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About Athens
Attractions in Athens
Monastiraki Flea Market
Athens' traditional Monastiraki Flea Market has a festive atmosphere, with the nearby cafés and restaurants brimming on weekends. The permanent antique, furniture and collectables stores have plenty to sift through and are open all week, while on Sundays the streets around the station and Adrianou are lined with vendors selling mostly jewellery and handicrafts.
Antiqua
Serious Greek and European antiques dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries are on sale here, along with a good selection of silverware, clocks, paintings, icons and first edition prints of 19th century Athens. Expect to pay accordingly.
Athens Central Post Office
Edodi
A tantalising 'live' menu, where waiters parade huge platters of the prepared (yet-to-be cooked) dishes of the day, makes for a truly unique dining experience at this stylish, tiny restaurant in an elegant neoclassical building. The food is deliciously imaginative, with some wicked desserts. Reservations essential.
Athens Central Market
The Athens central market, essentially a meat market, might sound like a strange place to go for a meal but the tavernas (such as the Epiros or Papandreou taverns) inside it are an Athenian institution, turning out huge quantities of tasty, traditional fare. The clientele ranges from hungry market workers, to elegant couples emerging from nightclubs in search of a bowl of hangover-busting patsas (tripe soup).
Antico Theatro
This romantic beachfront bar-restaurant takes you virtually into the water. The former summer palace of King Otto and Amalia is decked out in white, contrasting beautifully with the sea. You pay for the view.
Marble House Pension
Set in a quiet cul-de-sac (an oasis!) the peaceful Marble House is one of Athens' best-value budget hotels. To the south of the Acropolis, in residential Koukaki, it's near the metro and within easy walking distance of most sights. It's an attractive, welcoming spot with a cool lobby - indeed with plenty of marble.
Oikotexnia
You'll find top-quality merchandise here, and your money goes to a good cause - the preservation and promotion of traditional Greek handicrafts (the gallery is run by the Institute of Social Protection). There are knotted carpets in authentic Greek designs, kilims, flokatis, needlepoint rugs, tableclothes and embroidered cushion covers.
Electra Palace Hotel
The landmark Electra Palace hotel is the most luxurious in the Plaka vicinity and one which is deservedly held in high esteem`, being particularly popular with North American visitors. It offers 5-star facilities and is the only Plaka hotel to offer private parking (for a fee).
Acropolis House
This rambling family-run hotel is as far from the concrete-box Athens standard as you could hope to find and boasts a location right at the entrance to Plaka. It's run in personable and personal fashion and has bags of character.
Benaki Museum Pireos Annexe
The Benaki Museum Pireos Annexe hosts regular visual arts, cultural and historical exhibitions as well as major international shows. The impressive former industrial building has a café and excellent gift store.
Australian Embassy
Theatre of Dionysos
The importance of theatre in the Athenian city-state can be gauged from the dimensions of the enormous Theatre of Dionysos on the southeastern slope of the Acropolis.
Diporto Agoras
This quirky old taverna is one of the dining gems of Athens. There's no signage, only two doors leading to a rustic cellar where there's no menu, just a few dishes that haven't changed in years. The house speciality is revithi (chickpeas), usually followed by grilled fish and washed down with wine from one of the giant barrels lining the wall. The often erratic service is part of the appeal.
Panagia Hrysospiliotissa
Above the Theatre of Dionysos, you will see an indistinct rock-strewn path leading to a grotto in the cliff face. In 320 BC Thrasyllos turned the grotto into a temple dedicated to Dionysos. The tiny Panagia Hrysospiliotissa (Chapel of our Lady of the Cavern) is now a poignant little place with old pictures and icons on the walls. Above the chapel are two Ionic columns, the remains of Thrasyllos' temple.
Kouti
Even if the outdoor tables with an Acropolis view are taken, the food is more than a consolation at this popular eatery. The cute Greek menus are handwritten in children's books and there are English versions too. Try creative takes on Greek classic dishes, international cuisine and great salads, including a delicious avocado and crab salad.
Ariston
If you are after a snack on the run, you can't go wrong with traditional tiropites (cheese pies) and their various permutations. This place has been around since 1910, serving the best range of tasty, freshly baked pies with all manner of fillings.
Skoufias
This gem of a taverna at the tail end of Gazi is a little off the beaten track but is worth seeking out. There are tables outside opposite the church. The menu has Cretan influences and an eclectic selection of regional Greek cuisine, including many dishes you are unlikely to find in any tourist joint. Meat eaters will love the tender kotsi (pork shank; around ), which is best shared.
