Pelagos at Four Seasons Hotel Astir Palace Athens offers three unique tasting menus this summer, providing a creative new interpretation of Crete’s finest seasonal flavors and ingredients. The Michelin-starred restaurant presents the innovative Pelagos on Tour tasting menus, which draw inspiration from a week-long culinary journey across the island.
Leading the expedition is Pelagos’ acclaimed head chef, Luca Piscazzi, accompanied by renowned Cretan chef and television presenter, Manolis Papoutsakis. Papoutsakis, the founder of the award-winning Cretan restaurant Charoupi and Pharaoh in Athens, guides Piscazzi and the team through Crete’s majestic landscapes, warmly embracing them as part of his family for four days in true Greek hospitality.
Crete, Greece’s largest island, is celebrated for its fertile and diverse landscape, as well as its culinary expertise. Piscazzi delves into the island’s rich gastronomic heritage, engaging with artisanal producers and sampling local ingredients in their natural environment. This immersive experience allows him to discover the distinctive traditions and terrain of Crete.
On Monday, as the sun rose at 5:00 am, the team embarked on a fishing excursion with the Rokakis family. The bountiful catch of crabs, lobsters, and scorpion fish set the stage for a mouth-watering lunch enjoyed by all. Following the fishing expedition, the team visited the 35N Raki distillery, where they gained a delectable insight into the production of the traditional Cretan spirit. Crafted with the utmost care and using the finest grapes, the raki is aged in oak barrels, resulting in a truly exceptional beverage. The day concluded on a sweet note with the fragrant flavors of Crete honey sourced from the Stathakis family’s bee garden.
The following day, Tuesday, the team ventured to the open street market in the picturesque coastal city of Chania. Their mission was to seek out Cretan snails, followed by a quest for local chicory known as “stamnagathi,” revered as the “king of wild greens,” in the nearby hills. At Manolis’ family home, a delightful lunch awaited them, featuring culinary delights such as staka—a clarified butter made from sheep’s milk. In the late afternoon, the team paid a visit to the traditional Cretan knife craftsman, Oarmenis, who skillfully handcrafted a special implement exclusively for Pelagos.
On Wednesday, the picturesque countryside of Kissamos beckoned Piscazzi and his team, as they embarked on a quest to uncover the health-giving secrets of the Mediterranean diet. Their mission led them to source skordoulaki or volvi bulbs, as well as wild artichokes, which were then utilized to learn the traditional pickling methods at Manolis’ residence. As the day drew to a close, a friend of Manolis’ family graciously opened her small mountain cafe to treat the team to a delectable spread of local delicacies, including pilaf rice, rabbit, lamb, and wild greens.
Thursday’s culinary exploration began with a visit to Papagiannakis Cheese Dairy, where the team had the opportunity to sample Cretan cheeses such as graviera and staka. Following this delightful encounter, the journey took them to Asimi village in Agios Nikolaos to meet the E.thos olive oil producers, where they learned about the art of olive oil production and its significance in the region.
The tour reached its final day, and on Friday night, Piscazzi shared his masterful interpretation of the week’s experiences with the launch of Pelagos on Tour at the luxurious five-star resort, Daios Cove, located in Crete. The resulting Pelagos on Tour tasting menus, available now at Pelagos, offer a captivating fusion of Crete’s culinary heritage, presented in Pelagos’ distinctive and forward-thinking style. With a Michelin star awarded only six months after its opening in 2021, Pelagos has gained recognition for its visionary approach to Mediterranean cuisine. The new tasting menus pay homage to centuries-old traditions and Cretan flavors, combining them with French culinary techniques and Piscazzi’s own inventive flair, creating a truly unique and memorable dining experience.
The result is a delightful homage to the island, offering a diverse range of dishes that showcase the vibrant flavors of Crete. Among these culinary creations are Cretan escargots served with green beans and caviar, a refreshing mint ceviche featuring yellowtail, pistachio, cherries, and elderflower, lamb accompanied by sfakiani pita, and a tantalizing olive oil dessert by Piscazzi, crafted with extra virgin oil from E.thos, fragrant Alkermes liqueur, and peach. Throughout the menus, local and seasonal Cretan ingredients take center stage, highlighting the richness and authenticity of the region’s culinary offerings. From the aromatic dictamo (a relative of oregano) to the mild and subtle graviera cheese and the delectable edible bulbs, each dish is a celebration of the island’s bounty.
To enhance the dining experience, the menus are complemented by four carefully crafted cocktails inspired by Crete’s diverse landscapes. Drawing inspiration from the white beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, rugged mountains, and lush Mediterranean greenery, these cocktails utilize local Cretan flavors to create a unique and immersive sensory journey.
In addition, the menus offer two wine-pairing options, each curated by Master of Wine Yiannis Karakasis. One option highlights Greek wines, allowing guests to savor the finest expressions of the country’s viticultural heritage. The other option incorporates global flavors, providing a broader selection of wines that harmonize with the diverse range of dishes. Yiannis Karakasis, known for his expertise in Greek wines, is the author of “The Wines of Santorini,” the founder of the communication platform “50 Great Greek Wines,” and a co-founder of the esteemed First Growth Wine School in Limassol, Cyprus.
