After finishing high school and the mandatory army service, he attended Americanos college in 1987, followed by Philips college in 1988. That led him to Birmingham Polytechnic/ Birmingham Collage of Food in the UK in 1988. True to his adventurous nature, he chose to follow the unknown and founded himself working at Hilton Head Marriott, in Hilton Head Island, SC. He began as a waiter at the hotel,
but was almost immediately promoted to a supervisory position-setting the tone of swiftness that would come to define his career. In April 1991, transfer to the University of South Carolina in Columbia SC where he received a BA. Following his graduation in May of 1994 Georgios loaded up a U-Haul and drove himself to New York City to follow his dream of becoming a success in the restaurant business. He talked his way into a job as the Assistant Manager of the Oyster Bar at the Plaza Hotel, shortly after that the Director of Food & Beverage asked him to become the acting general manager of its legendary Palm Court. Though opportunities seem to abound at the Plaza, Georgios craved stability and a single position that he could develop. When restaurateur Peter Glazier invited him to become the Restaurant Director and Beverage Manager of the Monkey Bar in June of 1995, Georgios leapt at the chance. In April 1998 he faithfully assisted his employers by acting as the Director of Operation for Ciao Baby Cucina; a restaurant group based in Cincinnati, OH with restaurants in Memphis; TN, Cincinnati and Cleveland; OH and Washington; DC. At the time The Glazier Group acted as manager for Ciao Baby Cucina. In October of 1998 he is appointed to the General Manager/ Wine Director at the Glaziers’ newly opened Michael Jordan’s the Steak House NYC. After getting the new venture on his feet, in April, 1999, he returned to what has become his professional home-Monkey-Bar-where, night after night, he charmed regulars and newcomers alike as he ensured their comfort and satisfaction, providing that unique hospitality that has become one of the restaurant’s defining characteristics. In his 6 years at at Monkey Bar & Michael Jordan’s Giorgos worked with chefs; John Schunk, the late Keith Korn, Spencer Levy, Kurt Gutenbrunner and Andrew Chase and chef David Walzog at Michael Jordans. Finally January 2001, was the time that Giorgos felt ready for yet a new a adventure. He partnered with Monkey Bar Chef Andrew Chase, and Austrian born sous-chef Erwin Schroetnner and two private investors, and move on their own to open a restaurant; a lifelong dream has finally arrived. The tragic events of September 11, 2001 however were the reason that all of their plans changed and Giorgos decided to move back to Cyprus and assist his younger brother, Mario with his own restaurant Barolo Food & Wine. Nine days in the island he participates in Trophee Ruinart’s Meilleur Sommelier de Chypre (Best Cypriot Sommelier) where the winner would represent Cyprus in Ruinart’s best European Sommelier competition in Reims, France for 2002. After two long days of written tests and wine tastings, he wins the competition and awarded best Cypriot Sommelier for 2001. At Barolo Food & Wine restaurant he acted as the sommelier and in 3 months he restructured the wine list and imported several wines directly with more than 250 entries with an impressive 80+ Greek wines. His hard work however pays of in September 2002, when Barolo’s wine list is awarded Wine Spectators; Award of Excellence. In March 2002 he moves back to New York and is in charge of the North Eastern US, as the Sales Director for Vina Mediterranean, a Washington, DC based company owned by Sotiris Bafitis that features many of the finest, artisanal and obscure wines by the best small wineries Greece has to offer at the time; The likes of Ktima Gerovassiliou, Vivlia Chora, Kir Yiannis, Ktima Karidas, Ktima Voyatzis, Ktima Katsaros, Ktima Argyros, Ktima Mercuri & Gentelini. The goal was to introduce these Greek wines to the diverse New York & North East Coast market and at the same time educate both his direct and indirect customers (sommeliers, beverage mangers and their clients) with seminars, wine tastings and wine dinners, about the revolution of Greek wines over the last 20 years. Among his clients, were some of