“Rediviva Cucina Povera”, a Mediterranean cuisine restaurant, in Tsinari, in one of the most picturesque neighborhoods of Ano Poli, is entering its 10th year of operation. Its name is inspired by the “poor man’s kitchen”, the cuisine of the “Italian peasantry”, as it was shaped in the past in the neighboring country, when the limited availability of food became creative cooking, to prevail, later, as an internationally recognized “style” of cooking, which starts from the few, the simple and the ingredients that are available at any given time.

And this is exactly the philosophy of Rediviva. In its kitchen, strictly seasonal ingredients are used, as nature provides us with each season, and the menu is renewed according to the seasons. In addition, the raw materials come (as far as possible) from local producers and organic crops, as well as from the estate owned by Rediviva in Chortiatis, where, in addition to vegetables, a multitude of aromatic plants are cultivated, as well as edible flowers (colocynth, calendula, borage, nasturtium, pansies).

This year, in fact, the estate was enriched with a greenhouse where experimental microgreens are cultivated, i.e. vegetables that are harvested in a very short period of time from sowing (10-25 days), are usually consumed raw, have 40 times greater nutritional value than regular vegetables and create incredible salads but also add special flavor nuances to the dishes in which they are used.

The team of people of “Rediviva Cucina Povera” and their philosophy

Stavros Ifantis, a “food collector”, as he describes himself, collects wild mushrooms, asparagus, berries and a wide variety of wild herbs that enrich the restaurant’s cuisine. The talented chef, Alexandra Siskou, former owner of the restaurant “Is Tin Polin” who creates dishes with the distinctive aroma of Constantinople and Giorgos Hatziavramidis, a professional chef with previous experience in many restaurants, are today the core of “Rediviva Cucina Povera”, flanked by some younger but talented collaborators.

The restaurant, which operates as a Social Cooperative Enterprise, first opened in the fall of 2015. Since then, their cuisine has been constantly enriched with new flavors and suggestions, searching for and trying local dishes and products, creatively utilizing our rich Greek and Mediterranean culinary tradition, keeping it alive and current. Thus, they constantly enrich their menu through collective tastings, presenting new dishes of the day every week.

Key ingredients of the success of “Rediviva Cucina Povera” are the unwavering belief in “delicious” food, the good quality of the raw materials, the careful, fresh, seasonal raw materials, the care and “affection” in cooking, the “farm to table” approach and the pursuit of sustainable gastronomy. “Rediviva” is an alternative, collaborative, democratic restaurant/tavern, accessible to the common man, with a very good quality-price ratio and fair wages for employees.

The original philosophy that was put into practice and the belief that as a venture it would have a good outcome, right from the start, were also what ensured its steady course over these nine years. Its people are constantly learning, listening to people’s preferences and proposing increasingly delicious ideas. And all this in the most picturesque, perhaps, area of ​​Ano Poli, in Tsinari, where in addition to the restaurant’s “living room” with the open kitchen, where dishes are prepared in full view, it also operates in an elevated green courtyard, which, heated and protected from the winds, awaits its visitors even in the winter months.

The road to “Rediviva”

You will reach “Rediviva Cucina Povera” by following the straight uphill road from the Hellenic Sub-Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace towards Ano Poli, which will lead you to the historic fountain of Murat II. A few meters further down on 70 Alexandras Papadopoulou Street you will find yourself right in front of the restaurant, while a few meters further on the city walls extend.

“Rediviva Cucina Povera” itself, in one of the most historic neighborhoods of the city, has been writing its own history in the area of ​​Thessaloniki’s flavors in recent years. And it is preparing its own … “food stories” to tell us.

Tip: During peak hours, make a reservation to be sure of your table.

The menu of “Rediviva Cucina Povera” can also be enjoyed via Wolt or e-food.