Poseidonos Ave is the lifeline of the Athens Coast.

Poseidonos Avenue /Λεωφόρος Ποσειδώνος runs all the way from P. Faliro down the coast past all of the seaside communities and all of the Athens beaches.

If you continue on the same road, you will eventually reach Cape Sounion.  A drive from SEF / ΣΕΦ  to Sounion will take approximately one hour (perhaps in the middle of the night when there is no traffic).  Poseidonos can get very congested, especially during the summer.  Locals may try to steer clear of this this road, but as it is a major connector it is hard to avoid.  

If starting from the northern point of Poseidonos in Faliro and heading south toward Sounion, the beach will be on your right the entire time, with the city to the left.  It’s pretty dense and urban through Faliro and Alimos and then you’ll see some of the Olympic complexes from 2004 as well as the old airport in Elliniko.  Next comes Glyfada and Voula where you will notice more green space and natural seascapes.  Between Vouliagmeni and Varkiza you will get your first glimpse of country side and encounter some crazy turns in the road.  Between Varkiza and Sounion there are a few communities scattered along the way, Anavysos being the largest.  It’s a beautiful drive with many great spots to stop and take a picture or even venture down to the sea for a quick dip.    

The official name of the street changes around Voula to Konstantinou Karamanli Ave. / Λεωφ. Κωνσταντίνου Καραμανλή and in that area it may also be referred to as  Alkyonidon Ave. /Λεωφ. Αλκυονίδων.  If you say Poseidonos, even if the official name is something different, everyone will know what you are talking about.  Paraliaki / Παραλιακή  (meaning Coastal) is also a very popular name of this stretch of road.

Greek Vocabulary

Avenue = Λεωφόρος | Leoforos

Coastal = παραλιακή | paraliaki

Beach = παραλία | paralia

The post Poseidonos Avenue appeared first on Athens Coast.

Μέλι is one of the most important ingredients in the Greek culinary world when it come to sweets.  Honey soaked cakes & cookies, drizzled on yogurt… truly the nectar of the Gods.

‘Meli – χειροποίητες λιχουδιές'(which translates to ‘handmade delicacies’) is a cafe/sweet shop that is truly one of a kind in Glyfada, it’s like a welcoming, sunshiny, country cottage.

There is even a happy bee outside to greet you.

I prefer this type of atmosphere to sit and relax and enjoy my beverage.  Key word there being ‘enjoy’.  There are dozens of spots to have coffee in Glyfada, many of which you will find filled with people smoking and with the music too loud.  None of that nonsense here.   It has a very open and airy feel with a clever country side-meets-honeycomb decor.

‘Meli’ offers fresh loukoumades/ λουκουμάδες (pastries made of deep fried dough), various savoury pies, a variety of ice cream, smoothies and of course every kind of coffee you would expect to find in a Greek cafe.

Thanks to a clever menu insert, I decided to try a Galvanina Ice-Tea – perfect for a sunny spring day.   It was 4€ which is the same price as a hot tea at most of the popular cafes in Glyfada.  I couldn’t resist the pastry case so I decided my lunch for the day would be a spanakopita/ σπανακόπιτα (spinach pie) [2€].

I give ‘Meli’ the ‘kid-friendly’ thumbs up.  A perfect place for the adults to enjoy an afternoon coffee while the kids keep busy with their ice-cream or loukoumades.

Greek Vocabulary

Honey = μέλι | meli

Greek style donuts = λουκουμάδες | loukoumades

The post Meli- χειροποίητες λιχουδιές appeared first on Athens Coast.

Walking into ‘Vein’ you immediately realise that they mean business.

Vein Cheese and Wine Bar in Glyfada is an upscale wine bar offering tapas as well as a few featured entrées.

The ultra-modern, meets industrial styled wine bar has a dramatic interior that is a welcome sight in the trendy beachside community of Glyfada.  Your sophistication level goes up the minute you enter this dimly lit urban lounge.  I think of it as the Gotham City of Glyfada.

Atmosphere and aesthetics are important to me and this place ticks both boxes. They have a great eclectic mix of smooth music playing at the perfect volume and they also do live Jazz events.  (Vein Facebook page)

I’m a sucker for dips.  They have an amazing little creamy dip they bring to the table with crackers… ours is always gone before we even open the menu.  More please!   I mentioned that I like dips- I probably like dips so much because it means that I get to dip some bread like object into the dip and enjoy them together.  Because of my love for the cheese/bread combo, I opted for the cold cut & cheese plate/αλλαντικών και τυριών [12€].  Jamon, salami, prosciutto, mozzarella, provolone and a few Greek hard cheese.  They get an A+ for their presentation as the platter comes out sprinkled with various nuts, raisins and cherry tomatoes (and a few more crackers, just for good measure).

Fotis is frightened of ‘raw cheese’ (that’s what he calls cheese that is not properly melted), so I got the whole platter to myself. Being a man who can’t have something off the starter menu as a meal, he went for the chicken filet/κοτόπουλο φιλέτο [11€] which came in a rich, creamy, herb infused sauce and was served with steamed vegetables.

We both enjoyed our food choices and the wine.  We ordered a bottle of Aspros Lagos Cabernet 2012 [28€] from their extensive wine list.

We’ve been to ‘Vein Cheese and Wine Bar’ a few times since it opened in 2014 and probably should visit it more often.  If you are looking for a relaxing evening out in a stylish setting, Vein is perfect for you.

OH!  And they have fondue!  So stay tuned for ‘Vein part 2′ after I go for some melted-cheesy-goodness.

Greek Vocabulary

Chicken filet = κοτόπουλο φιλέτο | kotopoulo fileto

Cold cuts = αλλαντικά  | alladika

Cheese = τυρί | tiri

The post Vein Cheese and Wine Bar appeared first on Athens Coast.