Olympus Naoussa in Thessaloniki combines history and high gastronomy. With Chef Dimitris Tasioulas, the cuisine respects Greek tradition, balancing heritage and modern flavors.
The Olympus Naoussa, for us modern visitors or residents of the city, it is a restaurant. To be precise, it is a restaurant that was missing from a metropolis like Thessaloniki. But it was also missing from the city's restaurant scene, which had, and continues to have, a need for top-tier venues dedicated to haute cuisine, venues that complement and confirm its culinary tradition.
Besides this, however, Olympos Naoussa is also a monument of art, culture, and tradition. The building housing the restaurant and the boutique hotel ON Residence it is a characteristic piece of architecture that marks the creation of the new city, the one built upon the ashes of the great fire of 1917. The luxurious interwar-architecture building, featuring neoclassical and Belle Époque elements, began operating in 1927, around the same time (coincidentally) that the famous Coupole in Montparnasse opened its doors.
Olympus Naoussa operated continuously from 1927 to 1994. It returned, equally magnificent, thirty years later, thanks to the interest of the Tornivoukas family. Today's Olympus Naoussa revitalizes this historic space and connects visitors with an important piece of Thessaloniki's artistic and cultural identity. At the same time, it is characterized by the sophistication, elegance, and gastronomic level of an urban society that keeps pace with its history and tradition.
As is more than obvious, a space with such cultural and historical weight could not host culinary creations that do not respect its heritage. Nor could it serve high gastronomy without a focus on Greekness. With the goal set so high, the selection of the person to take the reins of the kitchen was not easy. Nevertheless, as it turned out, it was an absolute success.
Ο Executive Chef Dimitris Tasioulas he was probably not destined for gastronomy. Coming from an upper-class family from Pontus, he studied psychology, but the genes from his mother's side ultimately led him to the culinary world. With a full «bag» of experiences, the successful Sempriko, his own venue Thria, and collaborations with major European restaurants, he took on the demanding project of Olympos Naoussa. And of course, he succeeded.
Dimitris Tasioulas's cuisine is perfectly in line with his origins. It is distinguished by a clear Greek character with upper-class influences, stemming from both his family roots and his international experiences. In his dishes, tradition is admirably balanced with modern perceptions, without ever betraying its Greek soul.
We deliberately don't mention specific dishes: the menu changes often. The overall offering, however, can only be rightly described when you're seated at a table at Olympos Naoussa, looking at the dish and tasting it «with your mind and your eyes,» as the then Michelin PDG used to say years ago.
Greek 
English 
