by John Fisher
Cafés
Everest
Ermoú 2, Platía Sindágmatos. Daily 24 hr.
With an Easy Internet Café upstairs, this branch of the sandwich chain is always busy. While you can eat in, you may prefer to collect a picnic to take to the National Gardens.
Oasis
West side of National Gardens, opposite cnr of Amalías and Filellínon.
This café just off the main avenue is an unexpected haven, offering ice cream, ouzo and mezédhes in the shade.
Restaurants
Aigli Restaurant Bar
Záppio Gardens tel 210 33 69 363.
Pricey, smart restaurant with a fabulous setting, the haunt of politicians and diplomats. The food is “modern Mediterranean”, which here means Greek with French and Italian influences.
Mets, Pangráti and Koukáki
For a taste of old Athens, head along to Mets, a steep hillside area with almost-intact streets of pre-World War II houses. With their tiled roofs, shuttered windows and courtyards with spiral metal staircases and potted plants, they offer an intimate glimpse at the more traditional side of the city, and it’s here, around Márkou Mousoúrou and Arhimídhous, that you’ll find the city’s most authentic tavernas and bars. The residential district of Pangráti, too, has a wealth of small, homely tavernas and mezhedopoleía:Platía Plastíra, Platía Varnáva and Platía Pangratíou are the focal points, the first with a large, old-fashioned kafeníon where you can sit for hours on a leafy terrace for the price of a coffee. Several other fine tavernas lie tucked away on and around Platía Varnáva and nearby Odhós Arhimídhous: the latter also holds an impressive street market every Friday. More places to eat lie down towards Leofóros Vasiléos Konstandínou; while you’re there it’s worth taking a look at nearby Odhós Ágras, an attractive stepped street where Nobel-laureate poet George Seferis once lived.
Pangrátiis also where you’ll find the original Olympic Stadium, which occupies an impressive spot next to Ardhittós Hill, as well as Athens’ First Cemetery, where lie the much-visited tombs of many of the country’s luminaries.
Koukáki, huddled close around the southern slopes of Filopáppou Hill, is another district that sees few tourists yet lies in close proximity to the slopes of the Acropolis and the theatres of Dionysos and Herodes Atticus. Tranquil and shady, with tree-lined streets, it’s another place that’s great for eating and drinking.
You can reach all three areas on foot from the centre, but if you don’t fancy the stroll you can hop on to a #2, #4 or #12 trolley to Platía Plastíra, or use the very handy Akrópoli or Syngroú-Fix metro stations.
The Panathenaic Stadium
The old Olympic Stadium(aka the Panathenaic Stadium or the Kalimármaro) is a nineteenth-century reconstruction on Roman foundations, slotted tightly in between the pine-covered spurs of Ardhittós Hill.
This site was originally marked out in the fourth century BC for the Panathenaic athletic contests, but in Roman times, as a grand gesture to mark the reign of the emperor Hadrian, it was adapted for an orgy of blood sports, with thousands of wild beasts baited and slaughtered in the arena. The Roman senator Herodes Atticus later undertook to refurbish the 60,000 seats of the entire stadium; the white marble from thesewas to provide the city with a convenient quarry through the ensuing seventeen centuries.
The stadium’s reconstruction dates from the modern revival of the Olympic Games in 1896 and bears witness to the efforts of another wealthy benefactor, the Alexandrian Greek Yiorgos Averoff. Its appearance – pristine whiteness and meticulous symmetry – must be very much as it was when first restored and reopened under Herodes Atticus.It’s still used by local athletes and as the finishing point for the Athens Marathon – and indeed for the 2004 Olympic Games marathon.
The River Ilisós and Ardhittós Hill
Few visitors to Athens would be aware of it, but the area bounded by the suburbs of Koukáki, Pangráti and Mets is in fact a river valley through which the River Ilisós once flowed openly. In ancient times the river flowed outside the protective walls of Athens, but nowadays it runs mostly underground. The only section visible to visitors is a small area at the south side of the supporting walls of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The double sources of this lost river Ilisós are near the Kessarianí monastery and at Karéas near the church of St John the Theologian.
