By HNA Newsroom
A new wave of Greek restaurants is taking shape across the United States, and it is not defined by a single style.
Some are intimate neighborhood tavernas built around family recipes. Others are expansive dining rooms centered on seafood, live-fire cooking and polished service. Together, they reflect a broader confidence among Greek and Greek American restaurateurs who are drawing from the country’s islands, villages and regional traditions while building restaurants for contemporary American cities.
From New York and Massachusetts to Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston and South Florida, several restaurants have opened in recent months, while others are preparing to welcome their first guests later this year.
New York: Live Fire and Large Ambitions
On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Kaló is expected to open this fall at 1007 Lexington Avenue. The 50-seat restaurant comes from owner Vasiliki Lampropoulou and executive chef and co-owner Konstantinos Moschos, whose team also operates Water & Wheat and Koukla Espresso Bar in Astoria.
Kaló will place fire at the center of its kitchen, using a wood-burning oven and open grill for breads, meats and seafood. Its menu is expected to draw from the cooking traditions of Greece’s islands, mainland and mountainous regions. Even dessert carries the live-fire theme: a mastiha-flavored marshmallow designed to be toasted at the table.
Farther downtown, Selene opened at 23 Grand Street in SoHo in May. Co-founders Reno Christou and James Ragonese created a contemporary Greek restaurant beneath a retractable glass roof, with chef Christos Bisiotis leading the kitchen. Whole branzino finished over live coals has emerged as one of the restaurant’s defining dishes.
In NoMad, Pixida Estiatorio is preparing one of the largest Greek restaurant projects in the city. The restaurant occupies approximately 16,000 square feet across three floors at 245 Fifth Avenue, near East 28th Street. Plans include multiple bars, private dining areas and a wine cellar within a former bank vault.
The project is being developed by cousins Steve Aniftos and Stelios Tsappas. Its name, pixida, means “compass” in Greek, while its design draws inspiration from Constantine Cavafy’s poem “Ithaka.” The restaurant is targeting a late-2026 opening, although large hospitality projects remain subject to construction and permitting schedules.
On Long Island, Panagiotis Kambitsis has transformed the former Aura Modern Mediterranean space in Island Park into Yalos Greek Taverna. Located at 4338 Austin Boulevard, Yalos opened in late summer with a seafood-focused menu and a wine list devoted to Greek producers.
New England and the Mid-Atlantic
In Chelmsford, Massachusetts, chef Brendan Pelley opened Kri Kri Grill on August 7. The 36-seat, counter-service restaurant at 18 Boston Road is Pelley’s first independent venture after years of helping shape restaurants within Xenia Greek Hospitality.
Kri Kri’s menu connects family tradition with a Greek American chef’s contemporary perspective. Spanakopita follows Pelley’s grandfather’s recipe, while familiar dishes are interpreted through ingredients and techniques developed during his career in professional kitchens. The restaurant also serves house-made pita, slow-roasted meats, seasonal specialties and Greek-inspired ice creams and sorbets.
Philadelphia and its suburbs have several Greek concepts in development.
Thalassa, a Greek-inspired café from owner Matt Maltepes, is expected to open in late October or early November at 918 North 28th Street in Fairmount. Plans call for baklava, croissants, house-made ice cream, Greek coffee preparations and a selection of savory small plates.
In Havertown, Koutouki is preparing to open at 24 East Eagle Road. The restaurant takes its name from the Greek word for an informal neighborhood tavern. An opening date had not been announced as of press time.
On Rittenhouse Square, restaurateur Stephen Starr is developing the Pelican Club in the former Devon Seafood Grill space. The approximately 9,000-square-foot restaurant is being designed as a Greek-rooted Mediterranean concept inspired by the cosmopolitan Greece of the Onassis era. Its opening is now projected for January 2027.
Maryland will also welcome an established Greek American restaurant family. Brothers Philip and Alexander Hobson are bringing Our Mom Eugenia to Westbard Square in Bethesda. The group is named for their mother, chef Eugenia Markesini Hobson, a native of Zakynthos whose cooking inspired its three Northern Virginia restaurants.
The Bethesda restaurant will be the group’s first Maryland location and its first freestanding building. It is expected to open during the fall, with a year-round patio and expanded private-dining, catering and delivery options.
Houston, Chicago and South Florida
In Houston, Lombardi Family Concepts is preparing Eliás Estiatorio for the Uptown space formerly occupied by Yia Yia Mary’s. Scheduled for winter 2026, the restaurant at 4747 San Felipe Street will focus on Greek seafood and coastal cooking in a contemporary setting.
Chicago restaurateur Ted Maglaris is expanding Prasino beyond its longtime La Grange location. The company opened an all-day café at 33 South Wabash Avenue on August 25, bringing a Mediterranean-influenced menu to the Loop. Additional Chicago locations are planned, including a riverfront café expected in 2027.
South Florida, already home to a substantial Greek and Greek American community, continues to attract new restaurant investment.
Manoli opened July 22 at 3540 Main Highway in Coconut Grove. The 140-seat restaurant is led by chef Emmanouil “Manoli” Aslanoglou, whose career includes Vassilenas in Athens, Arzak in Spain and an appearance on MasterChef Greece.
The menu combines traditional Greek influences with Aslanoglou’s international experience. Seafood and house-made pastas share space with dishes cooked over charcoal, while a dessert trolley brings the final course directly to the table.
In Boca Raton, Limani Grille is preparing its first Florida restaurant at Town Center, 6000 Glades Road. The Limani group already operates restaurants in New York, Boston, Charlotte and Washington. General manager Yianni Theodore will oversee the Boca Raton location, which will emphasize seafood, charcoal grilling and polished Greek hospitality. A firm opening date had not been announced as of press time.
These restaurants differ widely in size, style and price point. What connects them is a willingness to present Greek cooking on its own terms—from counter-service tavernas and neighborhood cafés to ambitious dining rooms built around seafood and fire.
The result is not one new model for Greek dining in America, but many: personal, regional and increasingly confident.
AT A GLANCE
Recently opened
Selene — SoHo, New York City
Kri Kri Grill — Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Yalos Greek Taverna — Island Park, New York
Prasino — Chicago Loop
Manoli — Coconut Grove, Florida
Coming soon
Kaló — Upper East Side, New York City
Pixida Estiatorio — NoMad, New York City
Thalassa — Philadelphia
Koutouki — Havertown, Pennsylvania
Our Mom Eugenia — Bethesda, Maryland
Eliás Estiatorio — Houston
Limani Grille — Boca Raton, Florida
The Pelican Club — Philadelphia, projected for January 2027
Opening schedules may change. Statuses are current as of September 2026.