Changing of the Guards
The square at Syntagma is crowned by Athens' Parliament which is guarded out front by evzones, much-photographed guards who are traditionally from the village of Evzoni in Macedonia and who wear a uniform of short skirts and pompom shoes. The changing of the guard takes place hourly.
Spondi
This superb restaurant has been consistently voted Athens' best and the accolades are totally deserved. Spondi offers Mediterranean haute cuisine, with heavy French influences, in a relaxed, classy setting. There is a lovely garden terrace draped in bougainvillea in summer. This is definitely a special-occasion place. There are a range of set dinner and wine menus.
Plaka & Anafiotika
The historic neighbourhood under the Acropolis retains its charm despite being overrun by tourists in summer. Head beyond the tourist drag, however, and you'll find the Anafiotika quarter, one of the most picturesque and quiet pockets of the city. In this village-like labyrinth of quiet, narrow, windy streets, bougainvillea cascade over whitewashed Cycladic-style cube houses while bright pots of colour decorate the balconies and rooftops. Apart from the forever-reclining cats, washing hanging in the breeze is often the only evidence of habitation.
Christos Veloudakis
This boutique is all about drama and impact, from the long red velvet curtains to the designer garments on display. If you're after fashion with a twist, come on in. Men's and women's clothing for day and night are all there and ready to sweet-talk your credit card.
Soul
This impressive restored neoclassical building is one of Athens' liveliest bars, with a small club on the second level (if you like your music loud), a great garden courtyard and decent food. There's a youngish arty crowd, good cocktails and a friendly atmosphere but it can get pretty crowded.
Athos Hotel
This small, recently opened hotel on a quietish side street is something of an unknown gem, and offers modern, comfortable rooms with a boutique feel, accompanied by warm, personal service. You'll really feel like a guest here, rather than a customer.
Palenque
A slice of Havana in Athens, Palenque presents regular live music, with artists from around the world, salsa parties and flamenco shows. You can take free tango lessons early in the evening.
Ancient Agora
The Agora (market) was Athens' meeting place in ancient times, the focal point of administrative, commercial, political and social life. All roads led to this bustling and crowded place, where Socrates once expounded his philosophy and, later, where St Paul disputed daily in an attempt to win converts to Christianity.
National Archaeological Museum
One of the world's great museums, the National Archaeological Museum houses the most important finds from Greece's archaeological sites.
Acropolis
The Acropolis is the most important ancient site in the Western world. Crowned by the Parthenon, it stands sentinel over Athens, visible from almost everywhere within the city. Its monuments of Pentelic marble gleam white in the midday sun and gradually take on a honey hue as the sun sinks, while at night they hover above the city brilliantly illuminated. The sudden glimpse of this magnificent sight cannot fail to lift your spirits.
Brettos
You won't find any happening bars in Plaka, but Brettos is a delightful old bar with a stunning wall of colourful bottles and huge barrels lining one wall. You can sample shots of Brettos' home brand of ouzo, brandy and other spirits as well as the family wine.
Athens Euroclinic
Benaki Museum Gift Shop
This excellent museum gift store has a delightful range of quality prints, jewellery, ceramics and books. It also stocks some exquisite religious icons. And since the originals might be out of your price range, why not keep yourself happy with some of the best replicas of Greek artefacts.
Bios
More than a cafe-bar, this multifaceted venue promotes urban culture, new media and the visual arts and is popular with the alternative crowd. The cafe hosts DJ sets and screens arts videos while performances, exhibitions, film screenings and other events are held in various parts of this former paint factory.
Lamda Club
After , this three-level club is one of the busiest clubs in Athens, attracting a diverse crowd. There is a tropical aquarium behind the dance floor, a bar and a DJ playing mainstream and Greek club music.
Ivis Internet Services
Hotel Grande Bretagne
The grande dame of Athens hotels, the luxurious Grande Bretagne, fronts Syntagma Square with an elegance that almost upstages the Greek parliament. With luxurious fittings and polite and helpful service, it's one of Europe's classic old hotels.
Hotel Attalos
Though décor has never been its strong point, this nonetheless comfortable place has an Olympic makeover. Its best feature is the rooftop bar that offers wonderful views of the Acropolis by night, and the rooms at the back with Acropolis views from the balconies. All rooms have TV.
Epidemic
A funky gallery-like store with designer streetwear, clubwear and accessories with attitude for men and women. Epidemic also sells CDs and designer hair products (and there's a cool hair salon upstairs).
