Shortly after 8:15 p.m., and nearly an hour after crossing the threshold of the Maximos Mansion, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio set off in his motorcade for the final stop of his official program in Athens: the dinner organized in his honor by the US Embassy at Tudor Hall, at the King George hotel, overlooking the Acropolis.

The few invited guests took their places at the five round tables set up in the venue: ministers, members of Mr. Rubio’s entourage, ambassadors, and a small number of business leaders with strong ties to the United States. The dinner lasted approximately 2.5 hours, with Mr. Rubio described as being in an extremely good mood.

When he arrived, he went around the tables and had brief conversations with several of the guests, while during the dinner, and between the courses prepared by the head chef of the “Grande Bretagne” and King George hotels, Asterios Koustoudis, he would stand up and strike up conversations with several of those who approached him. Nevertheless, despite the pleasant evening, Mr. Rubio did not step out onto the restaurant’s balcony to take in the view, for obvious security reasons.

Admittedly, the conversation ranged from lighthearted to more serious, depending on the occasion. In any case, it was the culmination of an extremely successful visit for the US Secretary of State, as he delivered the political messages he wanted against the backdrop of the Pnyx, while his talks with the Greek government were conducted at an excellent level. And, of course, the chemistry between him and Mr. Mitsotakis was clear, as the two have known each other for years.

With George Gerapetritis as well, however, the body language conveyed familiarity, while their one-on-one meeting that morning at the Foreign Ministry lasted longer than expected. In any case, Greek hospitality serves as a foundation for strengthening Athens’ channel of communication with Mr. Rubio, who has clear presidential ambitions, beginning with the Republican nomination for 2028.

The Seating Arrangements

According to information from protothema.gr, at one table sat Mr. Rubio alongside Kyriakos Mitsotakis, his wife Mareva, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, and the two ambassadors: US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle and Greek Ambassador to the United States Antonis Alexandridis.

At another table sat Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, who was celebrating his birthday yesterday, Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou, Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos, Antenna Group President and CEO Theodore Kyriakou, shipowner Maria Angelicoussis of the Angelicoussis Group, as well as special adviser on energy issues Joshua Volz, who is significantly involved in the Vertical Corridor project. It should be noted that Mr. Dendias left shortly before the dinner ended in order to celebrate his birthday with his wife.

At another round table sat Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, Shipping and Island Policy Minister Vassilis Kikilias, as well as Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Dimitrios Houpis and shipowner Nikos Tsakos.

Finally, among those seated at the other tables were, among others, the Prime Minister’s Secretary General Stelios Koutnatzis, the two Deputy Foreign Ministers Alexandra Papadopoulou and Haris Theoharis, who handled the political dialogue, as well as business leaders such as shipowner and former president of the Propeller Club Kostis Frangoulis and DEPA Commercial CEO Konstantinos Xifaras.

The Menu

As for the menu, which made an excellent impression, particularly on the American guests, Mr. Koustoudis and his team served sourdough bread with Greek olive oil, fava, a seafood dolma, beef fillet or, in some cases, fish as the main course, and finally a dessert featuring pear. The wines served were, of course, Greek, while the philosophy of the menu was reminiscent of the American “surf and turf.”