Bars

You’re having your little walk in Eksarheia. You walk outside Homesick and are impressed by the decoration and stylistic choices. You enter only to find old and newer books, old cameras and records, sleeves and players adorning the place, as well as relevant posters, a pleasant and interesting mish-mash of mostly retro, rock & roll and punk styles. Impressed with the details of the decoration, you decide to stay, just like my girlfriend and I did.

Were we in for a pleasant surprise! I ordered a pint of Alpha (€ 4 there; I’m being consistent in comparing beer prices everywhere I go!) and Dafni ordered a milkshake. That one was good but the best was the rusks, olives and bits of cheese that came as a side treat with my drink! It’s only rarely you might see such kinds of well-cared for freebies. Extra points for Homesick.

Another unexpected happy occurrence was talking with owner Damianos. He was very friendly and open when I asked to talk with him about the place he’s running.

Homesick is located very close to the central square of Eksarheia; check out the map.

Mousiko Kafeneio (roughly music café) is more than just my neighbourhood café-bar; it’s a genuinely awesome spot, somewhere you can expect the cool people to hang out at. Always packed, it has the perfect atmosphere (deciding whether to upload a photograph of the interior or the exterior and the time of day was tougher than I thought). It’s at the perfect location, on a pedestrian zone close to the neighbourhood central square, playing music right up my alley, throwing parties and featuring live bands every so often… I’d say it has just about everything going for it, really.

The only problem is that it’s so close to where I live I can literally sit in my balcony and count the people sitting at Mousiko Kafeneio at any one time. That’s the only reason I don’t go there as often as I would otherwise; it almost doesn’t count as going out!

That said, I would come here much more often if I didn’t live in Nea Smyrni. I’d suggest you do the same, preferably closer to the evening when the square is livelier and the colour of the light is prettier. Also keep in mind that their coffees all go for € 2 and we have ourselves a winner. Gimme a shout if you’re in the neighbourhood and I just might drop by; at the end of the day, all I’m looking for is an excuse!

Tram stop Agias Foteinis will get you far. Goes well with a walk in the Alsos.

This is a spot that some days I love and others I hate it. K44 is a dirty, filthy space that has become one of the most hip bars in town. It is now considered as one of the classic cases of finding an empty warehouse and turning it into a bar.

When τώρα k44 opened its doors it was the ultimate hipster destination until it became mainstream and was transformed into a noisy club. Since the day I went there and I faced gate keepers and a huge crowd waiting outside it took me some years to visit it again. The motive to return was an event, a gig of Kid Flicks (gr) and Slow Magic (USA) with a free ticket. There were few people, good music and the whole atmosphere took me back to the first days of k44.

Whichever edition of k44 you prefer, the old one or the new mainstream, the main reason to be there is the events. Concerts and dj sets of any kind (hip hop, post rock, experimental, dub step, even Greek trash) are hosted there. If you are searching for the best events of Athens check what’s going on at k44.

A small classy bistro located in the most controversial neighborhood of Athens. You should definitely give it a try and enjoy excellent coffee, wine or liqueur from a wide variety accompanied with delicious snacks. First of all, as a coffee addict, I love it for the quality of coffee they serve and then for the great atmosphere that is created from the retro style and the jazz sounds. Aleksadrino combines excellent quality with reasonable prices, inside a scenery inspired by French movies of the 30′s.

However you should be prepared! Most of the time it’s crowded and it’s difficult to find a place to sit. Even if that happens to you there are many other nice bars and restaurants just next to it.

I highly recommend this place for any occasion and at any time of the day or night. That cozy, Paris, jazz feeling that this place provides will make you feel like you’re in another era!

Magaze is a lovely café located in one of my favorite pedestrian areas in Athens, Aiolou Street. It is just a simple café but the friendly atmosphere and the outdoor tables on the sun are the elements that making this place exceptional for me. Especially between eleven to three o’clock you can really get sunburned there.

Sitting at Magaze is one of the best ways to enjoy Aiolou Street and watch the people go by! I usually go to Magaze after long hours of shopping in Ermou. It is also a great solution if you need to relax a while after visiting all the nearby sightseeing.

The inside space is characterized by the urban, industrial decorations and the smart bathtub in the toilets. Hipsters and open minded persons hang out there. This place is recommended all day long for coffee and snacks or even at night for a drink.