GAIA Mayfair: Inside London’s Buzzed-about Greek Restaurant

Located in Mayfair, GAIA brings Grecian culture and heaps of glamour to the heart of the city. Named after the Greek Goddess of Earth, GAIA showcase the core elements of Grecian culture. Featuring a fresh fish counter and vintage wine cellar, GAIA offers an unmatched dining experience that celebrates craft, simplicity and the warm hospitality so loved in Greek culture.

The home grown food, beverage, and lifestyle concept was born of a collaboration between Evgeny Kuzin and Chef Izu Ani, two of the most prominent hospitality entrepreneurs across The UAE. Now, GAIA has extended its triumph beyond Dubai, Monte-Carlo, and Doha with its arrival in London.

The GAIA menu combines traditional flavours, fresh ingredients and the simplicity of home cooking. Each dish showcases the true essence of Greek-Mediterranean cuisine. Curated by culinary experts Chef Izu Ani and Chef Orestis Kotefas, the pair have spent 13 years working together.

Ani cut his teeth at Michelin-starred restaurants across the Mediterranean coast. Having spent his childhood amongst lush Grecian olive groves and farm fields, Chef Orestis’ passion for quality ingredients and cooking was born at home from his father, a cheese maker, and his mother, a cook. As a result, GAIA’s menu is inspired by traditional Greek cuisine, showcasing the freshest seasonal produce.

Chef Izu Ani said: “Our philosophy is one of culture and cuisine. We focus on food, on simple, honest and humble ingredients that come together to create joy. In the kitchen, we cook to create happiness, to bring a calm and pure moment of pleasure to everyone who enters.”

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Each dish tells a story at GAIA, from the sapphire of the Aegean to the rugged terrain of the Peloponnese, revel in the simplicity of Mediterranean culture, breaking bread with friends and family. Choose fish from the restaurant’s selection of freshly caught produce at the counter (served in various ways including raw, grilled, pan-fried with aromatic harissa or salt-baked).

Mezze dishes include smoked cod roe and lemon zest, Taramosalata, and Melitzanosalata, a blend of smoky aubergine. Larger dishes include Kritharaki (heady tomato sauce of seafood orzo studded with freshly caught calamari, prawns, and clams) and Paidakia Arnisia (lamb cutlets served with tzatziki and freshly baked pita). Finish with Pagoto Giourti (frozen Greek yogurt, topped with chopped nuts and a drizzle of honey) as well as Ravani (coconut sponge cake served with cream).

Designed by the award-winning interior design studio, feast in a space that’s both inviting and luxurious. Think domed arches, hellenic statues framed by limestone walls, azure blue furnishings, a fresh fish counter, traditional wooden oven.