Going out in Athens

Recommendations from Angelo Plessas & Andreas Angelidakis
 Angelo Plessas
 National Archaeological Museum
 Kinono
 Kriti
 Ama Lahei
 Cantina Social
 Six D.O.G.S.
 Andreas Angelidakis

Lost in Athens? Asking yourself where you should go? If there’s anyone’s recommendation you should trust in, then it’s Angelo Plessas' and Andreas Angelidakis’. The two local artists both participate in the documenta, and while busily preparing their work, they listed for Spike their top spots of town.

 

 

BREAKFAST

 

National Archaeological Museum, Patission Street 44
A visit to the National Archaeological Museum is a must. Even though the Acropolis Museum receives more attention, the National Archaeological Museum is the real treasure in the city. Bonus is a coffee at the museum’s cafe in the courtyard, surrounded by lemon trees and ancient fragments.

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Kinono, Falirou 48
If it is Sunday, get brunch at Kinono, in the Koukaki area. Pet- and human- friendly, and just a few blocks from the National Museum of Contemporary Art, one of the main documenta 14 venues in Athens.

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Breakfast isn’t really one of Athens' assets and strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a Greek breakfast. We are very good at coffee and yogurt and you can always get these things from the nearest supermarket or a neighborhood bakery for cheap. 
So in the morning you might just want to take a walk in the National Garden. It is located next to the Greek Parliament, which used to be the Old Royal Palace. Its current state seems to be symbolic of the decay of contemporary Greece. Rumors say it will be restored with German money. 

 

 

LUNCH

 

Kriti, Veranzerou 5
Kriti restaurant on Kaningos square is great for lunch and dinner too. Top notch Greek food that goes way beyond the moussaka/Greek salad tourist trap. Go for the chickpea salad with dried figs, or the aubergines with soft goat cheese.
After lunch head over to Mimis “Pigi ton Gyalion” (Kaningos 1) for the coolest vintage sunglasses from the 50s to the 80s.

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Filipou, Xenokratous 19
I [Angelo Plessas] don’t often go to the neighborhood of Kolonaki, but one of the reasons for a visit is this traditional taverna which offers a lot of really great Greek dishes.

Yperokeanio, Marias Chatzikiriakou 28
Naturally, Athens’ best fish is served by the sea. Try everything. This place is worth the trip all the way out to Piraeus. And Yperokeanio has very friendly staff speaking fluent English.

 

 

DINNER

 

Ama Lahei, Kallidromiou 69
Ama Lahei restaurant on Kallidromiou has the best food you can eat. Order everything. In summer, you get to sit in the garden under the vines.

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Mama Roux,  Aiolou Street 48-50
Another place we love to go is Mama Roux on Aiolou street. The food is a crazy gradient from Mexican to Korean, but it all makes sense. Go slow on the margaritas, which are sometimes hard to resist.

 

 

NIGHTLIFE

 

Cantina Social, Leokoriou 6-8
We don’t really ever go out but when we do Cantina Social is the place to be, especially in summer. Located on the inside of a city block in Psirri, it gathers the best crowd.

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Six D.O.G.S., Avramiotou Street 6-8
Another “inside the block” favourite is Six D.O.G.S., a great courtyard jungle, with live concerts of the best electronica. An all-around great place.

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ANGELO PLESSAS is an artist and the founder of Eternal Internet Brother/Sisterhood, an annual collaborative residency in changing places around the world.

ANDREAS ANGELIDAKIS is a trained architect, curator and artist. In recent years he participated in exhibtions at PAC (Milano), Swiss Institute for Contemporary Art (New York), National Museum of Contemporary Art and DESTE (both Athens). ANGELO and ANDREAS both live in Athens.