Turn on the TV nearly every morning in Greece and you'll be charmed by its favorite daughter and chef of the people: Argiro Barbarigou. Known affectionately as the ‘First Lady of Greek Cuisine,’ Argiro has devoted her life’s work to sharing the secrets of authentic Greek cooking — modern and ancient — with loyalists and fans around the globe.

 

Greek celebrity chef Argiro Barbarigou designed a life, career and brand from the Greek kitchen, starting on her native Paros, where she credits her mother for teaching her not just the techniques, but the soul of Greek cooking, a love she'd share in countless unforgettable moments with millions of fans and customers.

 

In the mid-90's she opened Papadakis on Paros to great acclaim, luring megayachts, locals and tourists in search of Argiro's farm-to-fabulous, sea-to-sensational dishes served up at the water's edge of Naoussa's picturesque port.

 

From there she'd expand her gastronomical prowess by studying French cuisine in London and Paris. Today that culinary journey culminates at her second wildly successful Papadakis restaurant, set at the foothills of Mt. Lycabettus in the heart of Athens. Celebrity fans like Jean Paul Gauthier, Carla Bruni and Pierce Brosnan dine alongside the Greek power set and globetrotters. Many say they first came for Argiro’s signature cuisine, but they return for her authenticity and infectious personality. Her latest restaurant venture, Alfa Pie House, a Greek pie bakery and cafe recently opened in Washington, D.C., is a delicious showcase of Argiro's famous pies, from spanakopita to portokalopita, and now a favorite lunchtime destination among Beltway professionals. Even President Obama is a fan!

 

A prolific cookbook author, host and publisher, Argiro earned her way to becoming Greece's highest-rated television chef and top-grossing cookbook author (two earned French Gourmand Awards). She periodically publishes magazines and her Greek website argiro.gr enjoys millions of global visitors for her recipes and videos, making Argiro one of the most sought after celebrity brand endorsements for food and cookware companies. Her next cookbook Pure Greek is slated to be published in America with a 2017 release date. 

 

Argiro unconditionally answers the call to humanitarianism with her time, expertise and celebrity, pro-bono, to notable Greek causes, including the One Greece campaign which raised funds for Greece’s economic recovery at The Hellenic Initiative inaugural gala in New York City, where she presided as guest celebrity chef for honorary chair President Bill Clinton and donors. Other contributions include spokesperson for the Global Aids Campaign, motivational speaker for female inmates in Greece's correctional system and mentoring chef for Greece’s orphans and foster children in her role as Ambassador of SOS Children’s Villages Greece. 

 

If ever a human being was destined to bottle and export the essence of Greek food abroad, it is Argiro Barbarigou. With boundless energy and enthusiasm, she embraces the mantle of Greece's culinary ambassador, extolling the virtues of Greek cuisine and the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet at events around the globe. In 2014 she joined fellow Greek chefs and companies for a culinary presentation to The United States Congress. In September 2016 she delivered a keynote address entitled "The Emergence of Greek Cuisine on the Global Food Stage at the WorldChefs Congress and Expo in Thessaloniki. And in 2017, Argiro was named Ambassador of Aegean Cuisine by the European Commission which designated the Southern Aegean as European Region of Gastronomy for 2019.

 

Get the news on Argiro's latest ventures and appearances here. 

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