“A simple weekend in one of the world’s oldest cities.”
When visiting a new city, making an effort to grasp the pace of daily life can often feel more rewarding than scrambling to check off as many tourist attractions as possible. The brevity of a weekend-length trip might make a packed itinerary particularly tempting, but an overambitious approach could prevent intuitive pacing and going with the flow. Even if you are the type to love and conquer a loaded itinerary, though, the trustiest way to ensure a well-curated experience over a shorter timespan comes from a local’s guidance. (Or the #maps channel in the passerby Discord, which is the next best thing.)
For this Athenian vacation, I was lucky enough to stay with a dear friend of mine — Athens Design Forum founder Katerina Papanikolopolous — and I feel endless gratitude towards her for letting me in on her local knowledge of sacred spots. While it’s not always possible to approach foreign surroundings this way, there are a number of alternative tricks for absorbing yourself into the culture of a place. For now, I hope this personal travel diary of a simple weekend in one of the world’s oldest cities inspires wanderlust and unearths some hidden gems.
day 1: settling in
My time began when I arrived mid-storm at around 4:00 PM on a Thursday — I visited in January, and although an Athenian winter is relatively pleasant, I didn’t curve the rain entirely. The weather felt like a stroke of bad luck at first, but I ultimately wasn’t mad about it; I had two flights behind me and was excited to lay low before my first full day ahead.
My cab brought me from the airport to Katerina, who fed me sweet bread with marmalade, plus goat’s milk for dipping. Revived from this concoction, I took a hot shower (with the bathroom window open to welcome storm sounds) before heading out for dinner at Linou Soumpasis in Psyrri. This spot was incredible, in terms of both food and ambience. We ordered bread and oil to start, and then shared a blue cheese pumpkin dish (!) and tuna ragu. Each dish was presented with true sleekness, and the space was, too. Clean lines, smooth wood, and lots of metal made for a stylish entrance into the weekend.
After dinner, we passed by Chatzis Sintagma and stumbled in to pick up desserts. We landed on an orange syrup cake slice and a cream puff pastry to-go — the perfect accompaniment for a movie night in. (We watched and thoroughly enjoyed Party Girl.)
day 2: walking, seeing
Our night in meant that we got an early start to our Friday, and the day began with warm wine to-go from Amygdalo before 10:00 AM. It felt somewhat bizarre to sip wine before coffee, but it was a sweet gesture to help me lean into the vacation mindset. We also walked out with some tahini-filled dates which tasted magical and only piled on more indulgence.
From there, our next destination was Attica. Although department stores aren’t necessarily conventional tourist destinations, it can be worthwhile to browse brands and collections that you might not have easy access to at home. I think it’s fun to enter any type of familiar space when in a new city (i.e. supermarkets). Beauty in the mundane!
After Attica, we spent quite a while in the Ghika Gallery, which is the preserved building of artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika. He donated the space to the Benaki Museum, and its multiple floors are definitely worth scoping out. We were the only visitors there and took our sweet time admiring the architecture, the furnishings, the book collection, the incredible terrace, and everything else the space had to offer.
We then set out for Caffe da Capo, a perfect lunch spot and base for people-watching. The sun was out in full force at this point, so this was a particularly lovely pause in the day. I ordered an eggplant-tomato-mozzarella sandwich and a cappuccino.
From there, we continued shopping. My favorite stop was undoubtedly Natura, a beautiful gem filled with thoughtfully-made cotton garments, dreamy soaps, and more. I left with a sweet pair of slippers (for only €6 euros), sewn hamsa charms, and olive oil soaps. This street had some other gems worth popping into, so I’d recommend the area at large.
We then landed at Chez Michel Cafe Bistro for another people-watching pause. We sat outside beside a heat lamp and ordered aromatic hot chocolate, which was otherworldly. After that, it was time to return home to rest before an evening out.
