Stepping into Cookoovaya, what wins you over first isn’t the décor, but a pervasive sense of care. At the host stand, fresh flowers greet you, along with a discreetly “well-tuned” team moving through the room with the calm confidence of people who know their part. Even the uniforms, designed by Angelos Bratis, add that quiet, elegant detail that gives away a restaurant that leaves nothing to chance.

The dining room is bright and uncluttered, with large glass panes that let Athens light pour in without resistance, radiating an unforced optimism. Still, your eyes inevitably land on the open kitchen with its signature blue tiles. Here, everything unfolds in plain view, no secrets, no theatre for theatre’s sake. It’s obvious Cookoovaya is in its strongest stride: tables full even at lunch, international guests making their way to Ilisia with the restaurant high on their list, and a loyal local crowd returning again and again for something increasingly rare: consistency.

At the helm is Periklis Koskinas, a cook who carries the Ionian aura on him: memories of summers on Antiparos, and the grounded calm of someone who finds balance fishing with his daughter. With time spent at the emblematic Mylos and significant collaborations abroad, he now cooks with a solid, distilled point of view. Like an experienced artist who knows exactly when to lift the brush, he champions a philosophy of apheresis—subtraction. The word appears on the first page of the menu as a quiet manifesto. Cookoovaya’s “Wise Cuisine” isn’t about dressing dishes up; it’s about letting the ingredient speak by removing the noise. That kind of restraint is demanding work: sourcing exceptional produce, building trust with producers, and committing to a true zero-waste mindset.

Here, fish is used in full, with respect: the flesh becomes vibrant sashimi and carpaccio; the head turns into a deeply savory broth; and the collars come off the grill as a magnificent plate that redefines what “meze” can be.

If you want to understand the chef’s hand, start with the simplest things. Their handmade bread, warm, pleasantly chewy, is kneaded daily in the kitchen. Served with excellent olive oil and butter, it’s the table’s first real statement.

Then comes a dish that genuinely surprised me with how much quiet luxury Greek cooking can hold: onions stuffed with pine nuts and spices. Humble in appearance, divine on the palate, aromas so precisely measured you can taste the maturity of the technique in every bite.

Across the menu, signature staples move in rhythm with the seasons. In the raw section: prawns from Koilada that “spark” with olive oil, lemon, and chilli; and a dry-aged grouper tartare, slicked generously with olive oil, dotted with small bursts of fruit and herbs. Then there are the pies. Alongside the classic cheese pie, the new open minced-meat pie, light dough, clean flavor, makes an impression without weighing you down.

Among the classics: an impeccable taramasalata crowned with bottarga from Trikalinos (all it asks for is great bread), dolmadakia with yogurt, courgettes with graviera, and a sheep sausage with fennel that balances “homey” comfort with a contemporary edge.

For mains, the chef’s return to his roots lands decisively in a bianco grouper: potato, garlic, lemon, and the memory of the Ionian Sea, fully alive. If you lean toward meat, the slow-cooked goat casserole, pastitsada-style beef cheeks, or the skirt steak with mushroom purée are the kinds of plates that make you promise yourself you’ll be back.

For dessert, the lemon tart is a sure thing, but the pear tart with vanilla ice cream, and the bougatsa made for sharing (2–4 people), have become iconic. Demand is such that the pear tart even travels to your doorstep via delivery.

Since 2014, Cookoovaya has proven it isn’t a fleeting gastronomic firework. It’s something rarer: the serenity of the service, excellent produce, precision in temperatures, and the clarity of flavour. A system that keeps the bar high, without making a show of it.

Info: Chatzigianni Mexi 2, Athens | Tel. 210 7235005 | info@cookoovaya.gr