From imam bayildi and tyrokafteri to grandma’s meatballs and armenoville, everything reminds of Thessaloniki at Suzi Tros
By Maria Mathiopoulou
It brought the gastronomic Thessaloniki and its history to the “heart” of Notting Hill, utilizing its flavorful memories from the city in which she grew up. Christina Mouratoglou wanted to introduce her concept of the Thessaloniki gastro-taverna to London, creating, together with her husband Adrien Carré, Suzi Tros, a Greek restaurant inspired by Thessaloniki, where the ingredients play the leading role in the dishes and are the ones that… speak. From imam bayildi, grandma’s meatballs, and fish delicacies to tyrokafteri, taramasalata, and armenoville, everything reminds of Thessaloniki at Suzi Tros, which took its name from the very famous line of the movie “The Parisian,” a phrase-ode, as Christina Mouratoglou says, to the love for food.
Suzi Tros is the little sibling of Mazi, the first restaurant that Christina Mouratoglou created in London in 2012 together with her husband, and is located right next door. It is the result of all her childhood memories from the legendary restaurants of Thessaloniki’s past, as well as her family’s well-meaning obsession with good food that always accompanied her. In fact, the entire team of Suzi Tros is from Thessaloniki, with which Christina Mouratoglou speaks the same gastronomic language and shares the same flavorful memories.
After a dynamic three-year journey of Suzi Tros post-pandemic, there are discussions for a pop-up Suzi Tros in Greece, and it is not ruled out that we might see some gastronomic venture in Thessaloniki in the future, but only when the right concept for the city is found, as Christina notably mentions while speaking to Voria.gr.
Beyond the Mazi in London, Mazi restaurants have also been created in Abu Dhabi and Morocco, as part of the couple’s broader strategy for international development, while a new restaurant of a similar character is also in the works in London.
The imprint of Thessaloniki and the love for food
Christina Mouratoglou left Thessaloniki in 2002 at the age of 19 to study communication in Edinburgh, and later moved to London to continue with a master’s degree. She initially worked in public relations for a period, but her desire to do something she truly enjoyed changed her course. With a family business background and an entrepreneurial spirit in her blood, as well as a great love for hospitality and food, everything pointed towards this field.
It is characteristic that she has historically spent her money on restaurants, and as a student, she eagerly awaited her parents to go out and have lunch together somewhere nice. In this way, noticing that there was no Greek restaurant in Great Britain at the time reflecting true Greek cuisine, and that foreigners had a somewhat distorted image of what Greek food is, she decided to make her own effort. After all, memories of Thessaloniki and her family have always revolved around a table.
Her grandmother on her mother’s side was born in Istanbul, while her grandfather and grandmother on her father’s side came from Caesarea, so the love for good food had been inscribed in her DNA. Through all these influences, Mazi emerged with Greek cuisine presented in a more modern way and unique techniques, where the Greek essence of the flavors was clear.
However, Christina Mouratoglou had not… finished with Thessaloniki. Her memories from the old Krikela, from Ermis, Le Pen, the old Olympus Naousa, Diagonal, Miss Magda, and her cabbage rolls smoldered within her and surfaced in all their dimensions with Suzi Tros, which opened shortly before the pandemic, was forced to remain closed for some time due to quarantine, and made a strong comeback at the end of 2021.
Christina Mouratoglou returns to Thessaloniki regularly and continues to draw inspiration from it, seeking new flavors. In fact, she has noticed in recent years a tremendous evolution in the gastronomy of the city and very serious work from the new generation of local chefs.
September 28, 2024