Greek gastronomy ambassor abroad!!!
Estiatorio Volos in Toronto is not your typical Greek restaurant, just like the owner is not your typical restaurateur. There are no kitschy Greek murals of the Aegean on the walls and there are no Parthenon-inspired columns framing the entrance at this new upscale restaurant – and it’s nowhere near The Danforth (Toronto’s famous GreekTown). As for Andreas Antoniou, he’s actually a former private-equity financier.
Antoniou, who describes Volos as a contemporary Greek restaurant, says he wants to make people feel like they are dining at a premiere restaurant in Greece. And even though his professional background is in financing, Antoniou is not a rookie in the restaurant business. His father, who grew up in the Greek port city of Volos, is a seasoned restaurateur.
“I guess you could say I grew up in the restaurant business,” says Antoniou. «I have always loved restaurants.» 
In fact, Volos used to be Mediterra – a nondescript seafood restaurant owned by his father – up until last year when Antoniou took over and completely renovated it – remodelling both the space and the concept.
“As a Greek-Canadian, I was driven to bring Toronto the type of modern Greek restaurant it has been missing,” says Toronto-based interior designer Marc Kyriacou on the restaurant’s website.
“I am catering to downtown Toronto’s financial district business professionals,” adds Antoniou, who used to work for Oaktree Capital Management and Credit Suisse. Looking back at his days as a financier, he says his four-year stint in private equity in the United States provided him the opportunity to dine in many of the best restaurants in North America and Europe.
“I got to experience restaurants from the perspective of the customer,” he explains. “I got to see what some of the best places internationally are doing. In many ways, we are trying to replicate and bing those experience here.”
As a restaurateur, Antoniou describes his style of management as “very hands on”. He says: “I believe this business is about delivering great guest experiences, which mean a lot of different things to different people. I want to create a culture with my staff of mindfulness – of being mindful of what a guest is looking for and to cater to their very unique needs”.
As for the food, the menu features traditional Greek recipes with a modern twist. Chef Reza Parsia (the former Mediterra chef) created a new menu of traditional-yet-modern Greek dishes.
“We subscribe to the Greek method of cooking, so we take the best quality locally-sourced ingredients and prepare food in a fresh and natural way,» says Antoniou, «to let the guests taste the actual flavors of the food and get the nutritional value… and the food is delicious.
«Greek food is not about complexity, it’s about simplicity,» he adds.
Volos’ speciality? Without even thinking about it, Antoniou says it’s the Exohico– the phyllo pastry stuffed with lamb. “A lot of people come for our Exohico,” he says. Other highlights include the moussaka (thin layers of eggplant, zucchini and yukon gold potato, seasoned beef, Kasseri and Kefalotyri béchamel) and the sesame crusted Feta (with thyme, orange and honey).
Earlier this year, Volos was rated best Greek restaurant by Toronto’s premiere dining guide dine.TO. Toronto Life,a prestigious city-wide periodical of lifestyle and society, also named the restaurant one of its Best of 2012.
Antoniou’s recipe for success: high standards of service and food preparation and presentation. “Volos is not just competing with other Greek restaurants, but with the best restaurants in Toronto,” he says.
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