New Design in the Old City

Our Local Expert Says:

Art meets history: this is our favorite non-museum for learning about ancient weaponry and craftsmanship.

Description:

The artist and architect, Vassiliki Theodorakidi, has opened a gallery (called an "art and culture house" by the foundation) that functions like a museum, only better! What museum would let you buy the armor of King Philip of Macedonia? In it visitors can see archeological treasures such as armor, weapons, crowns and shields from all regions of Greece, as far as the northern regions of Macedonia and Trace and from deep south in the Peloponnese. On top of museum-perfect replicas, Vassiliki has created artistic pieces inspired by the genuine ones.

The atmosphere is cool, light and airy. It's located on the crossing of Vyronos Street and Aereopagitou (just behind the statue of revolutionary hero, Makrigiannis.)

Our Local Expert Says:

Best place to find the thing no one else brought back from their trip to Athens.

Description:

When every souvenir shop on Adrianou Street is starting to look like a cut and paste of the one before, it's time to move over to the little sliver of modernity that is found in "Hellenic Art & Design." Here you can find functional art and conversation pieces made by some of the top designers in Greece but all priced well within reason (many under 15 euros). Some of our favorites include polished, cut beer bottles that have been given a new life as drinking glasses, half porcelain stackable dishes, bound-by-hand graphic notebooks and quirky sculptures of Kiosk goods like Papadopoulos biscuits and Milko cartons. The store's founder, Kallirhoe Kallirrou, started the store as a way to work with customers more close at hand than in her previous life as a sought after interior designer. Many of the creations inside are her own concepts, including retro design furniture and the aforementioned recycled bottle drinking glasses, but when the store began to blossom she invited friends and designers from the rest of the country to include their creations.

Design books, decorative lighting, original art, and small handmade gifts all provide reason enough to veer off of the beaten path and explore,... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

The best reason to not bring your favorite bag to Greece- or else the best place to find its replacement.

Description:

An understated sign reading "Ippolito" in simple type is the first indicator that this leather showroom is an orange amongst the apples of Plaka- typically associated with T shirts and cheap souvenirs from Athens. The store, like its timeless merchandise, proves one doesn't have to speak loudly to command attention. Owner and principal designer, Pavlina Papailiopoulou, was running the shop with her loving dogs, Jagger and Cohen the day we stopped by.

"Fashion isn't a big deal," she says, and bags that women go crazy about should be able to work with any outfit and over most of the year. Her bags are about function, quality, the love of good design and attention to detail. She would know something of the subject- her training was in Milan, studying fashion and working on the ready-to-wear floor of the fashion house, Botega Veneta.

Store hours: open in the early afternoon Monday Wednesday and Saturday and 10-8 Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Should you arrive and the door is locked, Pavlina leaves her number posted to the glass. Don't be shy to call; she lives very close by and insists that you do.
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Our Local Expert Says:

A breath of fresh air to the dated restaurant world of Plaka.

Description:

Brettos distillery has been a long time favorite bar of locals, tourists, guide books and Athens magazines, all who write about its unique charm and rainbow of liqueur bottles giving the place a bright atmosphere. Now Brettos has opened a new branch along shady Kidathineon Square (also spelled Kydathineon) and does for mezze style eating what it did for ouzo and flavor-infused brandies.

The space has the same warmth and personality, if not the 100 year old patina of the Brettos distillery, still in its original location around the corner from the square. It's very clear that the restaurant has made a conscious effort to make delicious food with good ingredients, but also to be sensitive to the country's current economy; prices are well within reason in spite of being located in an area notoriously dense with overpriced, mediocre food targeted toward tourists. Dishes are all designed to be shared and categorized by price range, most under 10 euros. Try the bakaliaro with skourdia, salted, fried cod and a garlic aioli that warms the soul, not to mention giving a certain perfume to the breath. An Ouzo sampler is perfect for first timers to an ouzeri: olives, salted fish, local... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

One of the few originals in Plaka, a neighborhood stuffed to the brim with chintzy, cut-and-paste souvenir places.

Description:

Looking for something truly unique in Athens that is sure to be one of a kind? Do you like things that are old, mysterious, and full of character? Are you a collector of rare pieces for your home? If you answered yes to all three of these questions you should certainly make it a point to find "Elliniko Spiti," housed in the store, workshop, and home of artist and former furniture restorer for the Ministry of Culture, Dimitris Koutelieris. It's full of old doors, heavy wooden tables and chairs, discarded window shutters and pieces of old ships that he's brought back to life and added his trademark paintings of symbolic images such as animals, eyes, mermaids and ancient coins.

To find it, walk down Voulis Street toward Plaka and take a right on Iperidou. Keep to the right when the roads split and you're on Kekropos. The shop is on the right and the windows filled with Dimitri's unusual work.
Hours 9am-2pm and 3:30pm to 9pm M-F
Credit Cards Accepted

Our Local Expert Says:

A great place to get an Athenian look, evocative of the Ancients without looking like a costume.

Description:

Ioanna Kourbela has made quite a name for herself in Athens and beyond as being an innovative designer with a look all her own. The pieces in her shop have an earthy, romantic quality but stay modern with asymmetrical lines, a muted color palette and unusual textures. Most pieces are able to be layered and rarely cling to the female form, making them ideal styles for the weather in Athens that can go from cool to burning in a single day.

There are two shops: one on Adrianou street and another around the corner on Hatzimichali 12. The store is operated by a team of friendly, multilingual personnel that is also able to help you put your own look together.

