The Golden Chef Hats Cyprus 2025 awards ceremony, co-organised by Athinorama and Phileleftheros for the fifth year, took place on Wednesday, 26 November, at the Four Seasons hotel in Limassol, showcasing the island’s finest restaurants.
A total of 36 awards were presented at this year’s glittering ceremony, attended by distinguished guests from politics, the arts and letters, business and the media.
The leading and most authoritative culinary institution in Greece and Cyprus reflected the increasingly interesting restaurant scene developing year on year on the island, presenting a total of 36 awards—two more than last year.
Eight restaurants entered the awards for the first time, three scored lower on the rating scale, two moved up in the rankings, and six restaurants lost their awards this year, whilst one brand new Golden Chef Hat was added to the select group of Cypriot gastronomy.
In total, six restaurants won the coveted Golden Chef Hat for 2025, nineteen earned the Top Notch distinction, and eleven were recognised with Cypriot Cuisine Awards.
At the top of Cyprus’s best restaurants for 2025, scoring 15.5 out of 20 and one Golden Chef Hat, were Amber Dragon at the City of Dreams Mediterranean hotel and Helios at the Anassa hotel. Following with a score of 15 out of 20 and one Golden Toque were Cor Gastronomy, Matsuhisa Limassol at the AMARA hotel, Polo Restaurant at the Alasia hotel, and Sera by Ettore Botrini at the Four Seasons hotel.
The specialised and experienced team of Athinorama tasters visited Cyprus many times throughout the year and sampled, evaluated and scored restaurants across Cyprus with international standards and particular rigour, rating their dishes one by one to arrive at the final results.
Masters of ceremony for the awards evening were journalist and radio producer Marina Filippidou and actor and radio producer Andreas Fylaktou, who maintained the guests’ interest throughout.
The art de la table for this year’s event featured as its centrepiece an impressive creation with the symbolic number “5”, dedicated to the five successful editions of the Golden Chef Hats Cyprus.
After the presentations came the gastronomic part of the evening, which highlighted in the most striking way the greatest trend of the era: the classic returning with new charm to the global culinary firmament. The menu for the glittering dîner de gala was created by Asterios Koustoudis, executive chef of the iconic Athenian hotels Grande Bretagne and King George, winner of 18 Golden Chef Hats and a Michelin star.
Creative, highly experienced and one of the leading representatives of his generation, Asterios Koustoudis embarked on a thrilling dive into the past to draw inspiration for the present and future. With his motto that “food is history and memory”, he selected iconic dishes that have left their mark on an era, masterfully brought them into the present, and created a fine dining menu full of surprises, reversals and emotion, paying tribute to the gastronomy of the last 60 years.
Four Seasons executive chef Panagiotis Charalambous and his brigade supported the guest chef of the ceremony in the best possible way, meeting the needs of a high-level evening.
At the end of the dinner, guests gave the most enthusiastic applause to the creators of the thrilling gastronomic experience, with the chefs receiving their bouquets and calling to the stage the entire kitchen and service team who contributed to the success.
