Plaka is one of Athens’ oldest and most central neighborhoods, one of the few that has been continuously inhabited since ancient times. Known for its hilly pedestrian streets, neoclassical buildings, and tiny shops, we’ve compiled this local guide to get you off the beaten track, and make sure you get the most out of this idiosyncratic area.
Interesting historical sights and museums in Plaka
The Monument of Lysicrates: An ancient choral prize
The Monument of Lysicrates stands by itself, an ancient wonder in the middle of Plaka’s bustling center. This marble tower was built to commemorate Lysicrates, the winner of an ancient Greek choral prize in 334 BC. It’s the only monument of an ancient choral prize still standing.
The Fethiye Mosque : Centuries of history
The Fethiye Mosque has had a series of lives and uses over the centuries. Originally an eighth-century Byzantine church, the building was turned into the Fethiye Mosque or the “Mosque of Conquest” after the Ottoman conquest of Athens in the late 1450s. After the Venetian empire took over Athens in 1687, the building was turned into a Catholic church, and the characteristic minaret was removed.
When the Ottomans took back Athens the next year, they renovated the building and reopened it as a Mosque. When Athens was again under Greek control, the building was then turned into a school, and later a series of military-owned buildings including a bakery for the Greek army.
The Benezilou Mansion: A look at Athens’ historical elite
The Benezilou Mansion is a gorgeous 16th-century house and is the oldest standing place of residence in Athens. Now a museum, this house was home to the wealthy Benizelos family, and provides a peek into the life of the Athenian upper class in the 1800s under the Ottoman empire. We love the castle-like window structures, a style you won’t find anywhere else in Athens!
The Athens Folk-Art Museum: The lives of everyday Greeks
The Athens Folk-Art Museum is dedicated to showing the material objects that made up the lives of everyday people living in Greece from the 1650s until today. This hidden gem is the best spot to check out traditional Greek textiles and embroideries, a vast collection of cooking ware and pottery, and our favorite–traditional Greek outfits for occasions ranging from the everyday to wedding finery! This museum is a great chance to look at the lesser-known, but equally fascinating stories of Greek history after antiquity.
The Jewish Museum of Athens: The history of Greek Jews
The small but fascinating Jewish Museum of Athens looks at the history, customs, life, and movements of different Jewish communities in Greece over the centuries. The museum is home to thousands of objects, photographs, documents and archives which showcase the daily and religious life of Greek Jews in ancient times, during the second World War, and after. The museum has done excellent work digitizing the information as well, and offers several educational online modules built from their collections.
Anafiotika: A village on top of Plaka
Also, make sure you get the chance to wander around the one-of-a-kind neighborhood of Anafiotika, an area filled with white-washed houses and cobblestone streets that looks like it was sliced off an island and dropped in the center of Athens.
The best shops in Plaka
The Greek Shop: Ouzo of any kind
The unassuming The Greek Shop (Adrianoy 120) sells olive oil, olive soap, dried figs, Greek oregano, and traditional sweets. But the real reason to visit is the impressive collection of Ouzos (traditional Greek anise-flavored liqueur) and tsipouro (a traditional Greek spirit that is often compared to the Italian grappa) from every corner of Greece. If you ask an employee, they can show you through their extensive stock and help you choose which bottle is most likely to suit your tastes.
Byzantino Jewelry Store: Jewelry with an eye on history
The Byzantino Jewelry Store is the best stop in Plaka for high-end, high-quality jewelry. The many rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets are inspired by styles from all periods of Greek history–be it bracelets ringed with ancient olympic olive leaves, or pendants with interlocking rings like those found in Byzantine architecture.
Forget Me Not: Contemporary Greek designs
Hosted in a historical Plaka house, Forget Me Not sells all kinds of trinkets, clothing, and products from modern Greek designers. This shop has stationary, prints, home accessories, stoneware, scarves, bags, and much more. The store is always connecting with new designers, and brands, and has many limited edition collections.
Eat like a local in Plaka Local
Patisserie Pantheon: Brunch in Athens
The pastry shop Patisserie Pantheon is known for sandwiches, sweets, and freshly-baked puff pastries, but we think this bakery plus restaurant is one of the best places in the city for brunch. We particularly recommend their Pantheon Special with chopped tomatoes and scrambled eggs tossed with cream cheese, cucumber and salmon.
Anefani: Small plates right below the Acropolis
Anefani is a traditional mezedopolio. This means you order and share a bunch of small meze plates instead of choosing one entree. One particularly excellent option is their grilled octopus. Anefani has seating indoors, and outside on the terraced stairs that make up most of Plaka.
These stairs lead right up to the rock of the Acropolis. There is live music every evening so if you are able to snag a table you can listen to traditional Greek tunes while you enjoy the night-time view of the Acropolis.
Lyra: Farm-to-table takes on Greek classics
The hot new restaurant Lyra is housed in a neo-classical building in the center of Plaka. This restaurant operates with a farm-to-table philosophy, and focus on bringing local ingredients to their modernized Greek fare. Some excellent appetizers: the sausage with cream cheese and fresh oregano, or traditional lamb skewers spiced up with chimichurri sauce.
Finding vegetarian restaurants in Athens is notably easier than in other cities, and at Lyra, you’ll find a variety of options that cater to non-meat eaters.
We especially love to come to this spot for the live music most evenings!
Unique wines from every corner of Greece
For a great dining experience, try out Mono Wine Restaurant. They switch up the menu twice a year to keep things fresh and in tune with the seasons. In the summer, Mono offers a delightful experience with its rooftop terrace providing a cool view of the Acropolis. Indoors, enjoy the cozy ambiance with tables and a charming tiled courtyard.
What’s really cool about Mono is their collection of over 160 different wines, including some rare Greek ones that are hard to find elsewhere! They’ve got a great selection of Rosé, too.