Athens will become home to Greece’s first hotel complex featuring luxury serviced apartments that are perfect for longer stays. Located in the Plaka district, in the centre of the city, guests will be able to access a meeting room, two restaurants a gym area, and a rooftop bar with views of the Acropolis.
Radisson RED Mitropoleos Square Athens will be run by the Radisson Hotel Group, under the Radisson Red brand and is set to open in the second half of 2023.
Radisson has partnered with the Greek investment company Gnosis Investments, which already owns 15 assets in Greece from hotels to residential properties and this project sees the conversion of an existing office building into modern lifestyle apartments.
Radisson RED Mitropoleos Square Athens, to open in 2023
“We are proud to partner with Gnosis Investments in this first project together to bring our real-estate efficient, urban, Radisson RED brand to the historic centre of the Greek capital,” says Elie Milky, Vice President of Development at the Radisson Hotel Group.
The property will be situated on Mitropoleos Square, in Athens’ famous Plaka neighbourhood, next to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, near Syntagma Square. It’s in the heart of the CBD, and close to plenty of restaurants, bars, museums, and shops- making it easy for guests to walk to the nearby historic centre.
“Our goal is to create one of the most beautiful buildings in Athens, with an emphasis on luxury and creativity. We are developing short-term rental in Greece by offering a complete experience. We want to breathe new life into the city,” added Petros Politis, co-founder and CEO of Gnosis Investment.
In total, the Radisson RED Mitropoleos Square Athens will feature 94 serviced apartments with kitchenettes, as well as a 150 square metre meeting room, a fitness area, and two restaurants- one located on the ground floor, while the other will be found on the top-level (with direct views of the Acropolis)- where there will be an all-day rooftop bar and a restaurant run by a renowned chef.
Discovering Daily Feel-Good and Wonderful Places in a Neighbourhood I Once Disliked with a Passion
I was never a big fan of the Kolonaki that’s usually written about and seen. The busier part, where the main square and all its surrounding streets thrive with costly liveliness. Essentially, I have always somewhat avoided the super-trendy areas with their hyper-expensive boutiques, glossy cafes and wine bars, delis and galleries.
Views over the neighbourhood
For just over a year, I’ve been fortunate enough to have made my nest in the neighbourhood that overlooks the heart-opening, lush greenery of Lycabettus. The forested hill across my home resounds daily with the sound of birds, church bells and mainly spirited chit-chatter in all languages. On windy days, I listen out for the rustling leaves and the flag from the church of St George, which I feel privileged to watch flapping at the top of the hill through a tiny gap in the trees.
On cold winter mornings, I relish opening my balcony window to inhale the mulchy, crisp forest air, feeling like I’m living in the countryside; on summer nights I say “mmm” from the intoxicating wafts of jasmine, orange blossoms and night flowers. My part of Kolonaki was unbeknownst to me before I moved. It is quiet, quaint, and green, with joggers, tourists, families and dog walkers as its protagonists. Here I will share with you the favourite places I enjoy on an average day, places I reach around the area without ever entering the central part.
Morning to Midday
Kora Bakery
One of my favourite ways to indulge myself in the morning is to buy a Pain au Chocolat with Gianduja chocolate, or a perfectly flaky and buttery croissant with Cretan apaki ham, Greek graviera and a mustard bechamel from Kora Bakery on Anagnostopoulou St. What an Italian neighbour/friend of mine aptly described as a place that looks more like a hairdresser’s or bathroom – because of its yellow tiles on a stark white wall – rather than a bakery, Kora also sells artfully stacked loaves of freshly baked bread, including a very special one with hints of dark chocolate. The quality is high, the service is professional and there’s no hanging around.
For food shopping, I love visiting Kostarelos on Patriarchou Ioakeim St, originally a cheese manufacturer (since 1937) and now also a deli with top-quality products sold at very reasonable prices. One can get a takeout coffee and savoury or sweet pie or sit here and eat a yummy cheese (or chocolate!) fondue as well as other easy meals. Or, like me, just head straight for the counters deeper into the store, where I buy chocolate or vanilla cream (kremoula) puddings for my son, great ice cream (the pistachio flavour is made with Aegina pistachios) as well as wonderful fresh cuts of hams and cheeses, organic sliced bread with olive oil and even homemade style jams from small producers around the country.
Afternoon to Evening
Kostarelos cheese
Xenokratous Street is my go-to shopping zone. During lockdown, it was, happily, the only place I circulated in. I say happily because it’s one of those streets that has everything you may ordinarily need: two butcher shops, two kiosks of the type that sell ‘everything’, a neighbourhood café (The Daily, where mainly locals hang out) two small supermarkets, a florist, a cava, two pharmacies, a key shop and two jewellery shops, my favourite of which is Amaya, where I spend a good while gazing through the window to admire the beautifully handmade earrings, pendants and rings. It’s also the street where the ‘laiki’ open-air market takes place every Friday from 8 am-4 pm. The vendors definitely pinch up their prices for what they presume are richer locals, but the variety and product quality is good.
