A Magical and Flavorful 3 Days in Athens Center
We know Athens is ripe with historical sites and archaeological wonders, but the city is also packed with world class bars and restaurants serving traditional and not-so-traditional food and drinks. Here’s a compact guide to enjoying a delicious time in Athens’ center.
Hotel Grande Bretagne
Our base of operations for our three-day stay in Athens was the truly magical and historic Hotel Grand Bretagne. This hotel has been in continuous operation for over 150 years and was renovated in 2003. It sits regally on central Syntagma Square, where you can watch the ritual changing of the guards. My corner room offered views of the Parthenon and the pedestrians briskly flowing from the metro station below, and the fresh roses on my nightstand were a most elegant touch.
Athens is so walkable, I never got to experience what locals tell me is a safe, easy to navigate metro system. From the Grand Bretagne, I was able to cover a lot of ground on foot, including meeting my Acropolis tour group and walking to all the bars and restaurants I enjoyed.
Alexander’s: A Hotel Bar that’s a Contemporary Classic
You don’t even need to leave the hotel for a magnificent bar experience. Alexander’s, just off the Grand Bretagne lobby. From your perch at the massive marble bar, you can gaze at the detailed 18th century tapestry hanging behind as you ponder the list of classic cocktails, rare cognacs and single malts. In keeping with the old school feel, the “secret” Atrium of Alexander’s Lounge, located in the interior garden with no direct access to the street, you’ll find a Cigar Lounge complete with leather couches and the outdoor cafe, lush with olive trees and flowering bushes and complete serenity.
On the 8th floor, the GB Roof Garden is where you can take your lavish breakfast each day, or have drinks or dinner with a phenomenal view of the acropolis floating above the city. Local wine is definitely a thing–we enjoyed an informative rooftop tasting of elegant Greek wine varieties, and a visit to the wine library on the mezzanine was part of our hotel tour.
Food Shopping Paradise
The streets of the center are lined with storefronts, their windows and doorsteps packed with tempting local delicacies like olives, pastries, and spices. Start your exploration at Varvakios Agora, the Athens Central Market, open since 1884, whose rustic stalls include butchers, green grocers, and fishmongers of course, plus vendors who sell the freshest nuts, dried fruits, and eggs of every stripe, from goose to quail. Next, poke around Evripidou Street to find more shoppable gastronomic treats.
Stop at the historic Mokka café on the edge of the market for the total Greek coffee experience accompanied by a rainbow of spoon fruits, in a bustling atmosphere. The process, where the copper coffee pot brews gently in hot sand, takes time, so if you prefer a quick espresso freddo, the frothy shaken iced coffee drink enjoyed by just about everyone, drop in to one of the numerous modern shops that serve them.
Visit Malotira, a deli in Plaka, for an informative olive oil tasting, and browse their highly curated selection of small production jams, olives, sauces, cookies, and honeys to take home.
Stani, near Omonias Square, is an absolute must stop for a simple dish of sheep milk yogurt topped with walnuts and honey. Here you can also try the cinnamon dusted rice pudding, the loukoumades (honey soaked doughnuts), and Galaktoboureko, a traditional flaky custard-filled pie, but, I insist, don’t skip the sheep yogurt.
In Psirri, pop in at family run Bougatsadiko Thessaloniki to watch the bakers spin, stretch, and layer delicate filo dough into delicious bougatsa filled with sweet semolina custard or savory spinach and cheese. The cozy cafe gets crowded, so it’s often best to get your pies to go.
Daphnis and Chloe has a gorgeous storefront retail studio where you can learn about their collection of culinary herbs, spices, and mountain teas, all indigenous to Greece. Try the whole leaf oregano, hand harvested at small organic farms and carefully dried to produce an unmatchable flavor, or pick up some beautifully packaged kitchen gift sets.
Nearby Dining and Drinking: Ouzo, Greek Wine, Cocktails, Grilled Meats, and the Freshest Seafood
Within Athens center, there are dozens of eateries and drinkeries just beyond the historic walls of the Grand Bretagne.
I highly recommend a tapas style lunch at Dopios, a charming modern café just a ten minute walk from Hotel Grand Bretagne, behind the 11th century Byzantine church of Agioi Theodoros. The menu is packed with local products and deliciously twisted typical dishes. Try the Maniatiki, a potato salad studded with olives, orange segments and avocado, the grilled Cyprus goat milk halloumi cheese, and a glass of the house rosé made from the xinomavro grape.
For dinner close by, make a reservation at the boisterous new Manári Taverna for meats grilled over an open fire. I sat at the counter watching the chefs stoking the flames and cooking ribs, steak and chickens to perfection. The seasonal fresh tomato salad is exceptional.
Around the corner, Clumsies has become a landmark, an award-winning all-day cocktail bar that manages to please locals and tourists alike with their good-humored bartenders and outstanding drink list. The cocktail menu changes every day at THE BAR IN FRONT OF THE BAR, a street-side stop that offers seasonal drinks with a deep nod to sustainability–they formulate the bits and bobs into cordials and syrups in their mixology lab.
To dine more traditionally, sit outside at Ouzeri Lesvos and partake in ouzo and mezes with the locals. Aegean seafood is the focus here, like fried calamari and fresh mullet, and a wide selection of ouzo to accompany.
Wine bars are growing rapidly in popularity here, and Oinoscent is the perfect place to try some native greek varieties and international classics by the glass or the bottle, along with a menu of fresh, contemporary plates designed to pair perfectly.
The Hotel Grand Bretagne allows guests to receive incredible hospitality in the serenity of the spa, the gorgeous bars, lounges, and eateries, and the plush rooms within, before spilling out onto the streets of Athens center for days and nights of shopping, dining, and exploring the myths and magic of the city at their doorstep, before heading to their next Greek destination.
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