Kifissia, Athens

Beautiful store windows, a tranquil retreat from the downtown hustle and bustle of dusty Athens.
My fav suburb of Athens. Just a 30min train ride on the train (ilektriko ISAP) from Syntagma. The trees, space, the beauty, restaurants - Mythos Grill a must for souvlaki and dish of the day for lunch - don't miss the rocket paremsan salad it's out of this world.

Dessert is only a couple of doors down on Kassaveti St at Varsos...all the Greek sweets you can imagine (go perfectly well with a frappe) are made on the premises including their very own icecream. The rice pudding is a must to try as are their tiropites and spanakopites (cheese and spinach pies).

Take a walk through the park next to Train Station or sit in the shade of the trees at Everest on Kassaveti St corner, which also make the tastiest patatopites (potato pies).

There is little not to like in Kifissia. Best seen on foot to savour the atmosphere or sit at one of the cafes to people watch, see and be seen.

Don't go to Kifissia looking like a tourist in shorts and Greek tourist T-Shirt, wear smart casual and the more dressed up, the better!

Kifisia is one of the posh suburbs of Athens. One of the oldest too. Huge trees, beatiful villas with spacious gardens, makes Kifisia a great place to stroll about. Lots of shops in the center, cafes and restaurants if you want to rest. The place has become quite popular with the nouveau riche lately and many of the beautiful original villas have given way to maisonettes but there are no tall buildings there so that is a plus.

The temperature is always somewhat lower than downtown Athens and in winter it snows there regularly something that does not happen in the center of Athens.

The easiest way to get there is by metro, the Pireaus-Kifisia line. The line ends there so it is easy to find.

If you are keen on seeing a different aspect of life in Athens, hop on the metro and head to Kifissia, the end of the line. Upon exiting the station, head up the road to the centre of Kifissia (use the park if the gates are open). Keep walking up in a virtual line past the fountain at the edge of the park and little exhibition of sarcophagi in the far right corner of the road, till you reach a crossroads. Do a left and follow the road to the next crossroads where you will do a right. This will take you all the way up to Kefalari square. If in doubt, ask anyone to point you to 'Plateia Kefalariou'. You will pass lots of boutiques and shops on the way. It is the posh shopping district of the Northern suburbs. Once you are in Kefalari square (recognisable by the TGI Friday's restaurant on your left), you have a choice of cafes to sit. Greek people like to read their papers in the shade of the umbrellas, slowly sipping their frappe coffees.

After you have rested, take a walk through the smaller streets to get a glimpse of the past glory of Kifissia with the neoclassical villas of the aristocracy and the fragrant gardens. If you get lost, just ask someone to point you to 'metro Kifissias'.

Other things to do in Kifissia: visit the Goulandris Natural History Museum; take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage (not available all year round). Unfortunately, there aren't many horse drawn carriages any more as the increased traffic spooks the horses and the owners found it harder and harder to upkeep their animals after the 70s due to increasing prices for space (what used to be the carriage driver's humble home and stables is now housing a multi-storey block of flats...) Please pay the price for a relaxed tour of the area, knowing that your money will keep one man in business and will help resist the lust for urbanisation that eats up all that is gentle and kind. And who knows, maybe one day you will return to Kefalari to get married at the church there, riding in a horse-drawn carriage decorated with flowers!