Insider 123

THE CITY MAGAZINE OF

September - October 2015 Year 14. Issue 123 â‚Ź4.50 ISSN 1790-3114

ATHENS

Back to business Athens film fest / Tony Cragg's sculptures / Cityscope: Voula reloaded / Rethymnon's foodie haunts / Cretan magic in Chania / September getaways / Gourmet goodies / Paleodiet and Greek archaeology / Back-to-school deco ideas / Cool soap: eco-business Plus: Book reviews, restaurant reviews, wellness insider athens | MAPS September - AND October 2015 1 PLUS: ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, FOOD & WINE, NIGHTLIFE, SHOPPING, NOVELTIES, MORE

2 insider athens | September - October 2015

Sudha Nair-Iliades

September is always when expatriates and diplomats adopt this small, but complex country as their new home while others bid a reluctant farewell. As someone who came to Athens grudgingly as an expat and stayed on - despite my initial reservations - it has been difficult to explain the visceral attraction Greece holds for its inhabitants, no matter how brief the stay. As quite a few of our friends in the diplomatic community who recently bid farewell to Greece would vouch – election dramas and financial woes notwithstanding, Greece holds a special place in their hearts.

It is simply because as anyone who has been touched by Greece will let you know: Greece is not just a place blessed with incredible beauty - it is peopled by warm and generous folk who still indulge in that rare luxury of making time for you.

publisher’s note

For the outsider, Greece might seem like a country flitting from one nihilistic challenge to another, and while the transition has been violent, the joys of living are to be found here – beneath the grimy graffiti on the walls and peeling ‘enoikiazetai’ signs. Mitterand rightly said that ‘Crisis accelerates history’ and Greece has witnessed intense pain in a very condensed period of time. But it has indulged in a lot of soul-searching, and with that comes change, hope and opportunity for a better, fairer Greece.

One of the first words you will hear on arriving here is ‘Kalo riziko’ or welcome, but it literally means ‘happy putting your roots down.’ And you will realize early on that your initial apprehensions will dissolve into a genuine fondness for Greece - and you will very likely be enticed into settling here or at least buying a secondary home.

We hope that Athens Insider will help you navigate your first few months here through this city’s meandering streets and its changing landscape and help you fall in love with your new home.

Kalo riziko!

Sudha Nair-Iliades

Publisher - Editor Sudha Nair - Iliades

Web Design Siteland

Art Director Michel Devanakis Editorial Team Muriel Noël Amanda Dardanis

Contributors in this Issue Holley Martlew, Amanda Dardanis, Sherri Moshman Paganos, Vanessa Wildenstein, Cordelia Madden-Kanellopoulou, Christina Michele Rios

Client Relations Sophia Velissaridis

Founder Steve Pantazopoulos

Web Content Caroline Olsen

Legal Counsel Christos Christopoulos

Photos Maria-Irene Moschona Christos Kontsaloudis

Prepress and Printing Grafima

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Athens Insider: Monthly Publication ISSN 1790-3114 Code: 6548

insider athens | September - October 2015 1

Holley Martlew

Dr. Holley Martlew is an archaeologist who has worked extensively on Minoan and Mycenean sites in Greece and is Co-Director of the Armenoi Excavations in Crete. The main focus of her research was to use organic residue analysis to ascertain what was cooked or stored in ceramic vessels, and stable isotope analysis of human skeletal material to determine overall diet. This culminated in a EU funded project Archaeology Meets Science: Minoans and Mycenaeans - Flavours of Their Time and a series of international exhibitions world over.

French by origin and a long-time Greek resident, Muriel is a trained geographer whose love for the media veered her towards a career in publishing with French lifestyle magazine VSD and Maison Française, a design magazine.

After a career that spanned several years, she moved to Athens, where she has been actively involved with the French community. Muriel splits her time between Paris and Athens and is the force behind Insider Publications’ French magazine, Bonjour Athenes, its French website and weekly newsletter.

Muriel Noël

Born to a French-Spanish father and American mother, Christina is passionate about learning about new cultures, the arts and fashion. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and worked for a number of luxury CHRISTINA fashion brands, before relocating to Athens in 2008. She hasn’t looked back since and has been culling the best MICHELE RIOS addresses to wine and dine in the city for Athens Insider and our weekly newsletter.

A print journalist for over two decades, Australian-born Amanda Dardanis started out at s News Corp Australia where she has covered specialist rounds from news and politics; property and tourism; to crime and entertainment. In London, she held senior creative roles at glossy titles including Marie-Claire, Woman’s Own, and the Mail on Sunday’s YOU magazine. Since moving to Athens in 2009, she has written on Greece for international publications like The Times London, the Guardian UK and Australia’s Sunday Telegraph – and also contributes to local Greek publications.

Sherri Moshman Paganos

Leaving Manhattan in the mid-1980’s, Sherri Moshman Paganos came to Greece for a two year sojourn that turned into a 30-year career as an educator, as well as a non-fiction writer and poet. She loves the wonders of living here: food cooked with tradition and care, swimming in the clear sea, watching films and concerts under the stars, and taking walks into the past in vibrant Athens neighborhoods like Plaka and Thiseio.

Of Filipino-Danish heritage, Caroline is an intern at Insider and a student at Northwestern University in Chicago studying Journalism, Asian-American Studies, and Community Development. She has a passion for travel photography and loves to meet new people and explore new places. She is continuing her studies in Athens and is excited to get to know the vibrant city.

Vanessa Wildenstein

Amanda Dardanis

Caroline Olsen

Vanessa Wildenstein grew up in Manhattan where she attended a French school. She received her BA from Brown University and moved to Greece in 2004. She is an editor, proofreader and translator who also writes articles for publications. She recently published articles on contemporary art on the Artslant blog. In the past, she worked in an auction house and helped curate exhibitions. She has two young children, and loves traveling, classical singing and walking her dog.

Cordelia Madden-Kanellopoulou is a freelance journalist and editor. She is currently working with Attikes Ekdoseis and CLab, and has written for publications ranging from the Athens News (where she was fashion editor and animal welfare correspondent for seven years) to Marie Claire Australia and the South China Morning Post. Between 2008 and 2010, she was editor of Athens Insider magazine. She is a founding member of the charity www.ninelivesgreece. com helping street cats in Athens, where she lives with her husband, four cats and dog.

2 insider athens | September - October 2015

CORDELIA MADDENKANELLOPOULOU

06 08 14

Features Celluloid Celebrations Insider’s picks of the best films to watch at the Athens International Film Festival

Sections 6

Master Manipulator of Shapes and Forms 8 Tony Cragg’s sculptural journey at the Benaki Museum The Eternal Allure of the Femme Fatale 10 Dr. Patrick Quinn explores the role of that most compelling of literary characters – the femme fatale in an engaging new book A Coming-of-Age Chronicle 12 Insider reviews Elias Kulukundis’ latest book The New Voula Village 14 Forget the sleepy suburban hub of old…Voula is now Athens’ most improved suburb with a great village vibe, writes longterm resident Amanda Dardanis September Getaways 18 Five off the beaten track gems for a serene September stay.

Rethymnon: The Gourmet Capital of Greece Holley Martlew shares her favourite people and foodie haunts in Rethymnon

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The Magic of Chania 26 Sherri Moshman Paganos draws out the magic of Chania

Arts & Events

04

Cinema

06

Digital Detox and Screen-Free Holidays on Paxos 30 Relax your tech-weary eyes on Paxos where wi-fi connectivity takes a backseat to nature.

Books

10

Cityscope

14

Fave Five

18

Travel

20

Agora

24

Business

32

Restaurants

36

Gastronomy

40

Archaeology

42

Wellness

44

Kaleidoscope

64

Cool Collection 32 Two Athenians give up their fastpaced urban lifestyles to create soap and handmade objects on Aegina Sugar, Spice, and All Things Nice 36 Five quintessentially Greek travel-friendly gourmet goodies that make great gifts to take back home A bar, a view, a story 38 Point A at the Herodion Hotel promises giddy views and an experience to cherish A Cornucopia of flavours 40 Yiannis Baxevannis’ culinary offerings at Ark leave you asking for more Greek Paleo Diet 42 A dietary fad or optimal dining?

Find out.

30 32 36 40 42 Cover illustrations: Alexander Girard’s creations for Vitra

Find us on:

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Theocharakis Foundation (1)

Badminton Theatre (2)

Stoa tou Vivliou

Klafthmonos Square

Panagiotis Tetsis: paintings 2010-2014 The exhibition presents new works by the artist, oil paintings of a monumental size and landscapes drawn with ink.

Looking at the landscape of his last works, the viewer spontaneously recalls the texts of Greek literature, descriptions of Papadiamandis, poems of Seferis and Elytis .

Tickets €3-6 Vasilissis Sofias 9 & Merlin 1, thf.gr

«Electra» The masterpiece of Euripides, directed by Spyros Evangelatos, in a new modern production.

«Electra» examines the notions of revenge, guilt, repentance and justice. Marina Aslanoglou - awarded the Melina Mercouri prize - gives life to the title role with remarkable passion.

8.30pm / Tickets €25-45 Zografou, abcd.gr/show/electra

European Literary Walk Meet renowned writers, actors and journalists as they read extracts from guest writers’ works in their presence. Each reading will be followed by a conversation with the writer.

12pm to 4pm / Free entry Pesmazoglou 5, stoabibliou.gr

European Day of Languages Multilingual Festival Twelve European institutes and embassies in collaboration with the City of Athens and the Representation of the European Commission in Greece will present a multilingual festival of song, dance, storytelling and interactive games for all the family, as well as a treasure hunt with a prize draw every hour.

From 11am / Free entry Klafthmonos Square, imeraglosson-2015.eu

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On the town For location details see listings p.61

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Museum of Cycladic Art

Benaki Museum (3)

DESTE Prize 2015 Six shortlisted artists for the DESTE Prize 2015 – Petros Moris, Yiannis Papadopoulos, Angelo Plessas, Natali Yiaxi, Maria Hassabi, and Socratis Socratous – will present their work at the museum. This collaboration between DESTE and the Museum of Cycladic Art falls within the scope of the latter’s “Young Views” program, which aims to develop artistic discussion with younger generations, inform the general public about contemporary art, and establish the necessary environment for the fruitful exchange of ideas.

Neofytou Douka 4, Cycladic.gr

Tony Cragg Solo Exhibition Cragg’s compositions have been playing with the notion of compression and expansion in the use of totemic structures where the appearance of the human profile is often a reclusive aspect of the overall structure.

Peiraios 138, benaki.gr

october

november

november

Michael Cacogiannis Foundation

november

Badminton Theatre (4)

Photo exhibition: «On the Move» Transhumance is one of the most important cultural and economic practices in the Mediterranean. With the participation of six professional photographers, «On the Move» is a photographic journey through life and the difficulties encountered by shepherds.

6pm to 10pm / Free entry Pireos 206, mcf.gr

«Mamma Mia!» The famous musical, created in London in 1999 has finally arrived in Athens. Already played in 40 countries and seen by over 50 million viewers worldwide, this delightful fable about love, derision, friendship and music is guaranteed to captivate you. Show in English surtitles Greek.

8:30pm / Tickets €20-70 Zografou, abcd.gr/show/ mamma-mia

insider athens | September - October 2015 5

Cinema

The 21st Athens International Film Festival kicks off from September 23 to October 4 bringing a handpicked selection of films from film-makers the world over

Youth (Paolo Sorrentino): The opening film of the festival is Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino’s second English-language effort Youth, set against the bittersweet vacation of an acclaimed octogenarian maestro and his long-time filmmaker friend in a lavish Swiss resort. A spectacular film of life, love, art, beauty and poetry with an impressive heavy-duty cast comprising Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Jane Fonda and Paul Dano.

Dheepan (Jacques Audiard): Winner of this year’s Palme d’Or, Dheepan is a searing drama on the struggles of a Sri Lankan family, trying to make it in one of Paris’ most underprivileged and dangerous suburbs. With unrelenting realism and a steely hand, Jacques Audiard sheds lights on an extremely relevant issue of our times.

Performance (Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell): Part of the retrospective on the idiosyncratic British filmmaker Nicolas Roeg, Performance is a hallucinogenic film of the ‘70s that captures the decadence of the rock music scene. Featuring the bad boy of rock, Mick Jagger in whose apartment, James Fox, a London gangster, takes refuge, the film is peppered with mind games, drugs, sex and rock & roll.

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INSIDER’S PICK: Other than the top 3 mentioned above, Insider recommends the following films that will tickle your intellectual curiosity: 1. How to win at checkers (every time) Josh Kim 2. You’re ugly too (Mark Noonan) 3. Sleeping Giant (Andrew Cividino) 4. Forbidden Room (Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson) 5. Retour à Ithaque (Laurent Cantet) 6. The Damned: Don’t You Wish That We were Dead (Wes Orshoski) 7. Degrade (Tarzan & Arab Nasser) 8. Miss You Already (Catherine Hardwicke) 9. Mistress America (Baumbach)

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9 WHAT: The Athens International Film Festival WHEN: September 23 to October 4 WHERE: Danaos 1 and 2, Kifissias Avenue 109 and Panormou Odeon Opera 1 &2, Akadimias 57 Ideal, Panepistimiou 46 Greek Film Archives: Iera Odos 48 & Meg. Alexandrou 134-136, Kerameikos

TICKETS: €4: Press screenings, €5: Matinee screenings (starting at 19:55),€6: General screenings (starting at 20:00) CONTACT: info@aiff.gr, press@aiff.gr,t.: + 30 210 6061689, +30 210 6061254 insider athens | September - October 2015 7

Vanessa Wildenstein is seduced by Tony Cragg’s sculptural journey at the Benaki Museum

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arge-scale bronze sculptures, by Liverpool-born sculptor Tony Cragg, come into view as I enter the courtyard of the Benaki Museum, on Pireos Street. Glorious shapes in varied patinas twist and turn upwards, dizzying in intensity and verticality. In some, I see human figures, profiles or other familiar shapes. Others are more abstract, otherworldly or totemic.

On September 8, the opening night, art lovers and students flock to the auditorium to listen to the British sculptor speak about his work.

Wearing a dark suit, open-necked white shirt, and an equally relaxed expression, 66-year-old Cragg, recipient of the Turner prize in 1988, speaks eloquently.

He is charismatic and draws the audience into his rhetoric and ideology without dumbing it down. No wonder his position at the prestigious Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts lasted over 30 years.

His sculptural journey, Cragg explains, begins when his pencil touches paper. He doesn’t know where it’s going until he’s explored every

8 insider athens | September - October 2015

facet of the future sculpture. “The fixed world is the fixed world: it’s the dead world,” Cragg explains. Art is an ever evolving process.

Objects shaped by people are dull, their function limited. “Objects that come out of nature are infinitely more interesting, because nature’s taken millions of years to make them,” he says, emphasizing his words with a flurry of hand gestures, “and we are very dumb at making things. Designers and architects always have recipients in mind; they’re making things for people. If nobody buys the thing or uses it, then it’s a ‘bad design’. An artist obviously needs to survive but, when in the studio, he generally doesn’t think about anybody else.”

Cragg constantly pushes boundaries, whether material or structural, while seeking inspiration from nature. Sometimes his imagination gets away with him, and he ends up with shapes and plans that are impossible to realise in 3D form. Mostly, though, the end sculpture is something innovative, futuristic even.

After the talk, we are ushered towards the exhibition, a collaboration

Art

1 between Cragg’s studio, the Benaki Museum and Xenia Geroulanos of the Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, which has been representing the sculptor for 20 years.

2 Some of his sculptures are squat and grounded, some windswept, and others soar upwards. Cragg is undoubtedly a master at manipulating the elements and their energy. i

“This is the artist’s first solo museum show in Greece,” says Geroulanos.

“He’s always loved the idea of showing here and was instantly taken by the Benaki Museum and its courtyard. He was a major decisionmaker as to which works would be included.”

1. McCormack #1, 2007 (bronze, 117x130x75 cm) Photo: Michael Richter, ©the artist, Courtesy of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

The 25 works that made the cut span the last 15 years and are all on loan from the artist’s own foundation. According to Geroulanos, the chosen sculptures all relate to the forms in which you can see a portrait. His works are made of wood, bronze, and stone. Only a few are of man-made materials like mirror-finish steel and plastic.

2. Three Standing Figures, 2006 (wood, 100x64x64 cm) Photo: Michael Richter, ©the artist, Courtesy of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

In a tall red sculpture, made of stacked slices of plywood that have been epoxied together, “Bent of Mind” (2008), I recognize the profile of Nefertiti.

A step to the right or to the left and the image changes completely. The viewers’ physical location determines what they will perceive.

Wanting to approach the sculptor, I queue up behind a man who’s asked him to sign a pile of catalogues. Cragg is happy to oblige. My quest is different: I want to know if the human profiles are fortuitous.

His answer: the sculptures are studied from all angles, thus leaving little room to chance.

We wander about the room, dying to trail our fingers along the smooth and tantalizing surfaces. Cragg identifies with the compulsion to touch. “We have, when we’re born, this beautiful organ, complicated through evolution, but it has to be filled,” he says. “The way you fill it is by smelling, touching, looking and hearing. This is the way you gather the terms to describe the world.”

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3. Bent of mind, 2008 (wood, 200x110x110 cm) Photo: David Kaluza, ©the artist, Courtesy of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

“Tony Cragg” Benaki Museum, Pireos Street Annexe, 138 Pireos & Andronikou St. Until 08/11/2015 Tickets: € 5, € 2,5 (reduced) Opening hours: Thursday, Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00; Friday, Saturday: 10:00 - 22:00 Three more works will be on view at the Benaki Museum on Koumbari Street as of September 21.

insider athens | September - October 2015 9

Book Review RZT

day bad girls such as Rhona Broughton’s Belinda or the Gibson Girl – all women who were portrayed as having the potential to ruin men. An intimidating, morally ambiguous woman who had no qualms of using her feminine wiles such as beauty, charm, and sexual allure to achieve power, domination and ultimately, revenge.

The femme fatale is smart and devious and will do the impossible to get what she wants, including flaunting her sexiness, but she is not a bimbo. She sets her sights, weighs her choices and follows through with a carefully executed plan. As Dr. Quinn explains, “The femme fatale, by definition, is a temptress who revels in drawing attention to herself, in making herself as conspicuous as possible; she pushes respectability to its limit while still retaining the veneer of fashionable without being vulgar – or else she’d be ostracized from the bourgeois society where she hunts for her male victims.”

It is only after WWI that the femme fatale comes into her own in America – through the integral roles played in films noirs in the 30s – and later on through roles immortalized by Sharon Stone in Basic Instincts or Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction Whether a victim of misogyny, fear of witchcraft, a threat to traditional female gender roles or her feared control of the sexual realm, the femme fatale remains a divergent figure but one that is eternally fascinating. Patriarchy in Eclipse is a brilliant contemplation on our prejudices as a society towards these characters at the turn of the century. i

Dr. Patrick Quinn, Dean of the Liberal Arts Department at the American College of Greece explores the role of that most compelling of literary characters – the femme fatale and that of what he describes as ‘the New Woman’ in an engaging new book, “Patriarchy in Eclipse”, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

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hile the femme fatale - a mysterious, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations, has been an archetype of European literature and art since the early 1800s she makes her appearance in American literature only towards the end of the nineteenth century. Dr. Quinn seems to suggest that the predominant patriarchal culture in American society and its puritanical values kept this intriguing figure at bay.

What Dr. Quinn finds particularly curious is the intellectual and artistic angst these two characters generated amongst the sophisticated, educated male American population and the lengths to which they went to keep these heroines buried - lest they make inroads into maledominated preserves.

The book takes us through a who’s who of early femme fatales that have dominated mythology, literature, art and music - from Lilith, Eve, Mary Magdalene, Circe, Medusa, Helen of Troy to Cleopatra to later-

10 insider athens | September - October 2015

insider athens | September - October 2015 11

Book Review RZT

of war, and the experience may have helped him to develop the theme of the journey that has been central to his life and work. Educated at Phillips Exeter and Harvard, he studied English and Russian literature, and after graduation, he turned his attention to his Greek roots, reading about Greece as though it was a country he didn’t know.

His first book, The Feasts of Memory, was written in 1965. Travelling to his ancestral island of family, Kasos, he verified and added to the numerous family “myths and legends” and created a book which the New Yorker called “funny and most engaging… an excellent anecdotal history of Kasiot lore and customs, some of them as savage as Homer’s, and beyond that …a beautiful and imaginative exploration of a writer’s relationship to his origins”.

In 1967 he met Eleni Mylonas who was studying journalism at Columbia University and they immediately found much in common.

He agreed to travel to Greece and deliver a letter to George Mylonas who was in hiding. Upon his return to the US, he and Eleni married and subsequently Mylonas was arrested and exiled to Amorgos. After visiting his father-in-law with Eleni, he decided that he had to help Mylonas escape. The story of this modern day “Scarlet Pimpernel” is the subject of The Amorgos Conspiracy, his second book.

At that point, he and Nick Gage, who was a journalist living in Athens and on leave from the Wall Street Journal (and author of the acclaimed Eleni), decided to collaborate on an article about the Greek Junta. Gage would deal with events in Greece, interviewing the members of the dictatorship; while Kulukundis travelled around Europe interviewing Greek politicians in exile.

Insider reviews Elias Kulukundis’ latest book, First Passage.

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fascinating personality with multiple talents, Elias Kulukundis is a shipping magnate, author, playwright, documentary film-maker, opera singer (in his spare time) and a proud Kasiot. His latest book, First Passage is about adolescence and early manhood, about family ties (and knots) – the story of a young man’s search for his place and purpose in a life of swirling confusion.

Humorously written, in the tradition of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye or Philip Roth’s Goodbye, Columbus, the book is a roadmap for anyone who must satisfy the demands of more than one culture. It also recounts the kind of interplay between money and control that is accentuated by wealth but is ultimately the result of human relationships.

Born in London of Greek parents, Elias Kulukundis moved to America at the outbreak

12 insider athens | September - October 2015

The story of George Mylonas’ escape, executed by Kulukundis, received enormous international publicity thanks to Nick Gage’s article in the New York Times and the recounting of the escape by Mario Scialoja, one of Kulukundis’ fellow accomplices, in the Italian newspaper, Espresso.

When the Greek junta supported a coup against the government of Cyprus in 1974, the island nation was invaded by Turkey and subsequently divided. Kulukundis travelled there and made a documentary film, Cyprus: Anatomy of a Crisis.

Kulukundis then went on to write a play, Three Brides for Kasos, which is based on one chapter from his book, The Feasts of Memory. The play became a musical with music composed by Mark Kolt and was presented at the Winnipeg Fringe festival of 2005.

A hybrid like his writing, Kulukundis’ books flit from sophisticated dinner table conversations of exiles in London or New York to delve into the darker motivations of the Aegean islands.

