGAZINE

How to Visit the Most Storied Sites of Ancient Greece. From Athens to Ithaca, a guide to journeying through classical antiquity — and enjoying a few modern comforts along the way.

“After opening a glamorous seaside restaurant on her native Paros, the chef Argiro Barbarigou took her beloved seafood concept to the Kolonaki neighborhood in Athens in 1996. Named in tribute to her father, Papadakis showcases the country’s revered cuisine by enhancing simple but flavorful Greek ingredients with modern techniques to form subtly decadent dishes. Set in the foothills of Mount Lycabettus, the white-tablecloth restaurant demonstrates why Barbarigou is considered the godmother of contemporary Greek cuisine. She serves plates including organic chickpeas that have been slow roasted for 15 hours, creamy orzo served with langoustines and prawns and handmade cheese-stuffed caper leaves sourced from her brother-in-law’s farm on Paros.”

Read the full article by Michaela Trimble

HARPER’S BAZAAR UK

Athens: a guide to the city’s rising arts and culture scene

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“No trip to Athens would be complete without an evening at Papadakis, helmed by celebrity chef Argiro Barbarigou, positioned in the elegant and well-heeled Kolonaki area. Just around the corner from Parthenis, a chic Greek brand with a store in Athens worth stopping off at before dinner, Papadakis has attracted a stylish celebrity following over the years, from Carla Bruni to Jean Paul Gaultier. Fill up on the chilli and prawn linguini and the beet salad, then finish with the orange sorbet – a refreshing palette cleanser that will have you thinking about it for months afterwards.”

Read the full article by Ella Alexander

THE TELEGRAPH

Eat like a local in Athens: from backstreet souvlaki joints to no-menu seafood spots

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“In Athens, some of the best seafood isn’t by the seaside. This local institution draws the cigar-chomping denizens of Kolonaki for business lunches, but the intimate, art-filled space is just right for date night or a family treat too. Chef Argiro Barbarigou sources many of her ideas and ingredients from her native island of Paros – like her slow-cooked chickpeas served with taramasalata or smooth fish soup that slips down as easily as her spicy prawn linguine. For dessert, try Barbarigou’s Greek spin on millefeuille, flaky pastry layered with yogurt, honey, and walnuts.

Ask for one of the tables on the pavement of Anagnostopoulou Street – you can see the Parthenon peeking between the apartment blocks.”

Read the full article by The Telegraph

CONDE NAST TRAVELER

Why You Should Stay in Athens on Your Next Trip To Greece—and Not Just Pass Through

“The real challenge is getting any group of opinionated, proudly contrarian Greeks to agree on the best things to do in town. This becomes clear when I have dinner under the orange trees at the elegant seafood spot Papadakis with a small gathering that includes designer Tina Daskalantonaki, hotelier Nikos Tsepetis, and L.A.-based artist Konstantin Kakanias.”

Read the full article by Christopher Bagley

ELITE TRAVELER

Papadakis Review: Athenian Cuisine at its Finest

“Sitting on the foothills of Mount Lucabettus in the upmarket area of Kolonaki, Papadakis offers respite from the hustle and bustle of Athens and boasts views of the stunning Acropolis from its shaded dining terrace. It is a welcome haven from the harsh Athenian summer and is a cool place to eat even in the heat of a summer afternoon. The restaurant is the brainchild of Argiro Barbarigou…”

Read the full review by Alex Martin

INDEPENDENT

“We had dinner in Kolonaki, a swish neighbourhood, where you find smart shops such as Enny de Monaco and Retrosexual. The restaurant was Papadakis, hosted by TV celebrity Argiro Barbarigou. “For our American clients,” the menu says “rocket is arugula, aubergine is eggplant, courgette is zucchini, shallots are not green onions, chickpeas are garbanzo beans.” The precision of Papadakis is indicated by “cold-pressed agourelaio olive oil from Siteria with 0.3 per cent acidity”.

“We ate stamnagathi – wild chicory, rocket, lettuce, sunflower seeds, grape must, and pomegranate seeds. Then, octopus with honey, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet wine, and chips.”

Read the full article by Stephen Bayley

TRIPSAVVY

The Top 10 Restaurants in Athens, Greece

“Local celebrity chef Argiro Barbarigou treats Greek culinary traditions with the respect they deserve while infusing them with a slight twist. She believes in uncomplicated recipes created with the quality raw materials found in abundance throughout Greece. While fish and seafood dominate the menu at Papadakis, chickpeas from her native Cycladic isle of Paros slow-cooked for 15 hours and served with taramosalata are signature Argiro. The octopus stew with sun-dried tomatoes and thyme honey is umami-rich. Located in the upscale Kolonaki district, the service is warm, and the best tables are those outdoors with an Acropolis view. Strawberry liqueur made in-house makes for an elegant digestive.”

Read the full article by Helen Iatrou

TRAVEL WEEKLY

Odyssey 2015: Patricia Schultz delves into the timeless appeal of Greece

“I asked Argiro Barbaragiou, the TV personality and author of multiple cookbooks, why the world isn’t clamoring for Greek food. The biggest misconception is that Greek cuisine is just about moussaka, tzatiki, souvlaki and lamb” she said, when in fact, “It is the very basis of the Mediterranean diet and based on excellent raw and home-grown materials you find everywhere in this country.”

Barbaragou went on to list olives and extra virgin olive oil from the Peloponnese peninsula, sweet tomatoes from Santorini, thyme honey from the Aegean islands and fish caught just that morning. We experienced all of this and more at her stylish restaurant, Papadakis, in the upscale neighborhood of Kolonaki, where we sat outside under orange trees.”

Read the full article by Patricia Schultz

PARADE

Love Fish? You’ll Savor This Super-Delicious Greek Recipe by Celeb Chef Argiro Barbarigou

“Welcome to “Chat & Chew,” an inviting interview series in which accomplished chefs answer feisty, fun, fantasy questions. Plus, there is a favorite recipe (below) for you to try! My new kitchen talk spotlights Argiro Barbarigou, the chef and owner of Papadakis restaurant in Athens, Greece. Television personality (headlining culinary shows), humanitarian (focusing on children’s charities), entrepreneur (selling retail foods and a cookware line), teacher (masterminding cooking classes), and an award-winning author (creating dozens of cookbooks, as well as a magazine), Chef Barbarigou has her proverbial spoons stirring many sizzling pots these days. Born in Paros, Greece, she studied French cuisine in London and Lyon. Here is what Chef Barbarigou and I dished about: “

Read the full article by Laura Manske

RTL

Mes bonnes adresses à ATHENES : Dream in Blue

“Autre incontournable d’Athènes, Papadakis, le restaurant de poissons et crustacés de LA chef grecque, Argiro Barbarigou”

Read the full article by RTL (in French)