‘Salonica’ at Makedonia Palace Named Top Restaurant in Thessaloniki

Italian chef Luca Piscazzi, Ηead of gastronomy at Athinorama Dimitris Antonopoulos, Εxecutive chef of “Makedonia Palace” Sotiris Evangelou. Photo source: Macedonia Palace © Panoulis Studio

The Salonica Restaurant of the Makedonia Palace hotel once again shined at the Greek Cuisine Awards as the top restaurant in Thessaloniki.

Launched by Athinorama in 1994, the awards honor restaurants across the country that feature Greek cuisine inspired by local gastronomy and highlight previously undiscovered culinary recipes. Now held for the seventh year in Thessaloniki, the Greek Cuisine Awards aims to place Greek cuisine on the map of international fine dining experiences.

Salonica received a score of 15 out of 20, the highest among restaurants in Thessaloniki, with dining options curated by the hotel’s executive chef, Sotiris Evangelou, and Italian chef, Luca Piscazzy.

Representatives of the restaurants at the ceremony. Photo source: Macedonia Palace © Panoulis Studio

At the Greek Cuisine Awards 2024, hosted on May 14 at the Makedonia Palace, Salonica restaurant presented a menu featuring Greek flavors with an Italian twist. The main philosophy behind the creation of the ceremony’s plates was the fusion of local and emblematic Greek recipes with refined contemporary Italian techniques.

“Executive Chef Sotiris Evangelou, along with all employees of Makedonia Palace, dedicated their energy to ensuring the success of the evening and the award ceremony,” the hotel’s management said in an announcement.

Situated on the ground floor of the 5-star Makedonia Palace hotel, the restaurant boasts an innovative open kitchen concept and offers a variety of buffet and à la carte options. Complementing the dining experience is a rich selection of wine labels, enhanced by panoramic views of the city.

Εxecutive chef of “Makedonia Palace” Sotiris Evangelou with a chef from his team. Photo source: Macedonia Palace © Panoulis Studio

A total of 85 restaurants received awards at the ceremony with the Cyclades islands and northern Greece (Macedonia and Thrace) collecting the most distinctions, with 25 and 24 award-winning restaurants, respectively.

In addition to Salonica, other awarded restaurants in Thessaloniki include Grada Nuevo, Mourga, Olympus Naousa, Charoupi, and Glykanisos. The ceremony also welcomed new restaurants from the city, namely Iliopetra, Trizoni Exclusive, and Alepou.