While located smack dab in the center of the city, wedged in between Ermou and Mitropoleos Street which both run from Syntagma Square to Monastiraki, the small, pedestrian Petraki Street runs only for two blocks, from Voulis Street to Fokionos Street, and you won’t likely spot it unless you know where you’re headed. As a result, when the busy shopping street Ermou is packed with people rushing to complete errands, the parallel Petraki moves to a different, carefree rhythm. The atmosphere here is more relaxed, more cosmopolitan, and the likelihood of bumping into stressed pedestrians weighed down by shopping bags is thankfully much smaller.

While a few years ago most of us had never paid any attention to this little street, now there are plenty of reasons to do so. Heteroclito, boasting an excellent wine list and people watching; Pnyka, always a dependable source of good bread; the new addition Hanoi serving steaming hot Pho… the many choices create a colorful and interesting environment both during the day and in the evening. Below are our notes from our latest visit to Petraki Street, and some of its most standout hangouts.