Situated on Logginou Hill overlooking the Acropolis, the Greek Parliament surrounded by the National Garden and Zappeion gardens, and Mt. Lycabettus, Mets has a prime spot in the Athenian landscape. The area was named after a small brewery that was established in 1870 and took its name from the French town of Metz (at the time the town had fallen under the German Empire, while in Greece Bavarian King Otto ruled as a monarch.) The brewery belonged to Karl Johann Fix who later went on to open Fix Brewery, an Athenian landmark with distinct architectural and sociological significance that now houses the National Museum of Contemporary Art.
It was in Mets where the city’s main cemetery was formed, and just as the living bring life and commerce to an area, so did the dead. A cluster of funeral homes, marble tomb makers, flower shops, and “mourning cafés'' where people gathered to grieve and condole after a funeral, sprung up in the surrounding streets, and along one in particular; Anapafseos Street, which translates into “street of rest”, and leads straight to the entrance of the First Cemetery of Athens. Fast forward to 1995, legendary jazz bar Half Note brings a happier note to the area and a couple of years later, in 2001, a mother and her two children from Kefalonia opened a humble cookery named Olympion, that to this day serves some of the city’s most comforting taverna dishes. But, it was more than a decade later, circa 2015, when the transformation of Anapafseos began leading to the hip, out-of-the-radar(ish) street that it is today. Follow us down the street of rest to some of our favourite spots.
Welcome to Anapafseos Street.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
How to get there
An easy 15’ walk from Syntagma Square. Alternatively, hop on the T6 tram line at Syntagma and get off at Zappeio stop, in front of Ardittos Hill. Keep the hill to your left and follow Ardittou Street for 400 m, Anapafseos is to your left, right before the big intersection with Vouliagmenis Avenue (walking there is much easier and enjoyable, trust us).
The eternal beauty
Along a street filled with marble stone workshops specialising in tomb creations there is a studio that catches the eye. The creative space of sculptor Nikos Georgiou is definitely imposing as through the open doors appear large statues and busts, some complete, others in the making, giving it a sense of a museum's backstage area, where the art awaits quietly until officially exhibited. It was in this same studio that Nikos was introduced to the art of marble and taught the secrets of traditional sculpture by his father Ioannis Georgiou, himself an awarded sculptor and portraitist. A worshipper of classical art, Nikos faithfully follows the methods of traditional sculpture. “Sculpture becomes a bond between the creation and the creator. After all, the Bible provides a solid foundation for this bond, because God created man from clay,” he says. The studio is open to walk-in visits during working hours.
Just three days before Athens went into lockdown back in 2020, Manos Tziaponis opened Mother Plants & Stuff. The shop's name was inspired by Mother Nature (Gaia or Rhea in Greek Mythology), mother of Zeus, who was worshipped around the Illissos river that used to flow through the area of Mets. “I wanted a name that reminded me of a quiet summer afternoon, sitting at home, a little light sneaking in through the curtains,” he comments. Manos is always available with helpful advice or to lend a hand with a new transplant you're attempting. Mother’s collection has it all, from your regular indoor/outdoor plants like young rose trees, to eclectic and rare finds such as the pink Princess Philodendron, known and sought after for its distinctive pink foliage. Naturally, you will also find everything else to do with plants here.
Live fast, eat American
Long before the street was deemed cool, here was one of the city’s foodies best kept secret. Colibri opened in the early ‘00s, a small 25 sqm pizza restaurant ideal for lunch breaks and quick meals. Its tiny size inspired the name, which is the Greek equivalent of a hummingbird. A very popular spot, it's well worth a visit for a taste of their classics; like the Pizza Rica with mozzarella, ham, bacon, fresh mushrooms and green peppers; the Al Bacon with bacon, onion, two fried eggs and coarsely ground black pepper; and the gourmet P.P.O with pepperoni, air-dried salami, onions, drained Greek yoghourt and sweet paprika. "There is no extraordinary technique or secrets to share about our pizzas. Our dough is quite simple, but we make sure to constantly improve our raw materials," Vangelis remarks.
Colibri was also one of the first places you could find an honest burger and it went on to educate locals on what would become one of their biggest loves. Try the homemade roast beef in a burger (or on a pizza!) in soft Colibri bun, mixed salad, caramelised onions, remoulade sauce, BBQ sauce and coarsely ground black pepper.
Vegan and unapologetically queer, colourful, chilled, and playful, Joshua Tree will definitely make you smile. Skevi Erotokritou (owner of downtown local hangout Bluebird) and Salonikos Salonikidis created an all day pop diner where everything offered (apart from the sourdough bread) is made in house. A T.L.T., their vegan version of the classic BLT, with white sourdough bread, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and tofu breaded in panko and herbs pairs perfectly with an Immune Boost juice (beetroot, carrot, apple, orange, ginger, celery root) and a slice of Blueberry Bliss (blueberries, caramelised hazelnuts, biscuit crumb base, cream cheese, butter crumble and extra blueberries!).
Things in Joshua Tree are pretty slow during morning hours so you will definitely find a spot for brunch and a coffee, but later in the afternoon things can get tough and queues will pop up. “Our goal was to create healthy and more green food (recipes) that would be delicious, full of flavour and not boring. A pop vegetarian diner”, Skevi comments. Their cocktail list includes all the brunch specials like Mimosas, Bloody Marys and Palomas, served in jugs and meant for sharing.
La pizza é bella
Grandma’s food always tastes best, that’s a fact. Imagine how good her pizza would taste. As the sign Pizza, Tales & Cocktails advertises above its bar, La Nonna (nonna is grandmother in Italian) specialises in handmade and “seasoned” daily in-house doughs and assorted cocktails. Apart from the classic pizza (try the Tartufo with truffle paste and truffle oil, or the Spicy Herbs with chilli sauce and fresh herb mix), you will find creamy calzones (like the Ham-ster with mozzarella, prosciutto cotto, salami, pepperoni and mushrooms) as well as a Greek version called peinirli, which is boat-shaped dough, here filled with mozzarella, Milan salami, egg, spicy Italian sausage and parmesan. From the bar go for a Margarita Mezcalita Verde with tequila mezcal, Ancho Reyes verde, fresh lime and Triple Sec liqueur, or a Paloma Honey made with tequila blanco, fresh lime, honey, grapefruit soda and salt.
You (don’t) have to fight for your right to party
Kain was the founding father of the street’s rebirth. The two friends (and owners) Leonidas Deligiannis and Artemis Kamberi would have arguments over what their new bar should be called, and this was exactly what inspired its name, which of course refers to the most biblical of disputes. A striking mural of Cain killing Abel sets the tone in an art deco ambience that has been calling to Athenians for almost a decade now. During the day it's a cosy cafe to stop by for a break or even set up your working station but when night comes, doors close, curtains are drawn and the music is turned up. Ask for a Nekroni, a wordplay on Negroni and “nekros” which means dead in Greek. This variation of the legendary cocktail is tweaked with an artichoke liqueur. Or go for a Killer's Handmade with gin, forest fruits, flower essences and orange bitters.
