Pleasures & Pastimes

Pleasures & Pastimes

Café Culture

On any street corner, at any time of day, you will see Athenians practicing the art of hanging out—sipping their coffees, debating the latest political debacle, or just watching the world go by. Walking in the city may seem difficult at times because of uneven pavements and cars parked on the sidewalk, but there is no shortage of places to stop: squares, kafeneia (traditional Greek coffeehouses), stylish cafés, or makeshift arrangements—two tables set up outside a dairy store—where you can sit for hours with an ouzo or the ubiquitous summer refreshment called frappé: instant Nescafé shaken with ice water, milk, and sugar to taste.

The kafeneio is a cross between a living room, an office, a reading room, a club, and a gambling casino (backgammon is the favorite game of chance, played for very low stakes but with a passion that makes the Monte Carlo Casino seem like bingo in a church basement). The social life of the average Athenian takes place in the kafeneio—this is where the heart is; home is often just a place to sleep.

Nightlife

Athens is a sociable, late-night town where people love to see and be seen, and the action goes on until morning: even at 3 AM central platias (squares) and streets are often crowded with revelers. Part of this is a function of Greek dinner preferences; 10 o'clock is not considered too late to start your evening meal.

At rembetika clubs you can hear a form of blues imported from Asia Minor in the 1920s, while at bouzoukia joints popular singers belt out contemporary hits to the gyrating crowd. Sip cocktails by the sea or dance all night to house and hip-hop at the designer-decorated clubs on the coast.

First-time visitors might want to check out a musical taverna, an institution as old as Greece itself. The entertainment, often featuring men (and occasionally women) dancing the extraordinary zeimbekiko, is sure to be vigorous, colorful, spontaneous, and Zorbaesque. Neither the increasingly European work hours nor changing bar curfews seem to slow the social pace—clubs and restaurants are usually packed.