Artur KholikovCommunity profile

In March, a new project by Arkady Novikov opened: the Greek restaurant Meraki. The head chef is the young and ambitious Artur Holikov.

Artur's path to becoming a chef was challenging, but his passion for cooking prevailed. In 2015, he had an internship at Tartarbar in St. Petersburg, working with Dmitry Blinov. In 2016, he moved to Moscow and became a cook at the restaurant Aq Kitchen, under the guidance of Andrey Zhdanov and Adrian Ketglas.

However, due to family circumstances, he had to return to Orel and work in local restaurants as a chef and head chef. He realized that this was not the limit of his ambitions. Therefore, in the summer of 2019, Artur went on an internship at the legendary pan-Asian restaurant Zuma in Vladivostok.

Next, the aspiring chef moved back to St. Petersburg and worked as a cook, attending master classes and festivals. In December 2019, he realized that he needed to expand his culinary skills and knowledge and went to the Unisg Institute of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy for a week-long intensive course.

After that, in early 2020, Artur contacted Andrey Krasov and Glen Ballis from the iconic Moscow restaurant EVA, expressing his desire to work there. This marked a significant opportunity for Artur in the capital. However, this period was short-lived due to the start of the quarantine.

After the peak of the epidemic, Artur went to work at the restaurant "Sad" in St. Petersburg as a sous chef, and later as a senior sous chef. There, he learned a great deal from Andrey Krasov, who became one of his main mentors in the restaurant world.

After a year and a half, he went on a three-month project in Vladimir as a chef. However, St. Petersburg continued to call to him, and in the spring of 2022, Artur worked for a few months as a sous chef at Frantsuza Bistrot.

In the summer of 2022, the chef was offered a seasonal position at Arkady Novikov's restaurant "Rybinsk." This project, located in Gelendzhik on the seashore, focuses on fresh fish and seafood.

In November, Artur returned to Moscow and learned about the opening of a new Greek restaurant by Arkady Novikov. He had an interview with the head chef, Vladimir Bogozhavets, and they immediately connected: they shared a focus on simple and understandable cuisine, the importance of product quality, attention to detail, and a balance of flavors.

Since March 2023, head chef Vladimir Bogozhavets, in collaboration with Artur Holikov, have been leading the restaurant Meraki, emphasizing Greek classics and the Mediterranean.