Milos by acclaimed chef Costas Spiliadis opens at Atlantis The Royal

Recognised as one of the finest Greek Mediterranean restaurants in the world, estiatorio Milos by acclaimed chef Costas Spiliadis, officially opened its doors at the newly launched, ultra-luxury resort, Atlantis The Royal. Originating in Montreal in 1979 and with outposts in New York, Athens, Las Vegas, Miami and London, the sophisticated restaurant offers the elegant simplicity of dining seaside in Greece.

A famous Greek Poet Odysseas Elytis once said, ‘if you deconstruct Greece, in the end what is left is an olive tree, a vineyard and a fishing boat’. In that essence, Milos is transporting that authentic Greek feeling to diners in Dubai. In many ways the story of Milos goes back millennia and is far more than an exquisite meal. It encompasses that time honoured virtue of hospitality or, Philoxenia. When Milos first opened its doors, it was to welcome gests to an experience that embraced dining as an act of sharing. Estiatorio Milos was founded around the Greek concept of philoxenia or “friend to a stranger;” caring for all guests with warmth and generosity. Spiliadis envisioned every guest experiencing the feeling of generosity through the sharing nature of the food. Milos dishes are not based on the best ingredients that the land and sea have to offer. The preparation of the fish is in the subtlest, simplest, and most flavourful of ways, in keeping with nature and the philoxenia concept.

The seafood market is the centre piece of all Milos restaurants displaying the freshest catch from across the Mediterranean. Guests are taken to the market and create their own dining experience choosing their menu with the help and guidance of experienced Milos Chefs. Diners can also enjoy, Milos “my sisters olive oil”, Greek thyme honey from the island of Kythira, family harvested sea salt and an array of fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from local Greek partners cultivated over generations.  

Signature dishes at Milos include the Milos special, a tower of paper-thin, crispy fried zucchini and eggplant slices over rich, house-made tzatziki and Greek saganaki cheese, creating a perfectly balanced entree. Milos must-tries, are the grilled octopus and the tomato salad, these two signature dishes promise to deliver a taste from the sea and Greece like no other dish does. Simple and minimal, two characteristics of the Milos philosophy, these are served fresh to the table. The showstopping astakos, which is a beloved classic with a Milos twist, features a fresh, meaty, and succulent whole lobster sautéed in traditional Greek spirit amber metaxa, which is then carefully placed on top of a bed of fresh pasta in a light tomato sauce. The result is a stunningly beautiful and Instagram worthy dish where pasta is served in between the lobster head and tail.  A table extravaganza is the whole fish sashimi, where guests are granted total personalisation by selecting their own fresh fish from the “Fish Market”, before having it intricately prepared as a sashimi, ceviche or tartare. 

Guests can also enjoy a vast selection of mostly Greek and Mediterranean wine, with over 300 bottles available. Milos’ wine programme is focused on offering the finest Greek wines and varieties all over Greece, one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world.  The meticulously curated cocktail menu perfectly complements Milos’ fresh Mediterranean gastronomy.  Milos’ cocktail menu is based on the foundation and philosophy of Milos in a modern sophisticated style complemented by Earth’s raw materials such as olives, lemon and other seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Costas Spiliadis comments, “The Middle East, specifically Dubai, has been on our radar for some time.  Dubai has become a premier culinary and hospitality destination; with the world’s most talented chefs and well-regarded brands represented.  Atlantis The Royal is an ideal partner in our efforts to expose the world to Greek cuisine, highlighting the most exquisite ingredients and classic preparations. I am thrilled to open the doors and have Dubai sample the flavours of Greece.”   

Timothy Kelly, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Atlantis Resorts and Residences comments: “We are thrilled to welcome estiatorio Milos to the Atlantis family and we’re looking forward to sharing one of the world’s finest Greek restaurants with Dubai. Providing the perfect spot to watch the fountain performances at the heart of the property, this beautiful restaurant will become a destination in its own right. We look forward to Costas Spiliadis joining the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Nobu Matsuhisa, Heston Blumenthal, Gastón Acurio, José Andrés and Ariana Bundy, further enhancing the Atlantis’s positioning as the culinary destination in the region”. 

Costas Spiliadis, founder of estiatorio Milos, first arrived in New York in 1966 from his native Patras, a port city near the ancient Greek village of Olympia. In 1979, he opened the first location of estiatorio Milos in Montreal. Milos rapidly became one of the city’s most influential dining destinations, introducing new tastes and culinary experiences, and known for the quality and simplicity of ingredients and preparations.  Following his great success in Montreal, Spiliadis opened a second location of estiatorio Milos in 1997 in New York City, working directly with a curated group of Greek fishermen on the island of Kythera to cast their lines into the Mediterranean every midnight to provide the freshest products for his guests. Spiliadis’ vision came full circle when, in 2004, estiatorio Milos opened in Athens, in accordance with the Winter Olympics in Greece, quickly expanding to Las Vegas in 2010, Miami in 2012, and London in 2015. estiatorio Milos opened a second New York location in March 2019 as part of the Hudson Yards development project on the west side of Manhattan.