We blend natural ingredients, primitive techniques, and forward flavors that remain simple to the core of the soul and soulful. We blend the rustic earthiness of our mainland with the sharpness and salinity of our Aegean and Ionian Sea.

ARI VEZENÉ

Born in New York and raised by Greek immigrants, Ari is the self-taught chef, butcher and owner of eponymous Vezené.

Chef Vezené garnered widespread acclaim and admiration from diners, critics, and other chefs for being the first in Athens to pair traditional Greek recipes with whole-animal butchery, seafood dishes that blend the land and the sea, and extensive dry aging on lamb, goat, and game, resulting in complex flavor profiles. His technique of choice is cooking over wood fire. Read more.

FOUNDER | CHEF

“We cook for ourselves, our families and you, with honesty and intimacy as if you were invited to our home.”

OUR GREEK HERITAGE

We believe our native cuisine is home to an array of different people, sailors, nomads, conquerors, Gods, and demigods, whose presence triggered vast contributions of ideas, recipes, spices and ingredients. All came along packing their traditions, curiosities, ethos and love, all of which were embraced and absorbed. The result of this strew was the appearance of new words, recipes and flavors unique to Greece.

We approach our culinary legacy with an open mind, leaving room to rewrite the chapter as everyone sees fit, allowing it to evolve by building new flavors for generations to come.

THE HEARTH

In Ancient Greek religion, Hestia is a virgin goddess of the hearth fire, the most aboriginal of cooking techniques and perhaps the most carnal of flavors, sits proudly at the center of our kitchen. It is our solar system.

We use cast iron skillets, pans, pots and grates to treat every ingredient with subtlety. It is part of our Greek history, family lineage, and Mediterranean heritage. It is not about direct heat, logs, metal, and bricks, but rather instinct, grace, and humility.

The aroma of our kitchen’s hearth is the promise of a family dinner with infinite dishes to share.

WHOLE - ANIMAL BUTCHERY

At Vezene, we try to connect you to the source of your food, introducing you to each of our farmers by sharing with you the stories of their animals, their farms, and their growing methods.

Our farmers have been selected because of their shared obsession with producing all natural, humanely-raised and extraordinary meat, and we work closely with them to ensure that our rigorous standards are always met.

We honor the life of the animal and we celebrate the tradition of whole animal butchery.