First Passage is a revealing family chronicle of one of the great Greek shipping dynasties and a brilliant portrayal of Aegean island life. i

Kidnap in Crete: The True Story of the Abduction of a Nazi General Rick Stroud Bloomsbery Publishing 304 pages – 11.00 euros “He sat drowsy and musing, happily unaware that he had entered a trap that in less than five weeks would spring shut, ruin his career, destroy his reputation and nearly cost him his life.”

The context: 1941, Hitler’s army seized the strategically important island of Crete with the largest airborne force in history. Years of brutal occupation ensued, though the ‘andartes’, Crete’s resistance fighters, offered some hope to the tortured islanders, alongside a handful of British SOE agents.

This is the fascinating true story of how a small SOE unit led by Patrick Leigh Fermor kidnapped a high-ranking Nazi, General Kreipe, on the island of Crete in 1944.

Rick Stroud managed to have an unprecedented access to first-hand accounts in Britain and Crete. For the first time we find ourselves reading an exhilarating account in full of their 32-day perilous journey escape across the mountains.

Helen of Sparta

Chasing Athens

The Scapegoat

Amalia Carosella Lake Union Publishing 391 pages – 13.70 euros

Marissa Tejada Musa Publishing 274 pages – 12.90 euros

Sophia Nikolaidou Melville House Publishing 320 pages – 22.60 euros

A charming romantic novel taking place in Greece: Ava Martin’s new husband unexpectedly ditches her months after they’ve relocated across the world to Greece. The Helen of Sparta was haunted by nightmares of a burning city under heartbroken American ex-pat stays on in Greece, confronting culture siege, long before she ran away shock, crisis, and the charm of with Paris to Troy. These dreams foretold impending war – a war that Mediterranean men as she redefines only Helen has the power to avert. the true meaning of home...

To do so, she must defy her family Very probably many ex-pats will and betray her betrothed by fleeing be able to relate to the challenges the main character faces and (re) the palace in the dead of night. discover life in the city of Athens In need of protection, she finds and its surroundings, summers in shelter and comfort in the arms the islands, the Greek landscape. of Theseus, son of Poseidon. With Theseus at her side, she believes You will enjoy reading this book she can escape her destiny. But at while picking up along the way every turn, new dangers violence, a huge amount of Greek phrases betrayal, extortion, threat of war and modern Greek words. thwart Helen s plans and bar her Certainly very helpful in your path. Still, she refuses to bend to conversations with your Greek the will of the gods. friends!

Now, if you like epic reads, mythology, romance, tense tight drama, legend and history, this is a great reading for you!

Really well written book which gives you a glimpse into the life of Helen of Sparta “the most beautiful woman in the world”.

Many say that the ending of the ‘A pure adventure story... Hard to book is abrupt and somehow beat’ Financial Times frustrating: we strongly suspect Definitely worth the read. that Amalia Carosella is preparing its sequel…

A novel based on a true story.

In 1948, the lifeless and bullet riddled body of an American radio journalist is found floating in the bay of Thessaloniki. When the Americans demand that journalist’s murderer be found and punished immediately, the leaders in Greece look for an easy scapegoat: a Greek journalist is tried and convicted for the murder... but when he’s released twelve years later, he claims his confession was the result of torture.

Flash forward to modern day Greece, where a young, disaffected high school student is given an assignment for a school project: find the truth.

Based on the real story of famed CBS reporter George Polk (journalism’s prestigious Polk Awards were named after him) who was investigating embezzlement of U.S. aid by the right-wing Greek government, Nikolaidou’s novel is a sweeping saga that brings together the Greece of the post-war period with the current era, where the country finds itself facing turbulent political times once again.

Sophia Nikolaidou is a major Greek writer whose works deserve to cross the greek frontiers.

Books recommended by bookstore Lexikopoleio. lexikopoleio.com

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ight pm on a balmy late summer’s eve at Cava Faydon, opposite stately Agiou Ioannou church, in Voula.

The bubbly rhythms of French gypsy jazz tangle with happy squeals of young children in the adventure park across the road.

It’s an unremarkable Tuesday night. But already, the dozen-odd stools outside Cava Faydon are occupied: mellowed-out locals who’ve clearly come straight from Pilates or the beach; couples lingering over a postwork vino; two stylish mums with designer prams, sharing a heaped platter of cured meats, tangy cheeses and chutneys. Voula residents stroll past on their evening volta, clock familiar faces, and drop-in for a spell.

rban hub of old …

Forget the sleepy subu ost Improved Voula is now Athens’ M e vibe, writes suburb with a great villag da Dardanis long-term resident Aman

I’m here with a group celebrating a friend’s birthday over several perfectly-chilled bottles of Whispering Angel French rosé. The fact that it’s standing room only at this hugely popular new southern suburbs wine bar merely stokes the convivial mood.

Something is definitely going on in Sleepy Little Voula of late. Wedged as it is between its more famous neighbours, Glyfada and Vouliagmeni, Voula is often over-looked. But thanks to a wave of internationallyflavoured new openings and recent improvements to the town square, Voula is transforming itself from slightly run-down residential hub of old into one of Athens’ most cosmopolitan and buzziest seaside hamlets.

I first moved to Voula from London almost 10 years ago. Back then, Voula Platea was a very handy but parochial mix of psistaryies (grillhouses), hardware and carpet stores, matronly boutiques and butchers. And pavements in rather desperate need of repair. Voula was where you went to run your errands, meet friends for a quick coffee at Starbucks before the school run. Or enjoy a lazy Sunday taverna lunch at either Naiades or Andonis (depending on your loyalties), while the kids belted around on scooters and scrambled over the cranky old rocky fountain.

Visit Voula these days and you’ll encounter a dramatically altered scene.

Starbucks is long gone. And that ghastly old fountain has finally been

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Cityscope Irish pub Nelly’s or Family for nightcaps.

Shortly, there will be yet another exciting new neighbourhood option to choose from. Opposite Steki, a striking, architecturally-designed all-day venue called Oppen opens its doors on Poseidonos (September 15). Formerly an old burnt-out house, Oppen will serve an Americanstyle menu featuring gourmet burgers, brunch and cocktails.

Cava Faydon

‘We never feel that new places like this are competition,’ says Steki’s Mike. ‘The more restaurants and venues that come to Voula; the more people who will come to Voula.’

INSIDE-TRACK New Voula’s Greatest Hits

DRINK

Rey Pablo’s

exhumed; replaced with freshly laid lawn squares, new benches, and a smart marble water sculpture of leaping dolphins. Naiades has gone too. In its spot, a spritely all-day modern bistro called Family where you can luxuriate with a goji berry smoothie, cocktail, or chocolate pizza.

The spirit of Old Voula still lives on at Platea stalwarts like Dio Mio cafe, Italian brasserie Fontanina, and at elegant La Merise patisserie on Agiou Ioanni. But scattered among them, in 2015, is everything from sushi bars, gourmet delicatessens, designer butchers with inhouse DJs, and Irish gastro pubs; to chocolate artisans, chic fashion boutiques that wouldn’t be out of place in Mykonos, hip wine bars like Faydon, and contemporary tavernas like Steki Kalamaki where you can park yourself on a leafy cobbled pavement and drink from a range of rare micro-brewed Greek beers.

Little wonder that many southsiders are now forsaking nights out in Glyfada to head to Voula instead for its great variety and village vibe.

‘Voula needed uplifting,’ says Mike Fragkos, owner of Steki Kalamaki, a new breed of breezy taverna that kick-started the now humming pedestrianized precinct on Poseidonos. ‘People were tired of the same old boring places.’

Cava Faydon (Agiou Ioannou, 28) and Cava Vergera (Poseidonos, 11) Voula’s two new wine bars have changed the game for this once stagnant coastal enclave. Everyone has their favourite: but at both, you can imbibe on mid-range or special edition wine varieties (where you’ll pay just a few euros more than cava-price for corkage) in a relaxed, hospitable setting. There’s also a giddy range of imported goodies - from Reece’s peanut butter cups, designer Belgian beers and deliciously puffy marshmallows; to fatally hot English mustards and exotic dried fruits.

Nelly’s Gastro Pub (Plastira, 3) The closest thing Athens has to Boston’s famous “Cheers” bar (where everyone knows your name), Nelly’s is an unpretentious hang-out with a strong expat following who come for the sociable atmosphere, reasonably-priced drinks, themed sports nights - and knock-out bangers and burgers.

EAT Koi (Vasileos Pavlou, 98) There was much rejoicing in the streets when Syntagma street sushi brand Koi came to town in 2014. Now, with a newly extended interior and foreyard this summer, Koi is even more of a hit. High notes are the great value prices and the creative daily and seasonal specials like the famous dragon roll, salmon rose delights, beef tataki, and fresh wakame salad. Sit at the bar and order on their slinky new edition

‘

Now suddenly we’re seeing innovative and up-to-date new concepts in Voula. And each one offers different things. People have a lot more choice now so they can move around. Before they couldn’t. ’ The perfect Voula sortie these days may start off at a wine bar like Faydon (or at other vibrant newcomer Cava Vegera), flow into a meal somewhere like Steki, Koi or Masati Grillhouse, then end up at

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Cityscope

iPads while you sip on a mini-bottle of prosecco (for just €5) or a reviving Sapporo beer.

Rey Pablo’s (Vasileos Pavlou, 89) It’s worth trekking those couple of extra minutes beyond the Platea for Rey Pablo’s fab smoothies, terrific brunch, and vibey music. A cool all-day haunt, where the old Migato shoe shop used to be, that draws a young fashionable crowd.

Family (Vasileos Pavlou, 74) Healthy living almond and mango smoothies vie with wicked cocktails and chocolate pasta confections at this newest addition to the Voula landscape that’s particularly popular with families and 20-somethings.

South-Native, The Lifestyle-Fashion Shop (Poseidonos and Plastira, 9) Sassy streetwear from hot Australian brands such as thefifth, Afends and One Teaspoon abound at this well-edited collection of Antipodean treasures. little things, Home Décor & Gift Shop (Plastira, 9) You’ll go gift-hunting – and then be unable to resist some splendid curio for yourself at this delightful shop filled with temptations like modern ceramic Greek charms, hand-hewn Indian sandals, and colourful oneoff totes from Thailand with authentic tapestry panels. i

Drakoulis Meat Open Project (Vasileos Pavlou, 103) It is a nightclub? Is it a gourmet emporium? Or is it Athens’ most glamorous “meat boutique”? Drakoulis is all of these things and more.

Splurge on the high-end imported cuts of cow, such as striploin, Wyagu or Kobe, that can run for up to €350… browse the wonderfullystocked pantry of international smoking sauces and posh pastas. Or make a weekly habit of their utterly moreish befteki at around just €2 each. You’ll plan to pop in for five minutes, and end up staying an hour. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

TREATS

10ten

Troufa Chocolate Bar (Vasileos Pavlou, 80) Heaven on earth for chocoholics at this prime Platea bolthole – an offshoot from Kifissia - that specialises in all things chocolate. Don’t miss the caramel salt or Cointreau-infused truffles (at €26 a kg); while true choc aficionados go to swoon over their signature profiterole galaktos cake.

Coconuts (Vasileos Pavlou, 67) A purveyor of “Nuts and Specialties”, Coconuts is the place to stock up on your quinoa chips, organic granola and acai berry & green tea when the snack cupboard runs bare.

SHOP 10ten and little dallas 10 (Plastira, 10) Next to the old post-office, in what used to be a fourno, is this uberchic boutique (with an adjoining children’s annexe) stocking gorgeous contemporary labels including Sophia Moutaki, Mila, and Molly Bracken. It’s as if Audrey Hepburn and Alexa Chung got together and opened a clothes shop.

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Little Things

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Fave Five

With its abundance of charming, stylish and welcoming retreats, far from the madding crowd but increasingly within reach thanks to improved transport links, the options for idyllic getaways from Athens are innumerable. Here are Cordelia Madden-Kanellopoulou’s top five off the beaten track gems.

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Portari Houses, Kythira It took us more than 10 years in Greece to discover Kythira: an island of aweinspiring beaches, precious little development, delicious food options, and last (but most important of all in my book) an animal welfare group whose work is evident in the condition of the strays. Among these good Samaritans is Evmorfia, who runs the tasteful and tranquil Portari Houses in Arondiadika, and whose meticulous list of where to eat, swim and shop ensures a superlative stay. Spitaki (The Cottage), nestled between old stone dwellings, has a charming courtyard where you can relax in deckchairs listening to the wind sigh through the pines.

If you opt for the 30-minute plane ride from Athens (as opposed to the rather lengthier boat or car-boat journeys), do rent a car, to explore all corners of this idyllic isle. www.portari-houses.com

True Halki, Halki Symi gets the credit, but its neighbour Halki has all the attributes, without the jostling gulets and overpriced eateries. On its beautiful harbour-front of paintboxpalette houses, mirrored in a crystalline sea so clean you can leap right in and swim next to the moored craft, stands this flawlessly restored house, peaceful, graceful, and fitted with all mod cons. Across the bay, you’ll find Ftenagia beach, complete with a great little eatery; there’s also a castle to explore, a boat to zip you to further flung bays, a secondhand bookshop, and that’s about it. Sheer bliss. Undeniably far from Athens, it is accessible in just a couple of hours, by plane to Rhodes then onwards by boat. www.truehalki.com

Ammos, Skyros It’s nearly half-way to Turkey, yet you can get here in less than half an hour and 50 euros, thanks to subsidized flights. Part-Cyclades, part-Sporades, Skyros wears its split personality comfortably, from the richly-forested, developed north to the scrubby south where rasta goats rule. Ammos Hotel, slotted between a Normandy-style beach and the dazzling hora spread across the hills above, is decorated in fittingly pale-sand hues, with huge balconies stretching towards the sea, and a superb breakfast spread (don’t miss the homemade carrot cake). At sunset, raise the cocktail flag at Cavos, set into the rocks looking across the tiny port; when the evening boat arrives, you’ll be handed sparklers to wave as classical music crescendos from the bar’s sound system to reciprocal blasts from the horn. www.skyrosammoshotel.com

Kinsterna, Monemvasia Tuscany in Greece. Steeped in history, this hushed old palazzo is surrounded by springs, nurturing acres of vineyards, olive groves and orchards that once fed all the inhabitants of Monemvasia. Past meets present in its thick-walled, narrowwindowed parapet rooms furnished with sleek appliances, and its courtyard restaurant where gourmet cuisine (many ingredients grown on the estate) is served around the ancient reservoir. It’s a long drive from Athens, but once you get here, there’s little need to stir further than room to pool to restaurant to pool again. www.kinsternahotel.gr

Astra, Kastania, Corinthia A wonderful base to explore the delights of the northern Peloponnese, from wine-tasting in Nemea and birdwatching at Lake Stymphalia, to participating in July’s triathlon at the stunning Alpine-style Lake Doxa. Astra is a carefully and lovingly created boutique hotel, with cosy rooms, belt-popping meals, fine wines, and even a resident cat. www.astrahotel.gr

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Focus on Crete

Holley Martlew has been visiting Rethymnon for years as an archaeologist. In this essay she shares her favourite people and the food they so lovingly prepare in a well-researched foodie guide on Rethymnon

I

am an archaeologist, but what I learned early on, in my ‘formative years’, was that the Greek archaeologists in Crete with whom I was beginning to associate, and luckily for me continued to associate, were not only experts in the field of Minoan archaeology, they were all ‘foodies’. They knew all the best places, both in town and countryside, and in their forays into both, I was invited to come along.

To my great good fortune, this has been going on for years, mainly in the west of Crete and especially in the area of Rethymnon. So it is on the basis of much experience and incalculable numbers of incredibly delicious meals that I will begin to share my experiences with you.

It helps that my memory for food is prodigious. In fact a gentleman friend, an eminent Byzantinologist, once looked down at me, shaking his head during one wonderful dinner, and said “Holley, you are the only person I have ever met who can recount every meal you have ever eaten.” Be that as it may, and I think it is largely true, I am now going to begin to share my experiences with you.

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I will start with the town of Rethymnon itself, some favourite haunts and some tips on its unique culinary delights.

Maria’s Home Cooking Not far down the road that runs by the sea, you turn right then walk slightly uphill a short distance. Look carefully on the left, and you will see a sign “Maria’s Home Cooking”. And that is exactly what it is, because all the dishes are traditional Greek recipes which change daily, and are cooked by Maria herself in a minute taverna with a few tables inside and outside. As was old Greek custom you are immediately taken to the kitchen. Every lid is opened and every oven door, so that you can make your choice. It is Greece as it was a hundred years ago.

Long live Maria!

The time to go is between noon and 3.30, because after that Maria is sold out and you will have to wait to go another day.

Address: 31, Georgiou Papandandreou

Maria’s Home Cooking: Maria and her son Giorgos

Andreas, the proprietor of Zambia, with kallitsounia

Chocolate Banana Sundae from Meli

Specialities

kallitsounia. Originally they were part of every feast, especially Easter, and made on Holy Thursday morning. They are small rectangles of pastry filled with a mixture of Myzithra cheese, egg and a bit of mint, and are served with honey. Myzithra is the creamy soft cheese of the area, which is very subtle in flavour. It is best to order the kallitsounia at the beginning of the meal, two per person, because they are only made to order and do take time. You will be rewarded for doing so.You will remember the super delicious kallitsounia for the rest of your life. They are available with other fllings such as greens, and in other tavernas, but at Zambia you can be assured of the very best. Each time I arrive in Rethymnon my first dinner - I have already been to Maria’s for lunch - is at Zambia, and the first thing I order is kallitsounia, except that I don’t have to ‘order’ anymore - the owner knows me well. On sight of me, the order is placed.

Address: 20, Stamathioudaki str.

Every town in Greece that I know has its specialities. Rethymnon certainly does, and the difference between it and every other town I have visited is that the specialities of Rethymnon are the best! They are Myzithra, kallitsounia, and vrahakia. I will describe what they are and where to find them.

Zambia Taverna A taverna with a view, from both inside and outside. The best view is when you dine outside in the delightful courtyard at the edge of a cliff, and look across the water to another cliff on the top of which sits the Fortezza, the large and imposing Venetian fortress that is the landmark of the town.

Zambia is a taverna with a range of traditional Greek dishes, cooked freshly and waiting, or cooked to order if you want fresh fish or grilled meats. A good way to start is with courgette flowers filled with rice, small meatballs, dolmadakia - small stuffed vine leaves - and a Greek salad. More adventurous would be to include grilled octopus, fried squids, sea urchins which are a Cretan delicacy, and a plate of boiled Cretan greens which are slightly bitter and best eaten with a squeeze of lemon juice. Traditional cabbage rolls filled with rice, onions and herbs served with a creamy sauce would be another good choice. A tasty Cretan dish is koukouvaja (little owls). A Cretan rusk forms a round base on top of which are placed tomatoes cut into tiny pieces, minute slices of spring onion, capers, mint, oregano, a drizzle of olive oil and finally a sprinkling of crumbled Myzithra cheese.

The sensation at Zambia however, is a speciality of Rethymnnon, called

Meli If you like ice cream, Meli is heaven on earth, because Meli makes and serves the best ice cream in Crete. It also serves exquisite pastries and a variety of coffees. The setting too is delightful. Streamers of dark green leaves cascade down from overhead between tables. A low dusty fountain plays fitfully. It is very popular with Rethymniots, and a mix of natives and tourists sit at tables with over-sized comfy chairs from morning ‘til after midnight. Waitresses in pink aprons and pink peaked caps carry their trays in and out of the wide doorway through which one can see the rows of tubs with all the different ice creams swirled and decorated. Address: 7, Sophokli Venizelou, which is the road that runs along the beach.

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Lycharakia

Strawberry Surprise from Meli

Myzithra Cheese

Chocolates

Cheese shops

Rethymnon is famous for a sweet made of dark chocolate and almonds, called vrahakia. The size and shape are similar to a praline, roundish, with nobbly nuts. They are individually packaged in cellophane. They can be bought singly, as many as you wish, and can also be bought in boxes of different sizes. A box of them makes an excellent gift to take home. Displays of them can be seen in many places. To try them is a must.

The town has several cheese shops, and they all have an excellent variety of local hard and soft cheeses including the soft one called Myzithra which is my favourite. The famous hard cheese of Crete is called Graviera. Anthotyros is Myzithra that has been dried out and matured. It is a good table cheese and excellent grated on spaghetti. A recommended cheese shop is to the right just after you walk through the large archway that leads off the Platea of the 4 Martyrs where the Niktaris bakery is situated. These cheeses are a culinary experience to try while you are there. The hard cheeses and some of the soft ones can be packed to take home. i

Bakeries Bakeries in Crete are wonderful places with an abundance of breads and pastries always including those for which Greece is known such as baklava, but with many things the tourist will not have seen before.

I recommend trying anything and everything that strikes your fancy because I have found when I did this I was never disappointed.

A recommended bakery in Rethymnon, is Niktaris. It has different outlets, but an easy one to visit is on the corner of the Platea of the 4 Martyrs, at the other end of which is the imposing church of the same name.

Niktaris is a good place to buy the Rethymniot speciality, lycharakia (small oil lamps). They are small round cakes made of a sweet dough, fluted at the edges and with a mixture of mizithra cheese, eggs and mint in the centre. They are a sweeter but equally delicious version of kallitsounia.

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Vrahakia

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to style up your children’s room Get your children’s room kitted up stylishly for the new school year with this essential selection of timeless accessories, created by some of the most acclaimed designers.

Keith Haring was a visionary artist who fused New York City street culture and high art to create his own iconic visual language. This lacquered wood chair features a classic graphic figure to provide colourful seating that engages young minds. Available at Zoumboulakis Galleries

Muuto Dots, designed by Lars Tornøe, are already a design icon, having introduced a new perspective on the coat hook. Produced from high quality wood, The Dots can be arranged on the wall in any pattern or colour combination. Available at Myran

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Designed by Christophe Boulin for the quirky Belgian brand Mathy by Bols, this tree bookcase makes a whimsical alternative to traditional storage in a child’s bedroom or playroom. Available at the Conran Shop

The primary focus of Alexander Girard’s wide-ranging oeuvre was textile design and he created numerous textile patterns and products reflecting his love of festive colours, patterns and textures. But he is equally known for his collection of wooden toys in a a cheerful palette. Available at Vitra

Uten-silo, with its different-sized and shaped containers, its metal hooks and clips is a great way to organise one’s stuff.

Designed by Dorothee Becker for Vitra Danish designer Verner Panton’s eponymously named Panton Chair remains a classic in furniture design as a one piece sensation in durable, dyed-through plastic with a lustrous matte finish. The junior version for kids is available at Vitra and Zoumboulakis Galleries For all Charles and Ray Eames fans, their obsession for elephants come through in their designs. The classic Elephant stool, available at Vitra.

It was without a doubt the Eames Elephant that inspired Hella Jongerius to create this charming and decorative Elephant mouse pad. Made of two layers of sofa leather.

