Unique places in Athens, Greece

Athens. The capital city of Greece and it's proper old.

Who to go with?

The wife/hubby - Yes. Definitely.

The lads/ladies - Not quite a destination for a booze-up as there's far too much to culture to soak up.

Where to stay in Athens?

We stayed in the Psiri area which felt fairly central and was really close to Thissio metro station (although we didn't use public transport much as everything seemed to be located fairly centrally. Very thoughtful of the Greeks!) We stayed in O&B Athens Boutique Hotel, which we were a bit concerned about as we approached it as the area it's in seemed a little strange - there's sex shop on the corner, bins overflowing everywhere and graffiti on all vertical surfaces. However, once we entered the hotel it was first class. Eventually we felt at ease with the area and slowly began to actually enjoy it's quirkiness.

Some real deep street art

Cool things to do in Athens?

Seeing the Acropolis is pretty much mandatory whilst in Athens. But to avoid the crowds (and the unforgiving heat) I'd recommend going early in the morning. You'll need to wear sensible footwear, as there's plenty of uneven pathways and a good amount of steps which you'll need to tackle. Also, take a few bottles of water as you will sweat bucket-loads and funnily enough there's no Starbucks at the top. Some people complain about the €20 entrance fee, but come on... it's a magnificent feat of architecture.
It's also worth revisiting the area after sunset as small bars pop up on the walkway leading up the hill and plenty of market stalls where you can buy your holiday shit-knacks. Also, the Acropolis itself at night is lit up and almost appears to be floating mid air due to the unique up-lighting angles.

Something old...

Athens is a great city for simply wandering around without any real destination in mind. You'll find yourself discovering unique little areas - some may be whitewash neighbourhoods (similar to the those seen on Santorini postcards), others may be covered top to bottom in graffiti, some may be hiding more ancient landmarks.

Our boutique hotel (not really!)

How much is a pint?

Expect to pay roughly €4.50 for a large beer.

Where to eat in Athens?

First off... the food in Athens is amazing and we didn't have anything less than a great experience everywhere we ate.

But the best place we ate was Oineas. A traditionally Greek restaurant decorated with vintage bits and bobs. We didn't book a table so simply turned up in the evening and was seated right away on a table outside. The staff were great. The wine was brilliant and there was even a "house dog" which appeared to bark at people who walked past the restaurant without coming in! Clever marketing.

Do you like wine? Do you like strong cheese? Do you like meat? If so, get yourself a table at Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani. It's a strange setting for a restaurant but sitting down to eat a meal inside a butchers is definitely something out of the ordinary. I'd recommend booking a table here as it's fairly small and can only accommodate a limited number of diners.

This is what you'll see if you look up in Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani

If you fancy something quick and simple, I would suggest stopping off at School Pizza Bar. But beware, the pizzas are huge - so take your appetite along. We struggled to finish ours but the waiter kindly boxed up what we couldn't manage and took it home with us (never to be eaten!)

The Beatles in Athens?

Yes! There's a sandal maker/artist in the centre of Athens where apparently John Lennon visited and had some sandals custom made for him. The place is called Melissinos Art (The Poet Sandal Maker) and as we entered there were various people milling around looking at the different varieties of sandals available. I burst in and explained I'd take nothing except the same ones Lennon had. The staff sit you down and get measuring - they also check your natural walk and accommodate all sandal straps accordingly. The whole process takes about 20 minutes and you end up with your own "fab" sandals for roughly €40 (a bit expensive, and admittedly I haven't actually worn them since returning home - I just had to have them). There's a long list of other celebrities who have had sandals created for them here too.

My Lennon sandals being made

Unique bars in Athens?

We frequently visited BeerTime which serves a wide variety of craft beers and is located in a bustling little square within Psiri. The taster selection of beer is a good way to start before you find a your new favourite beer.

Be sure to visit Six D.O.G.S which is a hidden garden bar filled with trees, tunes and cocktails. We sat at the bar here and had a good laugh with one of the bartenders. I asked for an Old Fashioned which wasn't on the menu, but he created one for me anyway. It's a drink well worth trying, if only for viewing the spectacle of it being created (a big lump of ice is carved into a perfect circle, the size of a tennis ball - and stirred up with whiskey, orange and bitters).

Six D.O.G.S (there were actually no dogs here)

How long to stay in Athens?

We spent 3 nights in Athens and it felt just about right. We saw what we'd planned to and didn't outstay our welcome.

Note: Athens was seriously hot when we went in August and as it's a built up city there's no wind or breeze in the city to cool you down. You are going to melt, but it's worth it. Efharisto.