Monday through Saturday: 9:30-21:00
Sunday: 11:00-21:00

Nearest Metro: Acropolis

Our Local Expert Says:

A wonderful place to pick up a conversation piece or something for a special evening in Athens.

Description:

Eirini Eleftheria scours the world for interesting, up and coming designers and brings them back to Athens for "sensitive, opinionated women." The last sentence is in quotation marks because according to the sales assistant, Katerina, those are exactly the sorts of women who shop in the store currently under the original sign of Naxos House- opened in 1976 by Erini's parents and dealing in traditional costumes. As the second-generation owner she's slated the store to be renamed "The Seamstress" in the near future.

The shop is small but not congested, allowing delicate floral prints, muslin dresses with embroidery, Indian coin belts, cloche hats to flirt with your senses, whimpering ever so slightly- matched with a playful pout- until finally you can't help but try them on in the mirror.

Most items in the shop have a price tag that reflects something special, but not overly dear. We noticed a small selection of children's clothing but the majority of inventory is women's apparel.
Located on Plaka's main shopping thoroughfare, Adrianou Street, where it can be difficult to spot amongst the repetitive rows of common souvenir shops but the exceptional window displays help it to... read more

Description:

Formerly known as Arkadiko Kelari, Oinoscent- a clever play on Oinos, the ancient name for wine- is run by brothers who have a shared passion of fine wines, Greek and beyond. Most people aren't even aware that Greece has competitive winemakers, but this is the land of Dionysus, the god of wine who blessed the soil of Attica himself! Don't you think you owe it to yourself to try some? Go and grab a stool. Let them pour you a few glasses of the different wines of the regions, explaining the differences between a Nemean wine and a Cretan wine while indulging in local cheeses and olives. Intimate, varied, and competitively priced. (Psst, they have amazing chocolates, ouzos and whiskey also! But no one has to know you didn't go for the wine.)

Our Local Expert Says:

A curious, feminine haven for lovers of tea and old things.

Description:

Maybe you've never been struck with a pressing urge to shop for vintage clothing, old maps, travel books, and globes, and have a cup of hand-blended tea in a delightful room with velvet couches and tree branches, or at least not all the same time. If ever you did, and even if you didn't, you'll be happy that Belle Epoque has opened its doors on Voulis Street by the marvelous Ms. Evi, daughter of the owners of a map and travel store further into the city on Panepistimiou.

The shop is in a blue neoclassical building with high ceilings and original stained glass; it's certainly the oddity of the block, a neighborhood full of traditional bakeries, lighting shops, local cafes and travel agencies. One would expect to find Belle Epoque in Kolonaki, or to go further, Paris or London.
We are delighted by its frivolous impracticality and the whole experience, including the high quality green and black teas brewed and presented in colorful, ceramic teapots with a plate of almond cookies and, what else, teacake. A mellow, eclectic soundtrack gives modernness to a timeless ritual.

The Technicolor Boutique is in an adjacent room with bright clothes and accessories from the 60's and 70's for men... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

A wonderful source for organic Greek products in beautiful packaging- great for gifts to take home.

Description:

Evidence that Athens is moving into the 21st century can be seen on the little street of Nikis, tucked in a shady portico and radiating warmth from within. Four Seasons Bio Shop is packed tightly with the best in organic milks, cheeses, teas, honey, and a wealth of other local products as well as imported health bars and herbal remedies from Germany, Holland, and the UK.
It is one out of only a handful of places where certified organic produce can be purchased.

The main reason we like it is that the owners are well informed and able to answer questions on how to cure life's little maladies using herbs and eating a proper diet. They're gentle, welcoming, and multilingual, making a visit to this green grocer a delight under any circumstances.

Shop hours: 9-6 except Sunday
Nearest metro: Syntagma
Go down Mitropolios, turn left on Nikis. The shop is on the right just past Eleftherodakis bookshop.

Our Local Expert Says:

If you're in the mood for a little exercise, walk or ride your bike across this famous bridge for some of the best views of the city.

Description:

Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. It stretches 5,989 feet (1825 meters) across the East River and connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. At the time of its construction, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world and the first steel-wire suspension bridge. The bridge was designed by the New Jersey architect John Augustus Roebling, who died before construction began after he contracted tetanus from a wound sustained in a ferry accident during surveys for the bridge project. Built from limestone, granite, and cement, the Brooklyn Bridge is an example of Gothic-style architecture, with its characteristic pointed arches topping twin passageways through huge stone towers. Because Roebling designed a bridge and truss system six times stronger than he thought it needed to be, the Brooklyn Bridge is still standing, while many other bridges built around the same time have had to be replaced.

In the past, the inside lanes of traffic on the bridge carried the elevated trains of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transport (BMT) Corporation from stations in Brooklyn to a terminal at Manhattan's Park Row. Streetcars shared the... read more

Description:

Veering off the beaten path in even well-marked Plaka can be extremely rewarding. Should you wander up the steps of Mnisikleous Street, off of Lysiou Street, you'll find such a reward in the form of the charming cafe Yiasemi, or Jasmine. Green metal cafe tables are tiered on the steps and twinkle lights glow from within the cafe, decorated in rummage-shop treasures and mismatched chairs. All of the food is prepared in the small, on-site kitchen and the menu changes daily, but there is always plenty of vegetarian fare and freshly baked sweets- delectable orange and lemon pies being some of the most noteworthy.

The place starts filling up with locals drinking coffee in the early evening.
Prices are slightly high for a cafe, but according to the quality and atmosphere, certainly worth it.