Available at Vitra

Dodo, a rocking chair for children designed

by Oiva Toikka carries the same bold and streamlined aesthetics as Toikka’s earlier works but in plastic. Available at Myran and at Zoumboulakis Galleries

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A jazz concert under the stars. A Venetian lighthouse piercing the azure sky. Raki on the harbour and Cretan delicacies in obscure alleyways. Layers of history revealing Chania’s rich past. Sherri Moshman Paganos draws out the magic of Chania

E

nd of summer, back to our routines, and the memories of the sea, ferries and late nights under the stars start retreating.

Greece has so many beautiful islands and beaches that one lifetime hardly suffices to see them all. But one place that keeps drawing you back with its charm and beauty is Chania, the loveliest town on Crete.

Wheeling your luggage down Chalidon Street, the main street that leads down to the palia poli, (the Old Town), you are dazzled by the view of the Venetian harbour, day or night, but the early morning stillness is best to hear the water lapping against the rocks. On July and August nights the area turns into an endless promenade of feet doing their evening volta in the magical lighting of the Venetian port. Eating with a view of the harbour might be what you came on vacation for, but the best places are those tucked away in the alleyways of the Old Town.

Old favourites are what we keep returning to, like Calderimi on Theotokopoulou Street, where Giorgos creates works of art of Cretan cuisine in his kitchen, like sfakiani pita with mizithra and honey, always adding and experimenting (I recently had a mouth-watering grilled octopus with fava and capers), and to Semiramis on Skoufon with its lovely garden and Greek music. And then there is the discovery of new places, like Colombo with its fusion cuisine, which Miltos opened last December on Isodion Street, one of the narrow alleys everywhere in the Old Town with boutiques and bars. Colombo

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Travel ifj has become so popular with locals and tourists alike, that it is often forced to turn people away in the evenings, as it has room for only five or six tables outside.

For a raki in the late afternoon as the sun turns a little more gentle, Al Canea near the Naval Museum can’t be beat, as it’s on a slight uphill and the view of the harbour sloping down is just magic.

Every tiny space is used for pensions and rooms to let, lofts, roof gardens, tiny balconies. We are staying this trip at Casa de l’Amore on Agelou Street with K. Giorgos, who, along with his wife Eleni, run their five or so rooms with great love and care. He has had the pension since the year 2000, after he came back from the States to his native Crete, where he and his wife worked to fix up her family house in the Old Town. Agelou is one of the most picturesque streets in Topanas, the name of the Christian area of the Old Town under the Turkish occupation. Groups of tourists are always led here to see the Venetian architecture, such as the 16th century building where the historic jazz bar Fagotto is found. Here, you might hear some great classic jazz, perhaps live if you go after midnight. Forget about sleep; you don’t want to leave the soft and mellow night air.

From this westernmost part of town, also including the Naval Museum and the Firka Fortress, it is about a 10 minute walk west to the Nea Chora beach. If you walk down to the furthermost part of this huge sandy beach, you’ll see that it’s blessed with a huge almeriki or tamarisk tree offering shade. Nea Chora, like all the beaches along the north coast such as Aghia Marina and Platanias (all easily reached with the KTEL bus) is very affected by the meltemi, the north wind.

On days like this, a wonderful idea is to go to one of the beaches along the south coast. Loutro is a favourite with its crystalline water and its

white and blue architecture, resembling a small Cycladic village, but, it can get really crowded though in the summer months. Another nearby beach to Chania is Stavros on Akrotiri, where much of Zorba the Greek was filmed.

If you’re tired of swimming and sitting in cafes, you can take a walk to the dimotiki agora, which was completed in 1913, the year that Crete was united with Greece. The Archaeological Museum, the municipal art gallery, the gallery inside the 17th century Kioutsouk Hasan Mosque on the harbour and the public gardens are some other sights.

A wonderful walk, but definitely not in the summer midday, is along the ramparts, starting from the neoria, the Venetian shipbuilding houses, at the eastern end, to the faros, the Venetian lighthouse. Built in 1570 but completed three centuries later, the faros is Chania’s landmark of beauty, which is captured on everyone’s cameras more than any other sight, especially at sunset, with its vivid play of colours.

The Venetian influence of course is everywhere. This era began in 1204, at the end of the Fourth Crusade when the Venetians gained the city, and put all their energy into fortifications around the Old Town.

Walls and moats enclose both east and west sides; the eastern moat is used for a theatre in the summer, where you can watch plays or listen to music under the stars and clear dry sky. The Venetians however, were not the only ones to fortify the city. Before them, the Byzantines had also done the same, but concentrated on the hilly Kasteli area, behind the harbour. Taking a walk along Kanavaro Street, the main thoroughfare of Kasteli, you see Byzantine wall ruins as well as even remains of Minoan houses from as far back as the 15th century B.C., back when Chania was known as Kydonia, after Kydon, grandson of mythical King Minos of Crete.

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Besides fortifying the city, the Venetians, as we know, were active seafarers and shipbuilders. They built twenty two arsenals or neoria as they’re called, along the eastern section of the harbour. Today, seven neoria survive that you can see from your walk along the ramparts. One has even been restored as a cafe. The grand Arsenal on the harbour, which houses the Centre of Mediterranean Studies, is used for temporary exhibits on photography and painting. (This summer as part of the celebration of the 90th birthday of composer Mikis Theodorakis, an exhibit opened of posters in many languages for Zorba the Greek, the immortal music for the film of course composed

by Theodorakis. Later that evening the film itself was screened in the area behind the mosque).

Not only walls, but also fountains, arched doorways, stone steps on the outside of houses, all show Venetian influence. Many of these buildings have been lovingly restored, such as the Casa Delfino hotel, a palazzo from the 17th century. And finally, not to forget Venetian-era churches, such as San Salvatore on Theotocopoulou, and San Rocco and Agios Nikolaos in the Splantzia area of town, the Muslim neighborhood. Agios Nikolaos indeed shows the blending

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of cultures, on one side with a church bell tower and on the other a minaret. As in many places, churches were converted to mosques in the Ottoman era, or put to other uses, such as the Archaeological Museum, originally the Monastery of St. Francis. In the Ovraiki area of the Old Town, two synagogues at one time served the local Jewish population and one of them had originally been a 14th century church. In 1999, this synagogue, the ÂŤTree of Life,Âť off Kondylakis Street, was restored and serves today as a religious and cultural centre that is well worth a visit.

Any stroll along the harbour can yield unexpected treasures and events. One evening, we found chairs had been set up behind the mosque for the audience to watch and listen to the accompanying lauto and lyra as various groups danced, including five- year-olds in beautiful traditional costume, girls twirling demurely, apron and kerchief, and boys in their vrakes and boots, learning to do the kicks in the syrtos and pentozalis. Dinner just had to wait. If you visit in the summer, or any time for that matter, go with the intention of losing yourself in the magic, beauty and special rhythms of the Old Town of Chania. i

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Travel ifj

Biros Taverna

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Carnayo Gold

Just getting to this island – which apparently was created by Poseidon and was later his secret hideaway for his lover’s trysts with the sea-nymph goddess, Amphitrite, is a beautiful odyssey in itself.

Getting there From mainland Greece, take the ferryboat from Igoumenitsa, you can also bring your car onboard. Alternatively, fly from Athens to Corfu and take either the express flying dolphin or slower ferryboat to Paxos.

Gear yourself to get rid of your thumb blisters and relax your techweary eyes on Paxos where wi-fi connectivity takes a backseat to nature. Christina Michele Rios travels to pocket-sized Paxos and its even smaller companion, Antipaxos and suggests you unplug from reality and recharge yourself on ‘island time.’

Dining out Paxos has quite a few culinary aces up its sleeve. Our favourite is Biros Taverna in Bogdanatika, birostavern.gr. Step inside a magical garden decorated like the quirky tea party in Alice in Wonderland. The menu is forward-thinking with fresh and locally sourced ingredients and features Mediterranean cuisine with a playful twist.

Carnayo Gold in Mongonisi is a delightful lunch spot on the island, located on a picturesque sailing boat marina and is one of our preferred places to watch the sunset with a refreshing fresh lemon-gelato mojito in hand. The restaurant has delicious authentic Napoli pizza as one of the owners is from Naples. Insider tip: you can also hire your own speedboat for the day from the marina for as little as 60 euros a day, including petrol.

Sunbathing and dipping Kipiadi Beach has a long, wide coast with large pebbles and amazingly clear, crystalline waters. It is not an organized beach and there is no taverna, so come prepared with water and food in tow.

Monodendri Beach in Loggos wins hands down as the best beach on the island.

Ben’s beach Bar, owned by a Greek-British family, that boasts delicious cocktails, friendly service and soothing house music is a great pit-stop. There are boardwalks, vibrant gardens, palm-leaf umbrellas, sunbeds, hammocks, paddleboards and kayaks - all available free to customers. For a lunch meze, head up to the neighbouring taverna, owned by the same family.

Stay at: Bayview villas in Gaios, pitharivillas.gr and Adamantia in Bogdanatika just outside Gaios, adamantiahotel.gr/en are both rustic, quaint and romantic.

Exploring the island and neighbouring Antipaxos Paxos can easily be explored by car. Either hire a car there or arrange a taxi. Antipaxos is best explored by boat; there is a regular water taxi from Gaios or the option to hire your own boat for the day to explore hidden coves and the East side of the island. We recommend the latter.

Antipaxos is a must-see. Specifically, Voutoumi Beach which is arguably, one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. The water is majestic and absolutely breathtaking. High above the beach, or 200 steps up to be more specific, is Bella Vista Taverna, which like its name suggests has incredible panoramic views.

We recommend ordering the local white wine, a Greek salad and calamari and bringing a camera! Life as it should be. i

insider athens | September - October 2015 31

Greek design

Like so many young Greeks who want to make a difference, Marina Coriolano-Lykourezos and Yanis Zagorianakos gave up their fast-paced urban lifestyles to create soap and handmade objects on the island of Aegina.

Part of a burgeoning talent pool of creative young Greeks who think outside the box, Cool Projects was born out of their love for natural and ethically produced items.

T

he underlying philosophy behind Yanis and Marina’s venture was ‘to produce anything we liked but always with respect for nature, people and animals.’ Cool Soap, their line of allnatural, handmade soaps made with Greek extra virgin olive oil, natural plant extracts and essential oils and Cool Collection, their line of bath and home accessories rely on sourcing locally and using local talent to create by hand.

What made you give up living in Athens to move to Aegina and set up a soap production facility? How challenging / rewarding has the move been?

Our move to Aegina was the result of a need to escape the city. I made a few calls and within an hour a call came through about a house that was available on Aegina. We moved in February 2012.

Setting up the soap factory only happened once we were on Aegina.

32 insider athens | September - October 2015

“

The crisis obliges us to see things in a different light, to find solutions where it seems there aren’t any... but there always are. You become more creative...”

I suppose living closer to nature is conducive to new ideas. Yanis, who is a chemist-artist, started researching about soap making - he is always researching new materials, elements, processes. I embraced the idea for I love everything that is natural. That was how the idea of setting up a business was born. In a period of crisis, the only thing to do is to create one’s own business, but Greece sadly does not know how to support its small and local businesses. The business was set up in May 2013 - not without hiccups! But after two years things seem to be going in the right direction and we are delighted to use Greece’s no. 1 product, olive oil, to create a product - our very own Cool natural handmade olive soaps, now being exported to many countries.

Do you believe you are part of the burgeoning Greek talent pool that is now finding expression in cool, witty, Greek designs, products

and souvenirs? How critical a role did the crisis play in unleashing that creativity?

Yes I think we are part of this burgeoning pool of Greek talent who understood that a product needs to be thought out from A to Z, from production to presentation, with a philosophy that respects not only the environment, but also the people making it and people who are to consume it. The crisis obliges us to see things in a different light, to find solutions where it seems there aren’t any... but there always are. You become more creative, even more original under the pressure of having to make a living in a difficult and very often unwelcoming environment.

Why soap? What does a bar of soap represent for you – Nostalgia?

Luxury? Back to basics? Eco-friendly?

Cool Soaps are cool because they are made with the cold process

insider athens | September - October 2015 33

Greek design

“

Every step of our production is done by us and by hand, from the actual making of the soap or any other item to the packing.”

method in a modern yet small factory. This process takes time: the soaps need to cure for 6-8 weeks. The result is that the soaps are not perfect in shape and colours may vary from batch to batch… but they are high quality soaps that feel wonderful on the skin. They are cool because they treat your skin with respect. They are cool because they look good.

And yes, Cool Soaps are about re-discovering the pleasure of using soap bars - maybe not so much nostalgia, it is more about that simple luxury of treating yourself with respect and enjoying it. And yes, natural soap bars are eco-friendly as they have no chemicals, and the packaging is not plastic! Don’t forget that most soap bars available should actually be called detergents if one is to take into account the ingredients used!

You have now extended your range of products to include handcrafted home and bath products.

We also design and produce a selection of natural, handmade accessories for the bath and the home. These are products made with care and hope to add a ray of joy in everyone’s homes, being useful

34 insider athens | September - October 2015

at the same time. They include stylish bath accessories such as soap dishes, bath trays, toilet paper holders, toiletry bags, soap travel bags, scented sachets and scented pillows, stackable boxes and containers, wall hangers, mirrors, stools, lights and more. The materials we use are, whenever possible, produced locally. The extra virgin olive oil we use is produced by local farmers from various parts of the country.

The herbs we use are local and very often hand-picked. Every step of our production is done by us and by hand, from the actual making of the soap or any other item to the packing. We couldn’t have pulled the project off the ground without the graphic designer office 3 in a box and photographers Iliana Alexandrou and Panagiotis Ilias. We also collaborate with local ceramicists and seamstresses to create products that truly reflect our philosophy. i For a detailed list of selling points, check coolgreeksoap.com. Available at leading department stores such as Golden Hall and McArthur Glen and on several Greek islands and cities.

insider athens | September - October 2015 35

Fave Five

Cordelia Madden-Kanellopoulou picks five quintessentially Greek travel-friendly gourmet goodies that make great gifts to take back home

Y

ou’re coming to the end of your Greek sojourn and want to return with edible souvenirs that, with one bite, will bring you back to the Aegean. Or perhaps you live here, but are heading home for holidays, and need some tasty treats to bestow on friends and relatives.

Peerless as Greek olives and olive oil are, they use up valuable weight in one’s luggage, and there’s always the worry that the lids will ease ajar under pressure, and you’ll arrive to find your clothes liberally doused with indelible stains and smelling more potent than a freshly-blended tapenade.

Instead, for the gourmet gallivantor, we’ve picked out five goodies that are light, spill-safe, and quintessentially Greek.

36 insider athens | September - October 2015

Raw pistachio nuts from the isle of Aegina pack a powerful energy punch, and are loaded with vitamins, minerals and heart-healthy fats. Just a handful a day can keep the doctor away (more, and those calories start adding up). You can buy them up in their shells at most supermarkets, but for a more irresistible proposition, visit Carpo to choose a bag-full of beautiful dusky-pink raw kernels.

While you’re there, try the energy nut mix with pistachios, walnuts and wild-flower honey too – ideal to scatter over your morning yoghurt to kick-start the system. Shops in Kolonaki, Psychico; www.carpoathens.com

No matter how good your tomatoes, olive oil and feta, your Horiatiki salad just won’t taste authentic without a generous shake of oregano across the top. Eschew the tame versions from cultivated crops, and instead pick up an elegant 10gr cylinder (which fits neatly into even the most overstuffed holiday holdall) from Harmonian, packed full of rigani from wild shrubs on the Pindos mountains. For details on stockists, see www.harmonian.cc

They’re nicknamed Greek nachos, but these more-ish baked snacks are a far cry from the additive-laden pseudo-Mexican bites that the name conjures up for most of us. Marcitos ‘lazanofyla’ (lasagne sheets) from Hiotiko Kellari are handmade with fresh potato and spinach, and free from artificial colours and flavours. Try them with the wonderfully intense Black Olive and Walnut spread by Simply Greek. From Krokos, Vyronos 6, Plaka, and delis around Athens.

Their frail looks are deceptive: just a pinch of saffron threads adds a pungent, mysterious tang to everything from tea to desserts to traditional pilaff. Pick up a pocket-sized packet of organic saffron from the Krokos Cooperative in Kozani (the only region in Greece to produce it) at your local supermarket or organic store.

The Ancient Greeks thrived on seed and honey snacks, while for generations of modern Greeks, flat packs of pasteli were a childhood staple. The original energy bar, for a quick pick-me-up there’s little to rival roasted, honey-pressed sesame crunch. Some are brittle enough to chip a tooth, but the flaked version by Ergon gets top marks for taste and texture, as well as presentation. From selected delis and at Ergon, Nea Erythrea. i

insider athens | September - October 2015 37

photo ©Maria Irene Moschona

City Life

There are bars that quench your desire for something giddy and new, and then there are bars who combine their instinctive concoctions with an intoxicating view, but few weave a tale of their own that etch themselves permanently into your repertoire of experiences – the ones that will feature in anecdotes years later or as a chapter in ones memoirs. Point α at the Herodion Hotel qualifies in the latter category.

T

If you’d like to linger a little longer to savour chefs Manolis Mavrigiannakis and Marios Pirpiridis’s scrumptiously innovative summer menu, we’d highly recommend the smoked eggplant spread with caramelized baby onions and small tuna brûlée or the the lightly grilled sea bass served with ‘almyra’. For meat-lovers, try the slow-cooked lamb noodles and ‘myzithra’from Crete and ‘capricó’ pork served with lemon marmalade. A new watering-hole that offers so much more, Point α is a great excuse to play tourist for an evening to re-discover the city and to indulge in some serious story-telling! i

While the setting is magical, the design elements at Point α get full marks too. A terrace with a wooden deck, subtle lighting and a casually elegant atmosphere, Point α is perfect for a drink to watch the sun loom over the temple before it turns into a fiery red ball or for a quiet moonlit dinner. The bar also serves as a gallery showcasing some of Greece’s most talented artists and sculptors, scouted from the neighbouring El. Marneri and Technohoros galleries.

5th floor, Hotel Herodion,4, Rovertou Galli street, Acropolis. For reservations: 210 9236832; www. acropolispoint.com

For those who’d rather nurse their drinks as veteran barflies, watching bartender Lefteris Sofantzis, play alchemist, the high bar-stools prove to be a perfect perch to observe the sublime skills required to place a delicately-seared tapas on a chilled Greek-inspired cocktail. So expect to find a perfectly paired nibble to accompany your customised drink! Indulge in the power combos of Green Power and Beijing duck, Roselin and Crostini salmon or a Mojo Mojito and Shrimp tempura, or suggest your own variation.

38 insider athens | September - October 2015

photo ©Maria Irene Moschona

he bar itself is a consistent cue of the proximity it shares with Athens’ best known landmarks – coasters and napkins have the numbers 289 and 85 marked on them like some secret code to remind us of the distance (in metres!) from the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum respectively. It is a fun trivia that transforms itself as a clever marketing strategy as well as a brand identity for Point α because here, you don’t need to crane your neck to see the sights or peer through a blurred silhouette of the famous temple – the Acropolis is smack in front of your face!

With the International New York Times-Kathimerini English Edition A weekly supplement with the latest events, interviews, Top 5 must-dos, cinema and TV picks of the week, food and drink, books, music, theatre and so much more!

Insider Publications • www.insider-publications.com | September | March insider insider athensathens - October - April 2015 39

Gastronomy

Chef Yiannis Baxevanis takes on the Glyfada seafront with the Papatheoharis Group’s latest culinary venture - Ark. The theme here is Miami-inspired opulence - complete with palm fronds, sky-high arches, grand white pianos, sexy ushers and sprawling courtyards.

While the description might appear jarringly bling-bling rather than sophisticated chic, fortunately for us, it retains the latter both in its decor as well as menu choices.

Ark has been drawing regulars to its unique waterfront location both for its club vibes as well as its cuisine since its opening late May. A great setting to sip on one of the several inspired cocktails served here, we’d highly recommend that you stay on for dinner.

Baxevannis pulls all the stops and creates a palate-tickling combo of textures and tastes so complex that you’ll soon be heading out here to try out all the dishes you left out the first time round.

Insider favourites: It sounds like its a suicidal ploy to thicken ones arteries but do try the Grilled beef diaphragm - perfectly seared and seasoned with Eastern spices. Another must, the organic veal tenderloin, a hark back to the chef’s French days early in his career - succulently sublime. For desserts, opt for the soft Malibu mousse with coconut, dates, strawberry and caramel sauce or for the classic almond cake. i Ark, Grigoriou Lambraki 2 , Glyfada.

Tel: 210.894.8882 - www.ark-glyfada.gr

40 insider athens | September - October 2015

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insider athens | September - October 2015 41

Food in ancient Greece 123q

Palaeodiet, based on the premise that the optimal diet is that of our evolutionary ancestors during the paleolithic era (consisting chiefly of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit and excluding dairy or cereal products and processed food) is the latest dietary fad to hit our shores. Holley Martlew, an archaeologist whose main focus of research has been the dietary patterns in the Minoan era, busts a few myths in the first part of a series on Food and Archaeology.

W

e will start at the beginning, in the pre-agricultural Palaeolithic, ca.

20,000-8,300 B.C., because one of the most popular diets today is the Palaeodiet. It is based on the premise that human beings evolved nutrional needs based on the foods available, and that from the Palaeolithic to the present, human metabolism has not been able to adapt properly to foods introduced since. In general the Palaeodiet with its emphasis on grass-produced meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts, seeds, and unrefined oils is a healthy one.

However a list of Palaeodiet no-no’s, which are cereal grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, potatoes, processed foods, refined vegetable oils and salt, and one of its promises, does raise questions. Not to have access to processed foods or refined oils is obvious. Dairy is not attested until the Neolithic. There is no known evidence for human consumption of potatoes and sugar in the Palaeolithic era. There is a problem with

42 insider athens | September - October 2015

salt. In the Palaeolithic period, people would have had their salt intake from wild game, but after domesticated animals became the main source of meat it was absolutely necessary for salt to be added to the diet. The palaeodiet also promises longevity. The issue of longevity is another subject entirely and, for lack of hard evidence, it would have been better if proponents of the palaeodiet had left it on their wish list. That leaves us with grains and legumes. Were they really not present in the Palaeolithic era?

Archaeological evidence from Greece says yes they were. It comes from the Franchthi Cave, a Palaeolithic site in Greece situated on the Bay of Argos in the Peloponnese which has an unbroken series of habitation levels ca. 20,000 B.C. - ca. 3,000 B.C. Until about 11,000 B.C. there was scant evidence of plant gathering.

In levels 11,000 - 10,500 B.C. remains of grain (wild brittle 2-rowed barley), oats, bitter vetch (legume) and lentils were identified. These finds cannot be taken as an indication of a sudden change in diet. The Palaeodiet, therefore needs to be adjusted. Archaeological evidence from Greece is the key that helped unlock this particular door and added a dimension to the palaeodiet that was not known before.

