After immigrating to Greece, many people may choose to settle in Athens. Athens may not be as trendy or avant-garde as Bogotá or Berlin, nor does it have the beautiful boulevards of Paris or Madrid, but Athens has a charm of its own. Moreover, Athens offers much more than just history, culture, and archaeology. Beyond the financial headlines, many areas of this ancient capital exude a fresh vitality and energy; sidewalk cafes are filled with customers, creative young restaurateurs, designers, and gallery owners are opening shops, and local residents walk by with shopping bags and smiles on their faces. This is why Athens is more than just a starting point for the Greek islands.
The Design of NEW Hotel
As the first design hotel in Athens, the NEW Hotel, which opened three years ago, is the brainchild of a Greek art collector. He invited the Brazilian fashionistas, the Campana brothers, to design this hotel featuring 79 rooms and public spaces. Imagine chairs with backrests made of towering ladders extending infinitely, rooms furnished with four-sided spiked mirrors, and lobby and restaurant walls and pillars adorned with art installations created from parts of old furniture. Although the hotel rooms (starting at 200 Euros) have a cozy side, they also feature clever design details, such as pop-up mirrors and desks, as well as ample natural light, making the rooms feel more spacious. The NEW Hotel also boasts a prime location near Constitution Square and offers one of the best breakfast buffets in Athens (as a guest invited by the hotel, I have stayed at both the NEW Hotel and the Hotel Grande Bretagne).
Street Life at Aigias Irinis Square
Located near the main shopping street, Ermou Street, this small square is home to several newly opened cafes and bars offering a variety of goods, including Mexican falafel, where young Athenians spend their days clearing tables.
Wines at Heteroclito
Tucked away in a corner of the busy city center is a stylish little wine bar. Unlike other wine bars in Athens, Heteroclito primarily sells Greek wines. The charming bar owners often appear to chat with customers, sharing their passion for Greek grapes and guiding novices to taste their Assyrtiko and Xinomavro wines.
Coffee Culture at 360 Cocktail Bar and TAF
My guide told me that iced coffee was actually invented by contemporary Greeks, as the local favorite, "caffreddo," is a logical way to enjoy caffeine during the scorching Athenian summer. Even on cloudy spring days, many of the city's cafes are packed with customers chatting enthusiastically rather than staring at their laptops. Monastiraki Square is the hub of coffee culture; the spacious, multi-level 360 Cocktail Bar (named for the view from its rooftop) and TAF (The Art Foundation) offer a variety of trendy new products, with TAF hidden in the dilapidated courtyard of a contemporary art gallery.
Seafood at Papadakis
The chef of this restaurant, Argiro Barbarigou, might be a celebrity—she says Pierce Brosnan, Carla Bruni, and fellow star chefs Cat Cora and Michel Roux have all been her guests—but her intimate restaurant in the upscale Kolonaki neighborhood has no ostentatious decor. Her cooking brings magic to local seafood and traditional dishes, such as octopus braised in honey and Vinsanto wine (a sweet wine from Santorini).
Home Goods by Greece Is for Lovers
The mission of this design team is to add a brand-new "Greek flavor" to contemporary product design, producing what they call a mix of "humorous, ironic, casual, and luxurious" styles, while challenging stereotypical perceptions of Greek style, both past and present. Their showroom is by appointment only and displays a variety of collections, including elegant martini glasses decorated with fishhooks and shopping bags printed with "Sleep when you're in the underworld."
Greek Cuisine at Melilitos
Located near Aigias Irinis Square, this cafe started as a takeout restaurant but evolved into a full-service restaurant three years ago, primarily due to growing customer demand for the healthy, homemade Greek food it serves. This lovely eatery offers simple, casual, and affordable al fresco lunches and dinners.
Views from Hotel Grande Bretagne
This upscale grand hotel in Athens remains classically luxurious, featuring a colonnaded lobby, ceilings decorated with crystal chandeliers, 320 traditionally appointed rooms (starting at 260 Euros), and attentive, formal service. However, the hotel's biggest selling point is the spectacular view of the Acropolis. Guests can enjoy the scenery from high-end rooms on the upper floors and the GB Roof Garden Restaurant & Bar, which is open to the public.