Just a stone’s throw from Pedion tou Areos, Athens’ largest urban park, and the Evelpidon court complex, a cool new scene has been developing on Kerkyras Street, which is fast becoming a popular meeting place. Whether you want to start your day with a cup of high-quality coffee, share simple but well-prepared meze in a calm setting, or sip a refreshing Paloma while listening to music, Kerkyras has it all. New, exciting places have joined the area’s few beloved classic hangouts without changing the neighborhood’s character, providing Kypseli residents and visitors alike with numerous reasons to spend their day here.

Italian Maritozzi or Almond Cake?

The team behind Williwaw (69 Kerkyras, Tel. (+30) 210.822.0745) – Irini Kouleli, Athanasia Mandalou, and Alexis Efstathopoulos – were among the first newcomers to arrive on this charming Kypseli street approximately two years ago. Irini, a seasoned hospitality professional with a passion for coffee, introduced her friends to her love for the craft. They opened a café on the bottom floor of a 1960s apartment building, carefully restoring its original features, including the high ceilings and terrazzo floors.

According to Alexis, they were immediately captivated by the space, as well as the street’s wide (by Kypseli standards) sidewalks and many four-legged passersby. “This has to be the most dog-friendly street in Athens! You see a lot of dogs. We know many of our customers by their dog’s name, not their own!” he laughs. Williwaw serves great coffee from the award-winning Kross Coffee Roasters, as well as homemade pastries and sandwiches made with slow-fermented sourdough bread baked in the open kitchen across the street. A standout is their sandwich with focaccia, mortadella, and burrata, as well as the Italian-style maritozzi: soft brioche buns filled with whipped cream.

And speaking of whipped cream, no visit to Kerkyras Street would be complete without a stop at Bozas (Kerkyras and 3 Paxon, Tel. (+30) 210.821.1107). This pastry shop, filled with the aromas of mastic and mahleb, bakes fresh tsoureki every day. Their real specialty, however, is the fluffiest and most heartwarmingly traditional almond cake in Athens (available by the slice or as a whole cake) liberally topped with roasted almonds just before it’s packaged up to take away.

Since 1967, when Xenophon Bozas – an accomplished pastry chef who had previously worked in Paris and at Athens’ renowned Zonars cafe – opened the shop, the recipes have remained unchanged and so have the high-quality components, which include Volos nuts, Lesvos butter, and ION chocolate. His son Panagiotis Bozas, who has taken over the business, is positive about the changes to the neighborhood. “There has been a real revival during the last four or five years. I see many young people coming in and enjoying the traditional flavors,” he says. Crisp kourkoubinia (flaky phyllo bites soaked in sweet honey syrup), amygdalota (almond cookies), karyokes (chocolate-covered walnut-paste treats), and florentines are just a few of the wonderful delights waiting to be discovered at this iconic pastry shop.

Meze and Home-Cooked Meals

Kostas Kafetsis founded Allios at the bottom end of Kerkyras Street (17-19 Kerkyras, Kypseli, Tel. (+30) 695.511.3063), inspired by the traditional Greek kafeneio (coffee shop) and the principles of simplicity, camaraderie, and affordability. The food is simple and seasonal, with many ingredients sourced from small local producers, and includes dishes such as garlic bread with cream cheese and herbs, homemade Russian salad, smoked mackerel with cabbage salad, baked beans (gigantes) and chickpeas, schnitzel, as well as homemade pastries such as pastirma pie or cheese pie with honey. The meze is accompanied by wine from prominent Greek wineries, beer from an Athenian microbrewery, and bottled ouzo and tsipouro.

For an even more traditional experience, Myrtia (34 Kerkyras, Tel. (+30) 210.882.5440), a family-run eatery since 1972, serves a small daily selection of classic home-cooked meals, including meatballs, legumes, and boiled goat stew.

The surrounding area

Lake (1 Aeginis & Kimolou, Tel. (+30) 210.881.8379), a cozy corner café a short walk from Kerkyras Street, is ideal for meeting up with friends or working on your laptop. Managed by a Kypseli family, they serve Redd Coffee Roasters specialty coffee as well as a small, veggie- and vegan-friendly breakfast menu. Cold-pressed juices, organic wines, and craft beers from Greek microbreweries complete the menu.

Caprus (49 Spetson, Tel. (+30) 211.408.9029) offers delicious sandwiches and wine for a relaxing lunch break. Chef Michalis Vrachliotis adds a unique spin to classic Greek classics like pastitsada (slow-cooked beef stew with spices). He also makes lamb burgers and pastrami sandwiches with beef brisket that has been marinated for eight days before being slow roasted in the oven.

Florú (corner of Aeginis & Ydras, Tel. (+30) 210.881.3956) has a unique atmosphere that changes with each visit. Coffee and deliciously buttered toasties are served in the morning, followed by vegan/vegetarian snacks such as salted peanut butter log. But the night belongs to their Palomas. The shop also sells eco-friendly clothing from owner Konstantina Xafi’s collection. There are DJ sets on Fridays and Sundays, while gaming and stand-up nights are in the works for the coming months.