TASTE GREECE 2026
Six culinary evenings. Three islands. A celebration of Greek gastronomy.
Taste Greece returns for another season of contemporary Greek gastronomy across three Atlantica resorts. Established in 2023 at Atlantica Imperial Resort in Rhodes, the culinary event now also unfolds at Atlantica Kalliston Resort in Crete and Atlantica Grand Mediterraneo Resort in Corfu.
Though each chef approaches their menus differently, they share common culinary principles when it comes to Greek cuisine. Restraint and balance as guiding pillars, purity along with clarity of flavour. The value of letting raw materials from the motherland speak, conversing with them, translating their language and redefining them without forgetting tradition is the foundation.
CONVERSATIONS ON GREEK CUISINE
ETTORE BOTRINI
Ettore Botrini, the Greek-Italian Michelin-starred chef, renowned for his influence on Greek cuisine, views Rhodes as a place that speaks his language. Rhodes, much like Corfu, the chef's birthplace has carried over its Venetian influence alongside its Greek identity through cuisine and culture.
"Building a menu for Rhodes meant leaning into that familiarity, letting the two sides of my identity speak to each other without forcing anything, and honouring the fact that the Dodecanese itself is a land of Mediterranean dialogue."
Ettore Botrini's Taste Greece 2026 menu is shaped by memory, tradition and place. It moves through Corfiot onion pie, swordfish carpaccio, Pasta Mista and Bourdeto which will be presented at Atlantica Imperial Resort on the 27th of June.
Botrini spoke of memory, his grandmother's plate, his father preparing dishes that bridged cultures from Greece to Italy and the East, and how his interpretation of today's Greek cuisine is closely tied to allowing tradition to be listened to. He believes in non-negotiables, good olive oil, foraged wild herbs and treating fish with liturgical respect.
"I use technique to amplify, never to mask. If the tomato is a beautiful tomato, my job is to make it taste even more like a tomato."
ALEXANDROS TSIOTINIS
For four-time Taste Greece resident Alexandros Tsiotinis, the event is about connecting cuisine to place, light and the sea. Letting the produce around these elements subtly shape the direction of a dish, grounding it in Greek identity that feels both familiar and new.
Tsiotinis believes in the strong fundamentals of Greek cuisine, exceptional olive oil, vegetables, herbs, fish, and the way these ingredients are treated with restraint. As he puts it:
''It's not about complexity, but about clarity of flavour.''
While respecting the culinary heritage of Greece, he also speaks about evolution.
''Tradition is not something static - It evolves because of the people, to continue its story in a more modern language. I always try to highlight the purity of each ingredient and let it speak.''
At this year's Taste Greece event, the Michelin-starred chef's menu brings together octopus, fresh fish, grouper fillet and beef cheek through refined techniques and contemporary interpretation.
Alexandros Tsiotinis will be presenting his culinary vision at Atlantica Kalliston Resort on the 10th of July, Atlantica Imperial Resort on the 31st of July and Atlantica Grand Mediterraneo Resort on the 22nd of August.
PANAGIOTIS GIAKALIS
Inspired by the Mediterranean and Crete, Michelin-starred Panagiotis Giakalis will present a refined menu at Atlantica Kalliston Resort on the 11th of September, centred around lobster, oyster, lamb, citrus and seafood, balancing purity, seasonality and contemporary Greek expression.
Chef Giakalis wants to bring a sense of place to the table, allowing guests to experience Greece not only through taste, but through emotion. Crete, particularly, he states:
''Expresses the authenticity and richness of Greek gastronomy in a very pure way.''
He preserves the culinary profile of ingredients like olive oil, citrus, seafood, and lamb which are at the heart of the menu, communicated through precision and modern technique.
''I believe reinterpretation comes through technique, texture, and presentation not by changing the identity of the dish, but by evolving how it is experienced.''
GIKAS XENAKIS
Gikas Xenakis, awarded with Chrisoi Skoufoi and FNL Star, will present his menu at Atlantica Grand Mediterraneo Resort on the 25th of July, guided by his consistent philosophy: respect for raw ingredients, clarity and flavour.
Through dishes like cured amberjack, Aegean red mullet and prime beef, chef Xenakis reinterprets Greek cuisine with clarity of flavour, seasonality and modern Mediterranean creativity.
As he explained:
''The Taste Greece menu was inspired by my desire to capture the authentic essence of Greek flavours through simplicity and high-quality ingredients. I drew inspiration from memories across different regions of Greece. Its islands, mountains, and countryside.''
To him, Greek cuisine does not need excess, as its strength lies in its purity.
''The goal is not to change Greek cuisine, but to evolve it in a way that keeps it relevant, vibrant, and alive.''
ACROSS ISLANDS AND CULINARY PERSPECTIVES
From Venetian influences to the purity of Cretan ingredients, Taste Greece 2026 explores how Greek cuisine continues to evolve while remaining deeply connected to its roots. Across six evenings and three islands, guests are invited to experience not only menus, but perspectives on Greek gastronomy, both as it exists today and where it is heading.
