To mark World Refugee Day next week on 20 June, Greek chefs and refugee cooks will team up between 18-22 June to serve their favourite dishes and fixed menus across 13 restaurants in Greece as part of the Cooking #WithRefugees Festival organised by UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR and partners.

The festival kicks off in Thessaloniki on Tuesday with a special order of Iraqi cuisine with Haifa and Greek chef Manolis Papoutsakis at the Xaroupi Restaurant, and continues in Athens, Ioannina, and onto the island of Lesvos

Each of the participating restaurants either belongs to refugee cooks or are opening their kitchens to refugee cooks living in Greece.

Among the cuisines being served up are Greek, Syrian, Afghan, Iraqi, Iranian, Congolese, and Moroccan.

Each restaurant will donate part of the revenue to organisations that help refugees integrate in local societies and find their way into the labour market, and that are supporting the festival, including ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth, Caritas Hellas, and the Melissa Network of Migrant Women in Greece.

See the full program below. Those interested in attending can book a table by calling the restaurants directly.

PROGRAM:

Tuesday 18 June
Iraqi Cuisine by Haifa Naze with Greek chef Manolis Papoutsakis• Xaroupi Restaurant, Thessaloniki (lunch, dinner)

Afghan Cuisine by Farid Qadir Ahmad with Greek chef Dimitris Psaradakis • Rakor Restaurant, Kerameikos, Athens (lunch, dinner)

Wednesday 19 June
Afghan Cuisine by Farid Qadir Ahmad with Greek chef Dimitris Psaradakis • Rakor Restaurant, Kerameikos, Athens (lunch, dinner)

Iranian Cuisine by Mehrdad Seyfi with Greek chef Vassilis Sporos • Po’Boys Restaurant, Psyrri, Athens (dinner)

Thursday 20 June
Syrian Cuisine by Barshank Haj Younes • Food Truck, Kypseli Municipal Market, Athens (dinner)

Syrian Cuisine by Ibrahim Ismail • Omilos, Ioannina (dinner)

Friday 21 June
Iranian Cuisine by Mehrdad Seyfi with Greek chef Vassilis Sporos • Po’Boys Restaurant, Psyrri, Athens (lunch, dinner)

Moroccan Cuisine by Touria Besbas with Greek chef Michalis Giannopoulos •StrEaters, Karytsi square, Athens (lunch, dinner)

Iraqi & Syrian Cuisine by Asma Alheder and Roaa Sabah• Mama Roux Restaurant, Monastiraki, Athens (lunch, dinner)

Congolese Cuisine by Espoir Nzau • To magazaki pou legame, Ioannina (dinner)

Afghani Cuisine by Faraidoon Rahmani • Presveia, Ioannina (dinner)

Syrian Cuisine by Ibrahim Ismail • Omilos, Ioannina (dinner)

Saturday 22 June
Iraqi & Syrian Cuisine by Asma Alheder and Roaa Sabah• Mama Roux Restaurant, Monastiraki, Athens (lunch, dinner)

Congolese Cuisine by Espoir Nzau • To magazaki pou legame, Ioannina (dinner)

Afghani Cuisine by Faraidoon Rahmani • Presveia, Ioannina (dinner)

18 to 22 June
Visit a refugee – run restaurant
Traditional Afghan Cuisine by Reza Golami • Folia, Exarhia, Athens (lunch, dinner)

Asian Fusion Cuisine by Huy Tang Nguyen • Golden Phoenix, Kefalari, Athens (dinner, on Saturday lunch and dinner)

Ethnic Cuisine by locals and refugees • NAN, Mytilene, Lesvos (lunch, dinner)

Syrian Cuisine by Mahmood Talaa • Reem, Mytilene, Lesvos (dinner)