Metaxourgio – Kerameikos (could see)

Some call this neighborhood Metaxourgio while others call it Kerameikos. I prefer to call it Metaxourgio. Metaxourgio is Athens’ alternative and hipster ‘hood. It used to be a working class residential area very close to downtown Athens which, nowadays, is quite a popular area for going out to due to its selection of nice bars, restaurants and mezedopolia (places that offer small dishes along with some ouzo or other alcohol).

Reason to Go

Metaxourgio still has some of the cheapest rents in downtown Athens. An acquaintance of mine is renting a two-bedroom apartment for less than 200€ per month. A decade ago it was only a residential area inhabited by Athenian workers and immigrants. There are still a lot of people who reside in the neighborhood, but today it’s one of the hottest places to go out amongst artists, hipsters and young people in general. One of the reasons some people prefer to call it Kerameikos instead of Metaxourgio, is due to the fact that the part of the neighborhood towards Omonia Square is considered a little salty since some legal brothels operate there. So, they prefer to call this part of the neighborhood, Metaxourgio and the other part with the bars and restaurants, Kerameikos.

I really like the neighborhood as it looks and feels as if you’re not in downtown Athens. It is filled with small pedestrian streets and two-storey houses, some of them renovated and some of them ready to fall apart. Plenty of these two-storey houses have been renovated into tavernas, restaurants, cafés and bars. These are not concentrated on one block. Instead they are widely spread around the area. What could be considered the center of Metaxourgio is the so called “Sima” which in Greek translates to sign. The character and the atmosphere of the several tavernas, mezedopolia (places where you go to eat small dishes like tapas along some serious ouzo-drinking) and bars can be quite different. Some are really low key while others are more trendy. Another popular area in Metaxourgio is Avdi Square. Even though plenty of tavernas and bars are located around Sima and Avdi Square, as mentioned above, there are also many others scattered around the neighborhood.

Another thing I would like to mention about Metaxourgio is that it’s a neighborhood that has a unique characteristic: to a certain extent, it functions as a village. Many of the owners of the café-bars know each other, there is a sense of community and there’s also a group of people, the “Group of Metaxourgio” that organizes different activities in the neighborhood. The most famous is Metaxourgio’s yearly carnival which is always accompanied by some pre-carnival activities. If you happen to be in Athens while this takes place, don’t miss it as it’s quite fun! It includes a carnival parade which is not sponsored by anybody, so you will see a lot of creative costumes! The carnival takes place every year habitually on the Sunday a week before Lent starts, usually sometime in February.

Food

My favorite restaurants with Greek food that charge approximately 15-20 euros per person:
• Seychelles (previously called Bahamas), Avgo tou Kokkora, Oi Filoi, Mikinon Gonia, Rakor (vegetarian friendly).

My favorite mezedopolia – places to have a bite along with the alcohol of your choice, for approximately 12 euros per person:
• Trifasiko, Tsoulithra, Cabezon, Acrovatis, Kanaria

My favorite street food places:
• Elvis Souvlaki, it serves only souvlaki meat sticks, not souvlaki pita-gyro (the one that looks like a sandwich) and San Francisco, which has great sandwiches.

Some of my favorite bars

• Kerameio bar, they also organize some jam sessions and other events with live music.
• Mple Papagalos, which is also nice to visit for a coffee during the day.
• Bios, it has an absolutely beautiful terrace with a nice view of the Acropolis.
• Latraac, new arrival in town, it organizes DJ sets and has a small skatepark (so cool!)

Never been, but if you’ve got some money to spend and you love food:
• Funky Gourmet is a two Michelin-starred restaurant located in Metaxourgio. The degustation menu costs around €90-€150 per person.