White walls, windmills, bikinis and Tomatinis…

Look closely and you’ll find pomegranates sprouting all over the island of Mykonos. Frozen in art and hanging from the canopies of shade-giving trees, the seeded fruit is a powerful totem for one of the saddest stories in the assembled works of Greek Mythology. Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus, is abducted by Hades and tricked into eating seeds from the sacred fruit. This act weds Persephone to an existence where half her year is spent above ground with her mother and the other half in the underworld with her wicked uncle Hades. It’s not just a tragic tale, it’s an allegory for the seasons – the prosperity and bounty of the summer, followed by the dwindling light and barren bite of winter.

Mykonos is locked in step with that cycle. In the off-season, the tourism trap seizes shut, the old town rolls down its shutters and the fruiting trees tumble into slumber. But right now, the Agean is in full bloom, the summer sun has thawed the sleeping titan, and the golden charms of Mykonos are once again splashed across the collective Instagram stories of the beach glam jet set. “Does this mean I’m one of them now?” I wonder as I teeter on the rocky edge of legendary twilight spot, 180º Sunset Bar, taking extra care in framing the last shards of Cyclidian sunlight on my phone.

I arrived in Mykonos this afternoon on a direct flydubai service – a little over four hours separate this Greek epic from our UAE shores, and it’s a travel tie that strengthens with each passing year. The appeal is easily translated. Mykonos’ famous breeze kneads out the knots of a Gulf summer; the peace of island life is a sweet salve for the pace of city stresses; and the white-walled, hill-built homesteads have a lighter gravity than the sky-scraping towers of home. And for a land that has spent most of its time in human tenure as synonymous with penury, it does luxury extraordinarily well. The glamorous side of Mykonos is well documented, a case book filled with many names familiar to Middle Eastern travellers. There’s a Zuma, a Nammos, a Beef Bar on the Coast and a Nikki Beach on neighbouring Santorini.

Part of the reason I’ve made the journey here, is to explore how well the latest addition to this collection of ‘Big in the UAE’ is bedding into Mykonian life. The latest outpost of LPM, now preferring its go by its full name – La Petite Maison, can be found close to the old town (though in truth, everything is close, the entire island is packed into an area of 33 square miles). It’s found inside another new face on the scene, the Anandes Hotel which rather conveniently, is where I’m staying for the duration of my trip. Tomatinis on my doorstep, dreams do come true.

Anandes Hotel

Coming from Dubai, a land of seven-star hotels and expansive decadence, it’s refreshing to experience a more tangible, quieter sort of luxury. That’s what you get at Anandes, a stunning new boutique hotel – with bleached bones and sophisticated minimalism at its ice-cool core. It has a small gym, and shares a stunning sea view pool with LPM (who also curated the breakfast menu), but it’s the location that really adds a touch of true Mykonoan magic. High up on a hill, it looks over the sprawling white walls below and out towards the foaming broil of the Agean, a prime spot to absorb those billionaire sunsets the island is famous for. The rooms are sleek and dressed in cave-core chic, and it’s just a short toddle until you’re in town. However, if you have anything less than piston engine calves, you might want to consider a taxi ride back up that incline.

Rooms from Dhs3,750 (peak season rate). @anandeshotelmykonos 

La Petite Maison Restaurant and Bar

The newest member of the LPM diaspora shares some strong family resemblances with its clan members – which is comforting, a familiarity that breeds contentment. The artwork, music, menu, the passion worn proudly on its sleeves, is all authentically on brand. But it’s the new directions in which it steps that are some of the more exciting elements of LPM Mykonos. The most immediately evident change is that, save from some shallow timber framing – this restaurant is entirely open to the elements.

It’s as if Zeus himself has cleaved the restaurant in two with a bolt of leisure lightning, an LPM x cosmos collaboration that results in starry soiree scenes, its urban counterparts could only dream of. In the middle of the venue, the pool – with its semi-immersed day beds – sets up the possibility of dip with steak frites or escargots près de l’eau. There’s a dedicated menu for day guests that includes LPM’s traditional Riviera flair alongside new Greek-inspired sagas. But you must stay for the evening and watch the heavens cook. All your old friends are there – the Dover sole, côtelettes d’agneau, warm prawns, a conveyor belt of tomatinis and this year’s infinitely crisp bespoke rosé collaboration with Figuière. This feels like LPM, the Director’s Cut.

@lpmmykonos

Sight-seeing

Mykonos in its current, fabulous, era – is probably best known for being a party destination. But there’s plenty to see if you’ve got a hankering for something with substance. I took a guided walking tour through the winding streets of the old town – centuries-old churches, bustling squares and emblematic windmills each hold their own spell-binding stories. Head to the port to take a Mykonos Catamaran cruise through the island’s castaway bays and secret caves where you can drop anchor for a secluded sea swim. And if you fancy a spot of island hopping, the honeymoon idyll of Santorini is just a two-hour ferry ride away.

Images: Provided/Unsplash