Museum of Cycladic & Ancient Greek Art
This exceptional private museum houses the biggest private collection of Cycladic art in the world. The original building was custom-built for the collection, and the finds are beautifully displayed and well labelled. Although the exhibits cover all periods from Cycladic to Roman times, the emphasis is on the Cycladic era from 3000 BC to 2000 BC.
Hotel Plaza Aegina
If busy Athens wears you out, why not base yourself on gorgeous Aegina island, only 40 minutes away from Piraeus harbour by fast boat? That way you can be in Central Athens in an hour but enjoy the peace and beauty of an Aegean island setting.
The Student & Travellers Inn
Long a travellers' favourite, this budget hotel/hostel is in the absolute heart of Plaka and offers a lot of backpacker-friendly features. There's a big variety of rooms and rates (including dorms) and it's a solid, reliable choice in the touristy heart of the city.
Korres
You can get the full range from local natural beauty product guru George Korres at his only retail store, at a fraction of the price you'll pay in London or New York. The Korres'range of unisex hair and skin products derives many of its ingredients from nature, shunning synthetic alternatives. Their travel-sized items are great if you're on the move.
Mamacas
This Gazi trailblazer was one of the city's first modern tavernas, with its Greek island-meets-grunge look and upmarket (and consequently more expensive) takes on the classics. There are trays of mayirefta inside and a range of grills and appetisers. It has expanded across the road and added a trendy bar.
Bits & Bytes
Eleftheroudakis
Eleftheroudakis is a seven-storey bibliophile's paradise, with a wide selection of books from and about Greece. It also has English-language books, including maps and guidebooks, and an excellent cafe on the top floor. There's another branch in Plaka.
Agia Sofia
Public hospital dedicated to the treatment of children.
Taverna tou Psara
Hidden away from the main hustle and bustle of Plaka, this fish taverna is a cut above the Plaka crowd. There is a choice of mezedes - the melitzanokeftedes (aubergine croquettes) are particularly good - and it's known as the best seafood taverna in Plaka. You'll need to get in early to secure a table on the terrace, which has views out over the city.
Hostel Aphrodite
This long-established budget choice is in the northern part of central Athens, and has a deserved reputation as something of a summer party place. While it has private rooms, it's essentially a backpackers hostel with dorm accommodation.
Acropolis View
Set in a very quiet back street on the slopes of the Filopappou hill, this place is very close to the entrance to the Acropolis and, as it promises, offers some excellent views of that famous citadel. For its location, the rates are very reasonable.
EOT Information
Balthazar
A summer favourite, in the gorgeous garden of a mansion, Balthazar has huge palm trees and a great bar. The music is not too loud and the crowd cool but not over the top. It's a classy spot with good if slightly overpriced food. The long-awaited opening of the indoor restaurant is pending.
US Embassy
Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple of Olympian Zeus is is the largest in Greece. The temple was begun in the 6th century BC by Peisistratos, but was abandoned for lack of funds. Various other leaders had stabs at completing the temple, but it was left to Hadrian to complete the work in AD 131. It took more than 700 years to build.
Bettina
Three levels of top-name fashion for all ages, such as creations by Sophia Kokosalaki, Angelos Frentzos and other well-known Greek and international designers.
Taverna Tou Psiri
This is one of the few remaining old-style tavernas in the Psiri neighbourhood, serving a range of tasty mayirefta (casserole or baked dishes), grills and reasonable house wine. It's cheap and cheerful with colourful quirky murals and interesting old pictures. There's courtyard dining in summer and an ambient basement with barrels along the wall.
Barfly
A stylish bar and restaurant that gets lively late, with a young and not-too-young mainstream crowd. There's imaginative cuisine - and music - catering to all tastes, and a great view over Gazi.
Half Note Jazz Club
Half Note Jazz Club (Trivonianou 17, Mets) The stylish Half Note, opposite the Athens cemetery, is the city's principal and most serious jazz venue. It hosts an interesting array of international names.
Theatro Floisvos
This beachfront restaurant/bar, in the former summer palace of King Otto and Amalia, is superbly located along the Faliro Esplanade. Ideal for sunset drinks, it attracts a mixed crowd happy to dine with the divine sunset backdrop.
Remeo+
The bouzoukia, commonly called skyladika (doghouses) because of the crooning singers, are a Greek institution. Pricey, smoky and a tad sleazy, they are nonetheless packed out most nights. If you're feeling game, try veteran Remeo+ but be warned - prices can be outrageously inflated if you sit at a table, with bottles of whisky sold at exorbitant prices.
National Bank of Greece
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