NYC best restaurants, Alan Ducasse NYC, Jean Georges, Gramercy Tavern, WD-50, Gotham Bar & Grill, Aigo, Bao 111, Barolo Ristorante & Giardino, Bayards, Blue Fin at the W Hotel, Chanterelle, Craft & Craft Bar, Il Buco, Judson Grill, L’ Impero, Hearth, Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel, Five Points, Lavagna, Trestle On Tenth, Morrel’s Restaurant & Wine Bar, Punch & Judy, Red Cut, Sushi Samba, Washington Park, Snack & Snack Taverna, Ten Sushi and the Greek restaurants; Milos, Molivos, Periyali, Pylos, Ithaka, Pelagos, Metsovo, Kyma, Trata & Aegean and in Astoria Queens: S’Agapo in addition to some of the best retail wine stores in NYC; Chambers Street Wines, Best Cellars, Chelsea Wine Vault, Crossroads, Gotham Wines, Astor Wines, in Brooklyn: Prospect Wines, in Astoria Queens: Grands Wines & Spirits, in Island Park City, Long Island: Pop’s Wine & Spirits and in Princeton, New Jersey Corkscrew Wines. After about a year and a half with Vina Mediterranean, in May 2003 he comes home to participate once more at Trophee Ruinart’s Meilleur Sommelier de Chypre (Best Cypriot Sommelier).For the second time he wins the competition. He represents Cyprus at Trophee Ruinart (Best Sommelier in Europe) in June 2004 in Reims, France and in October, 2004 competed for the 11th Concours Mondial for Sommeliers (Best Sommelier of the World) in Athens and Santorini, Greece. At Barolo, he continued from where he left off. Their wine list by now exceeds 350 labels and with an innovative 25-30 white, rose, red & dessert wines by the glass wine program. In addition he works with chef Nikitaras to create several different set menus offered at Barolo for wine dinners & special occasions with each course paired with wine, something innovating and uncommon at the time in his homeland. Barolo that year was awarded with ‘Best of Award of Excellence’ from Wine Spectator magazine, the educational wine program continuous and they introduce their clients to some of the world’s finest, obscure and hard to get wines that become available to them. Their importing is also growing, and started introducing wine tastings & seminars seminars to a number of their guest & clients. In addition to assisting his brother, Georgios also consults in restaurant openings in NYC, assisting them with their wine lists and wine service. Since Georgios is in Cyprus, he never stops researching the Cypriot, Greek and international markets. His regular visits to Europe for the never ending search of finding new wine treasures, new regions, new people and eventually new friends……
Beginning of February 2005 Giorgos is recruited as the Wine Director/ Sommelier at Elounda Beach Hotel & Elounda Bay Palace, after the departure of Yorgos Floudas from the famed resorts. His responsibilities include 16 different wine lists based on the restaurants style of cuisine for 9 restaurants, both room service as well as the beverage menus to 5 bars. The master wine list at Dionyssos Restaurant exceeded 1,400 labels, 60% of the wines were imported directly by Giorgos. On his second year as the chef sommelier, Dionyssos Restaurant, the resorts gourmet restaurant wins Wine Spectator’s ‘Best of Award of Excellence’ for its wine list, only the 2nd restaurant in Greece and one of 700 in the world. Blue Lagoon and Thalassa two other of the resorts restaurants win Wine Spectator’s ‘Award of Excellence’ for their wine lists under Giorgos leadership of the wine program. Among his responsibilities are wine tasting and educational seminars to guests as well as the assistant sommeliers and service staff on a weekly basis, inventory control, costing, the selection and purchase of wine and spirits and put together a by the glass program for the different restaurants with their complex cuisines. After his two years in Crete, yet a new encounter arises. His two ex-partners in NYC, Andrew & Erwin, invite Georgios to NYC to partner up and open an Austrian Wine Bar. In the beginning of 2007 Georgios is in his beloved NYC and searching along with Andrew & Erwin for a space, while working at the newly open Parea Restaurant part-time along consultant Chef Michael Simon, one of Americas top chefs and one of the US's Master Chefs, who Giorgos met and be-friended in Cleveland while working for Ciao Baby