Restaurant Launches Greek Financial Crisis-Themed Menu

Restaurants love serving a themed menu — over the years, themes have included hip-hop, Fifty Shades of Grey, Beyonce, America, and even David Bowie — but one currently served at a restaurant in Berlin may be the most unique. According to the Local, Restaurant Z — a Greek restaurant in the city's Kreuzberg district — is serving a menu themed after the Greek financial crisis.

The menu has been a talking point among diners.

Owner Georgios Chrissisi, who was born in Greece but has lived in Germany for the past 24 years, tell the paper that he came up with the idea two weeks ago. He then set about whipping up seven new dishes and soon the Greek Crisis Menu was born. Dishes include starters like "IMF calamari," and "Tsipras' Favorite" (named after Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras) to mains like "Schäublexit Platter" which is inspired by German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble and is lamb-based.

Restaurant Z/Facebook

Chrissisi was worried that people might "react negatively" but so far, "people laugh when they see the menu items." He adds that the menu "has been a talking-point among diners" and that it has "led to discussions about the Greek crisis." The menu will be available through mid-August.

Restaurateurs are dealing with the Greek financial crisis in different ways: While Chissisi is cooking up themed menus, another restaurant owner in Athens, Greece is turning to Bitcoin. Nick Houtas, the owner of Tavern Agelos, is giving customers who pay with Bitcoin a 20 percent discount. He hopes to inspire more people to use the currency.