Menechmou Street: We Visited the New Hot Spot in Neos Kosmos

Neos Kosmos is undoubtedly changing into certainly one of Athens’ most vibrant neighborhoods. Performances, exhibitions, and quite a few new eating places, cafes, and bars are reworking the once-underappreciated refugee neighborhood into a preferred leisure vacation spot.

Regardless of being solely a stone’s throw away from the bustling Kallirrois Avenue, this avenue is unexpectedly lovely and peaceable; a tree-lined neighborhood avenue with small outlets. Nevertheless, alongside Menechmou and in the small sq. of Aghios Panteleimonas, an intriguing new “scene” is rising. A wine bar that grew to become the main focus of consideration as quickly because it opened, a craft brewery, a tiny café, and the revamped Annie, which is being relaunched with a brand new chef on the helm, are solely among the causes we determined to go over there. 

Epta Martyres 

The wine bar Epta Matryres (Seven Martyrs) is a brand new addition to Menechmou Avenue. The institution is run by a bunch of associates, together with gifted director Romain Gavras, Nakos and George Balamotis from Volos, and the house owners of Loggia in Sifnos, Noda Pappa and Orestis Falireas. At Epta Martyres, you’ll discover vases of recent flowers and candles on the marble bar, a portray by the gifted artist Michael McGregor, a chandelier, mushy lighting, and nice music taking part in on the audio system. What you received’t discover, for those who go with no reservation, is a spot to sit down, particularly if it’s previous 8 p.m.

They take reservations for the few tables inside, however seating on the bar is first-come, first-served. The wine listing, which incorporates scrumptious French and Greek choices, is curated by Australian Bradley Tomlinson, a terrific Philhellene who married a Greek lady. Bradley enjoys Greek wine. There are roughly ten choices by the glass, largely magnum bottles, and over 100 labels by the bottle, with new ones added frequently. Chef Serafeim Athanasiou (previously of Tudor Corridor, Seychelles) is in control of the kitchen. Initially from Volos, he has integrated parts of the tsipouradiko custom into his cooking, creating distinct meze plates for every spherical of drinks. In the event you ask for meals along with your first glass of wine, they may deliver charred cabbage, after which mussels or perhaps cuttlefish with greens, and so forth, to accompany later rounds. Prospects can’t order particular dishes, so every meze comes as a shock. Given how moderately priced they’re at 5 euros per dish, most individuals need to attempt all of them. Our solely suggestion is that they may need to rethink the order of the dishes for many who want crimson wine, as its taste might conflict with the lemony ceviche or different dishes. Maybe beginning with a much less acidic meze can be preferable for them. Because the night progresses, the music turns into extra upbeat and Epta Martyres turns into an actual bar; solely, as a substitute of gin and tonic (although they’ve that too), they primarily serve Aligoté, Viognier, Assyrtiko and Serifiotiko. – Nena Dimitriou

Baubo Bottleshop and Grocery

Baubo Bottleshop was created by two sisters, Xenia and Ilianna. And after we say created, we imply that actually; they constructed every little thing by hand, from the doorways to the cabinets and bar, with kinfolk and associates additionally pitching in, as effectively. The result’s a heat, authentically DIY house the place you should purchase craft beers from Greek and international microbreweries or take pleasure in them on the spot whereas listening to the music chosen by the women and nibbling on their snacks. Regardless of having completely different skilled backgrounds, they each caught the beer bug from their “beer-loving” father. He was at all times within the experiments of younger brewers and even organized certainly one of Athens’ first beer festivals. His love was rapidly handed right down to his daughters, who’ve now crammed Baubo’s cabinets with about 140 beers of varied kinds and origins.

Baubo’s tiny kitchen produces easy dishes like fries with eggs and parsley pesto, in addition to cheeses from small producers served with jams and selfmade pickles. Along with beers and some wines, the cabinets are stocked with pasta, ready-made sauces, rusks, herbs, candy and savory snacks, and different deli objects. Within the morning, they serve Hand Pickers espresso, Kakau sizzling chocolate, tea, a couple of sandwiches, and sweets. – Georgia Papastamou

Annie High-quality Cooking

Annie High-quality Cooking  has just lately relaunched with a brand new head chef. The restaurant, which made an impression when it first opened with chef Stavriani Zervakakou (incomes a point out within the Michelin information), has since grow to be a breeding floor for gifted cooks. The baton was later handed to Stefanos Mihalis and now to Konstantina Kasparidou, from the Evros area, who continues to keep up the restaurant’s excessive requirements. Utilizing solely seasonal produce and plenty of selfmade preparations (from fragrant oils and pickles to bread and cured meats), Kasparidou serves conventional dishes with a artistic twist, together with bean soup, fish soup, rooster stewed with greens, ramen with beef tongue, sarmades (cabbage rolls), and different scrumptious delights. – Georgia Papastamou

Titanas

Titanas, positioned on the nook of Menechmou and Sismani streets, competes for the title of the town’s smallest restaurant.  You enter and end up within the kitchen, front room, and bar . There’s actually no different choice, for the reason that Lilliputian institution, which describes itself as a contemporary café, measures 11 sq. meters in complete. When the climate is good, Titanas spills out of the tiny nook constructing with its massive home windows and typical Studiomateriality aesthetic, providing desk seating on the spacious sidewalk. The concise menu consists of easy drinks and snacks. – Georgia Papastamou