Aigli Zappeiou is turning a new page in a landmark move for Athenian gastronomy: its main restaurant will be renamed Zappa and will be led by Chrysanthos Karamolegos, one of Greece’s most acclaimed chefs of his generation.
For the first time in its history, the restaurant—set to reopen by the holiday season—will not carry the “Aigli” name. Instead, it introduces a bold new brand, designed to signal a transition toward a more personal and daring gastronomic vision: an all-day fine dining restaurant & bar aimed at repositioning Zappeio as a hub of contemporary urban cuisine.
The project bears the signature of Chrysanthos Karamolegos, who returns to Athens after nearly 15 years of significant collaborations across Greece and abroad, most recently with Anama in Gialova. His creative team includes Viktor Kouroupis, Denisa Varcholova, and long-time collaborator Georgia Papaioannou.
Zappa aspires to be more than just “another good restaurant.” It is envisioned as a complete gastronomic universe, blending Greek and Eastern culinary traditions with a strong emphasis on herbs and dishes with a distinctly Greek soul.
The venue also features a cocktail bar curated by Thodoris Pyrillos and a wine bar offering a carefully selected mix of Greek and international labels, reinforcing Zappa as an all-day destination for dining and drinks.
Born in Athens with deep roots in Santorini, Chrysanthos Karamolegos has been cooking professionally for nearly four decades, maintaining remarkable creativity and energy. His career includes iconic projects such as Barbouni at Costa Navarino and Tomata at the Sani Resort in Halkidiki. Renowned for his mastery of flavor combinations, he skillfully unites seemingly contrasting ingredients into dishes of perfect balance.
Aigli Zappeiou is one of the city’s most historic landmarks. It first served coffee to visitors in 1904, with the vision of becoming a space where leisure and culture merged with Athens’ cosmopolitan spirit.
Today, more than a century later, Aigli Zappeiou is reinvented as a multifaceted complex of entertainment, culture, and gastronomy. The arrival of Zappa and Chrysanthos Karamolegos marks not just a change of name, but the next step in its storied journey.