It’s also pleasing, especially during summer and springtime but also in cooler months, to spend afternoons and evenings at Dexameni, where you’ll find an ancient Roman aqueduct, an open-air (summer only) cinema, a playground and a café-restaurant with tiny tables lining the steep hill that leads down to it. This is where I often meet friends either for playdates with our kids or for drinks or a combination of both, a few meze dishes or a movie. On summer nights Dexameni Café gets very crowded with everyone from millennials from around the city to elderly regulars who queue to sit at the tables.
Night
Bar 56, a hidden spot in Kolonaki
Since I moved to Kolonaki I must have walked by Bar 56 a gazillion times without even noticing it. Shrouded by a giant black umbrella and hidden in an enclosed, leafy corner along the Ploutarchou Street stairway, once I did notice the warm, reddish light coming from inside it I thought it may be an underground haunt frequented by mafia, and/or ladies of the night. Much to my surprise, when I finally plucked up the courage to pop my head inside upon returning from the St George’s Kick Boxing Club just two minutes down the stairs, I was somewhat awestruck in discovering a vintage-style bar with a jazzy soundtrack that was dreamily lit by fairy lights, with old photos covering the walls, a layout designed for lovers of clandestine corners and a piano. It turns out it has been around for some 30 years and is a “known secret” among serious whiskey and rum connoisseurs. It’s now what I call “my new neighbourhood steki” or hangout, although with Covid madness I’ve only made it there twice thus far.
Nice N Easy
Prasini Tenta
This place, where Skoufa Street meets Omirou Street, reminds me of the TV show ‘Taxi’, “where everybody knows your name” as the theme song goes, and I’ve had some of the best nights of my life there. Why? Chiefly, the owners, Eirini Andersen, Dimitris Christoforidis and Executive Chef Chris Athanasiadis, individuals who know everything right about running a successful, ‘I’ll-Be-Back’ vibe restaurant that offers an idyllic combination of warm hospitality, delicious farm-to-table healthy food, feel-good décor and a happily buzzy ambience. Located near the beautiful Agios Dionyssios church and classically intellectual-friendly Filion Café, this place has always felt like a perfect place to get away while also feeling like home.
Prasini Tenda Oh…Those Summer Nights! When, after a short (but sharp, let’s face it!) walk up the steps towards St George church on Lycabettus you arrive at a stunning, and at night, sparkly, panoramic view of Athens, the Parthenon, the sea…Enough said. From morning to night, but especially seductive at night, this café-restaurant is the perfect place to fall in love with the city you’re in, and if you’re with the right company, perhaps with whoever happens to be sitting across you. The main dish is the view, but the service and menu are appealing as well.
Work has commenced on the latest extension to the Athens underground train line, in a project set to make getting around the Greek capital a whole lot easier for locals and visitors; while also reshaping Athens’ real estate market.
Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis said in a tweet that work has commenced on Line 4, which will add 15 stations to the underground train network, serving some of the city’s most densely populated areas.
The extension to the Athens metro took 15 years to prepare, held back by the country’s decade-long economic crisis and legal disputes. Originally built in 2000, the subway currently has three existing lines, providing 64 stations across the city, and is considered to be one of the cleanest and safest in the world.
Line 4 will snake through the northern suburbs to the city centre and then extend eastward in a U-type shape.
The new stations to be added from line 4 are: Alsos Veikou, Galatsi, Elikonos, Kypseli, Courts (Dikastiria), Alexandras Av., Exarchia, Akadimia, Kolonaki, Evangelismos, Kessariani, Panepistimioupoli, Zografou, Ilissia and Goudi.
Separately, Greek authorities are also planning to add more stations to the Athens metro in the western suburbs.
Athens’ Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis has announced the commencement date of the highly-anticipated makeover of the lower part of Athens’ popular Syntagma Square- scheduled to begin in early August 2021, following final approval by the Athens City Council.
The revamp is part of a huge urban regeneration project that was launched by the Athens Municipality. The overall aim is remodelling the Greek capital, with an emphasis on the historic city centre. According to authorities, the purpose is to improve everyday life for both residents and visitors of these areas.
As part of this project, Syntagma Square will see the widening of pedestrian walkways near Ermou Street; these sidewalks will be extended for pedestrian use, and the area will be made more accessible to locals and international visitors who visit this part of Athens year-round.
There will also be fresh landscaping (including 28 tall trees), the installation of smart road crossings, new shaded areas, and modern lighting. There will also be a new public space that will become an entrance point to Athens’ retail and historical centre.
An emphasis has also been placed on allowing people with disabilities to explore the city more easily- as there will be an increase in new accessibility ramps.
The project also aims to increase road safety, and reduce noise and air pollution levels, thus making Syntagma Square more sustainable for current and future generations.