Ilisós, in antiquity, was a demi-god, the son of Poseidon and Demeter, and was worshipped in a sanctuary on Ardhittós Hill next to the Olympic Stadium; several temples, bridges and sanctuaries existed along what was once a bucolic location. Ardhittós Hill is still widely held to be haunted by ancient spirits.
The First Cemetery
The First Cemetery (Próto Nekrotafío)shelters the tombs of just about everybody who was anybody in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Greece, from Heinrich Schliemann to former prime minister Andreas Papandreou. The humbler tombs of musicians, artists and writers are interspersed with ornate mausoleums of soldiers, statesmen and wealthyfamilies, whose descendants come to picnic, stroll and tend the graves. The graveside statuary occasionally attains the status of high art, most notably in the works of Ianoulis Halepas, a belle époque sculptor from Tínos. Halepas battled with mental illness for most of his life and died in extreme poverty in 1943; his masterpiece is the idealized Kimiméni (Sleeping Girl), on the right about 300m in.
Restaurants
Aenaon
Plateía Varnáva 9, Pangráti tel 210 70 15 169. Closed Sun.
Mid-range place popular for its wine-mezédhes, especially the spicy “fire and lava” version. Good draught wine is served, and rebétika sessions take place on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Apanemia
Erekthíou 2 & Veïkou, Koukáki tel 210 92 28 766. Closed Sun.
A smart ouzerí with a particularly large selection of decently priced mezédhes, seafood and fine meat dishes such as pot-roast goat.
Edodi
Veïkou 80, Koukáki tel 210 92 13 013. Eves only, closed Sun.
One of Athens’ finest restaurants, Edodi is a great place for a splurge. The imaginative dishes can be almost dazzling – with prices to match – and include swordfish in a crust of potatoes with mustard sauce, and tart with feta, tomato, aubergine and prosciutto. Waiters will show you all of the various creations before you make a choice.
Karavitis
Pafsaníou 4, Pangráti tel 210 72 15 155. Eves only.
A traditional, good-value taverna withdraught wine, mezédhes and oven-bakedmain courses. In summer there’s outdoor seating in an enclosed garden.
Kalimarmaron
Evforíonos 13 & Eratosthénous, Pangráti tel 210 70 19 727. Closed Mon & Sun.
A neat little taverna with a constantly changing menu of carefully prepared and original dishes.
To Kalyvi
Empedhokléous 26, Pangráti tel 210 75 20 641. Eves only, closed June–Sept.
A good budget choice, serving excellent, traditional mezédhes-type fare. The decor’s rustic and they sometimes have live music.
Mayemenos Avlos
Amýnda 4, Pangráti tel 210 72 23 195.
The long-established Mayemenos Avlos is one of a trio of small tavernas on this diminutive square. The setting is intimate and the patronage mainly Greek. Serves the usual grills and mezédhes at prices that don’t hit too hard, and there’s occasional live music.
Pinelopi kai Mnistires
Imittoú 130, Pangráti tel 210 75 68 555.
Close to Plateía Profíti Ilía, Pinelopi kai Mnistires (Penelope and her Suitors) is a bustling restaurant favoured by Greeks in search of fun and no-nonsense food such as the mid-priced mousakás and souvláki.There’s live music most evenings.
Psistaria Ambrosia
Dhrákou 3–5, Koukáki tel 210 92 20 281.
Just up from Syngrou-Fix metro, this popular grill place offers great value on a pedestrian street full of fast-food outlets and small restaurants.
Spondi
Pýrronos 5, Pangráti tel 210 75 2
0 658.Eves only.
A contender for Athens’ best restaurant, the swish menu here is French-influenced and is characterized by its combination of simplicity and originality. The dishes include cream of mushrooms with foie gras and truffle, and fillet of sea bass in a fennel, olive-oil and vanilla sauce.
O Themistoklis
Vasiléos Georgíou 31 & Spýrou Merkoúri, Pangráti tel 210 72 19 553.
An inexpensive little hole-in-the-wall kind of eatery – known as koutoúki in Greek – where the speciality isbekrí mezés (meat cubes in a spicy sauce).
