The heartiness of Cypriot and Greek food provides a space for togetherness to nest in Covent Garden’s newest Greek and Cypriot restaurant. The co-founder of Zylia, meaning “envy” in Greek, Barry Karacostas, speaks to CBN about his homage to Mediterranean togetherness and helping customers “relive a memory, or make a new one,” through food and love for land and its ingredients.
Housed inside a beautiful historic building, Zylia is the newest opening under Arcade, a dining destination which brings together chef-led kitchens, restaurants, and bars under one roof. However, while it operates under the food hall brand, it sits physically next to Arcade, at a separate location facing Bedford Street, with its own storefront and identity.
The restaurant, which opened in June, sits among a vast selection of ethnic cuisines, but what sets it apart is its unique exploration of Cypriot and Greek culture. “The tavernas we love have always been these small, family-run spots, usually tucked away up in north London,” Karacostas says. The concept was created to transcend the experience and nostalgia of a lunch or a dinner in a traditional Cypriot home, through the hospitality and care put into a dinner party. “We wanted to take that real, traditional taverna feeling and bring it into central London, unfiltered, with a big Greek hospitality energy behind it,” he says.
Zylia was envisioned by hospitality veteran Barry Karacostas and chef Nick Molyviatis, who brought their experience with other ethnic cuisines -namely Kiln in Soho and Singburi in Shoreditch- as well as Arcade’s growing restaurant selection. Despite their busy schedules, the two instantly clicked when they first met. It was “instant synergy,” says Karacostas, “we knew we wanted to present our heritage through Zylia, and the recipes and flavours we both grew up with, my side from Cyprus and Nick’s from Athens.”
Stone, lace and the iconic white plastic knife: The design, menu and nostalgic details that define Zylia’s identity
The menu offers authentic Greek and Cypriot dishes, from sharing plates of kleftiko to sheftalia, a delicious dip selection, and their iconic kaimaki ice cream with sour cherries as a refreshing dessert, alongside an intricately created interior, quickly cementing their presence in the busy (and often chaotic) Covent Garden. The space is, of course, not devoid of Cypriot identity, with the architectural studio Red Deer having sourced Gerolakkos stone from the island, alongside hand-stitched and UNESCO-protected Lefkara lace, which has been in continuous production since the 14th century. “The Lefkaritika crochet pieces scattered around the room, and the traditional floor tiles you'll find in pretty much every home or taverna across the Greek Mediterranean,” he laments.
“We wanted to take that real traditional taverna feeling and bring it into central London, unfiltered, with a big Greek hospitality energy behind it,” Karacostas explains, similar to a taverna back home, while for others, it may stand as a reminder of a little escape to a holiday memory.
These elements loudly set this restaurant apart from other London establishments, but something someone might not notice at first glance, yet is essential to the restaurant’s identity, is the iconic Greek and Cypriot white plastic knife. “It's such a nostalgic symbol”, he says, “the second you see it, you're back watching your elders prepare food. That thing was used for absolutely everything,” he explains.
Even the name Zylia is deeply rooted in the feeling the space is trying to convey. It stands for “the jealousy one feels when someone heads back to Greece or Cyprus and starts sharing photos and videos, or that kind of jealousy of missing a family gathering and all the food made by the very hands that taught us those recipes and techniques.”
Without a doubt, creators Karacostas and Molyviatis’ connection to their heritage is evident. “If there’s one word that sums up how we feel opening a space that promoted our culture abroad, it’s pride, along with feeling a genuine sense of responsibility to represent it well.” Karacostas was, without a doubt, born into the restaurateur industry, having a father engaged in the same hospitality scene across the UK and Cyprus, and the blend of cultures is evident throughout the restaurant. Growing up, large dinner parties, as are accustomed to Cypriot hosting culture, “big dinner parties and family gatherings were just a weekly thing growing up.”
His meeting with Molyviatis could only be described as serendipitous, as he was part of the Arcade group of restaurants for years before Zylia opened, and while conversation about future collaborations was flowing, the two found in each other the same “Greek can-do attitude. I’m more front-of-house, big character type, and Nick runs the culinary side,” Karacostas says. “I'm a cook-by-eye kind of guy, a bit of this, a bit of that, taste it, and we're good, whereas Nick's far more structured, and honestly a much more talented chef than me (though I'll never admit that to his face), we're constantly bouncing ideas off each other and sharing knowledge to get the best out of it,” he explains.
Arcade London: How the group shaped Zylia’s launch
Arcade has been central in the creation and development of London’s newest Greek and Cypriot restaurant. As a multi-brand incubation platform, brands under it are usually designed and launched under that umbrella brand, but Zylia is special enough for that not to be the case. “It gives every brand we launch the best possible shot at success, with real attention paid to every detail: people, brand creation, design, music, product,” Karacostas explains. Zylia fits that same standard of craft and care, but stands apart in how personal it is: this one's built straight from our own heritage and family recipes, rather than a concept built from the outside looking in.
Zylia’s life can be measured in months, and only on a single hand, yet Karacostas has already made warm memories to look back on, having made this restaurant feel more like an extension of their home. Looking back, he reflects on his favourite memory at the restaurant so far. He looks back at his youngest daughter’s first visit to Zylia. “I was genuinely nervous,” he says. “She had grown up eating sheftalia but never souvlakia, so getting her stamp of approval meant a lot.” Of course, once she tried Molyviatis’ and Karacostas’ sheftalia, she gave them the nod. “That was definitely a standout moment for me.”
While too soon to make predictions, there are big plans to look forward to, but all in good time. For now, visitors can enjoy a Baklava spritz or their renowned souvlakia, with Karacostas’ daughter's seal of approval, at 6 Bedford St, in London’s Covent Garden. What visitors should take away is all those times they wished to have homely food while being away from home. After all, as Karacostas said, “the feeling of helping someone relive a memory, or make a new one, through food and the experience of our restaurant is priceless.”
