The Mykonos Restaurant That Marries Tradition With Innovation

Situated in a former open-air cinema Nōema is a classy restaurant, bar and idea retailer within the heart of Mykonos city. Utilizing time-honoured Cycladic traditions, the menu leans in the direction of substances which are cured, fermented, sun-dried, and flame-grilled, whereas the boutique spotlights native and unbiased designers.

Nōema is the Greek phrase for “that means” or “substance”—how does that relate to what the restaurant is making an attempt to realize? Everybody has a distinct thought of what “significant” is. Understanding the tales behind a meal together with the cultural significance or the aim of an ingredient might help elevate and form a night out. Nōema tells a narrative—by means of the meals, the workers, and the precise house.

Nōema is a hybrid house designed to encourage a powerful sense of neighborhood and place—who’s the Noema neighborhood and the way do you carry them collectively? The restaurant is situated within the heart of Mykonos City, and this creates a hidden, close-knit ambiance. The kitchen is filled with younger cooks, there’s an ever-changing neighborhood of musicians passing by means of, and folks simply come collectively within the house.

What are among the signature dishes and why? Does the menu change all through the season? The menu is ever-changing, relying on the season. When visiting Nōema, you must all the time attempt the fish of the day. Simplicity is vital with this dish. A closely seasoned fish is usually an indication that it’s not contemporary, however a freshly caught fish, served with native olive oil and lemon, is a superb alternative at Nōema.

How have you ever reinterpreted among the traditional Greek dishes to make them extra modern and distinctive? Greece is so geographically various that there isn’t one monolithic “Greek” delicacies. The meals tradition of the Cyclades is one thing that we wish to experiment with. These islands have a wealthy heritage round preserving, curing, and pickling substances. The kitchen adopts these conventional strategies but in addition modifies them, incorporating surprising substances, for instance, to create one thing surprising.

Let’s have a look at a tomato: a contemporary July tomato is ideal for a Greek salad. However the identical can’t all the time be stated later within the season, so by using these time-tested preservation strategies that tomato transforms into one thing solely totally different come October.

Ok-Studio is understood for designing areas that commemorate the historical past and architectural traditions of a location—how are these two concepts communicated within the design and aesthetic at Nōema? In the present day, easy whitewashed buildings are symbolic of Mykonos city, however this was not all the time the case. Whitewashing was in truth first launched for hygiene causes throughout a cholera outbreak within the Nineteen Thirties, after which the aesthetic caught.

At Nōema we’ve chosen a palette of muted charcoals—a nod to the granite boulders—and creamy caramels—to echo the stone partitions and golden seashores of Mykonos. The design groups we labored with, Lambs & Lions and Ok-Studio, made certain that nature and the native surrounds supplied the inspiration for all the Nōema undertaking.

The wealthy umber wooden used all through can also be a nod to the previous. The design workforce visited the Folklore Museum of Mykonos to study the normal strategies for treating wooden. This meant utilizing petroleum as a varnish after which leaving the fabric within the solar to seal. The ensuing darkish burnt patina provides the interiors a way of historical past and gravitas.

There’s additionally an idea retailer as a part of the providing—how do you discover and supply designers for this house? The Retailer goals to showcase Greek and worldwide artisanship by means of clothes, footwear, jewelry, cosmetics, design objects, books, and magazines. Unbiased manufacturers corresponding to Garçon Sauvage, Le Kasha, and Sophie Deloudi will be discovered within the retailer. Nōema additionally has its personal signature line, Prao, designed by Marios Schwab, impressed by the easy magnificence of native island life.

This season, The Retailer additionally incorporates a capsule assortment by Historic Greek Sandals; easy fundamentals by Parthenis; swimwear from Norma Kamali and Eres; kaftans by LemLem; and Castañer espadrilles.

How does a night unfold? How is the music curated? At Nōema, the kitchen workforce draw from their very own experiences and background to create contemporary and progressive dishes, and the music program follows an analogous formulation. Curated by DJ and producer Lannka, he encourages instrumentalists, sound artists, vocalists, different DJs, and surprising skills from world wide to carry out and collaborate. Greece has been absorbing musical influences for hundreds of years. Nōema is a continuation of this: a spot the place historic devices will be heard alongside rising and surprising mediums.