Kostas Papathanasiou

The Climb

The shape of this kitchen career is defined by places that demand control, pace, and technical exactitude. Early stints as intern at Hotel Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland, and stagiaire at The Fat Duck in Bray, Ireland, set a foundation in fine-dining discipline. From there, senior roles at The Ledbury in Notting Hill, London, and Jason Atherton’s The Social Company in London and Mykonos broadened the working vocabulary: refinement, consistency, and composure under pressure. That progression moved into larger responsibility abroad. The role of chef at Nouri in Singapore marked a further expansion in scope, before Executive Chef at Restaurant Frantzén in Stockholm placed Kostas Papathanasiou inside a kitchen structure where precision and leadership had to meet every day. The arc is clear: each step added range without loosening the focus on technique and order. Today, as Culinary Director of Lita (since 2025), he brings that experience into a position that asks for direction as much as execution. The fit is straightforward. A background built across demanding kitchens now informs a cooking style that stays with the fundamentals: clean flavour, exact structure, and careful handling of ingredients.

Today

He serves as Culinary Director of restaurant Lita in Marylebone, London, and his own words state the role without embellishment: "My name is Kostas Papathanasiou. I am the Culinary Director of restaurant Lita in Marylebone." That directness aligns with the work itself, which is organised rather than decorative and built to make flavour legible. At Lita, the cooking stays connected to Mediterranean tradition while remaining firmly contemporary in execution. For Kostas Papathanasiou, that balance is part of the method: seasonality is not treated as an idea but as a working constraint, and structure is used to clarify rather than flatten. The result is a style defined by control, restraint, and a clear read on ingredients.

In Their Words “My name is Kostas Papathanasiou. I am the Culinary Director of restaurant Lita in Marylebone.”

Recognition

He is known for Modern Mediterranean cooking shaped by clarity, structure, and respect for ingredients. That recognition comes from consistency more than flourish: a career built through formative kitchens, senior responsibilities, and a way of working that keeps purpose ahead of noise.