About us
Yayaka… a greek word that is linked to everyone’s childhood memories, meaning the person that raised them, aka their granny! When our yayaka sadly passed away, she left us with a picture of our family sitting together around the table, where she would offer her most delicious treat, her famous pita made with leek and feta cheese. No one could say no to this crunchy, full of fresh ingredients, mouthwatering piece of pita. This dear feeling of being at home inspired us to create YAYAKA, where you can experience the emotions and love we received, through food and ambience. Our recipes are based on Yayakas from all around Greece, making sure that their stories reach you through their delicacies. It is our belief that tradition should be cherished. That is why we make our pies, specifically, in the old fashioned but nonetheless artisan way: hand-rolled on a wooden board, with a slim wooden stick that gives each phyllo the perfect size, shape and texture. Of course our yayakas had more tricks up their sleeves! Greek cuisine is vast and we are happy to be collaborating with various small businesses from all over Greece, sending us top quality products to incorporate in our menu, making sure that every bite makes you feel as if you are home.
Our inspiration
As mentioned our story came to life some years ago when our grandmother, Eugenia, passed away. Yayaka Eugenia was a sweet woman, born "when the leaves started falling", as she'd say, in the village of Drosopigi' a gem in the northernmost part of Greece. Her father used to run a gristmill, so she became familiar with the process of flour-making. Having to face poverty and the harsh conditions of the mountain, families used to make pies as a food that could sustain them for long. Yayaka Eugenia loved sharing stories of her childhood over a piece of pie and a glass of ayran. In that sharing of her tale, we came to realise that our personal stories, tradition and most importantly the emotions we experience alongside our beloved people are the things that push us forward with a special kind of love for what we do. And so, over a piece of pie and a glass of ayran, we would like to offer you the same, just like our yayaka would have done!
Our vision
Our priority is for you to feel welcome and appreciated in a small but comfortable space, while enjoying the quality of our menu. We are committed to fulfilling your needs and building long-term loyalty. Of course, nothing beats seasonality and freshness and that is what we are aiming at. As our philosophy instructs, at Yayaka we are using fresh and organic ingredients, highlighting our extra virgin olive oil, sourced by local farmers of Messinia (Peloponnese) and Halkidiki (Southern Macedonia), with its acidity not reaching more than 0.5. What is more, we have great concern over our carbon footprint, and for that reason we have chosen to use recyclable packaging and take an eco-friendly approach in our operations in an effort to have a positive impact on the environment for the generations to come.
