Zuma will open its first restaurant in Athens in 2027, choosing the new Riviera Galleria at The Ellinikon for its permanent arrival in the Greek capital.
The contemporary Japanese restaurant, which has spent recent summers on Mykonos, will become one of the first major dining names at the Kengo Kuma-designed waterfront development. For Zuma, it is a move beyond the seasonal geography that has so far defined its presence in Greece. For Athens, it is another indication of what is beginning to gather along its southern coastline.
Until now, Zuma in Greece has meant Mykonos: sea views, summer nights and the international crowd that descends on the island each year. Its parent company, Azumi Group, also operates ROKA in Mykonos and Santorini. Athens changes the proposition. Rather than another resort opening, Zuma is committing to a year-round address within one of the most closely watched developments in the city.
Riviera Galleria is being built on the waterfront at The Ellinikon, the vast redevelopment of Athens’ former international airport. Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the complex will bring together fashion, restaurants and other leisure spaces in three low-rise buildings facing the sea.
Its architecture is deliberately fluid. The roofline rises and falls in long curves, taking its cues from waves and sails, while light, planting and views of the water are woven through the design. It is a noticeably different proposition from the traditional enclosed shopping centre, and one intended to make the coastline part of the experience rather than simply its backdrop.
Zuma’s own design for Athens will draw on two ideas from different cultural traditions: sakamori, the Japanese custom of gathering around food, drink and music, and Aeolus, the Greek god of the winds. The restaurant says the connection will be expressed through movement, natural materials and light.
There is an obvious risk in concepts that attempt to marry Greek mythology with Japanese tradition. Here, at least, the intention appears to be less literal. The restaurant is not promising columns and cherry blossoms. Its references are being used more as a starting point for atmosphere, with the sea and the architecture of Riviera Galleria doing much of the work.
Zuma itself has been refining that formula for almost 25 years. Founded in London in 2002 by Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney, it built its reputation on a contemporary interpretation of Japanese izakaya dining, pairing sushi and dishes from the robata grill with large, highly social dining rooms and a bar culture that often carries late into the evening.
The model has travelled well. Zuma now operates in cities including Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Rome, Madrid, Miami and Bangkok, as well as resort destinations including the Maldives, Cannes and Mykonos.
Athens will join that international network at a time when the city’s coastal suburbs are attracting a level of investment and attention once reserved more readily for Greece’s islands.
“Following the success of Zuma Mykonos and ROKA Mykonos and Santorini, Greece has become an increasingly important market for us,” said Sven Koch, chief executive of Azumi Group.
“Zuma Athens, our fourth venue in the country, represents a natural evolution of our presence here, and we are excited to bring the brand to the heart of the Athens Riviera.”
That fourth venue counts the group’s Zuma and ROKA restaurants together. More telling is the choice to take Zuma itself into Athens.
The Athens Riviera has long had its own social geography, from the beach clubs and marinas of the southern suburbs to the resorts further down the coast. What is changing is its scale and its international profile. The Ellinikon is accelerating that shift, bringing residences, hotels, retail, restaurants, parkland and leisure facilities onto the site of the former airport.
Riviera Galleria is intended to sit at the more polished end of that new landscape. LAMDA Development says the waterfront destination will combine leading Greek and international names when it opens in 2027, with Zuma now among its most recognisable confirmed arrivals.
“As Riviera Galleria takes shape along the waterfront of The Ellinikon, we are creating a new destination for Athens,” said Melina Paizi, Managing Director of LAMDA Malls.
The language of new destinations is familiar in large developments. What will matter is whether people actually adopt them. Restaurants can be surprisingly useful in that regard. They bring people into places long before a skyline or masterplan becomes part of everyday city life.
Zuma’s decision is therefore interesting not because Athens needs another international restaurant, but because of what the location says about where the city’s centre of gravity is moving.
For years, the brand followed its clientele to the Greek islands. In 2027, it will ask them to come to the Athens Riviera instead.
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