TRUE COLORS

CHRISTINA VASILAKI Journalist Founder mporonafao.gr @babedaki

1. "Etsi Kanoun Oi Balarines" (61 Stergiou Polydorou) is a new café-bookstore whose name in English would be "That's What Ballerinas Do"; this family-focused shop hosts activities and group play. 2. Deka.epta speciality coffee shop (24 Al. Svolou) has quite simply the best coffee in the city, on the coziest street, Svolou Street. It's reminiscent of old aristocratic Thessaloniki and masterfully combines the classic with the new. 3. Thermaikos Bar (21 Νikis) is probably the oldest bar on the Thessaloniki waterfront, boasting a 30-year history. This is where my best student memories were made. Unchanged and unspoiled, it offers unique time-traveling musical experiences. 4. Laikon (24 Politechniou). I challenge you to stop at a single little bread roll with a freshly cooked, homemade beef patty. I, for one, am just kidding myself when I try to eat only one. 5. Second-hand means second life. Ippodromion Street has become the ultimate second-hand destination, and there are many treasures to discover here.

1. Culture Destination 2. Only in Thessaloniki 3. Night Out 4. Guilty Pleasure 5. Shopping Therapy MANOLIS PAPOUTSAKIS Chef at Haroupi - Ten Tables @papoutsakis_man

1. The Museum of Byzantine Culture (2 Stratou) is housed in one of the most impressive works of public architecture in Thessaloniki. This jewel of a museum will take visitors back to the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods with its impressive sculptures, mosaics, frescoes, coins, glassware and other items excavated in Thessaloniki and other parts of Macedonia. 2. Take a walk to Eptapirgio for the incredible view and treat yourself to a stop at Tobourlika (5 Lordou Vironos), a wonderful place for those who love authentic rebetiko music, a Greek form of urban folk music. 3. Elefantas, on the corner of Siggrou and Filippou streets, is one of the city's most atmospheric little bars. A warm place that's quiet at times and bustling at others, it has a special energy and style of its own. 4. You’ll never regret a stop at Iliopetra (5 Eschilou), a small restaurant headed by a talented young chef who gives his all in the kitchen. Indulge yourself with his dishes of the day, made with passion and carefully selected ingredients. 5. Those who haven’t been shopping at Kapani, a traditional market, have missed a chance to experience one of the liveliest, most authentic landmarks in the city. Here you’ll find select foodstuffs, herbs, household goods, garments, shoes, and a series of welcoming cafés and eateries.

MAGIC MOMENTS CAUGHT BY THE LENS OF PHOTOGRAPHER OLGA DEIKOU

TEXT BY JOHN PAPADIMITRIOU

THE CITY'S SEASIDE WALKWAY

Thessaloniki is a densely populated city, with tall buildings and narrow streets that often prevent natural light from shining through, but it is also blessed with an expansive coastline. From the revamped port and the restored historic dock at the start of Nikis Avenue to the Thessaloniki Concert Hall’s M2 building, designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, there is a promenade stretching six kilometers along the urban shore.

NIGHTTIME NOSTALGIA

Thessaloniki’s fun seekers gather in the Ladadika district when they’re looking for a great night out. Bars, restaurants, tavernas and clubs fill up quickly in this historic district, once a commercial hub. Walking along the cobbled streets, with the buzz of the crowds and the glare of bright signs, you can’t help feeling a sense of nostalgia for bygone times. It’s the same kind of feeling that creeps in during winter, making you pine for lazy summer nights at open-air cinemas like the Nataly.

A LITTLE ROMANCE

Be it summer or winter, residents and visitors alike enjoy exploring Warehouse A, home to the Museum of Photography and Experimental Art Center, posing for pictures with George Zongolopoulos’ famous “Umbrellas” sculpture, watching the sun set with Mt Olympus in the background, and discovering romance under the moon-lit sky. When the lights come on in the evening, the city looks like something from a film.