Vyrinis
Arhimídhous 11, Pangráti tel 210 70 12 153. Closed Sun.
A good, low-key and good-value taverna, with its own house wine and a wide variety of mezédhes. There’s garden seating in summer.
Xanthippi
Arhimídhous 14 & Ágras, Pangráti tel 210 75 60 514.
Just behind the Olympic Stadium and set in a converted old house, Xanthippi servesappetizing mezédhes, crêpes and meat dishes.
Bars
Açai
Márkou Mousoúrou 1, Mets tel 210 92 37 109. Opens 9pm. €12 entrance on Fri & Sat.
A popular venue with the over-thirties, the balcony here has some of the best views of Athens and Lykavittos by night. The music varies from dance to mainstream.
The Guys
Lembési 8, Makriyánni tel 210 92 14 244. Wed–Mon 10pm–3am.
A cool, gay lounge-bar where the Greek and international music draws in a mature crowd.
Koukles
Zan Moreás 3, cnr Syngroú, Koukáki tel 210 92 48 989. Wed–Sun only.
This gay establishment has the best drag acts in Athens (Koukles means “dolls”).
Live music
Diavolos Musiki Spiti
Dhrákou 9, Koukáki tel 210 92 39 588. Closed Mon, Tues & May–Sept.
Owned by the popular singer Yiannis Glezos, who sometimes puts in an appearance himself, the music here ranges from rebétika to popular in style. The cover charge includes a drink, and on Thursday nights there are tango lessons followed by open dancing.
Café Asante
Damáreos 78, Pangráti tel 210 75 60 102. €6.
Expect to see anything from mainstream bands to Afro-Cuban, Indian, Armenian or African outfits, in this excellent, atmospheric venue.
Half-Note
Trivonianoú 17, Mets tel 210 92 13 310.Closed Tues and much of the summer.
Good live jazz most nights, often featuring acts from abroad.
Stravos tou Notou
Tharípou 37, Neos Kosmos.
One of the liveliest rock clubs in town, featuring mostly Greek acts but with the occasional foreign artist.
Suburban Athens
Athens pushes its suburbs higher and wider each year and all the places covered in this chapter, originally well outside the city, are now approached through a more or less continuous urban landscape. Nonetheless, they variously offer fresh air, seaside settings, and a change of pace from downtown Athens.
The monasteries of Dhafní and Kessarianí, for example, just half an hour or so from the centre, each retain a definite countryside setting and make for an enjoyable break from the central bustle. Dhafní has world-famous mosaics; while Kessarianí offers exceptional peace and fine walking.
The northern suburb of Kifissiá, with its expensive villas, provides an insight into wealthy Athenian life. Its relaxed combination of upmarket shopping and café society, especially busy on Saturdays, can be combined with a visit to the Goulandhrís Natural History Museum and Gaia Centre.
On the coast, Pireás and the resort of Glyfádha are technically not part of Athens (indeed, Pireás is a proud municipality in its own right). Nevertheless, they too are connected by excellent public transport and by an unbroken ribbon of development. Pireás has ferries to the islands, a couple of good museums and some fine waterfront dining. Glyfádha and the beach suburbs surrounding it are the chief summertime escape for overheating Athenians: not just beaches, but cafés, restaurants, clubs and more shops.
Dhafní
Ierá Odhós, Haïdhari tel 210 58 11 558. Check latest opening details with the tourist office.
As well as being a fabulous example of Byzantine architecture at its best, Dhafní Monastery is decorated with mosaics that are considered among the artistic masterpieces of the Middle Ages. The eleventh-century church you see today replaced a fortified fifth-century basilica, which in turn had been adapted from the ruins of a sanctuary of Apollo – the name is derived from the daphnai (laurels) sacred to the god. Both the church and the fortifications which enclose it incorporate blocks from the ancient sanctuary; however, the complex has been rebuilt and restored so many times over the years that it’s hard to tell what is original.
Inside the church, the celebrated mosaic cycle is remarkable for its completeness: there are scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin, saints, archangels and prophets. The most magnificent is the Pandokrátor (Christ in Majesty) on the dome: lit by the sixteen windows of the drum, and set against a background of gold, this stern image directs a tremendous and piercing gaze, his finger poised on the Book of Judgement.
