London


<p>Open-fire modern Greek restaurant <a href="https://pyrorestaurant.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PYRO</a> in London Bridge has only been open a few weeks and it&#8217;s already getting rave reviews. And little wonder, because the man behind the restaurant&#8217;s mouth-watering fire-scorched potato pitas, pork skewers&nbsp;and sea bream crudo, is one of London&#8217;s hottest chefs. </p>



<p>Greek-born Yiannis Mexis&#8217; star has long been in the ascent as he progressed  through a galaxy of Michelin-star kitchens around the city: <a href="https://www.elystanstreet.com/phil-howard/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elystan Street</a>,<a href="https://www.theledbury.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> The Ledbury</a> and <a href="https://hide.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HIDE</a>. Now he&#8217;s launched his own restaurant and Muddy caught up with the talented chef to discover more about the man behind the award-winning dishes. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/Roux001-025-YiannisMexis-768x1024.jpg" alt="Yiannis Mexis" class="wp-image-11227" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/Roux001-025-YiannisMexis-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/Roux001-025-YiannisMexis-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/Roux001-025-YiannisMexis.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-first-job-in-a-kitchen-nbsp">Your first job in a kitchen?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>I worked in my family’s hotel in Greece when I was younger, but my first real job was when I was 12, and I worked as an apprentice under a pastry chef in Greece. I worked in my weekends, evenings and school holidays.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-career-highlight-nbsp">Career highlight?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>I have worked in so many different places over the years, but I always feel like my big accomplishment was when I first started cooking meat at The Ledbury. Cooking protein in this incredible restaurant was very special. It was 2017 and The Ledbury was one of the best restaurants in the country and I think number 17 in the world. It was a great time for the restaurant and it felt wonderful being part of the whole movement.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-did-you-do-a-lot-of-cooking-for-the-rich-and-famous">Did you do a lot of cooking for the rich and famous?</h2>



<p>To be honest, I don’t, as I’m not a private chef. However, at HIDE, we always had high net worth individuals dine with us, and a lot of politicians.&nbsp;John Cena was always coming in!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/Wccoa5g7-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-11228" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/Wccoa5g7-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/Wccoa5g7-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/Wccoa5g7-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/Wccoa5g7.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: Pyro </figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-would-you-sum-up-your-cooking-style-and-food-philosophy">How would you sum up your cooking style and food philosophy?</h2>



<p>I always get bored so my cooking style always changes – my new restaurant, Pyro is completely different to anything I’ve ever done before.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-memorable-moment-at-work-nbsp">Most memorable moment at work?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>One time, we had changed our lunch and it was printed and on the tables ready for service. Then we realized that the venison delivery hadn’t arrived. We couldn’t change the menu and people started ordering it. Then at the last minute it came and we had to prep, cook and plate right there on the spot. I’ll never forget how we all came together to make sure the diners weren’t any of the wiser! &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-re-tired-starving-and-impatient-what-do-you-cook-for-dinner-nbsp">You’re tired, starving and impatient: what do you cook for dinner?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>After a big night of service I have to just have cereal and milk. For me, the sugar hit from a bowl of kraves and milk is just what I need.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-would-you-cook-to-impress-a-date-nbsp">What would you cook to impress a date?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>I never cook at home if I can help it so I would impress a date by taking them out for a few nice drinks and then a meal at this great place just off Leicester Square that does the most amazing hand cut noodles and spring rolls – then I’d finish off with drinks at Bar Termini.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/lcAZe_Q-1024x683.jpeg" alt="Ppyro fish dish " class="wp-image-11230" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/lcAZe_Q-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/lcAZe_Q-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/lcAZe_Q-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/lcAZe_Q.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: sea bream crudo at Pyro</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-is-your-favourite-chef">Who is your favourite chef?</h2>



<p>I would say Phil Howard <a href="https://www.elystanstreet.com/phil-howard/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(Elystan Street</a>)– he’s an amazing chef and a wonderful person as well.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-have-a-favourite-cookbook-nbsp">Do you have a favourite cookbook?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>My favourite cook book is not the book I use the most but the book I’ll always remember. When I was 11 I wanted to be a pastry chef and I was given a book called PH 10 : Patisserie by a famous pastry chef called Pierre Hermé, the first book he released. I’ll never forget it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-type-of-cuisine-nbsp">What’s your favourite type of cuisine?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>I don’t really have favourites in anything I have in life – and I always eat / cook what I feel like in that specific moment. But I will always lean towards Asia. I love the food there. The SE Asia will always deliver flavour and be consistently delicious.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-things-to-eat-when-you-re-on-holiday-nbsp">Favourite things to eat when you’re on holiday?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Everything! If I’m by the beach then it has to be seafood, and I just go with whatever is freshest. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-kitchen-gadget-nbsp">Favourite kitchen gadget?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>My Vitamix. It’s just a high street blender but I use it for everything. You can do everything by hand and chop something finely, but really you need a blender. It doesn’t do a lot of volume but its’s the strongest blender you can get and gets the smoothest consistency.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-ingredient-and-why-nbsp">Favourite ingredient and why?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Salt. It enhances the flavour and you can use it in every single dish, from savoury to desserts.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-overrated-ingredient-nbsp">Most overrated ingredient?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Caviar&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-your-best-ever-cooking-tip-nbsp">Tell us your best ever cooking tip?&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/jWSK2jlH-1024x683.jpeg" alt="Pyro meat dish " class="wp-image-11229" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/jWSK2jlH-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/jWSK2jlH-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/jWSK2jlH-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/05/jWSK2jlH.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: Pyro </figcaption></figure>



<p>Always temper your meat. You have to bring meat up to room temperature to achieve a more even cook.&nbsp;</p>



<p><em><a href="https://pyrorestaurant.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PYRO</a> is now open at 53B Southwark Street, London SE1 1RU.</em> </p>


What’s cooking? Chef Yiannis Mexis launches PYRO

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