THE WEEKEND: When it comes to combining thoughtfully preserved ancient archaeological sites with a cutting edge modern art scene, nowhere comes close to the revitalised Greek capital of Athens, Greece. The city has been overwhelmed with new openings and refurbishments in recent years. When the Goulandris Foundation was unveiled at the end of 2019, for instance, it opened to the public for the first time an extraordinarily diverse private art collection begun by the late shipping tycoon Basil Goulandris and his wife Elise and expanded to include recent acquisitions by their eponymous foundation.
Inside, early works by Picasso and Van Gogh sit shoulder-to-shoulder with two floors of modern and contemporary Greek painting and sculpture. Coming hot on the heels of the completion of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, a Renzo Piano-designed building that was nominated for a RIBA International prize in 2018, it’s a much needed reminder that Athens is not just a stopover en-route to island hopping but a burgeoning city break destination filled with boutique hotels and world-class restaurants. And don’t leave without trying the wonderfully thick, bitter Greek coffee.
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THE STAY: Inspired by Aristotle Onassis’ unrealised dream of turning a clifftop neighbourhood on the edge of Piraeus into a luxury resort, The Alex Monte Kastella is the first city break property in boutique hotelier Konstantinos Santikos’ five hotel collection. It’s walking distance from foodie hub Mikrolimano Marina, a train-hop away from the ferry port and a fifteen minute taxi ride to the Acropolis. We fell in love with the beautiful architecture, seriously Instagramable views of the city and healthy selection of Santorini wines to accompany the “Greek comfort food” at Nest, The Alex’s roofop bar and restaurant.
Read more: Forget the Parthenon – Why alternative Athens is a must
THE FOOD: Lefteris Lazarou’s Varoulko Seaside has held a Michelin star since 2002 but still delivers his remarkable takes on Greek seafood classics in a laidback harbourside space free of pretention. You haven’t really tried taramasalta until you’ve gorged on mouthfuls of Lazarou’s airy, white fish roe dip, and no Greek salad should be devoid of the crunchy, oily carob rusk bites that Varoulko’s makes so well. We loved the shrimp orzotto, too.
ASK ABOUT: An Acropolis tour with Ioannis Poulios left us speechless. He has an amazing ability to explain the economic, cultural and aesthetic significance of the site and its buildings, which have been constructed there over more than 2000 years. A superbly designed decade-old museum at the edge of the site not only keeps hundreds of artefacts safe from acid rain but means the heritage site is worth a visit year-round, providing unobstructed views of the remains of the Parthenon and plenty of opportunities to brush up on your secondary school ancient Greek and try your hand at translating some inscriptions.
After that? No longer just somewhere to catch a ferry, downtown Piraeus is now a serious art destination. Nestled amongst garages and tool shops on Polidefkous are wine bar Paleo, the Greek outpost of gallery Rodeo and exhibition space The Intermission. Visit before gentrification is complete for bragging rights.
VISIT ATHENS, GREECE YOURSELF: Rooms at The Alex cost from £208; visit santikoscollection.com/thealex. A half day Acropolis tour with Ioannis Poulios costs £260; to book email jannispoulios@hotmail. com. visitgreece.gr for more information