The “Greek community” of dining in Dubai

From Mykonos and Vouliagmeni to the Emirates: the Greek concepts competing for a place in the Emirates’ gastronomic showcase

Dubai has evolved into a showcase of global gastronomy, and among the big names on the international scene, more and more concepts with a Greek signature are claiming their own space. From Mykonos-born Nammos and the high-end seafood restaurant Milos, to the modern Greek OPSO, the comfort-style Eat Greek, and soon Tokyo Joe with its Greek take on Asian-fusion, the “Greek community” of dining in the Emirates is growing and diversifying.

Nammos Dubai: Greek summer in an Arab setting

Nammos was born in 2003 in Psarou, when three partners — Zannis Fratzeskos, Konstantis Kousathanas and Egyptian chef Sammy Ibrahim — transformed an old fish taverna into a luxury beach restaurant, putting Mykonos on a path to glamour.

Its international expansion came with the creation of Nammos World — a lifestyle brand based in Monaco — and with its arrival in Dubai in 2019. Nammos Dubai, backed by Greek entrepreneur Petros Stathis and Monterock International, opened at the Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah Beach and quickly became the restaurant with the highest annual revenue globally, with turnover in the tens of millions of dollars.

In terms of style, Nammos Dubai replicates the Mykonos “formula”: a beach club with a private sandy beach, a lively all-day atmosphere, live DJs, and a menu balancing Mediterranean cuisine, premium meats, sushi and the obligatory magnum champagnes. It is the most outward-looking, party-oriented version of the Greek summer in an Arab backdrop.

Estiatorio Milos: the “temple” of Greek fish at Atlantis The Royal

On the opposite end of the party spectrum, Estiatorio Milos represents the refined side of Greek seafood cuisine. The brand’s founder and driving force is chef-restaurateur Costas Spiliadis, born in Patras, who opened the first Milos in Montreal in 1979 and later created an international network of restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Athens and more.

Milos Dubai opened in February 2023 at the new Atlantis The Royal resort on Palm Jumeirah. It is a multi-level restaurant with about 220 seats, private rooms and a large terrace overlooking the hotel’s fountains.

The cuisine follows the well-known Milos philosophy: top-quality fish and seafood, minimal intervention, and vegetables and olive oil of Greek origin. It is the most “fine dining” Greek imprint in Dubai and at the same time one of Atlantis’s strongest attractions.

OPSO Dubai: modern Greek with star-level chefs

OPSO represents the most creative face of Greek cuisine abroad. The brand belongs to the Modern Greek Food Group of Nikos Roussos and Andreas Lambridis — Roussos is known from the avant-garde Athens restaurant Funky Gourmet, which held two Michelin stars, and together with Lambridis opened the first OPSO in London’s Marylebone in 2014.

OPSO Dubai opened in 2021 in the Fashion Avenue of the Dubai Mall. Its expansion to the Emirates was led by Saudi entrepreneur Faisal Al Mandil, while in the kitchen we find executive chef Mark Taquet.

The style is distinctly modern Greek: sharing plates, an open kitchen, Greek products (feta, mastiha, olive oil), and collaborations with small producers.

Tokyo Joe: the Greek interpretation of Asian-fusion

In a different culinary direction but with a Greek origin, Christina Pappa’s Tokyo Joe is a brand that started in Vouliagmeni and today operates in Mykonos, Chania and central Athens. A new opening in Dubai is coming soon, in the cosmopolitan and striking Jumeirah area.

Eat Greek Kouzina: the comfort side of Greek flavor

Eat Greek Kouzina plays on another field: it is the most approachable, family-style expression of Greek cuisine in the Emirates. The concept was developed by Greek–South African restaurateurs and is part of the portfolio of Food Fund International, a family-run hospitality group based in the UAE.

Johnny Tomazos was one of the key figures behind the first Eat Greek at JBR in 2014, at a time when Greek cuisine in Dubai was still rare. Today the chain has three restaurants in Dubai (JBR – The Beach, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Hills Mall), one in Abu Dhabi, and locations in Athens and Thessaloniki (airports).

The style is bright, with white and blue elements and an open kitchen. The menu focuses on comfort: souvlaki, gyro, moussaka, fresh salads, meze, as well as more contemporary takes on classic recipes.