48 Urban Garden opened this year in Athens in the space where the Center of Contemporary Art Ileana Tounta has been located since 1988. This urban garden is a concept from Ileana Tounta and Giorgos Varvaritis, and it was created to meet the need for a quality restaurant with contemporary aesthetic and casual atmosphere.
The source of inspiration for 48 Urban Garden was a contemporary objet trouve ("found object"), an airstream that arrived in Athens from abroad and was then redesigned as a food truck. The owners created a 190-square-meters-sized garden, which unfolds in the center of the city, to surround the eatery.
48 Urban Garden's interior — Photo courtesy of 48 Urban Garden
Interesting selections on the menu include the dirty hamburger – with bacon, onion, homemade sauce and pickles – and the green salad, with beans, radish, lettuce, sesame and chicken.
The menu at 48 Urban Garden has been designed through the collaboration efforts of the owners, Head Chef Giannis Kandylidis, Sous Chefs Eleni Doxiadi and Stefanos Protopapas and Pastry Chef Klio Andriopoulou. The whole team working at the new restaurant is made up of young, creative people.
The bar serves original long drinks made with herbs from the garden, and the prices are reasonable, in accordance with the spirit of the times.
Must-tries are the cocktails. The Swing Terra features gin, cucumber, homemade ginger syrup and chili, and the Alligator Pear mixes together rum, vanilla and grapefruit.
Just as an expert team helped develop the menu, so an expert team of architects designed the space at 48 Urban Garden, formed on various levels with wooden platforms, benches, picnic tables, plots with vegetables and fruit, aromatic herbs and flowers.
During the day, visitors can enjoy their meal or drink under the shadow of the umbrellas and the trees.
The natural light and the relaxed atmosphere are repeated inside the restaurant in a space of 240 square meters. The airstream is placed in the central space on two floors, with a fully equipped kitchen where the chefs prepare dishes with fresh, seasonal products.
The artificial ivy, which covers the walls, the roof and the large wooden bench, create a surreal but also warm space. Attractive lighting, comfortable wooden chairs, green stools and yellow tables add to the ambiance. The minimal lines are enhanced by the tones of white and green. All the furniture has been specially designed for the space.
Stop by 48 Urban Garden to try out their fresh, tasty food and drinks, as well as to take full advantage of this relaxing space.
