A renowned restaurateur who moved to Liverpool from Cyprus and was at the helm of an iconic 1990s venue has told the ECHO why he fell in love with the city.
Christakis Georgiou, 54, owns Christakis restaurants on Duke Street and Aigburth Road and also has a stall in the Baltic Market. He moved here from his native island in the eastern Mediterranean in 1998.
Our series, In My Liverpool Home, focuses on what makes Merseyside a great place to live. We've spoken to people from around the world who have moved here, as well as born and bred Scousers who want to shine a spotlight on the region.
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Christakis met wife Francesca, who's from Liverpool but is half Cypriot on her dad's side, when she moved to Cyprus at age 17.
He told the ECHO: "I moved to the UK for a better start. I've worked very hard in my life. I had two jobs when I moved here and became a manager at Cesar's Palace when it was the best restaurant in Liverpool."
Ceaser's Palace on Renshaw Street was popular in the 1990s but closed its doors in 2008. Known as a 'special occasion' place', the restaurant had more than 300 covers and served a variety of dishes including pasta, pizza and burgers.
Christakis has since made a name for himself in Liverpool with his titular restaurant chain, best known for its radio jingle.
Speaking of Liverpool, he said: "The people are lovely. They're very polite and fun, they love to enjoy themselves and have a drink.
"They treat you like one of their own. They're so friendly. Now when I go over to Cyprus - I have a lovely time there - I miss Liverpool."
Christakis favourite spot in the city centre is where his flagship restaurant is located. He added: "Duke Street is the place that I've spent a lot of years of my life working. It's a destination. It had changed a lot and I believe it will be even better in the next five years."
If you have a love for Liverpool, or moved to Merseyside from further afield, email me on storm.newton@reachplc.com.
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