Meze: Why No One Plays the Lead Role at a Greek Table

In Germany, there's almost always a clear hierarchy on the plate: one main dish, with a side dish playing a supporting role. The star is decided before the fork even reaches the table. In Greece, it's different — and not just because of taste, but because of an idea that's over 2,000 years old.

The word "meze" originally comes from Persian ("mazze" = taste), traveled through the Ottoman Empire into Greek, and became something entirely its own: a way of eating together where no single dish claims the leading role. Tzatziki, dolmadakia, grilled octopus, saganaki — everything sits on the table at the same time, everything matters equally, and everyone reaches in whenever they like.

But the real root goes even deeper, into ancient Greece. The "symposion" (literally: "drinking together") was far more than a banquet — it was a social and philosophical space where wine, small dishes, and conversation were inseparable. Plato named one of his most important dialogues after exactly this. At the symposion table, there was no seat of honor reserved for a single dish — just a circle of equals who took their time. Meze, you could say, is the symposion that survived into the present — just without the long speeches about love.

That's exactly what makes meze almost democratic: no one orders "their" dish and defends it with a fork. You share, negotiate, trade — and the food becomes conversation.

Now it's your turn: below you'll find two comments — one for "Team big plate" and one for "Team meze". Reply to the one that's you — we're counting!

Here on Arndtstraße, that's exactly how we fill the table: many small plates, plenty to talk about, and no hierarchy at all. Only 3 days left until the Drachmen Fest on 29.09.! And save the date: from 04.10. to 15.10. we'll be on our annual break — reopening on 16.10., with even more meze on the table.