Like a clock keeping time, the face of Athens is marked by the past, the minutes ticking by in ancient Greek ruins, remnants of Roman architecture and an assortment of gilded, Byzantine-era churches. But the city, so vigorously loved and lived-in — and which today braces against the strain of overtourism — is no open-air museum. Since emerging less than a decade ago from a brutal financial crisis, a story told in sprawling murals and tangled graffiti tags, Athens is finally eyeing its next Golden Age, fuelled by the fresh energy of locals and foreigners alike. With dozens of world-class museums and galleries, a refreshingly experimental food scene and innumerable buzzy bars, all set to a backdrop of music that courses through packed squares and leafy neighbourhoods, this age-old metropolis feels as alive as ever.
FRIDAY
2pm | Try a taverna with a twist
The tuna carpaccio at LS&Sia, a restaurant in Psyrri, is paper-thin and doused in Greek olive oil. (Photo: The New York Times/Camille McOuat)
Hidden behind the church of Agioi Anargyroi in Psyrri, a graffiti-clad neighborhood with a gritty charm and a long history, the restaurant LS&Sia offers a fresh take on the classic Greek taverna. While some dishes like kakavia (€18, around US$21 or S$27), a fisherman’s soup, skew traditional, others, like raw langoustines served with bone marrow (€26), surprise the unsuspecting palate. The tension between old and new extends outward from the plate, to the sleek industrial steel tables and the open-concept kitchen. The charming in-house candle counter offers one final nod to conventional customs with its natural beeswax tapers (20 pieces for €10), the likes of which you’ll see in churches around the city.
4pm | Let ancient footsteps lead to antique treasures
Trinkets abound at the Abyssinia Square flea market. (Photo: The New York Times/Camille McOuat)
For nearly 500 years, beginning in the 6th century BC, the heart of ancient Athens beat at the Agora (timed-entry tickets, €20), the city’s then-civic centre. Among other marvels, it’s home to the dazzlingly intact Doric Temple of Hephaestus. Under later Roman rule, it expanded into the nearby Roman Agora (€10). Both sites sit in what is now Monastiraki, a maze-like neighbourhood that more recently has also become known for its antique shops. The sprawling flea market in Abyssinia Square offers a still wider selection of goods — bring cash and come ready to bargain. The antiques emporium and fine art gallery Martinos , founded in 1895, is another destination for eclectic (if pricey) pieces, from 17th-century Turkish serving ware to mid-century lounge chairs.
7.30pm | Find a taste of the islands downtown
Finewine. (Photo: The New York Times/Camille McOuat)
Strolling west from the agoras will take you through Anafiotika, a warren of narrow pathways and 19th-century whitewashed houses, and downhill to Plaka, an area that has been inhabited for more than 3,000 years. There, you’ll see Tripodon Street — so named for the bronze tripods that once lined the road to honour the winners of theatrical and musical contests — where street musicians play rebetika, a form of Greek folk music, on the guitar and the bouzouki, a stringed instrument resembling a lute. At Finewine , a wine bar just off the road, reward your wanderings with a pour of something local (from €8) and a charcuterie platter (€12). The elevated staples at Thespis , set just beneath the Acropolis, are slightly more substantial, like mastelo cheese (€12) from the island of Chios, served with a homemade tomato jam; and moussaka (€16) in a decadent bechamel sauce.
9pm | See stars onscreen and in the sky
Cine Paris. (Photo: The New York Times/Camille McOuat)
Cine Paris has been a fixture in the city since the 1920s, when a cinephile hairdresser who’d spent years in the French capital decided to return home and open a movie theatre. Showings play on the rooftop terrace as the moon rises over the Acropolis, and run the gamut, from Greek classics to current releases (€10, book in advance). End the night at Dexameni , an unassuming kafenio, or coffee house, built over the ruins of a Roman reservoir. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so prepare to wait. But the cold beer (from €4); tsipouro, a strong Greek spirit (from €5); and assorted mezze, including Cretan dakos, a salad of tomatoes, feta and twice-baked bread (€7.50) will make it worth your while.
In the tiny neighbourhood of Anafiotika, set in the shadow of the Acropolis, wander along narrow pathways and past whitewashed houses that evoke the Cyclades. (Photo: The New York Times/Camille McOuat)
SATURDAY
8am | Wave to the gods
The National Garden. (Photo: The New York Times/Camille McOuat)
Grab a flaky cheese pie (€2) loaded with feta from Elassona, a town nestled at the foot of Mount Olympus, from the beloved bakery Lycabettus in Kolonaki. Take it to go — from here, it’s about a 15-minute cab ride or a 40-minute walk southwest to the Ac…
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