Palaeodiet and Drink Grain based drinks are to be avoided. The recommended choice is wine.

One of the first things Noah was said to have done when he emerged from the ark was to plant a vineyard. We only have evidence for the wild grape in the Palaeolithic period, not a variety of grape needed to produce wine, which is easily discernible because the shape of its seeds differs. Greece is known for its wine. As we follow the trail of food and drink in Greece through the ages, we will pay special attention to the fruit of the vine. i To be continued.

insider athens | September - October 2015 43

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44 insider athens | September - October 2015

Insider guide refer to corresponding area for more information and contact details

restaurant index by type AMERICAN JACKSON HALL Kolonaki TGI FRIDAY’S Kolonaki ASIAN Golden Phoenix Kifissia Keep Woking Glyfada Noodle Bar Syntagma NUI Kifissia Wagamama Maroussi BAR - RESTAURANTS 42 bar Syntagma Apsendi Halandri BABA AU RUM Syntagma BACARO Omonia BALTHAZAR Mavili Sq BARAONDA Mavili Sq Café Zoe Syngrou CASH Kifissia CINCO Kolonaki CV Bar Keramikos Dirty Ginger Gazi DOS AGAVES Monastiraki En Plo Vouliagmeni Bar Explorer’s Lounge Syntagma Gazarte Gazi GINGER Mavili Sq HIDE & SEEK Halandri HOLY SPIRIT Glyfada Hoxton Bar Gazi ISLAND Vouliagmeni KITCHEN BAR Faliro KITCHEN BAR Halandri MAMACAS Gazi Minnie the Moocher Kolonaki MoMix Gazi NIXON Kerameikos OSTERMAN Syntagma PARKO ELEFTHERIAS Mavili Sq PIXI Gazi.

SEMIRAMIS RESTAURANT Kifissia SHOWROOM Kolonaki Socialista Gazi Sofa Bar Vouliagmeni Step by step Halandri The James Joyce irish bar, Thissio THE GIN JOINT Syntagma CHINESE China’s Fantasy Psychico Saipan Halandri FISH RESTAURANTS Ai Nikolas Syngrou CAPTAIN JOHN’S Piraeus ITHAKI Vouliagmeni JIMMY AND THE FISH Piraeus KASTELORIZO Kifissia MILOS Hilton MYTHOS OF THE SEA Vouliagmeni Ocean Basket Glyfada PAPADAKIS Kolonaki Psaroma Halandri THALATTA Gazi TO 25ARAKI Glyfada ZEFYROS Piraeus FISH TAVERNAS Almyra Halandri DOURAMBEIS Piraeus Fish Co. Platters Psychico

Ichthyes Kifissia KOLLIAS Piraeus RAFALE Vouliagmeni Piperia Psychico PSARAKI Vouliagmeni Sardelaki Glyfada Trata Omonia TRATA O STELIOS Pangrati VASSILENAS Piraeus FRENCH ARTISANAL Kifissia Gaspar Food and Mood Psychico L’ABREUVOIR Kolonaki LE PETIT SOMMELIER Faliro MONO WINE RESTAURANT Plaka SPIROS & VASILIS Kolonaki SPONDI Pangrati GOURMET ALERIA Kerameikos AVENUE Syngrou Bo Botrini’s Halandri KUZINA Thissio Fuga Mavili Sq Funky Gourmet Kerameikos F+W Kolonaki GALAZIA HYTRA Vouliagmeni HYTRA Syngrou KOOL LIFE Kifissia Orizontes Lycavyttou Kolonaki P-Box Kolonaki Polly Magoo Metaxurgeio PremiEre Syngrou VAROULKO Kerameikos GREEK 2 MAZI Plaka 310 Street Psychico ANETON Maroussi Archeon Gefsis Metaxurgeio ATHIRI Kerameikos ATRIUM Acropolis Berdema Kifissia Bluefield Burger Psychico CUCINA POVERA Pangrati Dioskouroi Psychico DIPORTO Psyrri ELAIS GI Kifissia ELIAS KOUKOUTSI Voula IDEAL Omonia KAVOURAS Exarhia Krithamos Psychico MANI MANI Acropolis MELILOTOS Monastiraki PSOMI & ALATI Halandri RAKOKAZANO Halandri Rena tis Ftelias Psychico Peacock Syngrou PENDELIKON Kifissia PROSOPA Gazi THIO TRAGI Petralona TO KOUTI Monastiraki YANTES Exarhia YDRIA Plaka GRILL 1920 Halandri Meat Square Glyfada Meat Square Halandri Meatropoleos 3 Syntagma Telemachos Barbeque Club Kifissia

INDIAN BOLLYWOOD Gazi Indian Kitchen Syntagma Indian Masala Thissio JAIPUR PALACE Kifissia KOHENOOR Gazi INTERNATIONAL Ache Glyfada AMANDINE’S Syndagma BAKU Vouliagmeni BUBA Kifissia CHEFI’S Halandri Food Mafia Glyfada Gefsis Me Onomasia Proelefsis Kifissia ITALIAN 30 SOMETHING Halandri AGLIO OLIO Acropolis AL BACIO Vouliagmeni Albion Psychico Al Dente Glyfada AL FRESCO Vouliagmeni Aperitivo Glyfada BOSCHETTO Kolonaki CANTUCCIO Psyrri CAPANNA Psyrri DA BRUNO Faliro DA VINCI Ag. Paraskevi di Antonio Halandri DULCIS IN FUNDO Voula GENOVESE Voula Il Salotto Glyfada Il Salumaio Kifissia IL TINELLO Alimos Il Tinello Faliro IL TRAMONTO Vouliagmeni Capanna Kolonaki LA CASA DI GIORGINO Gyfada MANGIAMO BY MEAT SQUARE Kifissia MARGHERITA Kifissia Matilde Pizza Bar Psychico Nanninela Ag. Paraskevi Ombra Psychico Pausa Maroussi Sale Bianco da Salvotoro Glyfada SALE E PEPE Kolonaki SCALA VINOTECA Kolonaki SILVER Casa Vouliagmeni TONY BONANO Piraeus Tutti a tavola, Kolonaki VEZENE Hilton VINCENZO Glyfada JAPANESE FURIN KAZAN Syntagma Hama Glyfada INBI Kolonaki KIKU Kolonaki MATSUHISA ATHENS Vouliagmeni li-li-shu Kolonaki OOZORA Kifissia RAKKAN Kifissia SUBA Kifissia KOREAN Dosirak Syntagma KOSHER Gostijo Psyrri LEBANESE BEIRUT Glyfada FALAFELLAS Psyrri

NARA NARA Psyrri NARGILE Kifissia SUZANNA P. Faliro

RUSSIAN Barin Glyfada

MEDITERRANEAN

SOUVLAKIA AND KEBAB

Alatsi Hilton BAKU Vouliagmeni BERDEMA Kifisia BYZANTINO Hilton CAFE AVISSINIA Monastiraki Common Secret Kifissia EX ANATOLIS Halandri DAPHNE’S RESTAURANT Plaka FATSIO Pangrati GB CORNER Syntagma HYTRA Plaka IDEAL RESTAURANT Omonia KOUZINA CINE-PSIRRI Psyrri LEILIMLEI Gyzi MALABAR Vouliagmeni MAVRO PROVATO Pangrati Mimaya Glyfada Mushroom Glyfada MUTFAK Glyfada OCHRE & BROWN Psyrri PARLIAMENT Syntagma PRYTANEION Kolonaki RATKA Kolonaki STOU MEIDANI Monastiraki THE DALLIANCE HOUSE Kifissia TO KOUTI Monastiraki TORTUGA Pangrati TRAPEZARIA Pangrati VOSPOROS Piraeus ZORBAS Piraeus

BAIRAKTARIS Monastiraki BUTCHER’S SHOP Gazi DREAM GRILL Voula Gourounakia Kifissias Kifissia KALAMAKI KOLONAKI Kolonaki Kebabtzidikon Barbadimos Nea Smyrni Kebabtzidikon To Gnission Voula Kebabtzidikon Kyr. Ariston Faliro NAIADES Voula SAVVAS Monastiraki SCHARA Vouliagmeni Souvlaki Bar Thissio THANASSIS Monastiraki

MEXICAN AMIGOS Glyfada DOS HERMANOS Kifissia EL TACO BUENO Maroussi Santa Fe Halandri MEZEDES AND OUZO Antaios Psychico ATHINAIKON Omonia CINCO Kolonaki KIRKI Thissio OUZADIKO Kolonaki SCHOLARHEIO Plaka MULTI ETHNIC Altamira Kolonaki BUBA Kifissia PERSIAN

SCANDINAVIAN SAFKA Kerameikos SPANISH JAMON PINTXOS BAR Glyfada LA GABINOTECA, Kifissia SALERO Exarhia SUSHI Koi Syntagma Koi Voula Yoko Sushi & Bento Kolonaki Suba Kolonaki Tomoe Kifissia Sushi Bar (The) Pangrati TAVERNAS FILIPOU Kolonaki IPIROS TAVERN Psyrri LOUIZIDIS Vouliagmeni O Tzitzikas Ki O Mermigas Kifissia, Syntagma VLASSIS Hilton THAI ANDAMAN Athens BLUE BAMBOO Athens ROUAN THAI Piraeus ROYAL THAI Kifissia TAMARIND Metaxourgeio

ANAHITA Halandri

TURKISH

POLYNESIAN

Mutfak Glyfada

LEDRA KAI Syngrou

VEGETARIAN

PUB RESTAURANTS

Avocado Syntagma Giouvetsakia Glyfada NICE N EASY Kolonaki Rosebud Kolonaki

KEG ‘N’ CREW Piraeus MOLLY MALONE’S Glyfada THE JAMES JOYCE Thissio RETRO Aneton Maroussi ROOFTOP DINING ELECTRA Plaka IOANNIS Syntagma LE GRAND BALCON Kolonaki ORIZONTES LYKAVYTTOU Kolonaki ST’ASTRA Mavili Sq

WINE BARS FABRICA DE VINO Exarhia HETEROCLITO Syntagma Kiki’s de Grece Syntagma L’Enoteca Halandri OINOSCENT Syntagma Vinifera Kifissia Vrettos Plaka Whispers of wine Maroussi VINARTE Glyfada

insider athens | September - October 2015 45

Acropolis Gifts Greece is for Lovers 50 - 52 Valtetsiou Str. Tel: 210.924.5064 www.greeceisforlovers.com Tongue-in-cheek souvenirs for the discerning traveller

To advertise, contact ads@insider-magazine.gr

Marie Chantal Boutique

Ermenegildo Zegna

Rere Papa

Spefsippou 11, Tel: 210.722.2029 Old-fashioned chic for little princes and princesses

Skoufa 18, Tel: 210.361.3700 Home of fine fabrics and handsome tailor-finished suits

Skoufa 62, Tel: 210.364.4300 Distinctive creations by two young Greek women and other international imports

Mouyer

Voukourestiou 50 Tel: 210.364.1308 A haven of hip, carrying labels from Balenciaga to Martin Margiela to Marlene Birger

Kanari 8, Tel: 210.361.7714 Good-quality orthopaedic shoes as well as funkier styles

Free Shop

Skoufa 10 Tel: 210.362.2326 Designer homeware and accessories

Vlassis Holevas

Syllektiko Paleopolio

Anagnostopoulou 19, Tel: 210.361.6167 Elegant fashion with a contemporary twist

Asklipiou 41, Tel: 210.364.1718 Antiques of all sorts and restoration services

Flowers

Vinyl Microstore

Yesterday's Bread

Kallidromiou 87-89, Tel: 210.881.1233 Imported second-hand clothes; individuality guaranteed

Kolonaki Antiques Kilim Hali Valaoritou 9, Tel: 210.363.7056 www.kilimhali.gr Antique carpets from around the world

Beauty &Cosmetics Apivita Solonos 6, Tel: 210.364.0560 Shop natural Greek cosmetics, get a prescription cream made up and have a quick massage

Harnn Shop Irakleitou 15, Tel: 210.364.5428 Beautifully packaged skincare and homespa products

Fleria Bespoke Athens

Fashion

Kalogirou

Atelier Loukia

Patriarchou Ioakim 4, Tel: 210.335.6401 Fetish footwear from Prada, Tod's & Casadei

Kanari 24, Tel: 210.362.7334 Fairytale dresses in lace and embroidery from Greece's doyenne designer

Lacoste

Bespoke Athens

Solonos 5, Tel: 210.361.8030 French take on American sportswear

Anagnostopoulou 15-17 Tel: 210.364.5518, Made-to-measure suits and shirts from top international tailors

Iraklitou 9, Tel: 210.360.8315 Alber Elbaz's gloriously chic take on the classic French couture house

Boss Store

Lanvin

Linea Piu

Carouzos

Sekeri 6, Tel: 210 360.6125 Collections from exclusive fashion houses including Chanel, Galliano, Lagerfeld and Sonia Rykiel

Kanari 12, Tel: 210.362.7123 Designer items from Prada, Brioni, Donna Karan, Fendi and other top-flight brands

Skoufa 15, Tel: 210.363.5600 Designer emporium stocked with Chloe, Roberto Cavalli, Ralph Lauren, Missoni & more

Amerikis 19, Tel: 210.338.9080 Smart separates for a work wardrobe

Luisa

Deux Hommes

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Kanari 18, Tel: 210.361.4155 Greece's design ambassadors create structural separates and heavenly bridal gowns. www.deuxhommes.gr

Observatory Attitudes

Dior Boutique Voukourestiou 18-20, Tel: 210 361.3014 High-end designer fashion

Xanthou 3, Tel: 210.363.6030 Budget knick-knacks and must-have casuals from America's fashion hero

Paul & Shark

Jack in the Box

Anagnostopoulou 6, Tel: 210.339.2334 Casual yachting styles

Haritos 13, Tel: 210.725.8735 Beautiful wooden toys and more

Elina Lebessi

Preview

Iraklitou 13, Tel: 210.363.1731 Ethereal frocks, pretty tea-dresses and accessories from around the world

Patriarchou Ioakim 19, Tel: 210.722.4731 High fashion designer shoes

DKNY

46 insider athens | September - October 2015

Patriarchou Ioakim 35, Tel: 210.722.9697

Food & Wine Cava Anthidis Ypsilantou 13-15, Tel: 210.725.1050 Comprehensive wine and liquor wholesalers

Kylix Karneadou 20, Tel: 210.724.5143 Quality picks from the world’s best vineyards; including Greek labels

Wine Garage Xenokratous 25, Tel: 210.721.3175 Browser-friendly cava with helpful service

Gadgets Octopus Solonos 15, Tel: 210.363 6677 Quirky designs with a sense of humour

Gifts Benaki Museum Gift Shop Vas. Sofias & Koumbari Tel: 210.367.1045 Artefacts and jewellery inspired by the museum’s exhibits

Solonos 9, Tel: 210.364.6910 The ultimate fashion store www.attitudes.gr

Solonos 8, Tel: 210.360.3775 Classic American sportswear

Children

Patriarchou Ioakim 30-32 Tel: 210.725.8525 Original silk designs for scarves, ties, shawls & blouses

The Tsitouras Collection

Exarhia

Didotou 34, Tel: 210.361.4544 New vinyls & cds; also reissues from the 60s & more

Thalassa Collection

Ilias Lalaounis museum

Central Athens

Insider guide Shop

Shop

Liana Vourakis

Oxette

Anagnostopoulou 26-28, Tel. 2103617705

Skoufa 37, Tel: 210.339.0547 Trendy, affordable jewellery

Home

Ozzi Skoufa 30, Tel: 210.364.2139 Greek silver fashion jewellery

Christofle

Van Cleef & Arpels

Koumbari 5, Tel: 210.362.0483 Classis silver and crystal ideal for wedding gifts

Voukourestiou 1, Tel: 210.331.0319 The jeweller of the international jetset

La Fenetre Irodotou 21, Tel: 210.723.5029 Elegant objects and sophisticated gifts for the house, mostly from France

Parousiasi Patriarchou Ioakim 33, Tel: 210.723.7656, A range of international brands in crystal, china and other eye-catching homeware accessories

Jewellery Apriati Pindarou 29, Tel: 210.360.7878 Smartly designed necklaces, bracelets and rings

Elena Votsi Xanthou 7, Tel: 210.360.0936 Conversation-starting pieces in gold and stone

Fanourakis Patriarchou Ioakim 23 Tel: 210.721.1762, Unique collection of animal and insect pins & earrings

Folli Follie Tsakalof 6 & Solonos 25 Tel: 210.323.0739 Greece's high-street export stocks affordable watches and everyday bijoux

Monastiraki Antiques Darousos Normanou 7, Tel: 210.331.1638 Small antique shop in the heart of the flea market

Paleovivliopolio Hiotakis Normanou 7, Tel: 210.324.7835 Historic bookshop houses rare & old books

Food & Wine DELICATESSEN Arapian Evripidou 41, Tel: 210.321.7238 Old-style butcher shop offers interesting sausages, pasturma & smoked meats

Bahar Evripidou 31, Tel: 210.321.7225 Well-known herb haven

Miran Evripidou 45, Tel: 210.321.7187 Sausages, pastrami & cured meats

Pangrati BEAUTY & COSMETICS

Liana Vourakis

Korres

Anagnostopoulou 26-8 Tel: 210.362.2564 For unique baptism and wedding gifts, start here

Ivikou 8 & Eratosthenous Tel: 210.722.2774 Natural Greek products made using Mediterranean herbs

Plaka

Syntagma

Antique stores

Accessories Bag Stories

Martinos Pandrosou 50, Tel: 210.321.2414 Specializes in 19th Century folk art, embroidery & furniture

Panepistimiou 41, Tel: 210.323.7405 Luggage & travel bags by Tumi, Porsche Design, Rimowa & Delsey

Antiques

Food & wine

Antiqua Mesogaia Nikis 52, Tel: 210.322.9146 Packaged & fresh speciality foods

Vassilis Amalias 2-4, Tel: 210.323.2220 One of the oldest antique stores in Athens

Gifts

Beauty & Cosmetics

Amorgos

Fresh Line

Kodrou 3, Tel: 210.324.3836 Hand-carved & painted furniture

Ermou 30, Tel: 210.324.6500 Fresh organic cosmetics from Greece

Psyrri

Ermou 44, Tel: 210.325.8260 International cosmetic brand for women who like to play with colour

Fashion Christoforos Kotentos Sachtouri 3, Tel: 210.325.5434 Glamorous & unique designs

Home Notoshome Kratinou 5, Tel: 210.374.3000 Home dĂŠcor superstore

MAC

Books Eleftheroudakis Panepistimiou 17, Tel: 210.325.8440 The largest foreign language bookstore in Greece

Department Stores attica Panepistimiou 9, Tel: 211.180.2600 Home to an array of luxury goods

Fokas Stadiou 41, Tel: 210.325.7770 Clothes, shoes and accessories for men, women & children

Fashion - Men’s Pagoni Akadimias 61, Tel: 210.363.9277 Selling ties and cufflinks since 1933

insider athens | September - October 2015 47

Dromoloulouda Voulis 15, Tel: 210.323.2321 Specializing in arrangements with wild flowers, many indigenous to Greece

Ermou 18, Tel: 210.323.0739 Trendy & affordable jewellery & accessories

Gofas Stadiou 3, Tel: 210.331.7540 High-end timepieces

Ilias Lalaounis

Food & Wine

Panepistimiou 6, Tel: 210.361.1371 Fabulous gold designs by famous Greek jeweller

Aristokratikon

Kessaris

Karageorgi Servas 9, Tel: 210.322.0546 Handmade chocolates

Marathianakis

Cellier Kriezotou 1, Tel: 210.361.0040 Speciality wine shop

Gadgets Public Syntagma Square, Tel: 210.324.6210, Five floors of gaming, gadgets & books

Gifts Graf Von Faber-Castell Boutique

Panepistimiou 7, Tel: 210.323.2919 Wide range of luxury brand timepieces Voukourestiou 21, Tel: 210.362.7118 Old-world shop known for its original & elegant designs

Omega Omega, the brand of James Bond and Nicole Kidman, has its own elegant boutique on Voukourestiou showcasing the brand’s collections Voukourestiou 2, Tel: 210.322.7682

Pentheroudakis Voukourestiou 19, Tel: 210.361.3187 Timeless pieces inspired by classical Greek design

Panepistimiou 41, Tel: 210.321.8564 Traditional hand-held writing utensils

Kori Mitropoleos 13, Tel: 210.323.3534 Traditional & contemporary jewellery

Psarros 1917 Stadiou 3, Tel: 210.322.0908 Executive gifts and smoking accessories

Home Baccarat Voukourestiou 21, Tel: 210.362.2863 Fine crystal from the venerable French luxury house

Jewellery Apriati Pentelis 9 & Mitropoleos, Tel: 210.322.9020 Smartly designed necklaces, bracelets and rings

Bulgari Voukourestiou 8, Tel: 210.324.7118 Opulent designs in jewellery, watches & accessories

Cartier Voukourestiou 7, Tel: 210.331.3600 Two floors of designs & timepieces by the prestigious Cartier maison

Chopard Stadiou 2 & Vas. Georgiou 210.325.0555Legendary time pieces and jewellery.

Folli Follie

Zayiana

Zolotas Panepistimiou 10, Tel: 210.360.1272 Designs inspired by the antique & classical periods as well as contemporary collections by designers like Paloma Picasso www.zolotas.gr

Shoes Spiliopoulos Ermou 63, Tel: 210.322.7590 Pick up a pair of Manolo’s at half price!

Vassilis Zoulias Old Athens Akadimias 4, Tel: 210.361.4762 Handmade shoes and handbags inspired by films of the 50s & 60s

48 insider athens | September - October 2015

Southern Athens

Flowers

To advertise, contact ads@insider-magazine.gr

Glyfada Fashion Enny di Monaco Laodikis 41, Tel: 210.894.0153 Carefully selected designs by various international designers

Obervatory Attitudes A. Panagouli 17, Tel: 210.894.2113 The ultimate fashion store www.attitudes.gr

Saltwater Astir Beach, Vouliagmeni 210.894.0813 Designer beach and resortwear

Zayiana

Northern Athens

Insider guide Shop

Kifissia Fashion 21 Kifissia Kifissias 265, Tel: 210.801.3594 Extreme sport paraphernelia

Vassilis Zoulias Argyropoulou 1-3, Tel: 210.801.7023 Unique designs reminiscent of times past

Food & Wine Aristokratikon Argyropoulou 8, Tel: 210.801.6533 Decadent handmade chocolates

Bakaliko Ola Ta Kala Kifissias 238-240, Mela Shopping Centre, Tel: 210.808.9908 Quality Greek delicacies

Sorpresa Italiana Kiriazi 6-8, Tel: 210.801.7886, Authentic fresh Italian pasta, sauces, truffles & more

Stefanidis Finest Foods

A. Metaxa 19 Tel: 210.898.32.69 www.zayiana.com

Dimitrios Square 13, Tel: 210.808.2191 Excellent European delicatessen

Jewellery

Kassaveti 5, Tel: 210.801.2472 Milk products & patisserie

ZerTeo Metaxa 24-26, Tel: 210.894.6682 Unique jewellery designs

Varsos

Maroussi Golden Hall

Provence

Kifissias 37A, Tel: 210.680.3450 131 high-end (and high-street) stores for anyone with a passion for fashion

Posidonos 80, Tel: 210.898.1435 Gourmet French delicatessen

Andrea Papandreou 35 Tel: 210.630.0000 Shops, cinemas and food

Food & Wine

20%

The Mall Athens

Off!

