Gikas Xenakis grew up in Thebes, and the cooking he learned there — fresh, local produce and his mother's kitchen — still shapes how he works. He has been head chef at Aleria in Metaxourgeio since 2012, where his creative Greek cuisine earned the restaurant its first Michelin star in the 2027 Michelin Guide Greece. He also keeps a small farm where he grows organic vegetables.

“Fresh, local produce and his mother's kitchen in Thebes still set the course of everything he cooks at Aleria.”