Undoubtedly one of the season’s most talked-about openings, Thirio — located on Navarchou Nikodimou Street — has, just weeks after its official premiere, retained the intimate, workshop-like energy of chef Thomas Matsas’s kitchen. Greek culinary tradition passes through a filter of creative reinterpretation without losing its essential taste — all served in a compact space of just 18 seats, which book up almost instantly.
A Counter Dining Experience Rooted in Proximity
Thirio opened in late December on Navarchou Nikodimou Street. Its small scale is not a limitation but its first, and perhaps most unexpected, advantage. There’s no divide between dining room and kitchen: counter dining places you face-to-face with the chef, offering direct visual access to every stage of preparation. For certain dishes, the final touch happens right before your eyes — not as staged theatre, but as a natural extension of the kitchen’s rhythm and the restaurant’s overall ethos. A chef’s table is set to launch soon in the lower level, while plans for a modest expansion into an adjacent space are underway — carefully designed to preserve the core of the experience: closeness.
Thomas Matsas’s Approach to Greek Cuisine
Thomas Matsas — known for his work at Striggla and Voulkanizater — approaches Greek cooking with reverence and a strong impulse to reimagine. Memory — especially that of mountain life — is present, yet it serves as inspiration, not constraint. The classic twisted spinach pie arrives in a nostalgic, lunchbox-style container reminiscent of school excursions; meanwhile, rooster pastitsada takes on a form evoking a cinnamon roll. The result? A spontaneous smile — but never at the expense of serious, deeply considered flavour.
Ingredients Take Centre Stage
The meal begins with 26-hour sourdough rye bread, baked entirely in-house — a quiet overture that sets the tone. It’s served with olives marinated in extra virgin olive oil and citrus, acting as both palate cleanser and foundation for what follows.
A standout is the ‘tyrokafteri’ — a bold blend of feta, geremizi, and anthotyro, layered over a vibrant cream of green Cretan chillies. Intense and playful, it never sacrifices balance. In contrast, the white tarama mousse — a preparation Matsas holds especially dear — travels a gentler path.
Next comes Platanomonas amberjack, sliced with precision into carpaccio and dressed simply with Peloponnesian agoureleo (unripe olive oil), citrus, and salt flower — letting pristine quality speak for itself.
From Memory to the Present Moment
Form evolves; essence remains. That could be Thirio’s quiet motto — a place where tradition is honoured not through replication, but through thoughtful, ingredient-led reinvention.