.Here Maldives, one of the newest ultra-luxury private island resorts in the Maldives, has announced the appointment of George Vassilopoulos as Executive Chef. With the resort scheduled to open in December 2025, the Greek chef will be responsible for defining the entire culinary philosophy of the complex’s two islands, Somewhere and Nowhere.
With over 17 years of experience in leading hotels and private estates around the world—including Raffles Dubai, Gstaad Palace, Badrutt’s Palace in Switzerland, Le Vieux Manoir au Lac, and Nobu Matsuhisa in Mykonos—the Greek chef brings a long global career to his new role at .Here Maldives’ culinary program.
Throughout his career, the Greek chef has excelled in developing creative menus, leading multicultural teams, and innovating globally inspired flavors.
At .Here Maldives, he will oversee all restaurant and bar concepts associated with Safar—a word that means “journey” in Dhivehi, the official language of the Maldives—a restaurant where international techniques are combined with the flavors of the Indian Ocean.
His menus will embody an ethos of refined simplicity and thoughtful luxury, drawing on the natural abundance of the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guests will enjoy experiences ranging from fine dining over the water to private tasting menus on-site and destination-inspired flavors under the stars.
Originally from Methoni, Giorgos Vassilopoulos initially studied electrical engineering before eventually pursuing his true love: gastronomy. The technical discipline and creative freedom he developed from this combination led him to serve important roles, such as that of Chef de Cuisine at the Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan, where he was responsible for fine dining for the Royal Family. Most recently, he worked as Executive Chef in ultra-high-net-worth private residences in London and Switzerland, earning praise for personalized, sensory culinary experiences that elevate hospitality to an art form.
