Athens’ Hotel Grande Bretagne is welcoming guests to experience a unique outdoor summer cinema event in the heart of the city, with their Pool Your Cinema 2022 nights.
Located at the GB Pool Bar area on the 7th floor of the landmark hotel, with amazing and uninterrupted views of Lycabettus Hill, guests are able to catch all-time classic favourites, Hollywood blockbusters, and romantic comedies on the big screen, while savoring the delightful finger food menu, prepared by the hotel’s Executive Chef Asterios Koustoudis.
From mini cheeseburgers and handmade pizza to caramelized popcorn and ice cream, guests can also grab a wine, beer, or cocktail as they watch a film under the stars!
Screenings are taking place over the next few weeks, with films including Dial M for Murder, as well as Take The Money and Run, French Dispatch, and The Full Monty.
Bookings are allowed until one day prior to the film screening and details can be found below.
Price: €50 (includes menu and a glass of wine or beer)
Athens’ luxurious and famous Hotel Grande Bretagne has opened a stunning new outdoor all-day lounge, welcoming guests into its “secret garden”.
On the first floor of the Hotel Grande Bretagne, you will find an oasis, which is in the heart of the city, however here you feel as though you are miles away from the buzzing capital.
Here you can take in the surrounding olive trees, lush greenery, and pretty flowers, at what has been named “The Atrium of Alexander’s Lounge”.
Describing it as “the most elegant summer city escape”, the Hotel’s management says guests can, “Savour a flavourful menu inspired by Latin America, created by our Executive Chef Asterios Koustoudis, and his talented culinary and pastry team.”
The casual menu, which is ideal for a late lunch or light dinner, includes Spicy Veggie Taco, Chicken Tortilla Wraps, Prime Beef Burger, and finish off with a Bitter Chocolate Tart.
It’s the perfect place to catch up with a partner or group of friends, where you can also enjoy one of the impressive wines or lush cocktails made by the talented barmen.
Opening Hours: Every day from 11 am to 11 pm.
Address: 1 Vasileos Georgiou A, Syntagma Square Street, Athens
Let’s put it this way: you don’t come here for a ‘great meal’, you come for The Experience.
Certainly, you are well rewarded by both, at one of the city’s most prestigious, elegant and imposing hotels, the Grande Bretagne, which is almost synonymous with Syntagma Square. Then there is the view, or better, oh so much better, views. You can’t help but feel on top of the (Athens, at least) world fine dining at this garden restaurant as you are served by friendly, professional staff under the moon and stars. There’s the Acropolis, lit beautifully in shimmering gold, as if she is posing for you; and there’s the Parliament Square and Syntagma, like a theatre set below you. And lush Lycabettus Hill, with St George church twinkling its lights at the top. Greenery all around and elegance at every glance, in one of the city’s most classic hotspots for the glitterati.
Type of cuisine? Pronounced Mediterranean influences presented in haute cuisine compilations. Flavours are fresh, rich and true to their quality ingredients. Don’t expect experimental or highly gourmet gastronomy, although creativity and finesse are definitely not lacking.
Type of eatery? Super-elegant and the ideal place to take someone very special to you for a truly chic dinner.
The low down… This is a classic luxury hotel restaurant and expects you to respect its codes of attire (Evening Dress Code, after 18.00, is elegant and smart-casual. Beachwear of any kind, shorts or flip flops are not allowed). Being a hotel, regardless of its glamorous history and appeal, it does have a slight hotel-feel. But if that’s something you’re not expecting, why go at all?
Décor/ Ambience? Ideally, sit outside to relish the surrounding glories of the Athenian landscape in combination with your beautifully prepared meal. In the evening hours the restaurant becomes a-buzz with a combination of international hotel guests and both local and foreign outside visitors. The ambience is sophisticated, vibrant and chic without feeling heavily so.
Entrees? We tried the Trilogy of carpaccio with sea bass, salmon and tuna with yuzu sorbet and mastiha oil, and Homemade ‘ravioli’ with goat’s cheese, green pea cream and tomato syrup. The carpaccio was as delightfully fresh and zingy as you’d hope, with the flavours from each fish carpaccio remaining distinct, and the mastiha oil was hardly traceable, only adding to the flavour without standing out. The ravioli was soft, creamy and comforting but the flavours were a little blended.