Cut this coupon & avail of 20% off on all exclusive brands at Sephora’s stores in Greece.

Central Athens

Eat & Drink Acropolis EAT Aglio Olio & Peperonicino Porinou 13, Tel: 210.921.1801 Authentic Italian pasta in a cozy setting, accompanied by luscious salads and homemade dolci

Atrium Rovertou Galli 4, Acropolis.

Tel: 210.923.6832, Refined Greek cuisine in a cosy setting

Mani Mani Falirou 10 Tel: 210.921.8180 Peloponnesian specialities with Mediterranean touches

Exarhia EAT Fabrica de Vino Em. Benaki 3, Tel: 210.321.4148 85 wine etiquettes and mini mezzes in an industrial environment

Kavouras Themistokleous 64, Tel: 210.381.0202 Dine while enjoying live Rebetika music

Salero Valtetsiou 51, Tel: 210.381.3358 Spanish and mediterranean cuisine in the heart of Exarhia

Yantes Valtetsiou 44, Tel: 210.330.1369 Modern Greek cuisine prepared with organic ingredients.

DRINK Circus Bar Navarinou 11, Tel: 210.361.5255 Attracts a hip and happening crowd in a cozy space

Ginger Ale

MoMix

Themistokleous 74, Tel: 210.330.1246 Enjoy a cocktail or a coffee in a retro pop atmosphere

Keleou 1-5, Gazi. Tel: 697.435.0179, Temple of mixology and high-quality bartending

Vox

PIXI

Arahovas 56 & Themistokleous Tel: 210.383.5811 One of the oldest summer cinemas in Athens is a picturesque place for a retro-tinged drink

Evmolpidon 11, Gazi.

Tel: 210.342.3751, Get in to the groove

Gazi EAT Bollywood Gazi Elasidon 29 & Konstantinoupoleos 44, Tel: 210.345.0041 Indian cuisine in an industrial setting

Plastiko

Sofroniou 12A, Tel: 210.341.0308 Excellent cocktails, reasonable prices, summer mood

Socialista Triptolemou 33, Gazi Tel: 210.347.4733 Mainstream barclub in industrial setting

Tapas Bar

Triptolemou 44, Tel: 210.347.1844 Cocktails and tapas at the bar, just like in Spain

Athiri

Persefonis 19, Tel: 210.341.3440 Traditional psistaria serving grilled meat dishes

Hilton

Plataion 15, Tel: 210.346.2983 Greek & Mediterranean cuisine in beautiful surroundings

Kohenoor

EAT

Butcher’s Shop

Triptolemou 41, Tel: 210.345.5762 Indian authentic specialties in a neat setting

Mamacas Persefonis 41, Tel: 210.346.4984 Modern taverna located in an old barrel warehouse offering traditional Greek fare

Prosopa Meg. Vasiliou 52 & Konstantinoupoleos 4 Tel: 210.341.3433, Delicious dishes in a warm atmosphere right beside the train tracks. A popular gay haunt.

Thalatta Vitonos 5, Tel: 210.346.4204 Fresh seafood creations

DRINK Bars, Clubs & Lounges Almaz Triptolemou 12, Tel: 210.347.4763 Lounge in a modern atmosphere while listening to music from around the world

Dirty Ginger Triptolemou 46, Tel: 210.342.3809 Excellent cocktails, meat dishes and “hot” finger food

Hoxton Bar Voutadon 42 Gazi, Tel: 210.341.3395, A cocktail bar based on Hoxton in East London

Gazarte

Boutadon 32-34, Tel: 210.346.0347 Lounge bar with excellent views of the Acropolis, ethnic music and live events

Gasoline

Gargittion 23Α, Tel: 210.346.9396 All day bar with freestyle music and interesting guest-nights

Mani Mani

Voted one of to p 10 restaurants in Paramythias 13 and Salaminos, Tel: 210 524 2727 Haute cuisine Europe Funky Gourmet

Alatsi Vrassida 13, Tel: 210.721.0501 Exquisite Cretan specialties

in art deco interior

Safka

Byzantino

Athens Hilton Vas. Sofias 46, Tel: 210.728.1400 Traditional Greek recipes with a Mediterranean twist

Cookoovaya

Regular w ine

Megalou Alexandrou 80-82, degustat ions Tel: 210 524 3340 Scandinavian cuisine

DRINK

Hatziyianni Mexi 2A, Tel. 210.723.5005, 5 famous chefs combine their talents to create unique flavors.

CV Bar

Baltinon 2 , Gyzi. Tel : 211.700.9383

Kolonaki

Konstantinoupoleos 108, Keramikos Tel: 210.345.1744

Leilimlei Milos

Athens Hilton Vas. Sofias 46, Tel: 210.724.4400 Simply prepared local flavours.

Guaranteed value for money

Vezene

EAT Bakeries & Patisseries Cake

Vrasida 11, Tel: 210.723.2002 Modern bistrot serving seafood & cured beef

Irodotou 15, Tel: 210.721.2253 For real American homemade cheesecake, brownies and more

Vlassis

Fresh

Meandrou 15, Tel: 210.646.3060 & 210.725.6335, Family-run taverna serving traditional Greek food

Kriezotou 12, Tel: 210.364.2948/ Loukianou 21, Tel: 210.729.3453 Desserts and cakes

DRINK

Restaurants

Galaxy Bar Athens Hilton, Vas. Sofias 46, Tel: 210.728.1402 Rooftop cocktails in a chic atmosphere

Tsakalof 36A, Tel: 210.361.4695 Flavours of multiethnic cuisine

Boschetto Evangelismos Park, Tel: 210.721.0893 Italian food in a lush central setting

Kerameikos

Cafe Boheme

EAT Aleria

Altamira

Awarded Toqu e d’Or

in 2013 Meg. Alexandrou 57, Tel: 210.522.2633 Adventurous Greek cuisine in a cosy setting

Omirou 36, Tel: 210.360.8018 Welcoming nook with Greek cooking and more-ish cocktails

Capanna Ploutarchou 38 & Charitos, Kolonaki Tel: 210.724.1777 People-watching and authentic Italian fare

insider athens | September - October 2015 49

Insider guide Eat & Drink new

Cinco

To advertise, contact ads@insider-magazine.gr

Ouzadiko

Yoko Sushi & Bento

Skoufa 52, Tel: 210.364.3603 Great cocktails and specialty tapas

Karneadou 25-26, Tel: 210.729.5484 Traditional Greek appetizers & ouzo

F+W

Papadakis

39 Patriarchou Ioakeim Tel: 210.342.4654 Fresh sushi to-go!

new

Xenokratous 49, Tel: 210.721.1146 Gourmet food by Oliver Campanha

Filippou Xenokratous 19, Tel: 210.721.6390 Home-cooked Greek taverna dishes

IT restaurant Skoufa 29, Tel. 210 36 35 773, Affordable gourmet menu in a chic environment.

Jackson Hall Milioni 4, Tel: 210.361.6098 Gourmet burgers with all the fixings

Kalamaki Kolonaki Ploutarhou 32, Tel: 210.721.8800 Souvlakia on the sidewalk have never been so trendy

Kiku Dimokritou 12, Tel: 210.364.7033 Fresh, beautifully presented sushi

L’Abreuvoir Xenokratous 51, Tel: 210.722.9106 Fine French cuisine

Le Grand Balcon St George Lycabettus Hotel, Kleomenous 2, Tel: 210.729.0711 Gourmet Greek cuisine

Li - Li - Shu Deinokratous 1, Tel: 210.722.2254 Refreshingly authentic Japanese cuisine

Minnie the Moocher Tsakalof 6, Kolonaki, Tel: 210 364 1686

Nice n Easy Omirou 60 & Skoufa, Tel.: 210.361.7201 Gourmet cafe-restaurant with organic products and jazz music

Orizontes Lycavyttou Lycabettus Hill, Tel: 210.722.7065 Gourmet dining with a spectacular view

Fokilidou 15 & Voukourestiou 47A Tel: 210.360.8621 Paros’ legendary gourmet restaurant serving seafood in the heart of Athens

DRINK Bars, Clubs & Lounges

P-BOX

City

Haritos 24, Periscope hotel Tel: 210.729.8556 Simple ingredients, special flavours in a setting designed

by Theodore Zoumboulakis

Charitos 43, Tel: 210.722.8910 Modern aesthetics, mutli-culti crowd and soulful music

Prytaneion

Solonos 72, Tel: 693.951.1760, 690.607.3362 Union jacks and red telephone booths in an all day bar-restaurant

Milioni 7, Tel: 210.364.3353 Generous portions of Mediterranean fare

Ratka Haritos 32, Tel: 210.729.0746 Popular haunt of the rich and almost famous, with cosmopolitan cuisine

Sale e Pepe Aristipou 34, Tel: 210.723.4102 Authentic Italian trattoria

Scala Vinoteca Sina 50, Tel: 210.361.0041 Mediterranean restaurant ideal for wining & dining

Showroom Milioni 12, Tel: 210.364.6460 Missoni-designed interiors, serving unique Mediterranean flavours

Spiros & Vasilis

new

Lachitos 5, Tel: 210.723.7575 Original French cuisine

Suba Restaurant

London str 72

new

For Creative Cuisine www.lachocolatiere.gr

Mai Tai Ploutarhou 18, Tel: 210.725.8306 Early evening cocktails in a laid-back atmosphere

Rosebud Omirou 60 & Skoufa 40, Tel: 210.339.2370 All day hang-out with music ranging from jazz to famous soundtracks

Skoufaki Skoufa 47-49, Tel: 210.364.5888 All time classic café bar

Mavili Sq

Ten

DRINK

Ploutarhou 10, Tel: 210.721.0161 One of the most popular hot spots in town

Cafés

Balthazar Tsoha 27, Tel: 210.644.1215 Lovely garden and chic interior attracts a cool crowd

Baraonda

Skoufa 58 & Sina, Kolonaki Tel: 210.338.8211 Authentic sushi in the heart of the city

Da Capo

TGI Friday’s

Peros

Kolokotroni 35, Kefalari sq.

Tel: 210.623.3945, American restaurant with real steak and barbecuesauce for casual dining!

Kolonaki Square, Tel: 210.364.5068 Enjoy a cup of java if you can find a spot

Tea

EAT

Tutti a Tavola

To Tsai

Spefsippou 8, Kolonaki.

Tel: 210.722.2785, Authentic Italian trattoria at affordable prices.

Fuga

Soutsou & Likavitou, Tel: 210.338.8941 Tea & tea paraphernalia from around the world

Vas.Sofias & Kokkali 1, Tel: 210 724 2979 Italian inspired menu by chef Andrea Berton at the Athens Concert Hall

Tsakalof 1, Tel: 210.360.2497 Long-established people-watching hangout

Tsoha 43, Tel: 210.644.4308 Gourmet cuisine and funky beats

Briki Dorileou 6, Tel: 210.654.2380 Trendy hole-in-the-wall hangout

Ginger Dorileou 10-12, Tel: 210.645.1169 Original dishes and innovative combinations in an elegant atmosphere

St’Astra Alexadras 10, Tel: 210.889.4500 For an unforgettable roof-top dining experience

To Parko Eleftherias

Aleria

50 insider athens | September - October 2015

Milos Garden

Next to Megaron Mousikis, Tel: 210.722.3784 Classic recipes and nice atmopshere in a lush green park

Eat & Drink MetaxOurgeio

360 Cocktail Bar

Fuga

EAT Andaman Alopis 65, Athens, Tel. 211.210.4939, Thai food in an exotic setting

Archeon Gefsis Kodratou 22, Tel: 210.523.9661 Ancient Greek cuisine makes a unique comeback after 25 centuries

Blue Bambo Kydantidon 24, Athens, Tel. 210.342.3124, Thai food with modern interior design

Polly Maggoo Leonidou 80 & Salaminos, Tel: 210 524 1120 Gourmet cuisine in a post-modern and industrial setting.

New hot spot for the trendy

Tamarind

new

Keramikou 51, Metaxourgio, Tel. 210.522.5945, tamarindathens.gr/eng Thai food in a beautiful setting

Monastiraki EAT Bairaktaris Monastiraki Square 2 Tel: 210.321.3036 Old-world taverna serving traditional Greek fare

Café Avissinia

new

Kynetou 7, Tel: 210.321.7407 Specializing in regional dishes & live music on weekends

Dos Agaves

new

Avramiotou 12, Tel: 210.331.3577 Great Cocktail bar and taco joint

Melilotos Kalamiotou 19, Tel: 210.322.2458 Greek-Mediterranean cuisine with fresh local ingredients

Savvas Mitropoleos 86, Tel: 210.321.9919 Gyros & Middle Eastern dishes like pastourmali

Sigalas-Bairaktaris Monastiraki Sq. 2, Tel: 210.321.3036 Century-old restaurant serving a variety of fresh dishes

Souvlaki Bar Adrianou 7 & Thisiou 15, Tel: 210.515.0550

Stou Meïdani Sokratous 3 & Evripidou Tel: 210.324.9073, A menu that is sure to please with speciality oven dishes

Thanassis Mitropoleos 69, Tel: 210.324.4705 A souvlaki lover’s paradise

To Kouti Adrianou 23, Tel: 210.321.3229 Mediterranean fare right next to the ancient agora

DRINK 360 Cocktail Bar Ifestou 2, Tel: 210.321.0006

A for Athens Miaouli 2-4, Tel: 210.324.4244 An urban terrace with the most stunning view of the Acropolis

Loukoumi Bar Plateia Avissinias 3, Tel: 210.323.4814 An all day hang-out with good music, cool atmosphere and great views

Six Dogs Avramiotou 6-8, Tel: 210.321.0510 A day&night cultural entertainment center and bar with a vivid 600m2 back-garden.

Taf Normanou 5, Tel: 210.323.8757 Outdoor bar in a neoclassical building with arty atmosphere and great exhibitions

Mavro Provato

Ariannou 31, Pangrati, Tel: 210.722.3466 Best value-for-money meal in Athens

Spondi Pyrronos 5, Tel: 210.756.4021 A mix of European & more exotic flavours. Voted one2ofMi theche bestlinin Athens

stars

Sushi Bar (The)

Stilponos 2, Pl.Varnava, Pangrati Tel: 210.752.4354 Sushi on a budget

Tortuga Archimidous 1, Pangrati, Tel: 213.030.7520, Healthy, affordable street-style food.

Trapezaria Efronionos 13, Pangrati Tel: 210.921.3500, Mediterranean cuisine in chic setting

Trata o Stelios

Daphne’s Restaurant Lysikratous 4, Tel: 210.322.7971 Refined classic Greek dishes in a resplendent atmosphere

Electra Nikodimou 18-20, Tel: 210.337.0000 Roof-top dining with Greek cuisine

Mono Wine Restaurant Venizelou Paleologou 4, Tel: 210.322.6711 Unpretentious gourmet cuisine

Scholarheio Tripodon 14, Tel: 210.324.1605 A traditional tray taverna with old fashioned decor & prices

Ydria Adrianou 68 & Eolou, Tel: 210.325.1619 Taditional Greek cuisine

Anagenniseos Sq. 7-9, Tel: 210.729.1533 The best grilled fish in town

Psyrri

DRINK - LIVE BARS

EAT

Kebabtzidikon Barbadimos

Half Note Jazz Club

Diporto

Aigaiou and Spathari 2, Nea Smyrni, Tel. 210.934.7600 Casual, authentic souvlakerie

Trivonianou 17, Tel: 210.921.3310 A jazz club with great history, hosting important names from the international music scene.

Theatrou & Sokratous, Tel: 210.321.1463 Old-world tavern offers bargain basics like salads, sardines & fava

Omonia

Superfly

Aiolou 51, Tel: 210.323.9809 Gourmet ethnic street food

Nea Smyrni EAT

EAT Athinaikon Themistokleous 2, Tel: 210.383.8485 A traditional Greek ouzeri

Ideal Restaurant Panepistimiou 46, Tel: 210.330.3000 Greek classics in old-world decor

Trata Themistokleous 8 and Nikitara 9, Tel: 210.383.8531 Excellent fish taverna in the centre of Athens

Pangrati EAT Cucina Povera Evforionos 13 & Eratosthenous Tel: 210.756.6008, Greek cuisine with a menu that changes daily

Fatsio Efroniou 5, Tel: 210.721.7421 Greek food & political gossip

Empedokleous 28-30, Tel: 211.404.6076 The new hot spot for retro gamers

Falafellas

new

Gostijo

PETRALONA

Aisopou 10 street, Tel: 210.323.3825 Kosher menu and mediterranean “repertoire”

EAT

Ipiros Tavern

Thio Tragi

new

Kidatidon 36, Tel: 210.341.0296 Creative gourmet kitchen with high quality ingredients

new

Athens Central Market Filopimenos 4, Tel: 210.324.0773 Great traditional Greek tavern, an excellent place for lunch

Kouzina Cine-Psirri Sari 44, Tel: 210.321.5534 Mediterranean fare & eclectic music

Plaka EAT 2 Mazi Nikis 48, Tel: 210.322.2839 Creative gourmet dishes that change monthly

Brettos Kydathaneon 41, Plaka, Tel: 21.323.2110. Legendary wateringhole in the Plaka district

Spondi

insider athens | September - October 2015 51

Insider guide Eat & Drink

To advertise, contact ads@insider-magazine.gr Frequent wine tastings

Ochre & Brown

GB Corner

Paul

Oinoscent

Leokoriou 7, Tel: 210.331.2950 Mediterranean/French cuisine

Hotel Grand Bretagne, Tel: 210.333.0750 Luxurious surroundings, Mediterranean cuisine

Panepistiomiou 10, Tel: 210.722.4824 A true French patisserie

Voulis 45-47, Tel: 210.322.9374 Trendy winebar

Plaza Lounges

The Gin Joint

Indian Kitchen

NJV Athens Plaza Hotel Vas. Georgiou A & Stadiou Tel: 210.335.2400 All day lounge with salads & snacks

Christou Lada 1, Tel: 210.321.8646 Popular drinks, classic cocktails and the fanciest G&T in Athens!

DRINK Bars, Clubs & Lounges

Apollonos 6, Tel: 210.323.7720

Cantina Social

Royal Olympic Hotel, Ath. Diakou 28-34, Tel: 210.928.8400 Greek & Mediterranean cuisine with breathtaking views from the rooftop

Leokoriou 8, Tel: 210.325.1668 Tiny standing bar, ideal for socializing.

Dude Kalamiotou 14, Tel: 210.322.7130 Uptempo bar inspired by “Big Lebowski”

Syntagma EAT Amandine Bagels & Gourmandises Nikis 13, Syntagma Tel : 210.323.9829 Fresh bagels and French pastries

Avocado Nikis 30, Tel: 210.323.7878 Vegetarian restaurant

City Bistro Stoa Spiliomilou, Syntagma, Tel. 210 32 11 315, citylink.gr Refined cuisine in chic setting

Dosirak Voulis 31-33, Tel: 210.323.3330 Japanese & Korean cuisine in the heart of Athens

Furin Kazan

Ioannis

Kiki’s de Grece Ipitou and Voulis 38, Syntagma, Tel: 210.321.1279, Cosy wine bar with French flair

Koi 15 Nikis, Syntagma, 210.321.1099 Affordable street-food style sushi

NJV Athens Plaza Hotel Vas. Georgiou A & Stadiou Tel: 210.335.2400 International cuisine with Mediterranean accents

AiNikolas

Avenue

DRINK

New Taste

Bars, Clubs & Lounges

New Hotel, Filellinon 16, Tel: 210.327.3170 Mediterranean cuisine with a modern twist

42 Bar

Apollonos 11, Tel: 210.331.8585 A congenial place to drop in for a quick noodle fix

O Tzitzikas ki o Mermigas Mitropoleos 12-14, Tel: 210.324.7607 Savoury Greek cuisine, perfectly combining modern & traditional elements Agias Eirinis Sq, Tel: 210.324.3331 Mediterranean dishes in a setting where minimalism meets retro

3 Kolokotroni, Tel: 6948242455, Delicious creative cocktails and mixology

Baba Au Rum

new

Clayton 6, Tel: 211.710.9140 Amazing cocktails and rum collection with a cozy environment

Boutique Filellinon 15, Tel: 210.323.1315 Popular Athenian night spot

Explorer’s Lounge NJV Athens Plaza, Syntagma Square, Tel: 210.335.2400, Magnificent cocktails and live jazz in an intimate atmosphere

Heteroclito Fokionos 2, Tel: 210.323.9406 A true wine destination with focus on Greek vineyards

Kalua

The concierge of the Grande Bretagne Hotel in Syntagma Square recommends:

Eat Drink Do

Amerikis 6, Tel: 210.360.8304 Dance the night away in a chic environment

New: Suba, Kolonaki, Athens Classic: Filippou, Kolonaki, Athens Alternative: Vezene, Ilissia, Athens

52 insider athens | September - October 2015

Syngrou Ave. 156, Tel: 210.923.2918 Original seafood dishes, fresh ingredients and simple elegant interior Metropolitan Hotel, Syngrou Ave 385, Tel: 210.947.100 French bistrot inspired by Michel Roux

Café Zoe Athenaeum InterContinental, Syngrou Ave 89-93, Tel: 210.920.6655 Casual dining and terrific buffets for lunch and on Sundays

Hytra Onassis Cultural Center Syngrou Ave 107-109, Tel: 217.707.1118, 210.331.6767 Creative gourmet Greek cuisine with stunning views

Kollias Syngrou Ave. 303, Tel: 210.940.8620 Excellent seafood in a pleasant Mediterranean atmosphere

Ledra Kai Athens Ledra Hotel, Syngrou 115, Neos Kosmos, Tel: 210.930.0000 Polynesian Tepanyiaki restaurant going strong after 30 years

Peacock Hotel Hera, Falirou 9, Tel: 210.923.6682 Traditional food with breathtaking Acropolis views

Première Athenaeum InterContinental, Syngrou Ave 89-93, Tel: 210.920.6981 Gourmet cuisine with splendid views

Thissio EAT

New: CV, Kerameikos, Athens Classic: Oinoscent, Syntagma, Athens Alternative: Minnie the Moocher, Kolonaki, Athens New: Onassis Cultural Centre, Tavros, Athens Classic: Museum of Cycladic Art, Kolonaki, Athens Alternative: Herakleidon Museum, Thissio, Athens

EAT

King George Hotel Vas. Georgiou A 3, Tel: 210.322.2210 Elegant setting, refined cuisine and an incredible Acropolis view

Mitropoleos 3, Tel: 210.324.1805 Modern greek grill restaurant

Noodle Bar

Syngrou

Tudor Hall Restaurant & Lounge

Meatropoleos 3

Osterman

Apollonos 2, Tel: 210.322.9170 A Japanese favourite of expats & Athenians alike

The Parliament

new

Indian Masala Ermou 129, Tel: 210.321.9412 Amazing Indian food at affordable price in a pleasant environment

Kirki Explorer’s Lounge

Apostoplou Pavlou 31, Tel: 210.346.6960 Ideal for a lunch break

Eat & Drink Kuzina

Vosporos

Adrianou 9, Tel: 210.324.0133 Inspired traditional recipes in a cozy arty environment

Akti Koumoundourou 20, Pireaus, Tel.210.412.7324, Mediterranean dining with a sea view.