We ate dinner at Blue Bamboo, where we ordered a satisfactory red curry and basil vegetable dish. I’d recommend both, and the ambience was also a nice way to start our night — it was vibrant but relaxing. We sat at the bar, which is always fun, I think. I don’t think it’s your best bet for authentic Thai food — the spice was minimal — but still good for getting those warm flavors (especially in the chillier season).
On our way to post-meal drinks, we passed by Food Spot 69: an endearing creperie where we ordered a nutella crepe to-go. Not sure about the name or what else they have going on, but it made for a sweet, cheap, and spontaneous moment of indulgence.
Next, we planted for drinks at Louvron, which was packed, but we were able to find a table right away. I loved the ambience here, especially in the outdoor patio where we sat (beside a heat lamp). There was candlelight at our table, and overhead coverage from an ivy enclosure.
day 3: doing it all again
Saturday — my final full day — was somewhat of a repetition of Friday, revolving around shopping, wandering, eating, and people watching. The top priority was a visit to the flea market in Monastiraki, which we set out to arrive at before 10:30 AM in order to avoid a daunting crowd. There were plenty of vendors to peruse both on the commute to the market and within the official market itself, which was amazing. The tourist energy in the area at large was real, but also compensated for by the beauty of many vendors’ curations and stories. I also loved how there were cafes and restaurants integrated between vendors and throughout the market space; I loved taking pauses in the middle of the action.
Exploring just outside of the flea market, I discovered Dia Tauta — a natural skincare haven (with many other kinds of products for sale, too) which I spent a while browsing. The owner was so lovely and I’ll remember her (and her skincare advice) forever.
After that, I ordered tea and sunbathed, people watched, and read in Moma’s outdoor space, which was just a few steps from Dia Tauta. After enough sun, I went for a solo lunch at Cafe Avissinia, per Katerina’s recommendation. This spot was also in the vicinity of where I was at, and I can’t recommend it enough. I sat on their upper floor, which provides an extraordinary view of the Acropolis and is decorated so beautifully and eclectically. This is also a golden choice for traditional Greek food — I ordered Moussaka and was very happy with it.
Feeling delightfully weighed down from food and sun, I wandered for a bit longer before leaving the vicinity, stopping at Areopagus Hill, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Holocaust Memorial of Athens, and Kerameikos Ancient Cemetery near the vicinity.
I then napped before an hour-long, hurts-so-good massage at Massage Academy. I treasure massages always and like to take advantage of their relative affordability when outside of the States. The one I got was €50 and well worth it, especially since I was able to make the appointment the day before. I appreciated how the masseuse initiates thorough discussion about his approach to massaging you beforehand, and he actually also provides a shot of liquor before and after the hour if you’re into that. I felt okay about opting in since this spot and masseuse were trusty recommendations from Katerina, who’d been five or so times and assured safety (lol).
After my massage, although it was tricky to revive at first, we went out for a final dinner at Oikonomou Petralona Taverna, which is an excellent spot for traditional Greek cuisine. We split several dishes, like fava purée, boiled wild greens, and Greek salad.
day 4: last minute stops before leaving
Before my afternoon flight, we visited the Jewish Museum, which concluded my time perfectly. As a smaller space, it wasn’t too overwhelming to conquer in the morning before traveling, but it was loaded with such beautiful artifacts nevertheless. I also liked the structure –– everything was sectioned off by ‘holidays’ or ‘home items,’ which felt really approachable. The textile collection was a major highlight, too.
As a last spot before taking a cab to the airport, we ate at Taverna Saita for one more round of Greek food. I had bakaliaros and went on my way.
final thoughts
Though my time was short, I’ve thought about Athens frequently since departing. The city is incredibly walkable and pleasant to explore, the pace of life strikes a really special balance between slow and vibrant, and the history feels alive while also letting contemporaneity shine through.
I’m grateful that I visited during the tourism off-season so that I could grasp these qualities, but I am already fantasizing about visiting again in summertime someday, when the island season is alive and well. Regardless, my Athenian weekend was a pleasure, both relaxed and immersive, and I’ll dream about starting my mornings with warm wine to-go and easy access to Greek natural skincare for months to come.
Words & photography by Eva Berezovsky