With a background in gastronomy, Ntinos likes to play with traditions, putting his own twist on classic dishes and comfort food.
Initially he wanted to be a traditional Greek chef, a typical one-pot chef who would make basic, hearty food full of flavour. But at school, he had a teacher who taught French cuisine. “At the time I didn’t think I wanted to learn about French food. After all, I’m Greek and I wanted to cook Greek food. But my teacher told me to try it and see,” explains Ntinos. He agreed, and was sent to work in Crete with Michelin two-star French chef Jacques Le Divellec. And it was there that he started to understand the language of French cuisine.
Ntinos fell in love with gastronomy and in particular the ingredients, being so different from what he’d had access to in Greece up to then. He was cooking with items such as Jerusalem artichoke and rhubarb for the first time, and this experience led him to follow his new-found passion. It also led to him working with some of the world’s greatest chefs in some of the world’s finest kitchens, experiences which are infused throughout his cooking today.
Having spent time in the kitchens of multi-Michelin-starred restaurants such as Four Seasons Hotel George V and Le Bristol in Paris, Flocons de Sel in Megève, La Bastide Saint-Antoine in Grasse, Greenhouse in London and Trussardi Alla Scala in Milan amongst others, he certainly brings a strong pedigree to his cuisine.
Ntinos carries this collaborative spirit to his kitchens today, working regularly with renowned chefs from around the world. It’s worth keeping an eye out for what each new season might bring.
And these many years of experience traverse the cuisine he creates across all four of the restaurants at Bill & Coo Hotels Mykonos, from the Gastronomy Project to the poolside restaurant at Bill & Coo Suites and Lounge, to the Taverna and Beefbar at Bill & Coo Coast Suites.
“When you come for breakfast, there’s one very simple plate that I believe starts off any day perfectly. All Greeks grew up with this. It’s boiled eggs served in a bowl with chunks of bread, olive oil and thyme, all mixed up. It’s so simple but so tasty, and you should order it alongside your other breakfast items,” says Ntinos.
At the pool at Bill & Coo Suites & Lounge, he recommends the summer salad made from green beans, Mykonian cheese, figs, and louza, a type of local cured ham similar to prosciutto, dressed with carob honey.
And every meal at Gastronomy Project, the only true fine dining restaurant on the island, is like a journey through flavours, with ingredients from the sea and the farm being transformed into four- or seven-course dégustation menus.
Over at Bill & Coo Coast Suites, diners should look out for the soft-shell crab burger, new on the menu this year at Beefbar, as well as the Kobe Beef gyros, a perennial favourite. At Taverna Ntinos recommends the traditional kakaviá fish soup, a simple yet tasty dish made by fisherman including fresh fish, potatoes, carrots and onion. And if you’re in the mood for a Greek classic, the moussaka is not to be missed.