DK Travel : Athens

Athens is simultaneously known as the Classical, marble-pillared cradle of Western civilization and as a modern urban sprawl of concrete and traffic. Between the extremes lies a kaleidoscopic city, where the influences of East and West entwine in the markets, cafés and tavernas, built upon ancient ruins and rubbing shoulders with gold-leafed Byzantine churches.

Soul

Stylish but fun and informal. It has a stunning courtyard garden with Chinese lanterns, deep red walls and lush planting.
Souvlaki

Souvla means spit-roasted, and this is the Greeks’ favourite way to serve meat. Souvlaki refers to the ubiquitous street favourite: hunks of chicken, pork or lamb spit-roasted for hours, slathered with tzatziki, and stuffed along with onions and tomatoes into a hot, freshly baked, oiled and fried bread-dough.
Spetses

Popular with British tourists, Spetses offers pine forests, good beaches and a charming harbour town. Cars are banned, but fun water taxis can take you around the coast.
Spilia

Frequently named as one of the best tavernas in Greece, serving local specialities elevated to their highest culinary potential. Try the braised lamb and baby artichokes, accompanied by wine from local Nemea vineyards.
Spiliopoulos

Creations by top shoe designers for as little as half the normal retail price. How can they be so cheap? These shoes are either seconds (usually with no visible flaw) or one-off experimental lines.
Spirit Bar

A mixed crowd packs this two-storey club, dominated by a huge gold-beaded chandelier. There’s cosy seating and plenty of room for dancing to funk and trip-hop.
Split

Models and scenesters dine on Mediterreanean cuisine and pack the supercool bar after midnight. Face-check at the door can be daunting.
Spondi

Regularly the critics’ choice for Athens’ best restaurant, Spondi offers faultless cooking. Try sea bass with rose petal and vanilla sauce, and don’t skip their wildly adventurous desserts, such as lotus filled with mandarin sorbet on a bed of banana-pineapple purée, with candied olives, vanilla-scented olive oil, and sauce of basil, saffron and curry – magnificent.
St Athanassios (18 Jan)

Today the church auctions off donated gifts in honour of Athanassios, one of Orthodoxy’s three holy Fathers.
St Barbara (4 Dec)

Mothers sometimes make their children sleep in a church on the night of St Barbara to protect them from illness.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and extra charges.
- under €30
- €30-€40
- €40-€50
- €50-€60
- €over €60