A visit to Athens is nothing short of magical. Every street corner brims with history, and the iconic Acropolis, majestically perched above the city, is a constant reminder of the city’s ancient roots. Just a stone’s throw from this historic landmark lies a charming, artistic district where you can retreat from the urban bustle. Here, nestled in the courtyard of a beautiful house, you can discover CTC Urban Gastronomy, the restaurant helmed by renowned Greek Chef Alexandros Tsiotinis. Combining world-class culinary expertise gained abroad with the finest local ingredients, Chef Tsiotinis reimagines traditional Greek cuisine, creating dishes that are as innovative as they are delectable.
Concept & location
Even though CTC is still a rather young restaurant, it is already living its second life. Originally, Chef Tsiotinis started the restaurant at a different location, in a central area of Athens near the Hilton hotel. But at that location, there was no outdoor space, something which is clearly a very important element in making a restaurant work in a city like Athens, where people like to dine outside during the summer season. The chef decided to solve this and moved the restaurant to a different location. The current neighborhood, Keramikos, is an artistic and historic area close to the Acropolis. It is filled with artists, actors, and painters, with street art like graffiti adding to its creative atmosphere.
This vibrant neighborhood was a natural fit for the restaurant, not only because of the art scene but also due to the charm of the space itself. The building used to be a residential house, and even the kitchen area once served as a stable for horses. When the chef found this location, with its beautiful garden, he immediately felt it was the perfect fit to realize his vision. The restaurant moved to its new home right after COVID, and since then the business has been thriving.
The design of the restaurant, both inside and outside, was created with the intention of reflecting the spirit of old Athens. The historic building features materials like marble, wood, and warm colors, particularly shades of green, which aim to transport guests back in time and evoke the atmosphere of Athens in the past. The outdoor terrace adds to this experience. The area which is rather large, feels very cozy with lots of plants, and is the perfect spot to spend a wonderful summer evening enjoying the wonderful culinary creations of the team. The interior space is only used during the colder months, starting from mid-November when it gets too cold to serve guests outside. The overall design inside the restaurant is understated and elegant, with a focus on creating a classy atmosphere that does not distract from the food. The goal is for guests to focus on their dining experience. One of the notable design elements inside is the striking lamp on the ceiling, which is called “Luna” and is meant to evoke the moon, casting a soft, atmospheric light over the space.
The Chef & the team
The chef and owner of CTC is Alexandros Tsiotinis, an Athens native who was born in 1986. Tsiotinis started his journey toward becoming a chef in a rather unexpected way. His original goal in life, which occurred to him already at a rather young age, was not to become a chef but rather to become an entrepreneur. He wanted to own his own business. At the age of sixteen, he concluded that opening a restaurant would be the easiest route to achieving that dream. As he explored this idea, he realized that it would be rather useful to learn how to cook. This led him to start exploring recipes on his own, using resources like the internet, books, and whatever cooking shows were available on television at the time. Around the same time, it became clear that his father disagreed with the career choice of his son and insisted on him pursuing another career. An additional reason which only fueled his the determination of Tsiotinis to proceed with his career dream. He enrolled in a private culinary school in Athens at the age of seventeen, completing his studies by the age of nineteen. Towards the end of these studies, he took the initiative to book a three-month internship at Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, leaving his school in Athens a bit early to pursue this opportunity. He continued his training at École Supérieure de Cuisine Française, Ferrandi, in Paris. During this time, he also began working in prestigious restaurants in France. He completed internships with renowned chefs, including Michel Bras in Aubrac and Alain Passard at Arpège in Paris. During these internships, he experienced the rigors of the profession, working very long hours. There were even times when, during brief breaks, he and his colleagues would go foraging for herbs, flowers, and mushrooms. An experience he found challenging as a city person, initially struggling to appreciate the importance of it. The young chef spent about four years in France, gaining valuable experience, and also worked in other countries, including Denmark, where he was part of the team at Noma. He has also worked in Belgium, China on a cruise ship, and other places, but his four years in France were particularly formative in shaping his career.
For Tsiotinis, owning a restaurant had always been his ultimate goal, but the vision for CTC only began to take shape after working with Pascal Barbot at L’Astrance in France. It was there that his deep passion for cooking truly ignited. He admired Barbot’s philosophy, not just in the culinary arts but also in fostering a collaborative team environment. Barbot was more than just a leader—he was an integral part of the team, and this approach left a profound impression. Inspired by Barbot, the young chef envisioned his future restaurant as one that embraced teamwork and leadership while offering a menu designed around different stages of dishes. After returning from China, however, the journey to CTC was far from straightforward. His career saw him moving between France and Greece, gaining experience and refining his craft. When he first moved to France, he weighed 130 kilos, but the demanding lifestyle and absence of his mother’s home cooking led to a dramatic weight loss of 60 kilos within a year. Feeling the toll of this intense lifestyle, he returned to Greece. Back in Greece, he spent a year at Spondi, a two Michelin-starred restaurant, under Arnaud Bignon, who had been the sous chef to Éric Fréchon. The experience was invaluable, but after a year, he decided to return to France to continue honing his skills, including another stint with Pascal Barbot. He also gained experience working in Belgium before ultimately returning to Greece for good in 2011 to complete his mandatory military service. After finishing his service, Alexandros took on the role of executive chef at a prestigious hotel in Crete at the young age of 24 or 25. He remained there for three years, building his expertise and confidence. Finally, he decided to pursue his lifelong dream, channeling years of experience and inspiration into opening his own restaurant, CTC.
