It marks a return to the long running Fitzrovia restaurant, which turns 35 in 2026 and has held at least one Michelin star for longer than any other London restaurant, for Aggelos, who was sous chef to former Pied à Terre head chef Asmiakis Chaniotis.
Kassais succeeds Alberto Cavaliere, who has left to pursue a new project.
Born in Olympia, Greece, Kassais studied at a local culinary school, completing his apprenticeship at a five-star hotel in Crete.
He moved to Athens to undertake a stage at one-Michelin-starred Hytra, before taking up a role as commis chef at two-Michelin-starred Spondi. Concurrently, he studied pastry at the prestigious Le Monde culinary school in the Greek capital.
After two seasons as sous chef at Eclipse in Mykonos, he moved to London in 2019 to stage for his mentor and friend Asimakis Chaniotis, then head chef at Pied à Terre.
After one year at modern Greek restaurant OPSO in Marylebone, Aggelos returned to Pied à Terre as senior sous chef to Asimakis, a role he held from 2021 until 2023, when he joined Claude Bosi at his eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant at Bibendum.
In 2025, Aggelos reunited with Asimakis Chaniotis as opening head chef for his new restaurant Myrtos, and has now returned to Pied à Terre as head chef, continuing a longstanding tradition for the restaurant of former sous chefs succeeding their head chef - a rollcall which includes such names as Tom Aikens, Shane Osborn and Marcus Eaves.
Aggelos’ culinary style reflects both his classical training and Mediterranean roots.
While naturally he loves Greek ingredients - and particularly olive oil, which his mother, an olive farmer, produces - his influences are international, and he intends to continue and evolve Pied à Terre’s style of contemporary fine-dining.
He says he enjoys barbecuing, and likes ‘clean’ cooking, which translates on the plate as minimal intervention with the meat or fish, with technique coming to the fore in the saucing and vegetables.
“We are thrilled to continue the tradition of our former sous chefs taking on the role of head chef at Pied à Terre, with the return of Aggelos Kassais to the kitchen,” says Pied à Terre founder and co-owner David Moore.
“His cooking is superb, and we know that in his time away from here, working with Claude Bosi and his mentor Asimakis Chaniotis at Myrtos, his skills have grown even further, making him the perfect choice to be our new head chef.”