Athens, Shortlisted

Hi all,

I hope you’re having a beautiful month so far. July is my birthday month and this year we took a proper (!) holiday to Greece — starting and ending in Athens with a few islands in between and absolutely no emails answered. I had been planning on publishing another city shortlist this month but Athens felt too special to not share right away, especially if you have plans to head there this summer and maybe even more so if you’re planning a shoulder season trip (FYI September / October / May are all very very good months to visit if you want to avoid the crowds + very hot weather). No matter when you go, however, there is SO MUCH good food and drink and places to shop and stay in between seeing some of the thousands of years of architectural history the city has to explore.

Athens is also the ideal base for a few nights on the way to / from a visit to one / a few of the islands and if you’re planning to take the ferry, I have a bit of advice for you as well in the bonus section below. As for places to take the ferry to, there are many many options depending on what you’re looking for. I’ve included a few ideas below but keep an eye out for a Short Stay coming to your inboxes later this month!

Thank you so much for being here,

xR

[restaurants | wine bars]

Taverna ton Filon | get the seasonal greens (they are making my current favorite in Athens). The Greek salad with kimolos cheese was also very very good but really you can’t go wrong from moussaka to seafood to grilled meats. FYI the wine list leans natural but not entirely so if that matters to you, ask them, they’re incredibly kind and gave us great recommendations. The inside is lovely but in good weather, sit outside just across the street at the clutch of tables under the fairylights (make a reservation in advance)

Diporto | everyone will probably tell you to go for lunch at this local institution (since 1887) and they are not wrong. There’s no sign and there’s no menu and everything set on the table is perfect but the chickpeas will absolutely blow your mind whether you’re a chickpea fan or not. I think about them constantly. Also, if they ask if you want fish, say yes.

Kennedy Vins | One of my favorite natural wine bars to get a bunch of snacks at. The cheese is sourced from around Greece, the charcuterie comes from Ibérico pigs raised in the Peloponnese, the butter is from Larissa and the olive oil is from the brand Psyche (farmed and pressed in Messenia), bread is from the nearby 72h Bakery (see below). If they have the Volaki Tinou cheese definitely get that and either (both!) the chorizo ibérico or the salami Ibérico with fennel. The wine is almost exclusively French and very well-curated and while the vinyl music playing inside is excellent, if it’s nice out, snag one of the outdoor tables. (when you go please say hi for me!)