Philosophy
The philosophy of Vatanee has many pillars and is based on the principle that “to gather is to philosophize.”
Gathering & Sharing:
The philosophy of “gathering” and “sharing” harmonizes with the experience of tasting. The unity that arises from the process of “eating together” makes people feel closeness and bond with each other, leading us to the realization of “becoming.” This is exactly the ritual of the meze: the company and the sharing of food placed in the middle of the table. The gustatory and social experience shared by two or more people. The “marriage” of the traditional with the modern, the familiar, and the familial through the futuristic perspective of the chef.
Development Cuisine:
Vatanee’s menu is characterized by the term “Development Cuisine,” meaning that both techniques and taste are constantly evolving, methodically and purposefully on an annual basis.
Seasonality & Locality:
All raw materials come from the sea and land of the area where Vatanee is located. The fish are fresh, caught daily by fishermen we know personally. Vegetables, fruits, herbs, and aromatics come from the gardens of local producers. The farm-to-table process is an integral part of our operation and the chef’s culinary perspective.
Vatanee designs its menu based on the absolute seasonality of raw materials. With respect for nature and its wisdom, we use seasonal ingredients and highlight them in every dish. Throughout the year, the chef selects the best quality ingredients and engages in preparations that require months of preparation, such as pickling and curing.
Authenticity & Elevated Cooking:
Faith in tradition, along with the sense of self-sufficiency created by the Greek land, is the time machine for our evolution and development. The chef transports back in time, feeling the value and finesse of simplicity that shaped his culinary identity, and creates a high gastronomic result. He applies authentic curing and fermentation techniques that have existed for centuries and, with his explosive creativity, uses all modern gastronomic methods to introduce us to the culture of meze. The true elevation of cooking comes from the harmony and balance of quantity, intensity, taste, inspiration, and the visual result that is a blend of tradition and futurism.
Sustainability:
One of the main features of meze is small portions. This means that all ingredients are fully utilized. We do not waste resources, and from one ingredient, we create many preparations, such as stocks made from fish bones, shellfish shells, and vegetable stems. Pickling and curing have always been ways to preserve food, resulting in no food waste. This is where the zero waste philosophy begins.
Zero Waste:
Close to nature and a sustainable lifestyle, the chef seeks food in its natural environment, avoiding anything standardized. The zero waste mentality is reflected in the menu and demonstrated by the management of raw materials, as well as the portions served. This is the ideal way for people to reconnect with the source of their food and feel respect and sanctity.
Emotions:
Our memories are what we felt.
Scents, sounds, landscapes, textures, words, experiences.
Together, they compose our personal Vatanee.
This is exactly what is embodied in Vatanee.
My own memories begin and remain in the Peloponnese, specifically in the village of Epitalio, where all wild nature harmoniously combines. They have the aroma of the herbs and vegetables from our fields, the sounds of wild hunting, the tastes of my grandfather's cured foods, the sweetness of honey, and the warmth of baked bread.
These are also the basic ingredients in Vatanee: cured foods, salt, oil, honey, bread—all the things I found in the home where I grew up. A liberating simplicity.
A simplicity I consciously wanted to reconnect with, to transform into food, to honor small producers, people and hands who continue to produce with sustainability and respect for nature at their core.
Our cooking method will be in absolute harmony with the production process and the rhythms of nature.
A nature that is neither inexhaustible nor taken for granted.
A nature that the more we care for it,
the more it gives us,
the more we have.
Friends of Vatanee Restaurant:
Elena Psarri
Dionysios Anastopoulos
Georgios Kavakliotis
Anastasia Kairaklidou
Teona Bolkvadze