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JOYFUL EXPLORATION I MANI

When Stillness Meets Flavor

At Aspasia Restaurant, chef Stavriani Zervakakou listens

to the earth—and cooks what it tells her.

TUCKED AWAY in the tiny village of Stavri, deep in the Mani peninsula,
Aspasia Restaurant is not a place you stumble upon—it's one you
seek, often without quite knowing why. There’s no fanfare here, just
a quiet pulse that draws you in. Recently honored with the Greek
Contemporary Cuisine Award at the Greek Cuisine Awards 2025,
Chef Stavriani Zervakakou has been recognized for her bold yet
deeply rooted culinary vision. She splits her life between the pace
of Athens and the contemplative stillness of this rugged corner of
southern Greece. “That contrast is everything,” she says. “It keeps
my desire alive—to return to my kitchen, to surrender to Mani’s
magical silence, and be alone with my culinary fantasies, led always
by the season, instinct, and whatever has sprouted around me.” At Aspasia Restaurant,
Aspasia’s menu changes daily, not as a concept but as a necessity. every detail—from a sunlit
The ingredients dictate the dishes: local, seasonal, and fiercely table under the trees to a
bowl of foraged greens and
fresh—grown, caught, or crafted by people the chef knows and slow-cooked beans—reflects
trusts. There’s no performative “farm-to-table” here; the table simply a quiet dialogue between
begins with the land. nature, season, and soul."
Some of her most powerful inspirations come from what most would
overlook. “I’m constantly moved by the quiet force of simple things.
The edible flowers of the asphodel that blanket the Mani landscape
like a veil woven by bees, or the sea that turns into salt crystals—
transforming flavor into something sensually real.” These are not
poetic flourishes but lived experiences, and they guide the entire
Chef Stavriani philosophy behind Aspasia.
Zervakakou Dining here isn’t just about the food. It’s about presence—yours and
channels instinct,
season, and silence the land’s. “I want people to feel that their presence in Aspasia’s
into every plate— courtyard is cherished. That we truly see them. That their body can
crafting food that soften enough to let in the mystical energy of this beautiful place.
feels as personal
as it does grounded That even briefly, they remember what joy feels like. What it means
in place. to long for life.” Ask her if she has a signature dish and she gently
rejects the idea. “I don’t believe in permanence when it comes to
food. I believe in change, in chasing the seasons, in instinctive
creation. That’s what defines my cooking.” If she had to sum up
her cuisine in three words, she offers them without hesitation:
“Personal. Confessional. Fluid.”
Aspasia isn’t about trends or statements. It’s about truth, and the
quiet power of a place—and a cook—who have nothing to prove,
only something to share. •

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