Mamma Victoria

Victoria Leftakis was born in 1949 in Agrilia, a traditional village nestled in the hills of Zakynthos, Greece. From her earliest years, she learned the art of cooking at the side of her grandmother and mother — absorbing the secret rhythms of Zakynthian cuisine, the patience of slow-cooked sauces, and the generosity that turns a meal into a memory.

In the 1960s, Victoria married Tony Leftakis from the nearby village of Alykes and the young couple embarked on an adventure across the Atlantic, settling in Montreal, Canada. There, family life and hard work went hand in hand — Tony ran Lasalle Pizza, a beloved pizzeria on the outskirts of the city, where Victoria’s instinct for honest, heartfelt food found a new home far from the Ionian Sea. In 1968, their son Dennis was born in Canada, carrying both worlds within him.

In 1975, the family returned to Zakynthos — five years before the island’s tourism boom would change everything. Victoria brought back with her not only her roots, but a broader vision of hospitality shaped by two continents.

Before Oasis had its own walls, Victoria was already feeding people with devotion. She worked alongside her brother at the Olympic Restaurant in Alykes — one of the island’s most cherished dining institutions — quietly building a reputation that would follow her everywhere.

In 1987–1988, the family built Oasis Taverna & Beach Bar on the beachfront of Alykanas. Victoria became its soul. Decade after decade, she has cooked with the same hands that once learned from her grandmother in Agrilia — turning simple, local ingredients into dishes that taste like Zakynthos itself.

Today, more than 35 years since Oasis first opened its doors, Mamma Victoria still cooks. Every day. With the same love.