A Snob’s Guide to Athens
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I will tell you not of islands, because you will visit them anyway. (And you can’t go wrong if you pair a big one with a quainter one: Paros with Antiparos, Santorini with Folegandros, Mykonos with Tinos, Spetses with Hydra.) I will speak instead of Athens, which took time for me to love but which I now approach with something close to worship. The city has changed, for sure, but even before the Acropolis Museum opened, or Renzo Piano did the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, or Ari Vezené served his first pastitsio tartare at Vezené (or Smashburger at Birdman), the place was opened up to me by strangers who now count as some of my dearest friends. (And I never miss any of the above.) They showed me a city discovering itself, with all the excitement that entails.
In summer I stay at the Four Seasons Astir Palace, with its great beach and delicious Taverna 37. The Grande Bretagne is my other home away from home, its location and rooftop view unbeatable. I have also been recommending the Perianth Hotel, for design fans, and I’m excited to see the new Dolli at Acropolis. For houses it’s always @FiveStarGreece. I book through Konstantinos Bastas (KBastas@ovationtravel.com) and always reserve an archaeological tour with Michael Patmanidis. And before I set foot in the Lalaounis store or Martinos antiques, or book a concert at the Herodion with pre-theater dinner at Attikos and a walk along the beautiful Dionysiou Areopagitou path, I grab a frappé sketo (no sugar, no milk). These three local eminences determine what I do next.
Walking with Peter Poulos
Expat and Athenian Flaneur
We start at the National Garden, near Syntagma Square, a wonderland of plants, parrots, exercising Evzones, and chic Athenians. We head next to Ariston Bakery, for one of the city’s best pitas, then across the street into an Athenian stoa (think proto–indoor mall) to Aristokratikon chocolatiers, a favorite of Princess Grace’s. Before lunch a cup of mountain tea at Athenée, formerly the famous Zonar’s. Then to Voukourestiou Street (Lalaounis on the corner!), with its elegant shops. (I’m a fan of interwar architecture, and the neighborhood of Kolonaki is loaded with it.)
We continue up the hill to my favorite restaurant in Athens, Papadakis, then stroll down Fokilidou Street. The big finale is the Benaki Museum of Greek decorative arts. At which point we’re ready for a well-made martini at The Clumsies, followed by dinner at Nolan (Japanese-Mediterranean fusion) or the more classic Filema on Romvis Street. Greeks do an evening walk: Take the back streets of Pláka with a final lap around the ancient Roman Agora. (Instagram: @MrPeterandMrStavros)
Dining with Kalliopi Kohas
Restaurant Whisperer
We start at Kora bakery in Kolonaki (the Upper East Side of Athens) for croissants and coffee to go, or take a seat at Me Kolonaki. Souvlaki lunch at one of the two Kostas; the one in Plateia Eirinis for red pepper sauce, the one in Syntagma for traditional yogurt sauce. Both are packed. Ergon House, the Greek Eataly, is great if you want to sit, or, for outside, Cherchez la Femme. A touristy aperitivo at the Electra Metropolis Hotel, for the most spectacular Acropolis views. For dinner with that view try Michelin-starred the Zillers. Lost Athens, Fita, and Linou Soumpasis are the most delicious of the new age Greek tavernas. Have tarama at all of them. Long day at the Acropolis? Have a meal at Cookoovaya afterward. For dinner with a DJ and a bar scene, Balthazar, Drakoulis Dry & Raw, and Zurbaran.
An Athens surprise: Inside the Varvakios Market, a sushi/seafood restaurant called Hasapika, where early dinner turns into a party on the weekends. In search of a seaside escape? About 20 minutes from the center is Papaioannou in Kavouri, a gorgeous seaside restaurant—eat raw here. Akti in Vouliagmeni is also a seaside stunner; there is uni pasta. And for more fun than just dinner, Krabo is a beach bar restaurant that’s great at lunch and gets lively at night; the Island Club Athens Riviera gets even livelier. (Instagram: @FoodieMuse)
Art with Tina Daskalantonaki
Writer and Independent Curator
The ancients take center stage in this city, and you should absolutely tour the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum (look for Agamemnon and the terra-cotta figurines), and the Museum of Cycladic Art. This summer an exhibit called “Homecoming” displays 15 pieces from antiquity presented together for the first time, and there’s an excellent gift shop and a chic café.
It would be a shame not to see a concert at the theater of the Herodion, or to take a two hour ride to Epidaurus to see a Greek tragedy in its birthplace (Frank Castorf’s Medea premieres there this summer).
Athens has also become a spot for contemporary art, with galleries like Breeder and new design spaces like Mare Studio, which will exhibit chairs from Greek artists beginning this May, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art (known as EMST). For something in between ancient and modern, the Canellopoulos Museum showcases the family’s own collection of Greek art, with works dating from 5000 BC to the 19th century. Slim Aarons fans: That rooftop pool shot with the view of the Acropolis was taken at the family’s Syntagma Square home. And because food is culture, I recommend Pharaoh for amazing Cretan food. Try the horta with unsalted mizithra from my hometown. (Instagram: @diachronique.)
WISH LIST
If you're a fan of Slim Aarons or have just read Miguel Flores-Vianna's wonderful Haute Bohemians: Greece, you'll recognize the mosaic floor of the royal folly known as the Queen's Tower on the Pyrgos Vasilissis estate. You can see it for yourself, visit the horses in its stables, and taste the wine produced here. Just book in advance.
This story appears in the Summer 2023 issue of Town & Country.
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