The James Joyce

Southern Athens

Astiggos 12, Tel: 210.323.5055 Genuine Irish pub with typical pub fare

Ak. Koumoundourou 48, Tel: 210.417.5152 Fresh seafood on the quay

Zorbas Ak. Koumoundourou 14, Tel: 210.411.1663 Unique flavours of the Mediterranean

Piraeus EAT Captain John’s Ak. Koumoundourou 16A, Tel: 210.417.7589 Traditional seafood

Dourambeis Ak. Protopsalti 29, Tel: 210.412.2092 Classic fish taverna

Jimmy and The Fish Ak. Mikrolimanou, Tel: 210.412.4417 Excellent seafood; try the astakomakaronada

Keg ‘n’ Crew

Zefyros

new

Akti Miaouli 83, Tel: 210.429.0396 Comfort food and cold beers

Kollias Plastira 3, Tel: 210.462.9620 Excellent seafood but difficult to find; reserve on weekends

Rouan Thai

Restaurants

Molly Malone’s

Istioploikos

Aperitivo

Ak. Microlimanou, Tel: 210.413.4084 One of the hip places to see and be seen with a rooftop bar overlooking the yachting marina

Kyprou 70, Tel: 210.894.0377 Authentic Italian cuisine in a cosy setting

Yannitsopoulou 8, Tel: 210.894.4247 Irish pub serving probably the best Irish Stew in Athens

Katafigio

33rd Street Elliniko 13, Tel: 210.963.5416 The fist dedicated Russian restaurant in Athens

Ak. Koumoundourou 4, Tel: 210.413.1612 Club, cafe & beer house

cuisine

Beirut

EAT

Food Mafia

Da Bruno Ag. Alexandrou 46, Tel: 210.981.8959 Rich list with Italian flavours

Il Tinello Knossou 54, Tel: 210.982.8462 Real Italian home cooking

Kebabtzidikon Kyr.Ariston

Kitchen Bar

Papanastasiou 63, Tel: 210.411.1901 Italian cuisine with a view of the harbour

Poseidonos 3, Tel: 210.981.2004 Comfort food overlooking the sea

Le Petit Sommelier Degustation menu Zaimi 6, Tel: 210.984.2344 Ak. Koumoundourou 52, at ju Mikrolimano, Tel: 210 5228400st 40€ French cuisine & excellent wine list new Seafood prepared by Michelin Suzanna Varoulko

Orpheus & Chariton 5, Tel: 210.942.8129 Authentic Middle Eastern cuisine

DRINK Zinc “Flisvos” Marina, Tel: 210.985.3183 Cocktails whith music

Glyfada EAT Bakeries & Patisseries Paul Varoulko

Russian

Faliro

Tony Bonano

Etolikou 72 & Vitolion, Tel: 210.461.2457 Friendly food and atmosphere

Barin

Panagouli 52 & Faidras Tel: 210.894.3169 Lebanese cuisine & entertainment

Zisimopoulou 96, Faliro, 210.982.2320 Dining in a garden setting

Vassilenas

Matsuhisa

DRINK

Notara 131, Piraeus, Tel. 210.429.4494, Home-style Thai food

star-winning chef Lefteris Lazarou

New Address!

Kyprou 30-32, Tel: 210.963.8770

Esperidon Square and Kyprou 70, Tel: 210.894.7169 A real French boulangerie that serves meals too.

Laodikis & Filikis Etairias10, Tel: 210.894.2177 International fare with attitude

Labraki & Ag. Nikolaou 48, Tel: 210.960.3943 Menu with emphasis on mushrooms with cosy, wood decor. Try the cocktail with mushrooms

Mutfak Laodikis 38, Glyfada, Tel.210.894.9060 Politiki Kouzina in a romantic setting

Ocean Basket new

Lazaraki 61 & Pandoras 5, Glyfada 210.898.3183 Fresh oysters South African favourite seafood restaurant comes to Greece

Sardelaki Foivis 15, Tel: 211.402.1195 Sardines and seafood in a casual setting.

Giouvetsakia Ithomis 20 and Moreos, Tel: 210.964.8081 Organic mageirefta food

Sale Bianco da Salvotoro

Hama Grigoriou Lambraki 34, Tel: 210.960.0595 Sophisticated Japanese cuisine in a cosy setting

Holy Spirit

Mushroom

new

Laodikis 41, Tel: 210.898.2650 Cocktail Bar with great menu and beautiful atmosphere

Markou Botsari 10A, Tel: 210.898.6301 Authentic Italian food in an inviting atmosphere

The Burger Joint Foivis 17, Tel: 210.894.0260 NY style, organic burgers in a casual and relaxed environment.

To 25araki M. Botsari 8, Tel: 210.894.4112 Fresh seafood at reasonable prices

Il Salotto

Vincenzo

Markou Botsari 13, Tel: 210.894.8397 Minimal décor, elegant Italian fare

Giannitsopoulou 1, Tel: 210.894.1310 Value for money Italian specialities with a Southern Italian touch

Inbi Lazaraki 26, Tel: 210.894.4982 Sushi fusion

CreperieS

Jamon Pintxos Bar Laodikis 33-35, Tel: 210.894.6089 Basque “pinchos” in a cozy setting

Keep Woking Dimitriou Gounari 70, Tel:211.012.2801 Create-your-own Asian cuisine, fast and funky

La Casa Di Giorgino

To Paramythi Kyprou 9, Tel: 210.894.1361 Creperie in a fairy-tale setting

DRINK Bars, Clubs & Lounges

Kyprou 30-32, Tel: 210.963.8770 Authentic Italian pizza made in a traditional wood-burning oven

Balux

Mimaya

Daskaroli 67, Tel: 210.964.7600 American style bar with rock, blues, soul music and live events

Markou Botsari 8, Tel: 210.894.4850 Creative Mediterranean cuisine.

Posidonos 58, Tel: 210.898.3577 Waterfront lounging

Bourbon

insider athens | September - October 2015 53

Insider guide Eat & Drink

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Capri Bay

Galazia Hytra

DRINK

Grigoriou Lambraki 2, Tel: 210.894.9995 Excellent cocktails in a Moroccan style garden

Westin Hotel, Astir Palace, 210.890.2137 Michelin star gourmet restaurant

En Plo

Laodikis 33-35, Tel: 210.894.1031 Minimal decor with well-known Greek DJs

Vinarte Marangou 18, Tel: 210 894.1511 A wine bar and Italian restaurant with regular art exhibitions and cool decor

Chocolat Zisimopoulou 9, Tel: 210.894.3442 Satisfies even the most discerning coffee connoisseur

Voula

Ithaki Apollonos 28, Tel: 210.896.3747 Beautiful sea view, fresh seafood The Margi, Litous 11, Tel: 210.892.9160 Multinational tastes in a chic Mediterranean ambience

Rafale Apollonos 28, Tel: 210.967.1184 Traditionally prepared seafood dishes presented exquisitely

Matsuhisa Athens

EAT Dulcis in Fundo Prinkipos Petrou 33, Tel: 210.894.2136 Top-quality authentic Italian

Live music Th Vasileos Pavlou 99, ursday-Saturday Elias Koukoutsi

Tel: 210.899.5480 A modern “rakadiko” serving Greek dishes.

Koi 98 Vas. Pavlou in Voula, 213.032.0890 Affordable street-food style sushi

Naiades Vas. Pavlou 74, Tel: 210.965.7706 Popular family grill joint

Vouliagmeni Baku

Astir Palace, Apollonos 40, Tel: 210.8901794 Creative Italian cuisine

Malabar

Cafes

EAT

Il Tramonto

new

Margi Hotel, Litous 11, Tel: 210.967.0924 Delicious variations of Mediterranean food

Al Bacio Posidonos 17, Tel: 210.896.0400 Trattoria serving traditional Italian dishes & pizza

Astir Palace, Apollonos 40, Tel: 210.896.0510 Celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa serves up sushi favourites with a LatinAmerican flair

Mythos of the Sea Ag. Nikolaou 10 & Iliou, Tel: 210.891.1100 Gourmet Mediterranean cuisine that blends local produce with fresh seafood

Psaraki Posidonos 15, Tel: 210.896.2215 Seafood served in an informal setting

Schara Posidonos 15, Tel: 210.896.2432 Grills with frills in a friendly setting at reasonable prices

Posidonos 4, Tel: 210.967.1770 Cocktails overlooking Vouliagmeni Bay

Island 27th klm Athinon-Souniou Tel: 210.965.3563-4 Award-winning cuisine & an unmatched location

Sofa Bar The Westin Hotel, Apollonos 40, Tel: 210.890.1709 Modern lounge bar serving up delectable cocktails

Northern Athens

Mikro

Silver Casa Litous 2 & Apollonos 18, Tel: 210.967.1164, 210.896.4112 Italian restaurant across the water

Waffle House Posidonos 17, Tel: 210.896.1227 Sure to satisfy your sweet tooth

Il Τramonto

Ex Anatolis

Ag. Paraskevi EAT Da Vinci Ag. Ioannou 23, Tel: 210.600.0102 Delightful dishes in fantastic ambience

Nanninela Peloponnissou 13 Tel: 210.600.5622 Authentic Italian cuisine in traditional decor

Halandri

Meat Square Ethnikis Antistaseos 9-11, Tel: 210.683.1300, Juicy steaks in pleasant family environment

Saipan K. Varnali 9, Tel: 210.685.0644 Exquisite dishes from China, Japan and Indonesia

1920 Ag. Paraskevi 110, Tel: 210.681.3029 Accent on meat in an elegant setting

Psomi & Alati Eleftherioton Sq 8, Tel.: 210.684.8178 Gastronomic paradise serving Greek dishes with a modern twist

Rakokazano Irakliou 1, Tel: 210.689.5501 Quality Greek mezzes in a cosy simple environment

Santa Fe Ag. Georgiou 30’B, Tel: 210.685.9690 Mexican food in traditional setting

Wine Not

new

Kalogrezis 12, Tel: 210.689.0007 Industrial setting with eclectic wine list

DRINK Hide & Seek

EAT

Kifisias 254, Tel: 210.677.6747 Great drink menu and perfect garden for spring and summer

30 something

Spiti Cocktail Bar

Iroon Sq 8, Tel: 210.689.9227 Pizza and cocktail bar in a San Franscisco atmosphere

Almyra Filikis Eterias 39, Tel: 210.681.9109 Refined seafood and magical summer garden

Αndrea Papantreou 9, Tel: 210.683.3677 Great cocktails and sophisticated jazz tunes

Psychico EAT

Anahita

310 Street

Chr. Smirnis 3, Tel: 210.689.1222 The only place in Athens to try authentic Persian dishes

Kifissias Av. 310, Tel: 210.671.0688 Juicy burgers and rich salads with retro look

Apsendi Kifissias 250-254 & Serres Tel: 210.671.7890 Refined cuisine and cocktails in stylish urban atmosphere

Bo Botrini’s Vasileos Georgiou B 24b, Halandri, Tel: 210.685.7323 Athens’ best table by far, winner of Golden Hats 2014

Chefi’s Perikleous 31, Halandri, Tel. 210.681.5774, chefi.gr, Refined cuisine with international flavours and regular wine tastings

54 insider athens | September - October 2015

Vasileos Georgiou 33, Halandri, 210.681.3607 Spicy middle eastern cuisine

Albion Omirou 6, Tel: 210.674.0710 Mediterranean flavours in a cosy atmosphere

Antaios G. Drosini 7, Tel: 210.675.5493 Relaxed atmosphere with delicious mezedes

Bluefield Burger Aggelopoulou 3, Tel: 210.677.7739 For real American burgers

Eat & Drink The Burger Joint

Cash

Nargile

Vinifera

Solomou 4-6, Tel: 210.671.2222 New York style, organic burgers in an industrial and fresh restaurant environment.

Diligianni 54, Tel: 212.100.4772 Cosmopolitan hang-out with upscale Mediterranean cuisine

Harilaou Trikoupi 50, Tel: 210.808.3333 Lebanese cuisine in a cosmopolitan ambience

Kifissias 317, Tel: 210.807.7709 Selection of wines from all over the world

Common Secret

Nui

China’s Fantasy

Kifissias 324, Tel: 210.623.3810 Coffee and light Mediterranean meals in a pleasant setting

Gortinias 11, Tel: 210.801.3553 Gourmet mutli-Asian restaurant

Dos Hermanos

Agiou Trifonos 15, Tel: 210.801.8515 Japanese-Thai fusion Restaurant

Kambouroglou 32, Tel: 210.674.9889 Chinese cuisine

Dioskouroi Dim. Vasiliou 16, Tel: 210.671.3997 All day café-restaurant

Kyriazi 24, Tel: 210.808.7906 Excellent Mexican food & super margaritas

Andrianiou 37, Tel: 210.671.0100 Delectable seafood and frech oysters

Dexamenis & Olimpionikon 4, Tel: 210.62.00.005 The authenticity of Greek cuisine with stunning views of the city

Dourampeis Oyster new Fish Co. Platters

Perikleous 11, Tel: 210.671.1976 A modern take on a traditional psarotaverna

Gaspar Food and Mood Dim. Vasiliou Av. & Lykourgou, Tel: 210.677.5011 Creative bistro cuisine ideal fro business lunches

Elaias Gi

Gefsis Me Onomasia Proelefsis Kifissias 317, Tel: 210.800.1402 Divine food from all over the world

Golden Phoenix

Krithamos

Harilaou Trikoupi & Gortinias Tel: 210.801.3588, Chinese classic popular for the brunch buffet

Mpoumpoulinas & N. Paritsi, Tel: 210.672.8790 Traditional flavours in an informal atmosphere

Kifissias 289, Tel: 210.801.1093 Delicious salads, appetizers, souvlakia & grilled platters

Matilde Pizza Bar Perikleous 7, Tel: 210.671.6803 Italian fare with accent on high quality ingredients

Ombra Olimpionikon 220 & Lykourgou, Tel: 210.671.1320 Italian food with attitude

Piperia Agg. Sikelianou 8 & Andrianiou, Tel: 210.672.9114 Terrific fusion food with piquant flavours

Rena tis Ftelias 25th Martiou 28, Tel: 210.674.3874 Highly recommended Greek taverna

EAT new

Zirini 2, Tel: 693.614.4744 Unique lounge & garden with exceptional classy touch

Berdema Skiathou 3 & Strofiliou, Kifisia, 210.620.1108 Family restaurant with Mediterranean fare

Buba

new

Papadiamanti 4, Tel: 210.623.1151 Mixing pot of cuisines from around the world

Cellier

new

O Tzitzikas Ki O Mermigas Drosini 12-14, Tel: 210.623.0080 A modern taverna serving traditional dishes at reasonable prices

Paul

Kolokotroni 37, Tel: 210.808.9160 Generous portions of Mediterranean fare

new

Kifisias 238-240, Tel: 210.808.7941 Japanese restaurant, bar, lounge with signature cocktails

Royal Thai

Il Salumaio Panagitsas 3, Tel: 210.623.3934 Specially-prepared Italian meals

Salumaio di Atene

Jaipur Palace

Panagitsas 3, Tel: 210.623.3934 Authentic Italian food & fabulous desserts

Kifissias 222, Tel: 210.808.8318 Indian cuisine and fine wines

Semiramis Restaurant

Kastelorizo Platanon 2, Tel: 210.807.5408 Part of a chain of upscale seafood restaurants that is sure to please

Kokkino Psaraki Evagelistrias 36, Tel: 210.620.1572 Seafood taverna

Kool Life

La Gabinoteca

new

Th. Diligianni 56, Kefalari Tel: 210.808.3988 Tapas bar with decadent atmosphere

Mangiamo by Meat Square Stamata Ave. 5, Drossia.

Tel: 210.800.4700 Open from Mondays to Friday from 3 pm to midnight and on weekends from 1pm to midnight

Margherita new

Kifisias 363, Tel: 211.408.1132 Fantastic pizza made with local ingredients from all over Greece

Semiramis Hotel, Harilaou Trikoupi 48, Tel: 210.628.4500 Mediterranean cuisine in a hip atmosphere

Suba

Maroussi Agani Kifissias 22, Tel: 210.277.7065 Delectable, inspired Greek cuisine

Altamira

Aneton

Prytaneion Rakkan

Kifissias 369, Tel: 210.801.8756 By far, one of the best cellars stocking the finest labels in town

Perikleous 28, Tel: 210.612.8841 Multiethnic cuisine in funky environment

Levidou 4, Tel: 210.808.4288 French boulangerie

Zirini 12, Tel: 210.623.2322 Thai cuisine in an opulent setting

Life Gallery, Thiseos 103, Tel: 211.106.7400 Innovative cuisine in a cool restaurant cum deli

Kifissia Artisanal

Gourounakia Kifissias

Oozora

Food & Wine

new

Levidou 11, Tel: 210.8085.586 A blend of traditional and modern Japanese cuisine

new

Stratigou Lekka 19, Tel: 210.806.6700 Traditional cuisine in a comfy-chic setting reminiscent of the 50s & 60s

El Taco Bueno Ethnikis Antistaseos & Psaron 1 Tel: 210.684.0460 Mexican flavours in a traditional setting

Mauzac Alamanas 1, Tel: 210.619.9902 Clean lines and a beautiful garden make this café, bar, restaurant a must

Pausa Ag. Konstantinou 46 & Ifestou 3 Tel: 210.617.9290 Italian cuisine accompanied by a selection of Greek & Italian wines

Wagamama Kifissias 37A, Tel: 210.683.6844 Fresh, nutritious Asian fusion food in a sleek yet simple setting

Whispers of wine Ag. Konstantinou 48, Tel: 210.617.9051 Gourmet food with rich wine list and vintage decor

Telemachos Barbeque Club Fragkopoulou 22, Tel: 210.807.6680 Rare meats char-grilled to perfection

The Dalliance House new

Kyriazis 19, Tel: 210.623.0775 The 19th century meets the 21st in beautiful setting, with successful recipes

Tomoe Gortinias 11& Dangli, Kifissia, Tel: 210.801.3553 Great sushi at terrific prices

DRINK Dyo 48 Kifisias 248, Tel: 210.623.0870 New hang out oasis with retro ambience

Mento Café Ag. Theodorou 10, Tel: 210.808.0193 Traditional home turned stylish cafe

insider athens | September - October 2015 55

see & do Athinais Cultural Centre formerly a silk factory, this space has been converted into a large cultural centre. astorias 34-36, Votanikos. Tel: 210.348.0000.

B&M Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts & Music Vas. Sofias 9 & Merlin 1, Athens Tel: 210.361.1206 Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Centre 48 Armatolon-Klephton st.

Athens, Tel: 210.643.9466 Megaron Mousikis (The Athens Concert Hall) live concerts, operas and other performances. Vas. Sofias Ave. & Kokkali. Tel: 210.728.2333 Michael Cacoyannis Foundation Piraeus 206, Tavros, Tel: 210.341.8550 Onassis Cultural Centre Syngrou 107-109, Athens, Tel: 213.017.8000 The Art Foundation Normanou 5, Athens, Tel: 210.323.8757 Badminton Theatre Goudi, Athens, Tel: 211 101 0020 Gialino Music Theatre Sygrou 143, N. Smyrni, Athens Tel: 210.9316.101-4 Pallas Theatre Voukourestiou 5, Athens, Tel: 210.321.3100

Acropolis is open daily and entrance, includes archaeological sites. Tel: 201.321.0219 Ancient Agora was the heart of ancient Athens - the focus of political, commercial, administrative and social life for centuries.

Byzantine Churches many churches dating from the 11th and 12th centuries are found around the city. Noteworthy examples include: Agios Eleftherios, next to the cathedral on Mitropoleos Street; Kapnikarea, halfway down Ermou Street from Syntagma; Agi Apostoli, Agora area south of Stoa of Attalos; and Agia Triada (Russian Orthodox church) on Filellinon Street.

Churches are open to the public on Sundays and holidays, also usually for daily prayers 7am-1pm and 4-6:30pm. Dress soberly when

56 insider athens | September - October 2015

Agora Museum Located in the Stoa of Attalos, Athens. Tel: 210.321.0185.

Atelier Spyros Vassiliou Webster 5A, Athens.

Tel: 210.923.1502, spyrosvassiliou.org Athens University History Museum Tholou 5, Plaka, Tel: 210.368.9502, history-museum.uoa.gr Benaki Museum Koumbari 1 & Vas. Sofias Avenue, Athens Tel: 210.367.1000, benaki.gr Benaki Museum of Islamic Arts Dipylou 12, Kerameikos. Tel: 210.325.1311, benaki.gr

Benaki Museum, Pireos Pireos 138 & Andronikou, Gazi Tel: 210.345.3111, benaki.gr Byzantine Museum Vas. Sofias 22, Kolonaki. Tel: 210.721.1027 Hellenic Cosmos Foundation of the Hellenic world Pireos 254, Tavros. Tel: 212.254.0000. hellenic-cosmos.gr Frissiras Vlassis Museum of Contemporary European Art Monis Asteriou 3-7, Plaka, Tel: 210.323.4678 frissirasmuseum.com Goulandris Foundation Museum of Cycladic Art Neofytou Douka 4, Athens .Tel: 210.722.8321 cycladic.gr Herakleidon Herakleidon 16, Thissio, Tel: 210-346.1981. herakleidon-art.gr Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum Karyatidon & Kallisperi 12, Makrygianni, Acropolis. Tel: 210.922.7260, lalaounis.com Jewish Museum Nikis 39, Plaka. Tel: 210.322.5582. jewishmuseum.gr Kerameikos Museum Ermou 148, Monastiraki, Tel: 210.346.3552.

National Archaeological Museum Patission 44, Athens, Tel: 210.821.7724 National Gallery and Alexandros Soutsos Museum Vas. Konstantinou 50, Athens.

Tel: 210.723.5857, 210.723.5937 Numismatic Museum Panepistimiou 12, Athens.

Tel: 210.363.5953, nma.gr The Acropolis Museum Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Acropolis.

