Dimitris Lazarou

Gastronomic flight

Dimitris Lazarou, chef and owner of the Saltsa restaurant in Fira and member of Slow Food, chose to live in Santorini. “I started visiting the island in 1985”he says. “I had no relation with the island. I simply liked it. In the end, my wife and I decided to move here. We are what is called internal immigrants!” He personally believes that Santorini is a model of high quality tourism in Greece, following a continuously increasing gastronomic evolution. “Yet, only 5-7% of tourism is strictly gastronomic” he explains. “Not because Santorini lags behind compared to many other places in the world, but simply because its gastronomic dimension has not been thoroughly communicated. There are plenty of individual initiatives and ideas but what is further needed is organization and some collective actions from a state agent”. He really adores the Santorini wine and supports that it was mainly the dynamics of the wine that made him select this island. One of his standout dishes this year is blackfish fillet with chickpea soup, ginger and white eggplant chips. As for dessert, do not miss loukoumi ice-cream with caramelized rose petals! Due to its creative perspective, the Saltsa restaurant has recently become member of the “Aegean Cuisine”.