The restaurant empire’s 78-year-old founder, Costas Spiliadis, is educating discerning diners the world over in Grecian culinary tradition.
At a glance, the Grade II-listed façade on Regent Street’s sub-Piccadilly stretch, behind which Estiatorio Milos has been serving up delectable seafood since 2015 (previously British Columbia House), offers no clues as to its nationality. It bears, after all, precisely zero resemblance to the whitewashed, marshmallow-y architecture found on the Cycladic island after which it is named (the “Estiatorio” part simply translates as “restaurant”).
Passing through the vast, ornate stone archway serving as an entrance and checking out the high-ceilinged, minimalist expanse within– all white marble, even whiter tablecloths, cream-colored leather chairs, plush woods – you feel every one of the 2,000 miles between you and the nearest Bouzouki-soundtracked backstreet Athenian taverna. In fact, though, this London outpost of an empire founded by Greek-born chef Costas Spiliadis – which also has locations in New York, Dubai, Los Cabos, West Palm Beach and Singapore – serves up Greek fare as authentic as the restaurant’s refurbished marble staircase (the raw material for which came from the same quarry as that used to build the Parthenon).
There’s plenty to rave about when it comes to the sundries on the menu: the elegant, brioche-and-honey-tinted Greek sparkling wine, Amalia Brut, offered on arrival; the crusty bread basket with the house’s own olive oil and oregano that arrives shortly after; the baklava – layered filo pastry with pistachios, walnuts, almonds, honey, and cinnamon – that serves as a bookend at the other end of the dining experience. The tomatoes in the Greek salad alone induce wincing expressions of approval, amongst fellow diners, for their firmness and sweet nuance.
But a clue to the cuisine for which Milos is most renowned exists in the form of a Mediterranean seafood market counter residing, alter-like, in one corner. Shortly after its opening, Milos London was crowned Winner of The Harden’s award for The Best Fish & Seafood London Restaurant of the Year, and standards clearly haven’t slipped in the decade since. From the salmon tartare course with fresno chili, shallot and basil high up the billing on our set menu during our visit, to the Bigeye Tuna main and the delectable lightly fried calamari that came in between, Spiliadis’s seafood philosophy was evident in every bite (and also permeated the grilled vegetable melange of aubergine, zucchini, fennel, peppers, mushrooms, yogurt and mastello cheese on the side of the main).
That philosophy? Well, it’s based not just on the now requisite “fresh ingredients” axiom, but Spiliadis’s belief that, Greek cuisine should entail minimal interventionism; an unfussy, less is more approach which holds that, within the Hellenic culinary tradition, the Midas touch is a feather-lite one. Over to Spiliadis himself. “Greek food is based on two important factors – the quality and freshness of ingredients and the simple, but not simplistic, method of preparation,” he says. “Greek food is one of the world’s cuisines closest to the natural needs of the human body, which is why it is not only tasty but also healthy. This is why the famous “Mediterranean Diet” and food pyramid is largely based on the food of Greece, especially that of the Greek islands.”
Spiliadis struggles, he says, when asked to recommend a specific dish within his and his kitchen staff’s repertoire. “It’s difficult to isolate one type of fish and recommend it,” he says. “Different fish have not just different taste profiles, but different fat content and texture – some are better for certain kinds of preparation than others – but I love fresh sardines and small barbouni [Mediterranean red mullet].”
There’s more to that market counter, meanwhile, than simply stock which happens to be on display. “It showcases an array of the finest and freshest catches, from whole fish to shellfish, and underscores our commitment to quality and seasonality,” Spiliadis says. “It also immerses diners in an interactive experience that captures the essence of a Greek market. We want our customers to make their own choice, based on what they are in the mood for that day, and what catches their attention.”
An exchange with Spiliadis about his culinary philosophy calls to mind a quote often attributed to Irish playwright Geroge Bernard Shaw: “There is no love sincerer than the love of food – unless it’s Greek food.” A dining experience at his London outlet, meanwhile, reinforces the sentiment with no little force. The next time you’re in the British capital, and there’s space on your itinerary for a long, congenial business lunch on the edge of Mayfair, consider this a winning option.