Tel: 210.924.1043, theacropolismuseum.gr The National Art Gallery and Alexander Soutzos Museum Michalakopoulou 1 - Vas. Constantinou 1, Athens, Tel: 210-7235857 Allou Fun Park Kifissou & Petrou Ralli, Ag. Ioannis Rentis, Tel: 210.425.6999, allou.gr Children’s Museum Kydathinaeon 14, Plaka, Tel: 210.331.2995.

Goulandris Museum of Natural History Levidou 13, Kifissia.

Tel: 210.801.5870, gnhm.gr Greek Folk Art Museum Daily Karaghiozis puppet shows!

Kydathinaeon 17, Plaka, Tel: 210.322.9031 Museum of Children’s Art Kodrou 9, Plaka, Tel: 210.331.2621 childrensartmuseum.gr Summit The Wall Sport Climbing Center Ag. Athanasiou 12, Pallini, Tel: 210.603.0093, summit.gr Westin Kids Club Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni, Tel: 210.890.2000 http://www.westinathens.com/en/westin_kids_club/

Just for kids

Galleries

A. Antonopoulou Art Aristofanous 20, Psyrri Tel: 210.321.4994 Artzone 42 42 Vas. Konstantinou, Athens, Tel: 210 725 9549 Astrolavos Dexameni Xanthippou 11, Kolonaki Tel: 210.729.4342 Astrolavos ArtLife Irodotou 11, Kolonaki Tel: 210.722.1200 Athens Art Gallery Glykonos 4, Dexameni Sq., Athens, Tel: 210 721 3938 Bernier/Eliades Gallery Eptachalkou 11, Thissio, Tel: 210.341.3935 (The) Breeder Gallery Iasonas 45, Metaxurgeio, Tel: 210.331.7527 Ekfrasi Gallery Valaoritou 9a,Tel: 210 360 7598 Eleni Marneri Galerie Lebessi 5-7& Porinou 16, Acropolis Tel: 210.8619.488 EMST National Museum of Contemporary Art Vas. Georgiou B 17 - 19 & Rigilis Athens, Tel: 210 9242 111-3 Gagosian Gallery Merlin 3, Athens, Tel: 210 364 0215 K-Art Gallery Sina 54, Athens, Tel: 211.401.3877 Kalfayan Gallery Haritos 11, Kolonaki, Tel: 210.721.7679 Kourd Gallery Kassiani 2-4, Athens, Tel: 210.642.6573 Skoufa Gallery Skoufa 4, Kolonaki, Tel: 210.360.3541 Stavros Mihaliaras Art 260 Kifissias & Diligianni, Kifissia Tel: 210.623.0928 Thanassis Frisssiras Gallery Kriezotou 7, Athens, Tel: 210. 364.0288 The Art Foundation (TAF) Normanou 5, Monastiraki, Tel: 210.323.8757 The Eynard Mansion Aghiou Konstantinou 20 & Menandrou, Athens, Tel: 210 322 1335 Titanium Yiayiannos Vas. Konstantinou 44, Pangrati, Tel: 210.729.7644 Xippas Gallery Sofokleous 53D, Athens, Tel: 210 331 9333

visiting. Technopolis (Gazi) a 19th century gas factory turned major cultural centre for performing arts and installation works.

Pireos 100 & Ermou, Gazi. Tel: 210.346.1589.

Hadrian’s Arch a Roman arch that marked the boundary of ancient Athens and the new city. Located at the corner of Vas. Olgas and Amalias Avenues. Lykavittos Hill is the highest point in Athens. Take the teleferique from the top of Ploutarchou St. Odeon of Herod Atticus built in 161 AD, this is where the Athens Festival takes place. Accessible for €1.50 and open daily from 8:30am. Panathenian Stadium “Kalimarmaro”was the site of the first modern Olympics in 1896. Located at Vassileos Konstantinou and Agras, across from the National Garden. Pnyx Hill here, for the first time in history, every citizen could vote, giving Pnyx the name the “birthplace of democracy”. Close by is the beautiful Old Observatory. Presidential Palace formerly the Royal Palace, this building is used by the President of Greece to host dignitaries. Irodou Attikou Street. Stoa of Attalos shopping arcade built in the 2nd century BC and totally reconstructed in the 1950s. Tues-Sun 8:30am-3pm. Admission to the Agora and museum €3.50. Adrianou 24. Tel: 210.321.0185 Syntagma (Constitution Square) is the heart of the city and the best spot for new visitors to orient themselves. The Evzones, dressed in traditional uniforms, guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament. The changing-of-the-guard ceremony takes place every hour. Temple of Olympian Zeus once the largest temple in ancient Greece, its ruins lie just behind Hadrian’s Arch. Mon-Sun 8am-7:30pm. €2.00. Vas. Olgas and Amalias Avenues, Tel: 210.922.6330. Theatre of Dionysus built in the 5th century BC is where the plays of Aristophanes, Euripides, Aeschylus and Sophocles were first performed.

Tower of Winds the octagonal tower, representing the eight directions of the wind, was built in the 1st century BC by the Syrian astronomer Andronicus. Mon-Sun 8am-7pm. Just east of the Ancient Agora.

Tel: 10.324.5220.

Museums

Tel: 210.322.9705

Cultural venues

ASSOCIATION OF GUIDES

Zoumboulakis Gallery Kolonaki Square 20, Kolonaki Tel: 210.360.8278 Zoumboulakis Gallery Kriezotou 6, Syntagma, Tel: 210.363.4454

Sites Theatres

ORGANISED TOURS

partner hotels ARION RESORT & SPA

ATHENS HILTON

COCO-MAT HOTEL NAFSIKA

DIVANI PALACE ACROPOLIS

The legendary beauty resort is part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Breathtaking views of the Saronic Gulf, elegant and sophisticated décor in all 123 rooms and suites, private swimming pools and beaches, spa and gourmet restaurants.

Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni.

Tel: 210.890.2000

508 renovated rooms, two pools, banquet rooms restaurants, convention facilities, business centre & spa. The rooftop Galaxy bar has gorgeous city views.

Vas. Sofias 46, Kesariani.

Tel: 210.728.1000

Located in Kifissia, the hotel offers an unforgettable experience thanks to COCO-MAT‘s unique sleep systems in its 22 guest rooms, power breakfast, bike rids and herb garden.

Pellis 6, Kifissia. Tel: 210.801.8027

Located at the base of the Acropolis and close to Plaka. Pool with bar, roof garden restaurant with Acropolis view.

Parthenonos 19-25 Makrigianni, Acropolis.

Tel: 210.928.0100

ATHENAEUM INTERCONTINENTAL ATHENS

ATHENS LEDRA HOTEL

Crowne plaza

GRANDE BRETAGNE

543 rooms with renovated Deluxe rooms and suites. Dedicated business centre facilities and 3.500 m2 of extensive & flexible meeting space. New I-Spa and renovated gym. Award winning restaurants.

Syngrou 89-93, Neos Kosmos.

Tel: 210.920.6000

314 deluxe guest rooms, 18 suites.

Rooftop swimming pool and bar, health club, Polynesian - Tepanyiaki Restaurant, Ledra Kai and sports bar.

Syngrou 115, Neos Kosmos.

Tel: 210.930.0000

Newly renovated, at a very convenient location attracts both business and leisure travellers. Amenities include restaurant, bar, rooftop swimming pool, conference and business facilities, garage parking.

Michalakopoulou 50, Athens.

Tel: 210.727.8000

This city landmark is part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. All 265 rooms and 56 suites are decorated with original artwork and antiques. Reception areas, ballrooms, roof garden with Acropolis view. Luxury spa, indoor and outdoor pools.

Syntagma Sq. Tel: 210.333.0000

ATHENIAN CALLIRHOE HOTEL

CIVITEL ATTIK

DIVANI APOLLON PALACE & SPA

Holiday Inn Attica Avenue

66 state-of the-art rooms, 15 executive rooms and 3 suites. The acclaimed Etrusco Restaurant serves top quality Mediterranean cuisine.

Kallirois 32 & Petmeza, Neos Kosmos.

Tel: 210.921.5353

A tranquil first-class business, sports and family hotel set in the leafy green suburb of Maroussi, with a swimming pool, conference facilities and spacious restaurant with terrace.

Eptalofou 13 – 15, Maroussi. Τel: 210.610.1000

Located seaside with a magnificent view of the Saronic Gulf. All rooms with balconies and sea views. Indoor and outdoor pools, boutiques, beauty parlor, business centre and spa.

Ag. Nikolaou 10 & Iliou, KavouriVouliagmeni. Tel: 210.891.1100

New five-star property on Attica Avenue linking Athens with the international airport. State-of-the art conference facilities, restaurant, two bars, pool and fitness center.

40.2 km Attica Road, between exits 17 & 18, Spata. Tel: 210.668.9000

ATHENS ELECTRA PALACE HOTEL

CIVITEL OLYMPIC

DIVANI CARAVEL

Holiday Suites

Located in historic Plaka beneath the Acropolis. Facilities include bar, restaurant, spa area with indoor swimming pool, business centre, garden and underground parking.

N. Nikodimou 18-20, Plaka.

Tel: 210.337.0000

Right across the Olympic Stadium, its Superior Rooms and Junior Suites are fitted with modern amenities, from free minibar to free wifi internet access and interactive tv.

Kifissias 2A & Pantanassis, Maroussi.

Tel: 210.680.1900

Situated close to major tourist attractions with, rooftop restaurant and swimming pool.

Vas. Alexandrou 2, Kesariani.

Tel: 210.720.7000

Elegant, all-suite hotel offering high standard accommodation. Each suite provides guests with a separate living room and kitchenette.

Arnis 4, Ilissia.

Tel: 210.727.8000

insider athens | September - October 2015 57

partner hotels KEFALARI SUITES

METROPOLITAN

Royal Olympic

THEOXENIA PALACE HOTEL

Turn-of-the-century hotel in Kifissia, part of YES! Hotels.Themed suites with modern facilities.

Pentelis 1, Kifissia.

Tel: 210.623.3333

Beautifully renovated property with views of the sea and the Acropolis. Ten minutes from central Athens, the port of Piraeus and main exhibition centers.

Syngrou Av. 385, P. Faliro.

Tel: 210.947.1000

Near the Acropolis Museum. 265 rooms and 45 unique Panorama Suites, overlooking the Temple of Zeus and the Acropolis. Pool, business center, convention and banquet facilities. Roof Garden Restaurant/Bar “Ioannis”. 28-34, Ath. Diakou Str., Acropolis Tel: 210.928.8400

In an elegant neoclassical building, this hotel has a restaurant, gym, sauna and outdoor pool. Business centre, internet & conference facilities.

Filadelfeos 2, Kifissia.

Tel: 210.623.3622

KING GEORGE

NEW

SEMIRAMIS

THE MARGI

Situated in the heart of the city, it’s 102 guest rooms and suites are elegantly furnished and natural wood floors. Meeting & Conference spaces, restaurants with panoramic views. Vas. Georgiou A’ 3.

Syntagma Sq. Tel: 210.322.2210

Designed by the Campana brothers, NEW, the latest venture of YES! Hotels has 79 luxury rooms, including 18 Studios and 6 Junior Suites. NEW Taste, is the Hotel’s innovative restaurant concept.

Filellinon 16, Syntagma.

Tel: 210.3273000

YES! Hotel designed by Karim Rashid.

51 luxury rooms, 4 suites and 6 poolside bungalows. Ultra-trendy bar-restaurant.

Harilaou Trikoupi 48, Kefalari-Kifissia.

Tel: 210.628.4400

Boutique hotel with 90 spacious rooms and suites and great views to the sea and pine forests. Baku Restaurant offers a unique dining experience while Malabar and the Lobby lounge are perfect for a glass of champagne.

Close to the lake, beach and tennis courts.

Litous 11, Vouliagmeni. Tel: 210.892.9000

LIFE GALLERY

NJV athens plaza

SOFITEL ATHENS AIRPORT

THE WESTIN ATHENS

Modern architecture finds its expression in a minimalist designed building with discreet swimming pools, Zen gardens and ethnic elements. The hotel offers 29 spacious, luxury rooms, including 3 art studios and 2 suites and a spa and fitness centre.

Thiseos Avenue 103, Ekali. Tel: 211.106.7400

Boutique-style hotel with 182 rooms including 23 suites with breathtaking views of the Acropolis, ideally located in the heart of the business and shopping district within walking distance of Plaka. 2, Vas.Georgiou A’ St, Syntagma Sq. Tel: 210 3352400

Airport hotel. Executive floor, business center and conference facilities. Two bars and two restaurants. Health club and covered swimming pool.

Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, Spata. Tel: 210.354.4000

Part of the Astir Palace Complex with 162 guest rooms and suites and views of the Saronic Gulf. Sea view lounges, trendy bars, fusion and Mediterranean cuisine restaurants and private gazebos by an Olympic-sized pool.

Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni. Tel: 210.890.2000

MELIÁ ATHENS

NOVOTEL

ST. GEORGE LYCABETTUS HOTEL

TITANIA HOTEL

Located in the heart of Athens with 136 luxury rooms, spacious dining areas, a modern health club and views of historic monuments.

Chalkokondili 14 & 28th Octovriou, Acropolis.

Tel: 210.332.0100

Located in the center of Athens. Two Bars/Restaurants at outdoor Rooftop Pool & lobby area, play area, gym, free indoor parking, free Wi-Fi and panoramic view from the Roof Garden.

4-6 Michail Voda Street, Vathis Square.

Tel: 210.820.0700

Located in the upper part of Kolonaki, not far from the Lycabettus (Lykavittos) funicular railway. Excellent restaurant, Le Grand Balcon. Rooftop swimming pool.

Kleomenous 2, Dexamenis Square, Kolonaki. Tel: 210.741.6000

Located in the heart of the historical and commercial center. The recently refurbished suites and rooms combine style with comfort. Awarded Gourmet Restaurant “Olive Garden”, underground garage, fitness center. Panepistimiou 52, Omonoia, Tel: 210.332600

58 insider athens | September - October 2015

partner hotels TwentyOne

Herodion

SANTORINI

COSTA NAVARINO The Westin Resort Costa Navarino

MYSTIQUE

A five minute walk to Plaka. 90 guest rooms, meeting facilities and a lovely atrium bar-coffee shop.

Rovertou Galli 4, Makrigianni.

Tel: 210.923.6832

Inspired by old Messinian mansions, its 445 deluxe rooms, suites, 123 with private infinity pools, offer access to an extensive common pool areas, and reflect Westin’s soothing aesthetic.

Navarino Dunes Costa Navarino, Pilos Messinia, Tel: 27230.95000

Mystique is an 18 villa hotel, designed by Frank Le Fevbre.

Mystique, Oia. Tel. 22860.71114

AVA HOTEL & SUITES

HOTEL ELECTRA

The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort

The Tsitouras Collection Hotel

Luxurious apartments and suites in Plaka. Magnificent views of the Acropolis, Hadrian’s Arch and Zeus Temple. Short walk to Syntagma.

Lysikratous 9-11, Plaka.

Tel: 210.325.9000

Within walking distance from all archaeological sites, business and commercial districts. Includes bar, restaurant, lobby and meeting areas.

Ermou 5, Syntagma Sq. Tel: 210.337.8000

289 exquisitely appointed rooms and 32 suites with individual infinity pools.

Traditional Greek design with contemporary touches.

Navarino Dunes Costa Navarino, Pilos Messinia, Tel: 27230.96000

Art and hospitality are graciously combined in the unique backdrop of a dramatic landscape.

Firostefani, Santorini Tel: 22860.23747

amarilia hotel

PERISCOPE HOTEL

A member of YES! Hotels. Modern design and simple architectural charm.

16 ergonomically designed rooms and 5 loft suites. “21” Bar Restaurant for indoor and outdoor dining.

Kolokotroni 21, Kifissia Tel: 210.623.3521

A CATEGORY

evia

VEDEMA

THERMAE SYLLA wellness hotel

An excellent choice for business and leisure travellers. 100 renovated rooms and suites with great sea views, meeting and banqueting facilities, outdoor swimming pool.

Ag. Nikolaou 13 Vouliagmeni.

Tel. 210 8990391

17 rooms, 4 junior suites and a super-lux penthouse suite. Part of YES! Hotels.

Haritos 22, Kolonaki.

Tel: 210.729.7200

Fresh Hotel

Philippos

Voted one of the ten best spas in the world, it has 101 rooms, 7 Suites and 1 presidential suite with an incredible sea view. 2 restaurants offer traditional Mediterranean cuisine Posidonos 2, Edipsos, Evia. Tel. 22260.60100

Vedema has 45 rooms converted from a 100 year old neo-classical captain’s house and a private swiming pool for all the suites. Vedema, Megalohori.

Tel: 22860.81796

PATMOS

SYROS VILLA SELENA

Patmos Aktis Suites & Spa

Situated in the heart of old Athens within walking distance of the Plaka. Enjoy the Orange Bar, rooftop restaurant and pool.

Sophocleous 26 & Klisthenous, Omonoia.

Tel: 210.524.8511

Recently refurbished, all 50 rooms are well-appointed and comfortable. Good value for money.

Mitseon 3, Acropolis.

Tel: 210.922.3611-4

A 5-star luxury hotel situated only a few steps from Grikos beach. Considered possibly the best located hotel in Patmos.

Patmos, Grikos Bay. Tel: 22470.32800

A luxurious five-star boutique hotel with suitably equipped rooms and suites to ensure a comfortable stay. The spacious terrace with a panoramic view is ideal for breakfast or drinks Tel. 22810 86007, www.villaselena.eu

insider athens | September - October 2015 59

AUDIOVISUAL OTE video conference service 7.30am-10pm. Patission 85.

Tel: 210.883.8578, 210.822.0399

Commercial Office spaces Regus Tel: 210 727 9000 Global Business Services Tel: 210.876.4876 Kifissias Ave. 90, Maroussi

COURIER SERVICES

ACS Asklipiou 25, Kryoneri Tel: 210.819.0000 DHL Tel: 210.989.0000 Express City S. Trikoupi 71, Athens, Tel: 210.821.9959 Geniki Taxydromiki Kifissou 14, Renti, Tel: 210.485.1100 Speedex Seneka 24, 15klm Athinon-Lamias, Kifissia Tel: 801.110.0011 UPS 4klm Peanias-Markopoulou Av., Koropi Tel: 210.998.4000

Driving Schools in English Trochokinisi Driving School 28th Oktovriou 126, Ambelokipi, Thessaloniki Tel: 231 072 9092 Driving School Highway Amfitheas and Ag. Triados 30, 175 64 P. Faliro, Tel: 210.988.8098, 699.772.2777 Vlachos Bros 25th Martiou 20, Peristeri; Xenofodos 17, Peristeri; Afroditis 39, Ilion Tel: 210.574.4895, 210.576.9190

Relocation Agencies Allied Pickfords Mourouzi 7, Athens Tel: 210.610.4494 Athens Relocation Centre Zakynthou 10, Glyfada Tel: 210.965.0697 Attica Movers Syngrou Ave. 19, Neos Kosmos, Tel: 210 922 7221 Celebrity International Movers Kapodistriou Ave. 102, Nea Ionia Tel: 210 272 0106 Corporate Relocations Athens Ag. Saranta 32, Nea Erithrea Tel: 210.800.3510 Orphee Beinoglou 27th km Old National Road AthensKorinth Location Elefsinia, Elefsina Tel: 210.946.6100 Octopus Relocation Services Ygeias 7, Marina Zeas, Tel: 210.459.9530

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60 insider athens | September - October 2015

TRANSLATIONS / INTERPRETING Global Business Services Kifisias 90, Maroussi, Tel: 210.876.4876 IBS - International Business Services Michalakopoulou 29, Kaissariani Tel: 210.724.5541

Travel Agencies Travel Plan Christou Lada 3, Athens Tel: 210.333.300, www.travelplan.gr Amphitrion Kyprou 46 & Ploutarhou, Dafni Tel: 210.900.6000, www.amphitrionholidays.gr TravelPlanet24 Karagiorgi Servias 4, Syntagma Tel: 211 107 9684, www.travelplanet24.com Mid-east Travel Vas Sofias 105-107, Ampelokipoi Tel: Tel: 211.211.8888, www.mideast.gr

Embassies Cultural Institutes

Business services

useful information

French Institute Sina 31, 10680 Athens Tel: 210.339.8600 Hellenic American Union Massalias 22, 10680 Athens, Tel: 210.368.0900 British Council Kolonaki Square 17 106 73 Athens Tel: 210.369.2333 Instituto Cervantes Mitropoleos 23, 105 57 Athens Tel: 210.363.4117 Goethe Institut Omirou 14-16, 100 33 Athens Tel: 210.366.1000 Onassis Cultural Centre Syngrou Ave. 107-109, 117 45 Athens, Tel: 213.017.8000 Instituto Italiano di Cultura Patission (28 Oktovriou) 47 Tel: 210.369.2333, 210.524.2646 ALBANIA Vekiareli 7, Filothei, Tel: 210.687.6200 ALGERIA Vas. Constantinou 14, Athens Tel: 210.756.4191-2 ARGENTINA Vas. Sophias 59, Athens Tel: 210.724.4158 ARMENIA K. Palaiologou 95, Athens, Tel: 210.683.1130, 210.683.1145 AUSTRALIA Kifisias & Alexandras, Ampelokipoi Tel: 210.870.4000 AUSTRIA Vas. Sofias Av. 4, Athens, Tel: 210.725.7270

AZERBAiJAN Skoufa 10, Athens, Tel: 210.363.2721 BELGIUM Sekeri 3, Kolonaki, Tel: 210.360.0314 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Hatzikosta 3, Athens, Tel: 210.641.0788 BRAZIL Vassilis Sofias 23, Athens Tel: 210.721.3039 BULGARIA Stratigou Kallari 33A, P. Psychico. Tel: 210.674.8105 CANADA Ioanni Gennadiou 4, Athens, Tel: 210.727.3400 CHILE Rigilis 12, Athens, Tel: 210.729.2647 CHINA Krinon 2A, P. Psychico, Tel: 210.672.3282 CROATIA Tzavella 4, N. Psychico, Tel: 210.677.7033 CUBA Sofokleous 5, Filothei, Tel: 210.685.5550 CYPRUS Xenofontos 2A, Athens, Tel: 210.373.4800 CZECH REPUBLIC G. Seferi 6, P. Psychico. Tel: 210.671.9701 DENMARK Mourouzi 10, Athens, Tel: 210.725.6440 EGYPT Vas. Sofias 3, Syntagma, Tel: 210.361.8612 ESTONIA Messoghion 2-4, Ampelokipoi, Tel: 210.747.5660 FINLAND Hatziyianni Mexi 5, Athens, Tel: 210.725.5860 FRANCE Vas. Sofias 7, Syntagma, Tel: 210.339.1000 FYROM Papadiamanti 4, P. Psychico.

