What to See and Do in Exarcheia, Athens’s Artsy District

The Most Subversive Neighborhood in Athens Is Also Its Tastiest

Long a refuge for anarchists and artists, Exarcheia today is a nexus for natural wine, moussaka sandwiches, and specialty craft stores at these locally loved shops.

Athens may be one of the world’s oldest cities, but the Greek capital’s bustling neighborhoods feel anything but ancient. Exarcheia—known for its radical, punk past—is filled with some of the city’s most exciting boutiques, bakeries, and bars.

But navigating the neighborhood, which counts the National Archaeological Museum and Strefi Hill in its reaches, can be dizzying due to its maze of densely packed streets bustling with residents. Here’s a stretch of businesses to start with:

Oi Sympetheroi

Stournari 14 | View on Google Maps
For some of the top small-batch food items in Greece, visit this compact grocery store, where owner Thanos Vrettakis sells everything from Ikarian wine to Volaki cheese from Andros. Snag a seat at one of the two barstools by the open storefront window for a local draft beer.

Behold Theman

Vegan banana bread on yellow plate and freddo espresso (L); customer ordering at mosaic-tiled counter, with a black and white menu hanging on wall in background — Beyond coffee, Bauhaus-inspired Behold Theman (“behold the man”) offers cold-pressed juices, tea, sandwiches, baked goods, and Greek microbrews.

Stournari 6 | View on Google Maps
Excellent coffee, a spacious De Stijl–influenced interior, and vegan banana bread make this artistic café one of the most exciting—and busiest—in the city. Go anyway.

The Black Salami Microbakery

Zoodochou Pigis 71 | View on Google Maps
Occupying the space of an old carpentry workshop, the Black Salami draws crowds for its limited sourdough loaves (100 per day) and house-made sandwiches with a Greek twist. The seasonal moussaka sandwich—made with beef ragu, bechamel, crispy potato, and roasted eggplant—is a crowd favorite.

Taníni Agápi Mou

General manager Olga Vassiliou in maroon blazer pours glass of white wine (L); wine list with three columns written in Greek — At Taníni Agápi Mou, guests can order any wine on the extensive list by the glass.

91 Ippokratous & Methonis Street | View on Google Maps
With a name that translates to “Tannin My Love,” Taníni Agápi Mou is committed to wine not just in name but also in offering: On the giant menu, 100 by-the-glass options of Greek vintages are defined in nine categories, so visitors can easily see where each wine is from, whether it’s been aged in amphoras, the type of grape featured, and more.

It’s a Shirt

Asklipiou 67 | View on Google Maps
Small-run production goes extreme at chic It’s a Shirt, where fashion designer Christina Christodoulou and her father sew limited-edition unisex button-downs, mostly from Greek textiles—S, M, L, and XL, typically only one in each size.

Politeia

Asklipiou 1–3| View on Google Maps
Dating to 1980 (when it had merely two employees), Politeia today is one of the largest bookstores in Greece, with four entrances divided by genre. It has a generous selection of books in English, including many translations of Greek authors difficult to find in the United States. (Find English books by entrance B.)

Park of the Torn Stone

Dimaki 5–19 | View on Google Maps
Sure, Lycabettus, the highest point in Central Athens, is just east. But this “Little Lycabettus,” rich with leafy trees and a giant slab of stone, is a mostly hidden pocket of peace in the city. Views of the Acropolis add to the “wow” factor.

Katherine LaGrave

Katherine LaGrave is a writer and National Magazine Award-nominated editor who oversees Afar’s award-winning print magazine. The Society of American Travel Writers named her the 2021 Travel Journalist of the Year.