The inspiration for Kostas Papathanasiou’s cooking career seems unlikely for a kid growing up in a coastal Greek town: Jamie Oliver’s Naked Chef. After discovering Oliver’s antics at just 12, young Papathanasiou finished high school, studied gastronomy and packed his bags for County Mayo, Ireland, where he picked up an internship at hotel Ashford Castle and learnt the ropes. Then, another British chef caught his attention: Heston Blumenthal. So, he headed across the Irish Sea, showed up on the doorstep of The Fat Duck in Bray and wrangled a stagiaire role.
Since, Papathanasiou has cooked across multiple countries and Michelin restaurants: Nouri in Singapore, The Ledbury in Notting Hill, Jason Atherton’s Social Company in both London and Mykonos, and Stockholm’s three Michelin-starred Frantzen. Now, he’s returned to London, where he’s been appointed culinary director at Marylebone neighbourhood diner Lita, where seasonal dishes are ferried to tables below an impressive collection of art.
The Med restaurant received a Michelin star in 2025, a little under a year after opening, while under the stewardship of Luke Ahearne (who departed for Fitzrovia’s Motorino). This year, not long after Papathanasiou took over, the restaurant retained its star, signalling the chef’s ambition of keeping Lita at peak performance. “I set my intention to refine and strengthen what was already there, as Lita was already established as a neighbourhood restaurant with strong standards and loyal diners,” he tells Broadsheet. “My focus here is to bring more consistency and clarity to the food.”
Here he tells us what he has in store for Lita, its must-order dish – and expanding beyond the UK.
What drew you to Lita?
I was immediately drawn by the idea of a warm neighbourhood restaurant with refined dishes when it was presented to me by [restaurateur] Daniel Koukarskikh. I felt like I could contribute to the restaurant’s evolving potential, using the knowledge I gained over the years. There is always room to grow, and I wanted to be a part of that.
What do you have in store?
My main objective is to maintain that connection with the team, where we can put in genuine care into our craft and have the reins to be creative. Everything that we do at Lita is done with consideration, not just for the team but for our guests, too. We have many regulars, so before our own ambitions we want to pour back into the guests. We do this not only through the conversations between us, but by paying attention to the dishes that they keep coming back for and making sure that the integrity of the restaurant doesn’t change. The idea is to expand Lita beyond the UK, maintaining its ethos while tailoring the menu to match the seasonality of its next location.
What is your plan for the menu?
As the seasons change, so does the menu. I’m Greek, so this is something that was instilled in me growing up, using ingredients that were immediately available to us. Lita operates like this naturally, and I enjoy constantly exploring what’s out there and experimenting, so that synergy already exists. Right now, as we’re transitioning into warmer months, apricots and strawberries are in season, so we incorporate these into the dishes to add different flavours and textures. The ingredients are the main emphasis in the menu, and so that is what dominates our creations.
How will your experience in other restaurants influence Lita?
Each place taught me something different. At The Fat Duck, I learned how far creativity can go when there is structure in place, as that discipline and attention to detail asserted direction. The Ledbury allowed me to reconnect with ingredient-led cooking, and that there is an art in simplicity. Frantzen was the blueprint for true consistency. I became executive chef, and it taught me a lot in leadership and how to orchestrate the kitchen to the best of its ability. All in all, my travels through South Asia were a defining moment for me. I was introduced to new flavours, ingredients, methods, and how all these things combined bring a new energy to a dish. I carry all of these learnings with me, and am constantly striving to learn more each day.
Which dish are you excited for diners to try?
Since a lot of what we do is rooted in the ingredients that we source, I would say that right now it’s essential to have our tomato salad. The simplicity of this is the essence of Lita. A simple plate of tomatoes, where the quality speaks for itself, shining through the flavour. Another one would be the hamachi crudo dish – thinly sliced, sushi-grade yellowtail, decorated with finely chopped apricots and tomatoes for texture. The flavour is remarkable.
