Neighbourhood feature
Kifissia: the elegant north
Leafy, wealthy and quietly glamorous, Kifissia is where Athens comes to shop, dine and stroll when it wants to feel a little more polished. It is a world away from the bustle of the centre: grand mansions behind garden walls, tree-lined streets that stay cool in summer, designer boutiques and some of the best restaurants in the north of the city.
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A summer retreat for Athenians
In the 19th century, wealthy Athenian families built summer villas here to escape the heat of the city, drawn by the cooler air, the springs and the shade of the pines. The railway, and later the metro, brought Kifissia within easy reach, and many of those mansions still stand along the streets of Kefalari and Alonia, behind wrought-iron gates and gardens heavy with jasmine.
Shopping and strolling
Today the heart of Kifissia is a compact grid of elegant streets: Kassaveti, Levidou, Kolokotroni and Kyriazi, lined with designer boutiques, multibrand stores and fine-food shops. Locals dress up just to window-shop, and on weekend mornings the cafés fill with families, friends and well-groomed dogs. Don’t miss a meringue at Varsos, a patisserie that has been a meeting place since 1892.
Eating well
The north has fewer famous restaurants than the centre, but the best are excellent: Birdman, a Michelin-listed yakitori bar; and classics such as Blue Pine, serving French dishes since 1961, and the seafood specialists Papaioannou. For something simpler, family tavernas like Vathys grill meat over charcoal as they have since 1975.
Summer evenings
On summer evenings, Kifissia comes into its own: a cocktail at Koumkan in the Semiramis hotel, a film under the stars at Bomboniera, one of the oldest open-air cinemas in Greece, or an ice cream on a stroll through Kefalari Square.
Our advice: Kifissia is about 45 minutes from Syntagma on metro line 1, so it makes an easy half-day or evening trip from the centre, or a calm, upmarket base if you prefer peace and greenery to city buzz. Shops close on Sundays, when the restaurants and cafés are busiest, so come on a weekday or Saturday to shop and book dinner ahead at weekends. On Wednesday mornings, don’t miss the big farmers’ market at the top of Agiou Tryfonos Street.
