Konstantinos Konstantinou, Andreas Andreou: “Tocayo never stops evolving”

Eat & Drink foodNicosiarestaurantTop News Konstantinos Konstantinou, Andreas Andreou: “Tocayo never stops evolving” 082a1388 Relevant News Konstantinos Konstantinou, Andreas Andreou: “Tocayo never stops evolving” 19 August 2026 The EU’s AI rulebook is here: what it means for Europeans 19 August 2026 Dionysus Mansion: the modern face of Cypriot cuisine 19 August 2026 Diana Aza 19 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Tocayo opened seven years ago and has since won recognition at the Chrysoi Skoufoi Cyprus gastronomy awards. Managing Partner Konstantinos Konstantinou and executive chef Andreas Andreou spoke to philenews about the restaurant’s approach. Tocayo has been among Nicosia’s most popular and award-winning restaurants for years. What do you think keeps it relevant and appealing to guests? Konstantinou said the team tries to offer guests good hospitality, combining a friendly approach with the music, lighting and food choices. He said the aim is for guests to feel welcome and relaxed. He said the restaurant continues to change its menu, drawing on trips across Europe and beyond for ideas. He said the group follows a value-for-money approach, aiming for a price point that allows guests to return often, which he said has been the case since the restaurant opened in 2019. Nicosia’s food scene looked quite different back then. How do you see the city’s evolution as a food destination, and what role has Tocayo played in that? Andreou said that when Tocayo opened, there were fewer dining options and a different overall standard. He said Nicosia has since developed and is, in his view, Cyprus’s strongest food destination. He said Tocayo invested from the start in a clear culinary identity and a more contemporary approach, which he said contributed to that shift. How has the restaurant evolved since it opened? Konstantinou said the goal has been ongoing improvement, in food and in the cocktail and wine selection. He said he is in the restaurant most days of the week, which allows him to speak with guests directly and hear feedback. He said this feedback allows the team to respond and make changes where needed. Andreas, how do you keep renewing interest without moving away from the flavours guests have come to expect? Andreou said his travel experiences are his main source of inspiration for new dishes. He said discovering new ingredients, flavours and aromas leads him to create new dishes, while working within Tocayo’s established approach. Are there any ingredients, techniques or trends you’re currently interested in that we might see soon? Andreou said he is currently interested in centrifugation, a technique used more widely abroad. He said the team is working on applications for the kitchen and the bar through the group’s R&D lab. You recently introduced weekly specials based on seasonality. What led to that decision? Andreou said the specials allow the kitchen to work with seasonal ingredients and new products that might not suit the core menu. He said they also allow the team to test ideas over shorter periods, and to bring back some of Tocayo’s earlier dishes that guests often ask for. Konstantinos, you have a personal interest and training in wine. How did the idea for the exclusive wine list with rare labels come about? Konstantinou said his interest in wine began when the group opened Rokoko, and grew as he tasted wines from different regions and styles. He said this led him to complete his WSET Level 3 in 2019. He said he looks for lesser-known wines from smaller regions and varieties, as well as known labels at competitive prices. He said the restaurant has placed particular emphasis over the past year on Greek and Cypriot wineries, and that partnerships with winemakers allow it to offer experimental bottlings or older vintages. You also put together a detailed food and wine pairing guide. Do you think Cypriot diners have become more demanding about pairing food and wine correctly? Konstantinou said interest in wine has grown in Cyprus, which he attributed to gastronomic tourism and the presence of specialist importers bringing in smaller wineries. He said more wine-related events, such as tastings and pairing dinners, are being held, including at Tocayo. He said the restaurant’s wine list follows the same sharing-based approach as the food menu, grouping wines by characteristics such as mineral and acidic, aromatic, or textural, with suggested dish pairings. He said this is intended to make it easier for guests to choose a wine and to introduce them to varieties and regions they might not otherwise try. You recently introduced special cocktails using the centrifugation method. How important is it for you to keep innovating in both food and drink? Konstantinou said drinks are part of the overall dining experience, whether a cocktail before or after a meal or a pairing with food. He said that, alongside signature and classic cocktails, the group’s R&D department has created an experimental cocktail concept based on the menu’s flavours, using equipment such as food-grade centrifuges and rotary evaporators. He said the aim is to bring out ingredient aromas, pair well with food, and follow the trend toward lower-alcohol cocktails. Cesoro Group continues to expand. What’s the biggest challenge in managing multiple successful concepts while keeping each one’s identity intact? Konstantinou said the people who make up the Cesoro Group team are the most important factor, noting that the core team has remained largely the same since the group started in 2015. He said the group follows Danny Meyer’s Enlightened Hospitality approach, which focuses on staff and how they convey the group’s approach to guests. He said the group’s regular presence in its restaurants allows it to get feedback from guests directly. We understand a new restaurant is in the works. What can you tell us so far? Konstantinou said two new projects are currently under construction. He said it’s still early to share details, but that people will see them soon. After years of success, what’s your personal goal for Tocayo today? Is there anything it hasn’t yet achieved that you’d like to see? Andreou said his goal is for Tocayo to remain guests’ first choice, staying current through ongoing changes to the menu and approach. Konstantinou said the most important thing for him is seeing guests leave in a better mood than when they arrived. He said recognition and awards matter, and that the restaurant’s yearly presence at the Chrysoi Skoufoi awards adds to a sense of responsibility to maintain standards. He said it is also seen as a reward for the team. Tocayo, 10 Preveza Street, Nicosia, 70088089. 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