Greek Gastronomy museum is located at the historic neighbor of Psirri. Greek Gastronomy museum consist a non – profit private initiative which began in early 2013. The team that inspired and implemented the idea comes from different scientific fields with a common love for Greek tradition and gastronomy. The creation of the museum of Greek Gastronomy was based on volunteering work and continues this way until now.
Visitors are met with a warm welcome, making them feel like they are old friends. The interior makes an immediate impression as you walk through the imposing door of the museum. One cannot but admire the adorned ceilings, which were repainted with great care and skill, and the beautiful wooden staircase leading to the top floor. The past and the present come together harmoniously in this building. The interior has been designed in three units. In the first, visitors interactively discover the steps involved in the production and processing of local products. This brings them closer to Greek nature, exposes them to the hard work of producers, and helps them appreciate the value and quality of Greek products. In the second unit, visitors learn the different methods of and secrets to Greek cooking, and discover how the products they became acquainted with can be transformed into delicious dishes. In the third unit, visitors are given the opportunity to taste top-quality Greek products in their original form as well as in mouth-watering recipes prepared in the museum’s restaurant, which is open on the first floor.
The museum occasionally hosts different exhibitions and projects on nutrition and Greek gastronomy. Also is operating in parallel a theme restaurant which in summer is housed in the lovely courtyard of the neoclassical building, while in winter it is hosted on the first floor.
The latest exhibition was called “The Reflection Of The Plate” which was held by freelance curator Lina Mantikou. The exhibition brings together works made by 12 contemporary artists who with “food” as their tool, explore the characteristics of contemporary civilization. Within the framework of this cultural condition, they had to work with concepts such as meal, raw material, ingredient, etiquette, and produce a work of art, a commercial object that is sold at the museum’s shop and a recipe, for the museum restaurant’s menu. With this triptych the artists approach the question: “What do we propose, what do we produce and do we actually consume what we produce?”
Kitchen glove designed by a Greek artist. Some of them are for sale.
The participating artists are Katerina Velliou, Yiannis Grigoriadis, George Gyparakis, Theodoros Zafeiropoulos / Katerina Zafeiropoulou, Costas Ioannidis, Yannis Kapellos, Dora Kirgia, Apostolos Ntelakos, Dimitris Foutris, Heleni Chassalevri and Alexandros Psychoulis
Child’s Play
In order to introduce children to the values of Greek nutrition in a dynamic learning experience, the Museum of Greek Gastronomy is holding a programme for children aged 5-11 years titled “A Museum in the Oven”. The aim of the programme is to allow children to explore the new museum and the ingredients of a healthy diet through an interactive game.