Located in an old timber shed, GRECA in Brisbane is a restaurant all about traditional Greek food. Its interior fit-out, therefore, needed to encapsulate the authenticity of the food through the design.

George Livissianis brought his signature minimalist design aesthetic to the table. Rustic and modern, refined yet relaxed – the brief required a unique approach that could bridge multiple dichotomies to ensure a balanced outcome.

GRECA is owned by restaurateur Jonathan Barthelmess and instilled the importance of putting produce and food front and centre. This resulted in the kitchen becoming a central part of the restaurant’s overall design. Utilising the sub-tropical climate of Brisbane, the space spills from indoors to outdoors while the central kitchen burns with a fire pit.

Opting for homey comfort and familiarity, GRECA features rich textures of the original building, while the whitewashed finish gives it an entirely new skin. The whitened walls also conjure the whitewash of typical Mediterranean locales.

Other splashes of softness have been added with soft linen curtains, woven cord seats and well-worn looking timber throughout. Elevating the craftiness and softness even further are simple additions such as the waxed paper lantern shades.

The space is truly a mixture of old and new, high and low – while exuding a level of finesse that is synonymous with an interior by George Livisiannis.

GRECA is a contemporary take on the traditional Greek taverna, the menu is focused around communal eating and pays homage to the Mediterranean generosity that sister Sydney restaurant The Apollo is renowned for.

Photography by Tom Ferguson.

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