Pangrati, Kessariani, Kalimarmaro

Pagrati is the quintessential middle-class neighborhood with a definite artsy aura. The home address of musicians, writers, directors, academics, and journalists, past residents include composer Manos Hatzidakis and poet George Seferis. This makes for a lively café culture radiating from two hubs, Platia Proskopon and Platia Varnava. Shops, restaurants, small bars, and green spaces—plus a couple of galleries, an art house cinema, and a theatre—reflect the locals’ cosmopolitan outlook.
Opened in October 2019, the Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art boosted the area’s profile among visitors, already drawn by the Kallimarmaro stadium and Athens First Cemetery. The artsy ambience is now complete with the reopening of the city’s flagship art repository, the National Gallery in early 2021.
The unique vibe undulates between edginess and convention. This is one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods, and finding an apartment in the Pangrati or Mets areas has always been hard, as people move in but rarely move out. Though technically right in the city centre, the mood here is decidedly detached from it: Pangrati isn’t where change is sparked, but where it settles in.
Plateia Proskopon (Scout square) is just a stone’s throw away from the renovated National Gallery and bustling avenues; however, I always get the feeling that I have landed in the square of a small village where time has stopped. Pagrati used to be a popular neighborhood in the 70s and 80s but Athenians turned their back on it searching for less populous areas.
Although Pagrati has been gaining popularity these last few years with restaurants and cafes popping up every other day, Plateia Proskopon does not seem to be keeping up with the local growth and remains decadent, a reminder of the old charm.
Plateia Proskopon is surely not as hip as Plateia Varnava or other spots in Pagrati but has a unique atmosphere. It reminds me of summer and Greek islands although it is the most urban place you can be in. You can enjoy your coffee or a drink in several places on the square, or head out for a great meal in the locales nearby the Mavro Provato.