Kostas Papathanasiou has been appointed as the new culinary director at Lita, a restaurant in Marylebone. Papathanasiou, who previously worked as executive chef at the triple-Michelin-starred Restaurant Frantzén in Stockholm, aims to establish Lita as a prominent neighbourhood restaurant.
Lita opened two years ago in the former site of a Carluccio's and received a Michelin star under its previous chef, Luke Ahearne, who departed last year to open Motorino. Papathanasiou's career includes training at The Fat Duck and working at The Ledbury.
Papathanasiou expressed that the neighbourhood aspect is important to him, aiming for Lita to become a place people return to regularly for various occasions. He believes refinement does not necessitate formality, drawing on his fine-dining experience to offer a flexible menu at Lita.