The idea of relocating \u201cVassilenas<\/strong>\u201d to a point closer to the centre of Athens<\/strong> was in the works for several years. <\/p>\n But Vassilenas\u2019 new \u201chome\u201d had to come with a compelling history too.<\/p>\n Fortunately, Vassilenas\u2019 new home has a backstory as rich and eventful as the legendary restaurant near the port of Piraeus.<\/p>\nnext<\/a> <\/div>\n The restaurant on Vrasida 13<\/strong>, skirts the verdant Madrid Park and \u2018converses\u2019 with the south-eastern facade of the Hilton, a landmark hotel bearing the signature geometric designs of acclaimed Greek modern artist Yiannis Moralis etched in white marble.<\/p>\n The proximity to the Hilton is what most inspired famous achitects Maria Kokkinou<\/strong> and Andreas Kourkoulas<\/strong> (KK Architects), who undertook to design the new establishment. Moralis\u2019 aesthetic footprint is now mirrored inside the restaurant.<\/p>\nnext<\/a> <\/div>\n The architectural plan<\/strong> proposed the use of \u2018raw\u2019 materials, a subtle visual reference to the 1960s<\/strong> when Vassilenas\u2019 fame first peaked.<\/p>\n Santorini volcanic pumice stone has been used for the restaurant\u2019s interior walls as a reinterpretation of a material commonly used in Athens of the 1950s and 1960s. The ceiling is adorned with green wine bottles, illuminated from the inside with optical fibers, while black sheet metal delivers a polished finish.<\/p>\n An impressive walk-in wine cella<\/strong>r in the main hall reflects the restaurant’s enduring wine orientation. After all, Vassilenas<\/strong> in Piraeus started off with selling \u201cretsina\u201d wine from Megara, back in the 1920s!<\/p>\nnext<\/a> <\/div>\n Alatsi<\/strong>, a respected gastronomic address, operated at the same location for 15 years until 2015 and before that, from 1974 to 2001, it was home to the confectionary house Delice<\/strong>, whose famous \u2018Charlottes\u2019 left indelible memories for a whole generation of Athenians.<\/p>\n The elegant inscription of “Delice” still adorns the top of the building as a nostalgic remnant of a bygone age.<\/p>\nAt Vrasida Street, near the Hilton Hotel<\/h2>\n
The new neighborhood<\/h3>\n
A modern space with discreet references to the past<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The architectural project<\/h3>\n
Delice<\/strong> Pastry Shop & Alatsi<\/strong> Restaurant<\/h2>\n
Life before \u201cVassilenas\u201d<\/h3>\n