Mains? We tried the Lamb duet, grilled carré and slow-cooked leg, with smoked Florina pepper and potato filled with a cream of basil and ‘volaki’ cheese from Andros. This was an earthy dish, with warming, delicate flavours in the lamb and smoked pepper and a refreshing tang from the basil and goat’s cheese potato side.
Dessert? For over five years, the dessert menu here is curated by French patissiere Arnaud Larher, who stands amongst the top 10 chocolatiers of France. We tried the Pistacchio Choux with pistachio cream and crunchy salted praline and the Chocolate Bomb with a hazelnut filling. Both were divine, but (subjectively, as all reviews are after all) I would return to the GB Roof Garden Restaurant again and again just for that row of choux.
Something to drink? Between 2014 – 2016 the GB Roof Garden Restaurant was awarded the Wine Spectator Restaurant Award, and the restaurant’s wine list continues to be excellent. Cocktails are very well mixed too. Try the Guava Martini.
Price range? With an entrée, main and dessert per person you can estimate the bill will come to a total of around 160 € without wine or cocktails.
Location? Vasileos Georgiou 1 A, Syntagma (8TH Floor).
Opening hours/days? Lunch: 13:00 to 16:00 & Dinner: 18:00 to 00:00. Bar: 13:00 to 00:00
This year has proven why our home should be our sanctuary and while many of us wait to travel again, our team has rounded up six beautiful hotels in Greece that will create some serious design envy and help inspire you to makeover your own abode!
Who doesn’t love the absolute luxury of a hotel? And when it comes to the crème-de-la-crème of accommodation, look no further than the famous Grand Bretagne. Located in the heart of Athens, it features historic Greek architecture mixed with modern interiors. Think high ceilings, black and white checkered marbled floors, Ancient Greek motifs, columns and wooden doors- combined with velvet furniture, antique candelabras, elaborate chandeliers, classic paintings and touches of gold. The stand-out feature by far is the grand marble staircase.
Saint Santorini
Located at the edge of the village of Odi, these former homes, barns and cellars have been turned into a boutique hotel with rooms in caves. The bright white paint on the smooth arched and angled wall spaces, combine to give a sleek Greek island feel. The rooms are decorated with simple and minimal fittings. Pieces of unique furniture, such as seating pods with hinged lids and circular sunshades, give the spaces a serene feel.
Set in Zakynthos, this intimate adults-only hotel, only steps away from a private beach, is designed to provide the perfect inspiration for your dream modern abode. Contemporary sleek lines and neutral furnishings compliment the polished light timber and endless glass walls. Incorporating shades of grey, neutral colours and black for both design and décor, we love the variety of rattan chairs that are displayed in the dining and outdoor areas, providing a casual yet chic look to your space.
Whether you’re jumping in for a swim or lounging on the deck, a pool is a great addition to your home. If you’re thinking of getting a pool or you already have one, check out Lango’s amazing outdoor area, which will give your backyard a stunning new look. Featuring natural stone, wood and towering greenery, this is the ideal place to entertain or to get some much-needed R&R.
The spaces in Istoria Hotel are intended to make guests feel as if they are living in an authentic Santorinian mansion. Here you will discover elements of the original estate, such as old wooden ceilings and preserved stone columns, creating a spectacular combination of original and contemporary features. Sourcing a collection of antique and new furniture from the Mediterranean, the hotel features terracotta, natural wood, and classical decorative touches.
A neo-modernist marvel, Perianth Hotel celebrates contemporary Greek culture in the heart of its ancient capital, Athens. For the interiors, the designers incorporated terrazzo floors, slim black-metal frames, marble furniture elements, and glass-brick walls. The hotel also features custom-made furniture and lighting. In the guestrooms, a pastel palette and grey and dark green flooring provide the perfect canvas for wooden desks, brass details, and curved brass tubes and black metal pipes.