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Dhafní transport
Take bus #A16 or #B16 from Platía Eleftherías, 300m down Pireós from Omónia (Platía Eleftherías is popularly known as Platía Koumoundoúrou and the return buses are so marked); the monastery is to the left of the road, about twenty minutes’ ride. Note that the Dhafní metro station is actually in the suburb of Dhafní, on the other side of the city.
Dhafní is easily combined with a visit to Eleusis, a further twenty-minute ride on the #A16 bus route.
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Kessarianí
Tel 210 72 36 619. Tues–Sun 8am–2.30pm; €2.50.
The monastery of Kessarianíis a beautiful and wonderfully peaceful place, just 5km from the centre of the city and yet high enough up the slopes of Mount Imittós to escape the hubbub.
The sources of the River Ilissos provide for extensive gardens hereabouts, as they have done since ancient times. Athenians still come to collect water from the local fountains, though these days you’re strongly advised not to drink it.The monastery buildings date from the eleventh century, though the frescoes in the chapel (a classic cross-in-square design) are much later – executed during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It’s a small place, and doesn’t take long to see – don’t miss the ram’s head spouting spring water round the back of the church.
The monastery gardens and the pine-forested slopes around are popular picnic and hiking spots for Athenians. Follow the paths above the monastery, and you’ll find a number of chapels and ruined buildings, many of them signposted. From the top – follow signs to Lófos Taxiarchoú – there are wonderful views across Athens to Pireás and the sea beyond, with the Acropolis rising in the foreground.
On the way down you can explore Kessarianí district. Its attractively ramshackle streets don’t have anything specifically to seek out, but there are plenty of places to grab a bite or a drink.
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Kessarianí transport
Take blue bus #223 or #224 from Akadhimías to the terminus by Kessarianí municipal stadium. From here the monastery is a thirty- to forty-minute climb straight ahead, on a path beside the road up the lower slopes of Mount Imittós.
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Kifissiá
Set on the leafy lower slopes of Mount Pendéli, Kifissiá is one of Athens’ swishest suburbs, offering some great designer shopping and a good selection of upmarket eating and drinking options. Its lovely nineteenth-century summer villas and – thanks to the location – the peaceful, cool atmosphere, mean that it comes as a marked change of pace to the vibrancy of the city centre.
Shopping and dining aside, the Goulandhrís Natural History Museum (daily except Fri 9am–2.30pm; €3) offers a more cultural excuse to visit. Set in a fine old mansion, the collection has especially good coverage of Greek birds, butterflies and endangered species such as the
monk seal and loggerhead sea turtle, plus a 250,000-specimen herbarium. Perhaps more interesting, especially for kids, the adjacent Gaia Centre (same hours; €4.50) offers a mildly interactive trip through the natural cycle of the earth and ecological issues (note that labelling is in Greek, so be sure to get an audio guide). Lastly, the Pinakothiki Kouvoutsaki (Tues–Fri 9am–2pm & 6–9pm; Sat & Sun 10am–3pm; free) is a private collection of modern Greek figurative art that’s worth a quick look.
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Kifissiá transport
Kifissiá is the northernmost stop on the metro, 35 minutes or so from Omónia, passing the Olympic site at Iríni along the way. There are also numerous buses, including the #550, which heads through the centre via Syngroú and Vassilísis Sofías, and the #E7, #A7 and #B7, all of which start from Platía Káningos near Omónia.
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Pireás
Pireás has been the port of Athens since Classical times, when the so-called Long Walls, scattered remnants of which can still be seen, were built to connect it to the city. Today it is a substantial metropolis in its own right and the port has a gritty fascination of its own, but the real attractions are around the smaller-boat harbours of Zéa Marina and Mikrolímano. Here, the upscale residential areas are alive with attractive waterfront cafés, bars and restaurants. There’s also an excellent Archeological Museum and a big Sunday-morning flea market – more an event to experience than a place to shop. Above all, Athenians come to Pireás to eat on the waterfront, and the excellent fish tavernas are packed at weekends.
