TRAVEL
Old school Graeme Somerville-Ryan on his top picks for what do with 48 hours in and around Athens
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kay, I, like many of you, am disappointed that Posidonia will not be happening now until 2022. Nevertheless, if you are in shipping, sooner or later you’ll need to be passing through Greece, as the country remains the number one shipowning nation in the world, owning one in five merchant ships sailing today. And Greek shipowners appreciate people coming to see them. I have now been resident in Athens for nearly two years and, over that time I’ve come up with a couple of basic eating and drinking rules. Rule 1: It is hard to find bad food, it really is. I still vividly remember the very few bad meals I’ve had. Rule 2: Ignore TripAdvisor reviews in English. Tourists dominate here but they have low standards and are easily fooled (who doesn’t love moussaka in summer on the beach!). You’re in Athens, where to eat, what to do? These are the places on
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my five-star list for one reason or another.
Restaurants (Piraeus) Varoulko Seaside: Great location at the marina, fantastic food. Possibly the best value starred Michelin restaurant you’ll eat at. Papaioannou: Seafood, just up the road from Varoulko, playing in the in the same league with all the same positives. Margaro: Seafood, more of a local feel. Highly rated as simple and inexpensive by people in the know.
Restaurants (Athens) GH Attikos Restaurant: Probably can’t beat the views of the Acropolis. Highly recommended by locals. Strofi: A second option on the on the Acropolis route - famous for its good Greek food. When the Chancellor of Germany last visited
Athens, the Greek PM took her there for dinner. Good choice Mr Mitsotakis. There is so much good food out of the city center. If you’re visiting shipowners in the northern suburbs and the timing is right, consider El Jiron and Villa Disokouri (both on Dim. Vassiliou, Neo Psichiko). Or the nearby Biftekakia & Souvlakia, a well-known and popular souvlaki restaurant (202 Kifissias Ave).
Bars: Where to start? Brettos: Start at the beginning. Athens’ oldest distillery. In Plaka, the old shopping district. Near the Acropolis. Great ambience with seemingly original barrels. A range of in-house spirits, but you must have the ouzo. Baba Au Rum: You’re hanging out with shipping folk, possibly sailors, you should be drinking rum. A bar that’s probably too cool for you maritime ceo