The kitchen team at CTC consists of a team size of 12 to 14, depending on the season. During the summer months, they can accommodate 50 to 60 covers, while in the winter season, they focus on around 30 covers. The culinary team is led by Tsiotinis and includes a head chef along with two sous chefs. The entire team is Greek, reflecting their commitment to local talent and traditions.
Gastronomy / Cooking Style
The cooking style in CTC is shaped by the journeys and experiences the chef had throughout his life. However, the foundation of the cooking style of Alexandros is Greek cuisine with a strong focus on the ingredients. The chef believes that Greece does not have a strong tradition of modern culinary techniques, so the focus must be on using top-quality ingredients to differentiate good from great. Many of the dishes he creates, are tied to memories, and part of his goal is to recreate those memories for his guests. An example of that is a traditional Greek dish called “gemista”. This dish consists of stuffed tomatoes and peppers with rice and herbs. In CTC, Tsiotinis serves a miniature version of this dish with a mousse of the same ingredients, semi-dried tomatoes, zucchini, pine nuts, and feta. This dish evokes nostalgia for Greek guests, while introducing non-Greek guests to traditional flavors. Of course, even though this strong focus on everything which is Greek, the years Alexandros spent in France have an influence on how he works. French techniques play a significant role in how his kitchen is structured. His team operates with a hierarchy and system similar to that in French kitchens, and he considers French culinary methods as foundational to his cooking. In his cooking, he uses French techniques, which he then adapts to Greek ingredients. Do not expect avant-garde molecular cuisine or techniques such as nitrogen or creating “spheres.” While the chef occasionally incorporates modern techniques, they are used only to enhance the ingredients, not to take center stage. For him, the most critical aspect is taste and that is obvious in every dish that we tasted.
The restaurant operates with a fixed menu, rather than offering an à la carte option. The menu changes gradually, with adjustments made during service depending on product availability. For example, if the fishmonger delivers a different type of fresh fish, the dish may be adapted accordingly. The restaurant maintains a flexible approach to sourcing, ensuring that recipes are adaptable to the ingredients that are available. The menu changes seasonally based on the availability of products. For instance, as mushrooms come into season, the kitchen will create a dish specifically dedicated to them. However, two signature dishes remain constant on the menu due to popular demand. These include the calamari pesto, which features the unique flavors of pesto, and a sweet corn velouté, which is flavored with lobster, truffle, and bergamot. Regarding product sourcing, the chef prefers to personally select ingredients.
The restaurant relies on a mix of farmers, suppliers, and foragers. While the chef embraces Greek ingredients, he does not limit himself to them. He sees no inherent virtue in using Greek ingredients solely for the sake of it. For instance, while Greek Fleur de Sel is available, it is significantly more expensive than the French version, which is used in the restaurant without hesitation. Nonetheless, sustainability is a key factor in the chef’s sourcing decisions. The restaurant avoids importing luxury products such as Wagyu from Japan, favoring local and sustainable options instead. This commitment to sustainability is rooted in a broader ethical concern for the environment and future generations.
Some of the dishes we tried :
Service & Wine
The atmosphere at the restaurant is designed to make guests feel at ease and comfortable. The chef wants his team to strive towards a relaxed atmosphere, without the formal or stiff demeanor that might make guests feel intimidated or unsure of how to behave. While attention to detail is crucial for them, the goal is to create a space where people feel they can express themselves freely, whether they want to joke, talk, or even cry. The service is not formal, but it is professional. Staff members are attentive, ensuring details like refilling water or explaining the dishes are done seamlessly, but they are not robotic. The service team consists of more than ten dedicated individuals, with key members playing pivotal roles. There is a restaurant manager and a sommelier and both of them have been with the restaurant for a long time, being integral to the restaurant’s success and consistency. The majority of the service team is Greek.
CTC offers two different wine pairings to complement the dining experience. The first option is a more adventurous, “fancy” pairing, which predominantly features natural wines, with a strong emphasis on Greek selections. The second is a classic pairing that combines both Greek wines and international wines from countries such as France, Italy, and Spain, depending on availability and seasonality. For guests who prefer to select a bottle, the wine list includes approximately 300 labels. Of these, about 80% are Greek wines, with the remaining 20% featuring a mix of Mediterranean wines and a selection from the New World, including regions like South America and Napa Valley.
Why go?
A visit to CTC opens the perspective on a fusion of the global influences chef Alexandros Tsiotinis gathered throughout his travels, brought back to Greek cuisine. You experience a culinary journey that reveals Greece through the eyes of a passionate and driven chef, who exposes a personal and unique interpretation of the country’s flavors and culture. The chef does not aim for guests to remember having the “best dish of their life.” Instead, he wants them to look back and feel they had a truly enjoyable and meaningful experience, where the atmosphere, the service, and the flavors combined create a memory guests won’t forget. We understand this philosophy and Tsiotinis succeeds in his goal. But we cannot conclude this article without disagreeing with him on one point… Some guests might have the best dish of their life in his restaurant.
