Chefs of the land

Summer gastronomy series at Kinsterna

This summer, Kinsterna presents Chefs of the Land, a series of gastronomic evenings that brings together an impressive line-up of chefs from the Greek and international gastronomic scene. Set beside the historic Byzantine cistern, these evenings unfold as a small summer gastronomy festival, where the land, the season and the ingredients of the estate become the starting point for creative culinary dialogue.

Guest chefs join Executive Chef Giorgos Hapsas to create menus inspired by the products of the estate and the wider region of Laconia. Herbs from the gardens, olive oil from the groves, vegetables, honey and the fruits of the land shape each dinner, offering guests the opportunity to experience the philosophy of Kinsterna through taste.

Held on selected Saturdays from mid-July until mid-September, these gatherings are designed as intimate culinary encounters under the summer sky, offering memorable moments of summer gastronomic indulgence in a setting where history, nature and cuisine meet.

Limited seats available.
Reservation required.

July

Saturday 11 July
Giorgos Kataras
Cue, Amsterdam

Chef Giorgos Kataras, awarded one Michelin star for his work at Cue Restaurant in Amsterdam, belongs to a new generation of Greek chefs who approach gastronomy with precision and clarity of flavour. His cuisine highlights nature’s ingredients through contemporary techniques, allowing the quality of the raw material to lead the experience. His menus balance creativity with respect for tradition, creating dishes that feel both modern and deeply rooted in place.

His culinary journey includes London and the three-Michelin-star restaurant Geranium in Copenhagen, where he refined his technical and creative approach. His cooking today focuses on seasonality, simplicity and cooking over embers, always inspired by his Greek roots and the natural character of ingredients.

Saturday 18 July
Nikos Karathanos & Brothers Liakou
Ateno, Athens

Chef Nikos Karathanos has built a distinctive culinary voice inspired by Greek culinary heritage and the landscapes that shape it. Through thoughtful technique and expressive compositions, he reinterprets familiar flavours with a modern perspective. His cuisine often explores memory, seasonality and the emotional connection between food and place.

He was the youngest Greek chef to receive a Michelin star while leading Hytra restaurant in Athens. Today, through Ateno in Athens, he expresses his personal vision for contemporary Greek cuisine, balancing technical precision with emotional depth and a strong connection to Greek culinary identity.

The Liakou brothers are among the most influential figures of contemporary Greek gastronomy, known for redefining the way meat and open-fire cooking are approached in Greece. Through Base Grill in Athens, they elevated traditional grill cuisine into a gastronomic experience focused on exceptional raw materials, aging techniques and respect for the animal and the producer. Their philosophy is based on sourcing rare breeds, working closely with Greek producers and mastering techniques such as dry aging and charcoal cooking. Over the years, they have significantly influenced modern Greek meat cuisine and are considered pioneers in the field of premium meat gastronomy in Greece.

Saturday 25 July
Arnaud Bignon
Spondi, Athens

French chef Arnaud Bignon brings to Kinsterna a refined culinary style shaped by experience in Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe and Asia. His cooking combines classical French technique with a deep respect for seasonal ingredients and Mediterranean influences. The result is cuisine that is elegant, precise and harmonious.

He has worked in some of the world’s most important Michelin-starred restaurants and today leads the Michelin-starred Spondi in Athens. His cuisine is defined by precision, balance and a deep understanding of ingredients, combining French gastronomy with Mediterranean character.

Saturday 1 August
George Hapsas
Kinsterna Hotel

Chef Giorgos Hapsas is the Executive Chef of Kinsterna and the culinary mind behind the estate’s gastronomic identity. His cuisine is deeply connected to the land, inspired by seasonal ingredients, traditional Greek recipes and the produce of the estate.

For this special evening, he collaborates with a guest chef to create a menu inspired by the gardens, vineyards and orchards of Kinsterna, reflecting a shared culinary dialogue rooted in the land and the season.

Saturday 8 August
Dimitris Dimitriadis
Fita Restaurant, Athens

Chef Dimitris Dimitriadis is known for his creative Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, combining modern techniques with strong foundations in classical gastronomy. His culinary philosophy focuses on flavour, balance and the careful use of seasonal ingredients.

He has served as Head Chef at several important restaurants in Athens, including Hytra and Galazia Hytra, both Michelin-starred restaurants, and has received multiple culinary awards including Golden Hat distinctions. Today he leads Fita Restaurant in Athens, where he continues to develop a refined contemporary Greek cuisine.

Saturday 15 August
Giorgos Hapsas
Kinsterna Hotel

This special evening brings the Executive Chef Giorgos Hapsas to create a menu inspired by the produce of the estate. Drawing from the gardens, orchards and vineyards of Kinsterna, the dinner reflects a culinary dialogue rooted in the land and the season.

Saturday 22 August
Sakis Venetis
Zohos, Electra Hotels & Resorts

Chef Sakis Venetis leads the culinary direction of Electra Hotels & Resorts and is the chef behind Zohos restaurant in Athens. His cuisine focuses on authentic Greek flavours expressed with modern finesse and careful technique.

His approach often explores the concept of Greek meze and sharing plates as a creative format that allows freedom of expression and reinterpretation of traditional flavours. His cooking combines tradition, creativity and a contemporary understanding of Greek gastronomy.

Saturday 5 September
Arnaud Bignon
Spondi, Athens

Saturday 12 September
Giorgos Kataras
Cue, Amsterdam