Chef Yiannis Mexis brings modern Greek fire cooking to Borough with debut restaurant Pyro

Chef Yiannis Mexis will open his debut restaurant, Pyro, in London’s Borough on Thursday, the 1^st of May. The new venue, located at Southwark Quarter, will specialise in Greek-inspired dishes cooked over open fire, with a menu focused on seasonal produce and shared plates.

Yiannis Mexis has previously worked at Elystan Street, The Ledbury, Petrus, and most recently served as Head Chef at HIDE. His time at this latter was pivotal in shaping his culinary direction. Mexis is now applying techniques developed in Michelin-starred kitchens to the flavours of his Greek heritage.

The central feature of Pyro, whose name derives from ‘pyr’, the Greek word for setting things ablaze, is a large open fire, which will be used to prepare a range of meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes. Menu items include Spanakopita with herbs and barrel-aged feta, Souvlaki skewers served with prunes, radicchio and sour apple, and Whole Cornish Turbot cooked on the bone with smoked bayleaf and ladolemono. The menu also features small plates such as Mussel Saganaki with toasted bread and vine leaf, and flatbreads like Potato Pita and Onion Seed Flatbread, served with dips comprising tarama and spiced feta.

Among the larger dishes on offer, there are Dorset Lamb Slow-cooked over alder wood, Whole Charred Aubergine with tomato stew and smoked mizithra, and Flame-grilled Lobster with mussels and roasted tomato orzo. The restaurant will also serve Barbecued Octopus in spiced red wine, Charred Hispi Cabbage with pine nuts and graviera cheese, and other dishes highlighting Greek produce and techniques.

Pyro’s bar, overseen by Ana Reznik, will present cocktails prepared with Greek ingredients such as saffron, jasmine, olive oil, ouzo, preserved bergamot, mastic, seaweed, and mahlep. The bar, which includes an open-air garden, will remain open late into the evening and serve wines from independent Greek producers as well as international varieties.

At weekends, the garden will host a Greek Sunday Feast, a communal dining experience that perfectly matches the buzzy atmosphere of Mexis’ modern interpretation of a Greek Taverna.

Food Desk

For further information and reservations, visit Pyro’s website here.