Athens

The Athens guide is compiled by Eva Webster


Airport Information


  • Holiday Taxis (easyJet.holidaytaxis.com) take you from home to the airport, then city or destination.

  • The E95 express bus leaves every 15-50 minutes, making a number of stops on the way to the centre. Tickets: €3.20.

  • Visit the Europcar desk on arrival for special easyJet inflight rates.

  • The fare is about €35 to the centre.

Bon Appetit

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    (5 Thessalonikis Street, Thissio. Tel. 210 342 2407)
    Traditional taverna specialising in juicy paidakia (spare ribs).
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    (4 Dervenion & Asklipiou Streets. Tel. 210 363 2780)
    Good Italian food and interesting wines at outdoor tables on pedestrianised Dervenion Street.
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    (18 Omirou Street & Aghiou Tryfonos, Kifissia. Tel. 210 801 1117)
    Chic and sophisticated Japanese fusion restaurant that has migrated across the Ionian Sea from Italy's Milan to the leafy suburb of Kifissia in Athens.
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    (Grande Bretagne Hotel, Syntagma Square & Panepistimiou Street. Tel. 210 333 0000)
    The most famous meeting point in Athens, occupying the smartest address in the city. An historic restaurant in the equally historic Grande Bretagne Hotel, where the local elite have wined and dined, wheeled and dealed, it continues to live up to its long and formidable reputation with chef Bertrand Valegeas at the helm.

After Dark

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    (8 Triptopolemou, Gazi. )
    A favourite haunt of twentysomethings off the ever-busy Gazi Plaza, with arty leanings and companionable atmosphere.
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    (28 Karaiskaki Street, Psyrri Square. Tel. 210 331 4605)
    Salsa, merengue, chacha and other Latin sounds that raise the temperature on sultry summer nights.
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    (Palea Loutra, Alimos. Tel. 210 985 5848)
    Smack on the beach, as the name implies, with a party attitude and a fondness for dance music.

This month...

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  • In his ceramics workshop in the west Athens district of Nea Ionia, sculptor-ceramist Yiannis Mamoutzis creates original designs guaranteed to blow you away (10 Seizani Street).
  • Summer is the time for big open-air concerts, in venues like Terra Vibe and the OAKA Olympic stadium (www.oaka.com.gr). Highlights at various venues this month include Carlos Santana, Deep Purple, David Byrne, Paul Weller, Linkin Park, Mercury Rev and the Scorpions, among others.
  • The archaeological site in Epidaurus is definitely worth seeing. You can also watch ancient plays performed every weekend in the legendary theatre as part of the Greek festival, in addition to events held in the capital (www.greekfestival.gr).
  • Just because you're in Athens, doesn't mean you can't get a taste of the island life. The Saronic Gulf islands of Spetses, Poros, Hydra and Aegina are very picturesque, have great beaches and are only an hour or two away from Piraeus by hydrofoil. Book a trip through Danae Travel Bureau (6 Psylla Street. www.danae.gr).

Tips

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  • It took 650 years to complete the massive Temple of Olympian Zeus, whose few remaining pillars still tower over central Athens, but it was only used for a century.

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