Thissio

On the opposite side of the Agora is another meeting place of sorts: Thissio, a former red-light district that has been one of the most sought-after residential neighborhoods since the early 1990s. Easily accessible by metro and offering a lovely view of the Acropolis, it has become one of the liveliest café and restaurant districts in Athens. Mainly on Adrianou Street along the rail track, you'll find excellent rakadika and ouzeri—publike eateries that offer plates of appetizers to go with raki, a fiery spirit made from grape must; rakomelo, a mix of raki and honey heated to boiling; the ever-appealing ouzo; as well as barrels of homemade wine. On a summer evening, walk to the main strip on the Nileos pedestrian zone to sit at an outdoor table in summer in local style, or perch yourself under the Acropolis on Apostolou Pavlou Street. The rest of the neighborhood is quiet, an odd mix of mom-and-pop stores and dilapidated houses that are slowly being renovated.