The Drake's Revue: Chris Kontos

1.) My most precious item…

My audio gear. And my records. First of all they're worth maybe as much as a small flat, and also they provide every day pleasure that offers me comfort and happiness. Ι have invested a lot through the years and it’s really rewarding. I guess more than clothes. 

2.) A record that I couldn’t be without…

So many, but I guess Jeff Buckley’s Grace. And Taeko Onuki’s Pure Acoustic.

3.) My favourite place to photograph…

London. I have a certain fondness for London, I love walking aimlessly around it and taking pictures. My favourite pics are always from London. I’m selecting images for my first book (you are the first to know) and most are actually from London.

4.) My neighbourhood…

I’m lucky to live in the most central part of Athens. Everything is within a radius of 1km maximum. Linou Soumpasis a great latest entry in the area offers a fresh take on Greek cuisine, my local pub ( the term should not apply to Greece it’s just a beer place) called Tales of Ales, Foyer Coffee, Galaxy bar. 

5.) The last great piece of art that I saw…

This Lucien Freud painting from the Friends and Relations show at Gagosian.

 6.) What I’m serving at a dinner party…

I love making pasta. A lot of people say I’m good at it so it might be true. I make a really nice bolognese with sausage. Some nice bruschetta, grilled vegetables, local charcuterie that I buy from my local shop — like a really special lamb prosciutto. A nice red, maybe Les Ermitures by Vigne du Perron. 

7.) My favourite piece of classic design… 

Porsche 959, Fiat Panda, Noguchi Ikari Lamp, Villa Le Lac by Corbusier, Rodakis house in Aegina.

8.) What I’m wearing from Drake’s…

A few! My favourites are an ancient madder tie, my new tweed blazer, and Shetland jumper. 

9.) Style rules to live by…

10.) The best restaurant in the world…

My favourite restaurant in the world is Kronenhalle in Zurich. The world institution is usually abused this days but here it can apply without exaggeration. In a building from 1862 that looks and feels like an art museum rather than a restaurant, it is a place where the past meets the present and reality fiction.

Among paintings of Chagall, Miro, lamps by Giacometti I have enjoyed many wonderful meals. The clientele is always exciting, there is always the odd person looking like Balthus eating alone in one of the separates. Sometimes I fantasise about being so rich I could eat here every day and order the same thing while another version of me looks at my other self from a different table.

There is always a woman so strikingly beautiful at Kronenhalle that makes the place even more alluring than it already is. The service is the best in the world. And oddly enough for such a place, the food is extraordinary delivering Swiss classics with perfection. The desert cart is an extra bonus to elevate the whole experience to perfection.