Christina Mouratoglou and Adrien Carré are no strangers to Greek food. Founders of Mazi and Suzi Tros in Notting Hill, the duo has helped shape Greek dining in London. This March, the two are expanding their influence with the opening of their first restaurant outside of West London, Maza. Inspired by the nostalgia of 1980s Athenian tavernas, the opening represents a significant new chapter for the duo.
“As a passionate advocate of Greek cuisine, and as we did with Mazi and Suzi Tros, we open a new Greek restaurant when we feel we have a new story to tell,” explains Christina Mouratoglou, founder at Mazi Group, in an email interview. “Each of our restaurants have their story, and I felt that it was time to tell a new story regarding Greek cuisine.”
When the duo opened Mazi in 2012, they were the first modern Greek restaurant. Since then, Greek gastronomy has evolved, and that’s the intention behind opening tMaza in Mayfair. “Mayfair has been a long dream of ours, and we have been actively searching for a venue for years, but nothing felt right to us,” she says. “When we saw Bruton Place, we fell in love immediately with the venue and its location. It was the perfect spot for our brand.”
According to Mouratoglou, this project is the biggest and riskiest project the duo has ever taken. Different from anything they have done in the past, Maza is intended to show the evolution of the brand while remaining true to the ethos that it was founded on. Taking inspiration the 1980s Athenian tavernas and great restaurants that she used to visit in her childhood, the atmosphere is loud, accented by wood and linen details. Waiters are dressed in white jackets and aprons, and great hospitality is intended to be at the core of it all.
“We all long for those good old days and dishes we used to eat and made us happy,” she says. “ I want to bring all of this to Mayfair and create an environment of escapism and happiness through our food and atmosphere.”
While many chefs strive to modernize Greek cooking, they tend to drastically deviate from what it’s meant to be all about. Maza takes inspiration from tradition and heritage, yet plays around with cooking techniques and innovation to bring modernization. “It’s very important to keep that Greek soul intact,” says Mouratoglou. “Every bite has to transport you to Greece. The grilled dolmades are a particular favourite as it reminds me of my grandmother who used to spend whole days rolling them. The fragrant rice, the herbs we use, just one bite, and it brings me back to childhood. The same goes for our “disco fries” (hand-cut fries topped with shredded veal kokkinisto and grated cheese), which was the specialty at my favourite taverna.”
Read the original article on Forbes.