A Taste of Culture: Eating and Drinking at the Museums of Athens

Sculptures, work, pictures exhibitions, installations… After which chilly espresso, snacks, and scrumptious inventive dishes from Greek and different cuisines. The museums in Athens are housed within the among the metropolis’s most stunning buildings and provide, in addition to necessary everlasting and momentary exhibitions of exceptional cultural worth, snug air-conditioned eateries, a few of which boast stunning out of doors areas with views of lush gardens or distinctive archaeological websites. Select them for cool lunch breaks or atmospheric dinners.

The Nationwide Archaeological Museum

On the metropolis’s premier cultural repository, the Nationwide Archaeological Museum, with over 11,000 displays from the daybreak of prehistory to late antiquity, there’s a good looking backyard. Get pleasure from a espresso, salad, or sandwich as you sit among the many statues, surrounded by 700 new plant species and distinctive artworks. The backyard additionally hosts musical occasions, and till 31/7, options the “Spectacular Setting” exhibition by artist Elias Papanikolaou, showcasing a sequence of colourful works with figures in alignment and an emphasis on the expression of his heroes.

The Benaki Museum

The Benaki Museum in Kolonaki, famend for its assortment of prehistoric, historical Greek, and Roman antiquities, Byzantine artifacts, and relics from the late 18th century onwards, options one of the crucial elegant terraces in Athens, an area overlooking the Nationwide Gardens and with views to Lycabettus Hill, and the Acropolis. Right here you may get pleasure from every part from espresso and cocktails to Kassiot dolmadakia and fragrant meatballs.

Alongside its everlasting assortment showcasing the treasures of Greek tradition, the museum is at the moment internet hosting two fascinating exhibitions; the primary options twelve authentic costumes by Oscar-winning designer Holly Waddington, handmade for Yorgos Lanthimos’ acclaimed movie “Poor Issues” (till 29/09/2024), whereas the second, titled “Grand Tour,” shows 17 iconic artworks from the British Ambassador’s Residence, on mortgage from the UK Authorities Artwork Assortment, together with a portrait of Lord Byron by Thomas Phillips. This exhibit commemorates the 2024 bicentenary of the Philhellene poet’s demise (till 1/6/2025).

The Acropolis Museum

On the 700-sq.m. terrace of the Acropolis Museum restaurant, with the Parthenon so shut you are feeling you may contact it, you may get pleasure from inventive Greek flavors in dishes made with merchandise of designated origin. Naxos fried potatoes with tomato and graviera cheese, salad with Cretan apaki, Folegandros matsata pasta with beef within the pot are simply a few of my favorites for lunch or dinner. The terrace additionally boasts probably the most wonderful view of the Parthenon, including to the expertise. Typically, nonetheless, I come for the Greek breakfast as an alternative; it’s served till 12:00 and consists of, amongst different issues, Thessaloniki sesame bread ring, strapatsada (scrambled eggs with tomato), and fried eggs with apaki.

On your dose of tradition, be certain that to go to the brand-new Excavation Museum, a groundbreaking exhibition house beneath the museum and that includes 1,150 artifacts from over 4,500 years of historical past, in addition to the pictures exhibition by Robert McCabe titled “Hiya Stranger: Within the Land of Goals” within the Momentary Exhibition Corridor on the bottom flooring. This distinctive retrospective of McCabe’s “Greek period,” with about 100 images, highlights the timelessness of the American artist’s works. (Till 8/9)

The Nationwide Museum of Up to date Artwork

Since 2020, Athens has performed proud host to the Nationwide Museum of Up to date Artwork, which presents a globally important everlasting assortment and momentary exhibitions showcasing pioneering inventive traits. It has additionally, somewhat unexpectedly, turn into a gastronomic vacation spot. Chef Stamatis Misomikes has crafted three degustation menus at the museum’s restaurant Nyn Esti, specializing in seasonality and that includes distinctive dishes made with top-quality components from small producers. Highlights embrace a Rhodes olive oil pie with smoked cashew cream, the tempura zucchini flowers, and a contemporary tackle Rhodes melekouni with acacia, beeswax, and apricot. The delicacies is scrumptious, connoisseur, and up to date, good for a museum of latest artwork.

