Lebanese food available 24 hours a day in a unique environment that's set in the idyllic Glyfada suburbs on the coastline in Athens, Greece. Yes please! The latest project by K-Studio in Athens is a new foodie destination in the form of a Lebanese market come restaurant called Souk. A feast for both the plate and the palette, it has been inspired by the characteristic features of Beirut - a multi-faceted city of historical and contemporary culture, religion, architecture and design. Souk sweeps you off your feet and offers you an escape and an adventure that is a real feast for all the senses.

Fresh, warm, eclectic and very inviting, the atmosphere in Souk is certainly stimulating. This incredible new restaurant provides a relaxed, sociable and fun dining journey. Imagine wandering around enjoying the delicious scent of the food, perusing eclectic stalls set in structural concrete columns on an easy to navigate grid. Imagine stopping to watch talented chefs using fresh ingredients to prepare various Lebanese delights such as, 'Manaoushi', 'Saj' and‚ 'Taouk' right in front of you. Yes, it's a real place and the hardest part of going to Souk, is deciding which of the delicious dishes on offer to choose from. The food is complimented with extra delights which result from the magical design of this dining space. As you follow the mosaic pathway on a culinary and aesthetic adventure you know that you have found a unique environment in which to relax and feast.

The use of stripped wood, concrete and industrial metal frames, give the restaurant a clean contemporary edge. The neon sign lighting casts a multicoloured glow amongst the stalls, offering a warmth that emulates the sumptuous street markets in Beirut but with an additional modern party feel. This is further exemplified through the tables which have been laid out in rows, with a striking compilation of modern funky chairs, to create a relaxed banqueting environment. Furthermore, walls on either side of the stalls are painted in blackboard paint on which the latest culinary offers are clearly written. This is fun dining with a capital F!

The Islamic architectural influence is hinted at in the scattered 'Claustra' and abstract faded mosaic floor tiles in earthy yet vibrant colours. There's a rustic and homely feel from the warm glow of lights that resemble heavy ceramic cooking pots, adventurously curated above the tables. Colourful canopy fabrics have been suspended to give the ceiling texture, creating an inviting environment. Souk is both playful and authentic with plywood and steel resembling the materials you might find used for makeshift kiosks on the streets of Beirut. They have been carefully streamlined into cleverly compacted food stalls that are contemporary and engaging.

Souk harmoniously introduces the excitement of a traditional Lebanese street market to contemporary Athens, Greece. It's a brilliant idea delivered in the form of a fantastic new dining experience certain to create a buzz both in the city it inhabits as well as further afield; a destination definitely worth seeking out and experiencing for yourself.

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

photo © Vangelis Paterakis

SOUK: A 24-hour Lebanese Food Market And Restaurant by K-studio

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