According to Bakoyannis’ statement, the design will blend in nicely with the area’s rich historic past, “Once completed, we will wonder why this project took 20 years to be approved,” says Bakoyannis.
Popular with locals who love to dine out, Lost Athens is one of the restaurants that have served to up Pangratis’ trendy profile.
The menu is separated into four categories: ‘With Hands’, ‘With Fork and Spoon’, ‘With Fork’ and ‘With Spoon’, which immediately reveals the restaurant’s original take on dining. Created to inspire fun, playfulness and experimentation among urbanites who simply want a good time – and great food to go with it, it showcases Greek as well as international street food favourites. Customers are encouraged to try several dishes in the middle to share so they can try as many tastes as possible. Upon arrival you are welcomed with the soup of the day served in a paper cup.
Type of cuisine? Mediterranean-Asian-American fusion.
Type of eatery? Modern, relaxed and hip. Almost everything here is made from scratch using fresh, mainly local but also exotic ingredients.
The low down… Owner Vasilis Stefanakis put it this way: “This is a place that welcomes every style of person, in whatever mood or clothes they may be when they come. The simplicity in decor is deliberate; we are not building expectations of a gourmet, fine-dining experience but in fact, that is what we are delivering; our menu is meant to surprise and delight you.”
Décor/ Ambience? Laidback and buzzy during the weekends. Simple, post-industrial décor by Circus Agency with neon signs such as one that reads ‘Enjoy Your F**ing Dinner’, targeted at today’s high-stress lifestyle and graphic design artworks combined with comfy leather chairs.
Entrees? Try with the Mussels with cucumber salsa, ponzu cucumber and pickled mustard seeds or the Greek Salad with tomato dressing, mousse volaki, carob biscuit and strawberry ice water.
Mains? The Hanger Steak Black Angus with grilled corn, romesco and chilli oil or the Greater Amberjack Sashimi with ponzu, tomato, celery mayonnaise, mango gel, watermelon and radish, or the Stuffed Squid with shrimp, green pea puree and fragrant oil. End with the Chocolate Custard Hazlenut Cake.
Something to drink? Apart from a decent wine list with Greek and foreign wines as well as some good cocktails, Lost serves a large choice (around 55) of craft beers from Greek micro-breweries (‘The Chill Journey’).
Chef says: Chef Kostas Nasiopoulos tells IN+SIGHTS GREECE that he has “taken street-food concepts and combined them with refined cooking techniques and sophisticated as well as feel-good and indulgent ingredients. This is food with no borders – it’s from our souls. We’ve put our hearts into creating it just right.”
Price range? Around 35 to 45 € per person without drinks.
Venture outside the tourist box to see how Athens’ ever-changing present syncs with its age-old past! The book ‘111 Places in Athens You Shouldn’t Miss’ was written to offer you exactly that. This is just one of 10 unmissable places that even locals often miss, offered exclusively for IN+SIGHTS GREECE readers by the guide’s publishers EMONS.
This year, 2021, marks a century since this warehouse-like shop (Ariana’s Olives) has sold almost nothing but olives. Open to the street, with no doors to put you off, it invites you to inspect the contents of 23 large free-standing barrels as well as smaller containers poised on shelves along the side walls. And taste them.
Perhaps you thought there were only two kinds of olives, green and black, pitted or stuffed with pimento, garlic or almond? This collection features the fruit of some 20 varieties, with emphasis on the big oval greeny ones from Amphissa, the famous olive grove below Delphi. The Kalothanasis brothers, Andreas and Mihalis, represent the third generation in this business started by their grandfather, Andreas, who came from the area, and where the olives are still processed. As Mihalis, who runs the shop, says, ‘Amphissa olives grown anywhere else don’t taste the same. The land, soil, climate make a difference. We deal with olives from all over Greece – tear-shaped Kalamata, tiny Cretan, wrinkly (salt-cured) throumbes from Thasos – and my brother knows the secrets of curing, preserving and storing them until the next season. Ideally, we’d like to run out the day the new olives arrive, and sometimes that has happened.’
The most popular and priciest are big green olives from Mount Athos, followed by blond throumbes from Chios. And some firm Amphissa ones are rated by size: jumbo, colossal and mammoth.
The name Ariana comes from two ancient Greek words, ari and a(g)no. It means ‘very pure’, like the olive tree, Athena’s gift, which earned her the patronage of the city over Poseidon’s salt spring in the mythical contest on the Acropolis.
Getting there: Metro to Monastiraki (M 1 & M 3) or Omonia (M 1 & M 2), and a 10-minute walk
Hours: Mon – Sat 7.30am – 3.30pm
Tip: In the heart of Athens’ food and market district, there are many other shops selling just one thing, from ropes to shoelaces, eggs, flour and phyllo.
111 Places in Athens That You Shouldn’t Miss can be found at all major bookstores worldwide as well as online at Amazon