Cucina. In September 2007 Kafe Katja, opens its doors on New York’s Lower East Side. With a total capacity of 26 seats, including the bar, Andrew, Erwin & Georgios are working day and night to fine tune the food & wine menus and adjust in the tiny space, 60 square meters ground floor and equal basement. Giorgos is overseen the wine program and crafted a wine list with a little over of 150 labels from the top artisanal producers of Austria, Germany & Champagne. For the surprise of his partners the wine list were well received by their clientele, along with 3 draft beers and 8-10 seasonal bottle beers. The three partners started thinking to leisurely look for another place similar size, and deliberate on a concept. However crisis struck again, in October 2007, seven months prior to the expiration of his work-permit Giorgos cannot renew his US-Visa (work permits) or apply for a Green Card which he was eligible. The US Government is expecting the collapse of 2 major banks, hence all renewals of US-Visa and Green Cards applications are postponed until further notice. The news was tough for Café Katja, since Giorgos has to depart by middle of May 2008. At the same time Giorgos brother Mario, Giorgos is teaming up with Chefs Giorgos Nikitaras & Giorgos Agrotis and expecting him to join them and open a fish tavern on one of the top spots on Limassol’s sea front, right on the Mediterrnean coast, at Limassol Nautical Club. December 26th on Boxing Day, an amazing review from the NY Times under $30, packed Cafe Katja for good. The business quadrupled overnight, however May was coming up and Giorgos without a working visa had to depart and for once more moving back home. Fat Fish at Limassol Nautical Club was opened in June 2008 and was well received by locals and expats. The business was increasing and summer times the restaurant was a scene not to be missed especially in its outside terrace. Marios & Giorgos were responsible for the dining room, staff training and service and their two partners the chef Agrotis & chef Nikitaras were responsible for all back of the house activities, one of Giorgos main obligation was crafting and maintaining the wine & beverage program, of which many wines were imported directly for the restaurant, from the previous connections and friendships that Giorgos created over his travels the past years. The restaurant in consequence to direct imports can offer wines at much more competitive prices, although the philosophy of Fat Fish is lower mark-ups on all wines. After March 2013 with the Troika entry in Cyprus the clientele has noticed in most part the differences in wine prices. The rewards were inevitable.
2015 Fat Fish was awarded 1 star from the prestigious World of Fine Wine Magazine Wine List Awards, in the UK and in 2016 Fat Fish was awarded the highest honor; 3 stars for their wine list and among the 100 restaurants in Europe & 1000 in the world with such an award. Giorgos efforts to craft a wine list with interesting & obscure wines, from artisan producers and work outside-the-box were rewarded. Giorgos adventures nature takes him in June 2015 to Beaujolais, to work in “les jardins de France” (the gardens (vineyards) of France) just so he experiences firsthand the difficulties and the hard work, sweat and tears that goes into producing wine. He lands a job at the most legendary Domaine in Beaujolais, Domaine Lapierre, where the late Marcel Lapierre "the Pope of Beaujolais" as is also known, is considered “the person who invented the freedom in wine" as they enjoy it now-a-days (passed away 10/10/2010), took over the winery in the late 1970s and along with the late Jules Chauvet; a chemist, and one of the best tasters ever, the father of the French natural wine movement, crafted magnificent wines. After 18 months in Villie Morgon, Giorgos returned home end of November and is established Víno-Thíki next to Fat Fish at Limassol Nautical Club. A Kava for retail, wholesale and wine tastings. terroirista-cy is Giorgos Hadjistylianou's wine explorations, reads, visits, eat - drinks and more....
Vino-Thiki is Giorgos newest adventure in the world of wine retail store, it open 14/09/2017 at Limassol Nautical Club, next to Fat Fish, in Limassol, Cyprus see (https://www.facebook.com/VinoThiki/)