Tel: 210.674.9585 GEORGIA Ag. Dimitriou 24, P. Psychico. Tel: 210.674.2186 GERMANY Karaoli & Dimitriou 3, Athens, Tel: 210.728.5111 HUNGARY Karneadou 25, Kolonaki Tel: 210.725.6800 INDIA Kleanthous 3, Mets, Tel: 210.721.6481 INDONESIA Marathonodromon 99, P. Psychico, Tel: 210.674.2345 IRAN Stratigou Kallari 16, Patisia, Tel: 210.674.1436 IRAQ Mazaraki 4, Psychico, Tel: 210.677.8276 IRELAND Vas. Konstantinou 7, Mets, Tel: 210.723.2405 ISRAEL Marathonodromon 1, P. Psychico, Tel: 210.670.5500 ITALY Sekeri 2, Kolonaki, Tel: 210.361.7260 JAPAN Ethnikis Antistaseos 46, Halandri.

Tel: 210.670.9900 JORDAN Papadiamanti 21. P. Psychico.

Tel: 210.674.4161 Kazakhstan Imittou 122, Papagou Tel: 210.654.7765 KOREA Messoghion 2-4, Athens.

Tel: 210.698.4080

Ambulance Tel: 166 Doctors SOS Tel: 1016.

They will issue an invoice to claim reimbursement from your insurer.

Ipirou 1, Athens.

Duty Pharmacies Call 1434, Also check newspapers for listings.

Emergency Hospitals Tel: 1434 Fire Brigade Tel: 199 Forest Fire Tel: 191 Poison Hotline Tel: 210.779.3777 Police Tel: 100 Tourist Police Tel: 171 Coast Guard Tel:108 Air Police Tel: 210.964.2000

ROAD ASSISTANCE ELPA Tel: 10400 Emergency Service Tel: 104 Express Service Tel: 154 Hellas Service Tel: 1057 Interamerican Tel: 1158

EUROCLINIC PAEDON Lemessou 39-41 & Aharnon 209, Kato Patissia, Tel: 210.869.1900 PAEDON AGIA SOFIA HOSPITAL Mikras Asias and Thivon, Goudi. Tel: 210.746.7000 PAEDON AGLAIA KYRIAKOU HOSPITAL Livadias 3 and Thivon, Goudi. Tel: 210.772.6000 & 1535

Private Hospitals Advanced Medical Services, Symmetria Building Ethnikis Antistaseos 66, Halandri.

Tel: 210.677.3573 www.symmetria.gr CENTRAL CLINIC OF ATHENS Asklipiou St. 31, Athens, Emergency number 1169 or Tel: 210.367.4000 www.centralclinic.gr EUROCLINIC Diagnostic, surgical and treatment centre.

Athanasiadou 9, Athens, (near Mavili Sq.), Tel: 210.641.6600 EURODENTICA Specialized dental care Patision 150, Athens, Tel: 210.866.3367-8 Alamanas 3, Maroussi, Athens, Tel: 210.619.5760-1, El. Venizelou 162, Kallithea, Athens, Tel: 210.956.5365 YGEIA Kifissias & E. Stavrou 4, Maroussi, Tel: 210.686.7000, www.ygeia.gr IATRIKO KENTRO (ATHENS MEDICAL CENTER) Areos 36, P. Faliro.

Tel: 210.989.2100-20. Distomou 5-7, Maroussi. Tel: 210.619.8100 METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL Ethnarou Makariou 9 & El. Venizelou, N. Faliro. Tel: 210.480.9000 www.metropolitan-hospital.gr IASO Kifissias 37-39, Maroussi.

Tel: 210.618.4000 MITERA Kifissias & E. Stavrou 6, Maroussi. Tel: 210.686.9000

public Hospitals ASKLEPIEION HOSPITAL Vas. Pavlou 1, Voula. Tel: 210.895.8301-4 EVANGELISMOS Ypsilantou 45-47, Kolonaki, Tel: 210.720.1000 KAT HOSPITAL Nikis 2, Kifissia, Tel: 210.628.0000 Specialized trauma unit.

TZANNEIO Afentouli & Tzani, Pireaus, Tel: 210.451.9411-9

PHYSICIANS (ENGLISH SPEAKING) Ioannis Bitzos, MD Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Harilaou Trikoupi 62, Kifissia, Tel: 210.808.0682 A.J. Kanellopoulos, MD Eye Surgeon, Tsoha 17, Athens, Tel: 210.747.2777 Dimitris Linos, MD FACS General Surgeon, Kifissias 227, Kifissia, Tel: 210.612.5001-2 heart & vascular centrE E.N. Deliargyris, MD FACC FSCAI Interventional cardiologist. Southern Athens. Vakchou 2 & Vas. Kostantinou, Tel: 210.897.6276, www.heartline.gr

English media

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Paediatric Hospitals

Newspapers The International New York Times carries the English version of Kathimerini Athens Insider, the bi-monthly magazine for Greece

Radio Athens International Radio 104,4 Good Morning Athens at 10am, english programs at 11am, music programs on weekdays at 9pm, weekends at 1pm. Peiraios 100, Athens, Tel: 210.341.1610

Schools

Greek Language

SWEDEN Vas. Konstantinou 7, Athens, Tel: 210.726.6100 SWITZERLAND Iasiou 2, Evaggelismos, Tel: 210.723.0364-6 TAIWAN Marathonodromon 57, Psychico, Tel: 210.677.5122 Representative office THAILAND Marathorodromon 25 & Kyprou, P. Psychico, Tel: 210.674.9065 TUNISIA Antheon 2, P. Psychico, Tel: 210.671.7590 TURKEY Vas. Georgiou B’ 8, Athens, Tel: 210.726.3000 UKRAINE Stephanou Delta 4, Filothei, Tel: 210.680.0230 UAE Kifissias Av. 290 & N. Paritsi 2, Tel: .210.677.0220 UK Ploutarchou 1, Athens, Tel: 210.727.2600 USA Vas. Sofias 91, Athens, Tel: 210.721.2951 URUGUAY Menandrou 1, Kifissia, Tel: 210.361.3549 VATICAN Mavili 2, P. Psychico, Tel: 210.674.3598 VENEZUELA Marathonodromon 19, P. Psychico. Tel: 210.672.9169 VIETNAM Yakinthon 50, Psychico, Tel. 210.612.8733, 210.675.3080.

Emergencies

KUWAIT Marathonodromon 27, P. Psychico, Tel: 210.674.3593 LEBANON 6, 25th Martiou, P. Psychico, Tel: 210.675.5873 LIBYA Vyronos 13, P. Psychico, Tel: 210.674.2120 LITHUANIA Vas. Sophias 49, Kolonaki Tel: 210.729.4356 LATVIA Vas. Konstantinou 38, Athens Tel. 210.729.4483 LUXEMBOURG Vas. Sofias 23A & Neofitou Vamva 2, Syntagma Tel: 210.725.6400 MALTA V. Sofias 96, Athens, Tel: 210.778.5138 MEXICO Filikis Etaireias Sq. 14, Kolonaki, Tel: 210.729.4780 MOLDAVIA Georgiou Bacu 20, Filothei.

Tel: 210.699.0660 MOROCCO Marathonodromon 5, P. Psychico. Tel: 210.674.4210 NETHERLANDS Vas Konstantinou 5-7, Mets, Tel: 210.725.4900 NIGERIA Streit 17, Filothei Tel: 210.802.1188 NORWAY Vas. Sofias 23, Kolonaki, Tel: 210.724.6173 PAKISTAN Loukianou 6, Evaggelismos, Tel: 210.729.0122 PALESTINE Giassemion 13, P. Psychico. Tel.: 210.672.6061-3 PANAMA Praxitelous 192 & II Merarchias, Piraeus, Tel: 210.428.6441 PERU Semitelou 2, Athens, Tel: 210.779.2761 PHILIPPINES Antheon 26, P. Psychico.

Tel: 210.672.1837 POLAND Chrysanthemon 22, P. Psychico. Tel: 210.679.7700 PORTUGAL Vas. Sofias 23, Kolonaki Tel: 210.729.0096 / 210.723.6784 QATAR Perikleous 2 & Kifissias Av. 212, N. Psychico, Tel: 210.725.5031 ROMANIA Emm. Benaki 7, P. Psychico. Tel: 210.672.8875 RUSSIA Nikiforos Lytra 28, P. Psychico. Tel: 210.672.5235 SAUDI ARABIA Palaiologhou 2 & Agias Annis, Halandri, Tel: 210.671.6911 SERBIA Vas. Sophias 106, Athens, Tel: 210.777.4344 SINGAPORE Aigialias 17, Paradissos Amaroussiou. Tel: 210.684.5072 SLOVAK REPUBLIC G. Seferi 4, P. Psychico. Tel: 210.677.1980 SLOVENIA Kifissias Av. 280 & Dimokratias 1, N. Psychico, Tel: 210.672.0090-091 SOUTH AFRICA Kifissias 60, Maroussi.

Tel: 210.610.6645 SPAIN Dionysiou Areopagitou 21, Plaka, Tel: 210.921.3123

Health

useful information

The Athens Center 48 Archimidous Street, Mets, Athens 11636, Greece Tel: 210.701.5242 CELT Athens 77 Academias Street, 106 78 Athens, Greece, Tel: 210.330.1455 Greek House Dragoumi 7, 145 61 Kifissia, Tel: 210.808.5186 Hellenic American Union 22 Massalias str., 106 80 Athens, Tel: 210.368.0900 Omilo Greek Language And Culture Panagi Tsaldari 13 (4th floor), 15122 Maroussi, Tel: 210.612.2706

insider athens | September - October 2015 61

useful information

Universities University of Indianapolis Ipitou 9, Athens, Tel: 210.323.6647 DEREE Gravias 6, Aghia Paraskevi, Tel: 210.600.9800

Citizen’s Rights Ombudsman: 5 Hatziyiannis Mexis (near the Hilton Hotel), Tel: 210 72 89 640 ALBA Graduate Business School Athinas Ave. & Areos 2A, Vouliagmeni Tel: 210.896.4531 American University of Athens Kifisias & Sochou 4, Neo Psichiko, Tel: 210.725.9301 Business College of Athens Tatoiou 2 & Othonos 77, Kifissia Tel: 210.808.8008

62 insider athens | September - October 2015

English kindergartens The Cottage Kindergarten Psaron 74, Halandri Tel: 210.682.7629 Early Learning Rizountos 53, Elliniko Tel: 210.961.8763 Hopscotch International Kindergarten Ag. Triandos 93, Vari Tel: 210.965.3985 Learning Steps Ath. Diakou 81 & Ydras 5, Kifissia, Tel: 210.620.5818 Melina’s Kindergarten Harilaou Trikoupi 16, Kifissia Tel: 210.801.2719 Peek-a-boo PreSchool Vougliameni Tel: 210.967.1970 Peter Pan Lakonias 4-6, Voula Tel: 210.895.9654 Prince Allen The English Nursery School Lysimahou 8, Vari Tel: 210.965.6800

German kindergartens

Money

International Schools

St Catherine's British Embassy School Sofoklis Venizelou 77, Lykovrissi Tel: 210.282.9750 St. Lawrence College Anemon St, Koropi Tel: 210.891.7000 American Community Schools of Athens Aghias Paraskevis Ave. 129, Halandri, Tel: 210.639.3200 Campion School Aghias Ioulianis, Pallini Tel: 210.607.1700 Byron College Filolaou 7, Gerakas Tel: 210.604.7722 International School of Athens Xenias and Artemidos, Kifissia, Tel: 210.623.3888 Lycée Franco-Hellénique Eugène Delacroix Chlois & Trikalon, Ag. Paraskevi Tel: 211.300.9121 Scuola Statale Italiana Odos Mitsaki 18, Ano Patissia Tel: 210.228.2720 German School in Athens Homatianou & Ziridi, Maroussi Tel: 210.619.9261 Greek German School 25 Martiou & Vernardou, Vrylissia Tel: 210.682.0566

Weather Attica, Tel: 148, www.hnms.gr

Italian Institut Library Patision 47, Omonia National Library Tzavella 25, Syntagma, Tel: 210.382.0657 Nordic Library 7 Kavalotti St, Makrigianni Tel: 210.924.9210, 210.924.9211

LOST OR STOLEN CREDIT CARDS

Post offices operate weekdays 8am-2pm. The main post offices in Athens are located at SYNTAGMA SQUARE and OMONIA SQUARE at Aeolou 100 and open weekdays 7:30am-8pm, Sat 7:30am-2pm, and Sun 9am-1:30pm.

O mikros Antonis Barbayiannis, Pallini, Tel: 210.603.2527

Italian kindergartens Scuola maternal italiana de Atene Mitsaki 18, Ano Patissia, Tel: 210.202.0274 Il Mulino magico Troados 23, Ag Paraskevi, Tel: 210.600.3148 American School of Classical Studies Blegen Souedias 54, Athens Tel: 210.723.6313 Athens College Library Stephanou Delta, P. Psychico Tel: 210.679.8100 Benakeios Library Anthimou Gazi 2, Athens Tel: 210.367.1027 British Council Library Kolonaki Sq. 17, Kolonaki Tel: 210.363.3211/5 French Institute Library 31 Sina St, Athens Tel: 210.362.4301 German Archaeological Institute Library Pheidiou 1, Athens Tel: 210.362.0270 Goethe Institute Library Omirou 14-16, Athens Tel: 210.360.8111 Hellenic American Union Greek Library 22 Masalias St (7th floor), Athens, Tel: 210.362.9886

AMERICAN EXPRESS Tel: 210.324.4975 DINERS CLUB Tel: 210.929.0200 MASTERCARD Tel: 00.800.1188.703.03 VISA Tel: 00.800.1163.803.04

Country Code: 30 City Code: 210 international calls first dial 00, then the country code.

To call from a Public pay- phone buy a phone card at the kiosks.

Prepaid mobile phone cards (SIM cards) are available for €5 at kiosks, post offices, mini markets and mobile phone company stores.

Phone

Water Supply & Sewage (EYDAP) In case of water cut: Tel: 1202, www.eydap.gr

Public Services Administration Information Center (paperwork assistance) on weekdays 8am-3pm (KEP): Tel: 177, ww.kep.gov.gr

Au petit bonheur 50 Iraklitou, Glyfada, Tel: 210 9658 207 Les Alouettes Spartis 36 & Harilaou Trikoupi, Kifissia Tel: 210 80 11 570 Mary Poppins 4, Kodrou, Filothei, Tel: 210.677.3803 Paramythia Cycladon 11, Glyka Nera, Tel: 210.600.3196 Play and Learn Kassaveti 22, Kifissia, Tel: 210.801.1428

Libraires

Public Power Corporation (DEI) In case of power failure: Tel: 210, 523 9939 www.dei.gr

Greek Manpower Employment Organization (OAED) www.oaed.gr, Tel: 210 99 89 000

International Kindergartens

Road Assistance ELPA: 104

Social Security & Health insurance (IKA) www.ika.gr

Post

French kindergartens Telephone & Internet Services (OTE) New tel: 138, Tel. (defective): 129 OTE customer service: 134 International call information (English, French & German): 169 www.ote.gr

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Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, Spata.

Tel: 210.353.0000, 210.353.1000. www.aia.gr.

24 HOUR VIP TRANSPORT SERVICE

Car rental

WSW Skycap Services at Athens Airport provides Meet & Greet, Baggage Hauling and Transport Service.

Tel: 210.353.0100 www.skycap.gr For info about the public bus lines please check our section Getting Around Ada Rent-a-Car Tel: 210.322.0087 Arena Tel: 210.894.6883, 210.614.7400 Auto Union Tel: 210.602.0162 Avis Tel: 210.322.4951 Budget Tel: 210.921.4771-3 Europcar Tel: 210.924.8810-8 Hertz Tel: 210.998.2000 Michael Stamou Luxury Rentals Tel: 210.922.2442/43 Sixt Rent-a-Car Tel: 210.570.6895, 210.922.0171

LIMOUSINES AAA Royal Prestige Tel: 210.988.3221 Astra Limousine Service Tel: 210.922.0333/807.9996 Convecta Travel Agency & Limousine Services Tel: 210.322.5090 Limousines Kacaya Tel: 210.323.4120

Public transport

Airport

Airlines

Aegean Tel: 801.11.20000 Air France KLM Tel: 210.998.0222 Air Malta Tel: 210.965.2300-22 Alitalia Tel: 210.998.8888 American Tel: 210.361.3373 Air Taxis (Helicopter and plane charters) Tel: 210.938.4149 British Airways Tel: 210.353.0453 Continental Tel: 210.353.4312 Cyprus Airways Tel: 210.353.4100 Easy Jet Tel: 211.198.0013 El Al Tel: 210.934.1500-1 Emirates Tel: 210.933.3400 Etihad Tel: 210.324.1010 Iberia www.iberia.com/gr Lufthansa Tel: 210.617.5200 Olympic Airways Tel: 801.801.0101 Qatar Airways Tel: 210.950.8700 Singapore Tel: 210.994.2567 Swiss / Crossair Tel: 210.617.5320 Tunisair Tel: 210.969.6496 Turkish Tel: 210.988.5700

Combined tickets for metro, buses and trolleys (€1,40) are available from metro stations and central ticket booths, valid within 90 mins of validation for all public transport - except the airport service, which costs 8€.

EXPRESS BUS from/to airport

X93 Kifisos Intercity Bus Station - Athens Airport Express.

Direct Connection to the intercity bus (KTEL) terminals KIFISOS and LIOSION X95 Syntagma – Athens Airport Express.

Direct Connection to Syntagma Square at Athens city center.

X96 Peiraias – Athens Airport Express.

Direct Connection to Piraeus central passenger port terminals.

X97 Dafni Metro Station – Athens Airport Express.

Direct Connection to DAFNI metro station. Tickets available at the Arrivals Hall; validate on board. Fare is €5 One-way travel time estimates**: X93 (65’ min), X95 (70’ min), X96 (90’ min), X97 (70’ min).

For further information dial 185 or visit www.oasa.gr, www.ametro.gr. For info on trains visit www.proastiakos.gr

HELLENIC RAILWAYS ORGANIsATION Karolou 1. Tel: 210.529.7002, www.ose.gr

ATHENS METRO Line 1 (Piraeus-Kifissia) 5am-midnight, Line 2 (Agios Antonios-Agios Dimitrios) 5.30am-midnight, Line 3 (Egaleo-

Doukissis Plakentias) 5.30am-midnight Line 3 (Egaleo-Airport) 5.30am-22.52pm and 06.30am-23.30pm.

The last itinerary is 2 hours later on Friday and Saturday night than it is during the week. www.ametro.gr

tram Tram itineraries are only from Syntagma to S.E.F (in Neo Faliro) and from Syntagma to Asklipio Voulas. From Monday to Thursday, trams operate from 5.am until midnight and non-stop from Friday morning to Sunday midnight. www.tramsa.gr

TAXIS Taxis from the airport have a flat rate of €35 to Central Athens. Between midnight and 5am double tariff applies.

Note: If you suspect that you have been overcharged, you can call the tourist police 0n 171

INTERCITY BUSES

RADIO TAXI Enotita Tel: 210.645.9000 Ermis Tel: 210.411.5200 Ikarus Tel: 210.515.2800 Kifissia Tel: 210.801.4000 Piraeus Tel: 210.418.2333 Radio Taxi Glyfada Tel: 210.960.5600 There is a booking fee of €2 added to the meter, and a €3,40 + VAT for a pre-arranged meeting. For PET taxis there is an extra charge of €5.

Sea ports

Ferries Ferries run year-round. For information on seasonal schedules contact a travel agent or call the Port Police on 210.422.6000 From the Port of Piraeus Northern and Eastern Aegean Islands: Gates A & B Chios, Ikaria, Lesvos, Samos, Dodecanese Islands: Gate E Kalymnos, Kos Leros, Patmos, Rhodes, Saronic Gulf Islands:

Gates G & E

Aegina, Hydra, Poros, Spetses, Crete: Gate A Aghios Nikolaos, Chania, Iraklio, Kastelli (Kissamos), Rethymno, Cycladic Islands:

Gates B, G & D

Astipalea, Folegandros, Kimolos, Kithnos, Milos, Serifos, Sifnos: Gate B Amorgos, Donoussa, Ios, Iraklia, Koufonissi, Mykonos, Santorini, Schinoussa, Syros, Tinos: Gates G&D Naxos, Paros: Gate G

Superfast Ferries

Terminal 1: Buses for Igoumenitsa, Ioannina, Kavala, Loutraki, Patra, the Peloponese, and Thessaloniki. Kifissou 100Tel: 210.512.4910-1, www.ktel.org Terminal 2: Buses for Delphi, Evia, Galaxidi, Karpenisi, Katerini, Lamia, Livadia, Thiva and Volos. Liosion 260.

For KTEL itineraries all over Greece call 14505

Lavrio Tel: 22920.27711, 22920.22089 Piraeus Tel: 210.422.6000-4 Rafina Tel: 22940.22300, 22940.28888

Sea ports & Ferries

getting around

Daily departures, Greece - Italy: from Patras and Igoumenitsa to Ancona and Bari Head office: 23-125 Syngrou Avenue & 3 Torva Street 11745 Athens.

Tel:210.891.9000 Reservations: Athens: 210.891.9130 Thessaloniki: 2310.560.700, www.superfast.com Hellenic Seaways 210 41 99 000 www.hellenicseaways.gr, Anek Lines www.anek.gr Domestic lines: 210 41 97 420 International lines: 210 41 97 430 Minoan Lines www.minoan.gr Tel: 801 11 75 000

YACHT CHARTERS A1 Yacht Trade Consortium Akti Themistokleous 8, Marina Zeas, Piraeus. Tel: 210.458.7100 Ghiolman Yachts Filellinon 7, Syntagma. Tel: 210.323.3696 Northstar Poseidonos 9 & Achilleos, P. Faliro. Tel: 210.988.4000 PGA Shipping Posidonos 61, P. Faliro.

Tel: 210.985.9400 Seahorse Alkyonidon 83 (Marina), Voula.

Tel: 210.895.2212 Seascape Poseidonos Ave. 29, Alimos.

Tel/Fax: 210.985.8301 Valef Yachts Pl. Chatzikonstanti 2, Piraeus. Tel:210.451.2010 Vernicos Yachts Posidonos 11, Kalamaki.

Tel: 210.985.0122-8

insider athens | September - October 2015 63

K A L E I DOSCOP E

First Impressions Insider intern, Caroline Olsen, has been in Athens for two weeks. Her photography is inspired by the new sights, sounds, and smells she’s experienced since her arrival. Exploring her neighborhood of Pangrati, she is struck by the vibrant colors of the produce in the market and the way the rich souvlaki never disappoints her taste buds. She continues to be enamored with the way that the light hits the Acropolis, making it feel alive with the presence of the gods. And the bright blue and white of the Greek flag never fail to catch her eye.

64 insider athens | September - October 2015

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66 insider athens | September - October 2015