THE AWARDS
Golden Chef Hats 2025
AMBER DRAGON, City of Dreams Mediterranean Hotel, Limassol, 15.50/20 and 1 Golden Chef Hat
HELIOS, Anassa Hotel, Neo Chorio Paphos, 15.50/20 and 1 Golden Chef Hat
COR GASTRONOMY, Limassol, 15/20 and 1 Golden Chef Hat – New Entry
MATSUHISA LIMASSOL, AMARA Hotel, Limassol, 15/20 and 1 Golden Chef Hat
POLO RESTAURANT, Alasia Boutique Hotel, Limassol, 15/20 and 1 Golden Chef Hat
SERA BY ETTORE BOTRINI, Four Seasons Hotel, Limassol, 15/20 and 1 Golden Chef Hat
Top Notch Distinctions 2025
ANAÏS, City of Dreams Mediterranean Hotel, Limassol, 14.75/20
BASILIKO, Anassa Hotel, Neo Chorio Paphos, 14.50/20
BEEFBAR, Amara Hotel, Limassol, 14.50/20 – New Entry
BISTROT 55 CLASSIC, Limassol, 14.50/20 – New Entry
KINGFISHER, Paphos, 14.50/20
LIMANAKI SEAFOOD RESTAURANT, Amathus Beach Hotel, Limassol, 14.50/20
PRIME STEAKHOUSE, City of Dreams Mediterranean Hotel, Limassol, 14.50/20 – New Entry
RISTORANTE LOCATELLI, AMARA Hotel, Limassol, 14.50/20
SEASONS ORIENTAL, Four Seasons Hotel, Limassol, 14.50/20
SENTIO, Nicosia, 14.50/20
THĒTA MEDITERRANEAN, Larnaca, 14.50/20
TOCAYO, Nicosia, 14.50/20
BOTTEGA AMARO, Nicosia, 14.25/20
THE GRILL ROOM, Amathus Beach Hotel, Limassol, 14.25/20
KUZUBA, 14.25/20 – New Entry
M FUSION, Four Seasons Hotel, Limassol, 14.25/20
MÚSA, Limassol, 14.25/20 – New Entry
ORIS FIRE KITCHEN & BAR, Limassol, 14.25/20 – New Entry
SCALE, MAP Hotel, Nicosia, 14.25/20
Cypriot Cuisine Awards 2025
GEFSIKLEOUS 62, Nicosia, 14/20
DIONYSUS MANSION, Limassol, 14/20
EMBERS, Limassol, 14/20 – New Entry
TAVERNA KAMASIAS, Paralimni, 14/20
KOUTSONIKOLAS, Larnaca, 14/20
OI MAGEIRISSES, Nicosia, 14/20
BEBA, Nicosia, 14/20
PELAGOS, Anassa Hotel, Neo Chorio Paphos, 14/20
POTAMOS TIS MILITSAS, Kambi Farmaka, Nicosia, 14/20
SOFIA AND ANDREAS TRADITIONAL HOUSE, Letymvou, Paphos, 14/20
STOU ROUSIA, Larnaca, 14/20
DÎNER DE GALA MENU
Asterios Koustoudis and the new charm of the classic
Sourdough bread, butter with autumn truffle, extra virgin olive oil with wild oregano and boukovo
Champagne Jacquart – Mosaïque Brut NV
Canapés – 2020s decade
Manoura Sifnos, beetroot confit, petimezi
Smoked eel, caviar, cucumber
Taramosalata, avgotaraho, fig
Staropramen Premium Beer
Tomato – 2010s decade
Bavaroise, confit, consommé and sorbet from heirloom varieties
Château Nico Lazaridi Rosé 2023, Semi-dry Rosé Wine
Marinated palamida – 2000s decade
Marinated palamida, cucumber salad with kiwi and fermented pistachio sauce
Château Nico Lazaridi White 2024, Dry White Wine
Cod – 1990s decade
Steamed cod with prawn, champagne sauce, trout roe and chive
Château Nico Lazaridi White 2024, Dry White Wine
Guinea fowl – 1980s decade
Guinea fowl stuffed with foie gras, mushroom duxelles, buttered mashed potato and wine sauce with hazelnut praline
Famille Perrin Gigondas “La Gille” 2021, Dry Red Wine
Tarte Tatin – 1970s decade
Tarte tatin with baked puff pastry and Mövenpick vanilla ice cream “Flavoured” with rosemary, vanilla and caramel
Tamdhu single malt whisky 12 y.o.
Nespresso Origin India coffee
The dinner dishes are accompanied by premium Italian waters Sparkling Natural Mineral Water S.Pellegrino from Bergamo, Italy, and Natural Mineral Water Acqua Panna from Tuscany
With the support of Four Seasons executive chef Panagiotis Charalambous and his brigade.
EVENT SPONSORS
Presented by: Eurobank
Gold sponsors: CIC Mercedes-Benz, Nespresso, St. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, Nico Lazaridi, Famille Perrin, Champagne Jacquart, Staropramen Beer, Mövenpick, Tamdhu whisky
Hospitality: Four Seasons Hotel
Ingredients sponsor: Amaxulus
Organisers: Athinorama, Phileleftheros