Till November 2024, the museum is presenting a sequence of 16 exhibitions titled “What if Girls Dominated the World?” devoted to the inventive work of artists figuring out as feminine. Highlights embrace “Shitty Disco,” the primary solo exhibition in Greece of the internationally acclaimed Los Angeles-based Iranian artist Tala Madani (till 10/11/2024); the monumental set up “RIG: untitled; blocks” by Phyllida Barlow (1944–2023) from the D. Daskalopoulos Assortment (till 27/10/2024); and “A Room of Their Personal,” a set of highly effective pictures by famend documentary photographer Susan Meiselas, present president of the Magnum Basis (till 10/11/2024).

The Numismatic Museum

On the Numismatic Museum, you may admire a wealthy assortment of historical, Byzantine, and medieval cash, together with the “phoenix” cash minted in 1828 on the route of Ioannis Kapodistrias; these post-revolutionary cash are the primary silver foreign money issued in fashionable Greece. The museum additionally boasts the plush 800 sq.m. backyard of Iliou Melathron, adorned with replicas of historical Greek statues. Get pleasure from a Greek espresso or fragrant tea and nibble on a sandwich or salad, however the coolness and fantastic thing about the house are actually fascinating.

Basil & Elise Goulandris Basis

Within the coronary heart of Pangrati, the plump figures of Fernando Botero and the colourful colours of Francis Bacon await you within the entrance of the Basis’s spectacular constructing. Within the cool courtyard, surrounded by greenery, you may take refuge from the town exterior as you get pleasure from your espresso with scrumptious candy tarts, savory pies, salads or important dishes comparable to pasta dishes or wine-braised rooster with mushrooms.

This summer time, till 27/10, the Basis will likely be presenting a powerful tribute to Henri Cartier-Bresson, the person who taught us that pictures is artwork. The exhibition will showcase 76 of the 126 images from his 1952 publication “Photos à la sauvette,” in addition to stunning pictures from his travels in Greece (in 1937, 1953, and 1961).

The Museum of Cycladic Artwork

The ethereal canopy-sculpture by Stelios Kois permits pure gentle to flood throughout the plush vegetation on this minimalist café, making a cool oasis the place you may get pleasure from every part from breakfast to dinner and dessert, from a menu impressed by the Cyclades.

In addition to the beautiful everlasting exhibitions, the museum is at the moment that includes the “Cindy Sherman at Cycladic” exhibition on the Stathatos Mansion, showcasing over 100 works by Cindy Sherman from her early collections, till 4/11.

The Goulandris Pure Historical past Museum

At the restaurant Natu within the stunning backyard of the Goulandris Pure Historical past Museum, subsequent to the lily pond, amongst laurels, myrtles, pomegranate timber, olive timber, and pines, you may get pleasure from cocktails and a beautiful Mediterranean meal. You would possibly strive some contemporary grouper with herbs, baked in a forged iron skillet, or some home made pasta with natural beef ragout.

The museum presents insights into our planet and the wealth of nature it accommodates. The brand new exhibition on the Gaia Middle, on till 25/4/2025, is titled “Local weather Change and Us.” It discusses the causes of local weather stress and presents interactive analysis proposals and options for addressing environmental points.

Byzantine and Christian Museum

Throughout the Ilissia villa, the winter palace of the Duchess of Placentia, lies the Byzantine and Christian Museum, one of many world’s most necessary museums for Byzantine and post-Byzantine artwork and tradition. It homes over 25,000 artifacts from the third to the twentieth century, primarily from Greece, Asia Minor, and the Balkans. Enter by means of the imposing arch and uncover a paradise of citrus timber, wisteria, pergolas with climbing crops, and three out of doors exhibition stations: the Effectively-Cistern, taking a look at Athens’ water provide; Paradise, inspecting Byzantine ideas of earthly and afterlife existence; and Ilissos, showcasing the evolution of the Ilissos river panorama. On this enchanting house, get pleasure from a espresso and dessert or grilled soutzoukakia and crispy filo cheese pies.

The Museum of Islamic Artwork

How about some soumada (a refreshing non-alcoholic drink constructed from almonds), a vanilla “submarine” (a nugget of vanilla-flavored or mastic-flavored sugar paste dipped in a glass of chilly water), a espresso, or a sandwich on one of the crucial stunning roof terraces in Athens, with views of the Kerameikos archaeological web site and the Acropolis? Contained in the café, marvel on the spectacular set up piece “Think about A Palm Tree” by British artist Navine G. Khan-Dossos.

The museum’s everlasting assortment of Islamic artwork consists of objects from throughout the Islamic world, together with Arabia, Persia, Egypt and different areas of North Africa, the Center East, India, and Spain. This assortment is taken into account one of the crucial important worldwide.

With data in Greek from gastronomos.gr