Dishy: Greek naked chefs!

A new wave of chefs is challenging Greek stereotypes in luxury gourmet restaurants, and in the beach-side heat who can blame them? Move aside Jamie Oliver, there's a new naked chef in town. Tall, dark and handsome, the latest dish of the day around the Greek islands is the bare-chested cook. Looks like fish isn't the only catch on the menu.

Cooks are now tossing aside their white uniforms (along with the plates after lunch) and serving patrons in little more than aprons. A taste of el frisco al fresco.

If you're thinking of travelling out to Greece this summer, make sure you check out these restaurants.

Mykonos, Ithaki (00 30 2890 26850); 780.

Ithaki has cult status among seafood fans. Gourmet guidebooks give no directions - the crowd stumbles across it, between two of Mykonos's hippest beaches, Paranga and Paradise. Hosting Greek models and heartthrob singers, owner Christos Christou sustains the mystique by displaying no menus. Catch of the day? Whatever he nets or spears on his early-morning dives.

"Naked chefs" (wearing little else but aprons) prepare fresh garlic clams, grilled octopus and king prawns. Christos's passion is sculpting - and Ithaki is his gallery. Diners can buy his hand-hewn chairs and tables, but his marbles seem like a smarter investment: a dealer has just whisked statues off to his New York gallery; a Dutch collector sold his "Man Making Love to a Mermaid"for $500,000.

Koufonissi, Sorokos (00 30 2850 71453); 730.

The Cycladic island of Koufonissi is a byword for the cheapest lobster. Small wonder - practically all the 300 people who live here have a boat. Minutes from the port, this retro Cycladic house sits above rocks overlooking the sandy beach. The nautical interior - nets, dolphinsand shells - evokes a naive island feel. Modesty is not chef Kyria Poppy's strong suit: "We cook the best food on the island." It's famous for fish caught every morning and grows organic tomatoes, beans and peppers. Simple ingredients are transformed into intoxicating mezes - chickpea rissoles; fried whitebait; aubergine fritters. Hippies and fishermen mellow out to vintage rock.

Mykonos, Spilia (00 30 2890 71205); 760.

Spilia is neatly tucked into a cliff overhang by Kalafatis, easternmost of Mykonos' southern beaches. Located in a cave engulfed by the sea in winter, its wooden tables are set against the rocks on different levels; crashing waves usher in a salty breeze. Bamboo rafters shade sporty types drifting in from Kalafatis' scuba/ windsurfing schools to gorge on fish. Vasso serves up whatever has just flipped out of the Aegean via Luciano's kitchen. By lunchtime, the lobster pasta is sold out, leaving mussels with cream and dill, small cheese pies, grilled barbouni (red mullet), tsipoura (sea bream), kalamari and prawns.

Corfu, Taverna Agni (00 30 6630 91142); 760.

"This spot was so magical, I wound up marrying the patron's daughter," explains Nathan, a thirtysomething Brit who holidayed on Corfu six years ago and stayed.

The stretch of north-east coastline either side of Agni bay has been dubbed Kensington-on-Sea since its colonisation by Rothschilds, Spencers and Camilla. Yet mooring celebs are turned away if they haven't booked, surveyed by the smug few who have, served by crisply dressed waiters. Organic beef from Epirus is doused in brandy. The dish everyone raves over is wife Eleni's spaghetti marina, with fresh clams from nearby Albania. Even Michael Winner and hard-boiled hacks on the Captain Corelli trail fill the guest book with prose. Sadistic types text colleagues to locate them lounging live at www.agni.gr

Piraeus, Jimmy and the Fish (00 30 10 412 4417); 770.

A short cab ride from Athens' ferry port Piraeus is Microlimani harbour, Athenian HQ of seafood. Jimmy and the Fish stands out from the crowd for its decor, modelled on a Sixties yacht, as much as its food. Tycoons use it like their local caff, keeping an eye on their sleek vessels. The Greek prime minister dines with visiting big-wigs. Signature dishes are octopus in red wine sauce and Mykonos squid, grilled and stuffed with feta cheese. A taverna rarity, Jimmy even does desserts - heavenly tarte tartin or old style brownies.

*Prices are for a meal for two, including wine.