Essential Athens: An LGBTQ+ Guide to Greece’s Queer Capital
What’s new and queer with Athens? Here’s an up-to-the-minute guide—from food, to art, to fine lodgings.
Some cities welcome you with their charming cobblestone streets, while others lure you with top-tier arts and entertainment. Then there’s Athens: scrappy, covered in graffiti, and brimming with the colliding energy of ancient Gods and present-day Dionysian indulgence.
While New York City may still think it’s The City That Never Sleeps, post-pandemic closings and modified business hours have falsified the claim. But not Athens. Forget business hours. If customers are willing to seek out souvlaki or koulouri at 4 a.m., there’s a place to find it.
A recent visit to Athens proved that Greece is continuing to bounce back from its 2009 debt crisis. Sure, you may step in a pothole, but there’s always a glass of chilled ouzo nearby to take away the pinch of a twisted ankle. Here are 14 essential tips to maximizing your next visit to Athens. Just don’t plan on getting much sleep.
The Perianth Hotel: Sleep where the Gods can see you
Location is everything, even in a walkable city like Athens. And it’s even better when your hotel room boasts balcony views of the Acropolis. The five-star Perianth Hotel offers just that (as long as you book the appropriate room type). Each of the 47 rooms is unique, with architects and interior designers reimagining the original 1930s details for modern-day travelers.
Terrazzo floors, custom-made walnut furnishings, and brass and marble accents create a stunning room design, while public spaces showcase contemporary Greek artists.
Take a tour of the stunning penthouse with this slideshow:
The building’s floors, meticulously conceived as “Athenian-inspired” to make wider main hallways that lead to smaller side “alleys” opening onto two or three rooms, mirror the city’s layout. Explore each level to discover an array of contemporary works commissioned from Greek artists.
The bountiful Mediterranean breakfast buffet, with its sidewalk views leading to the bustling Agia Eirini Square, provides the ideal spot to fuel for the day ahead, or to return for a leisurely cocktail before heading out for the night.
Where to spend your euros
Athens offers plenty of shopping, from international brands to local retailers. Here is a shortlist of some unique finds in Athens to steer you in the right direction:
Ermou Street — The pedestrian-only avenue overflows with familiar brands like Zara and adidas to Greek fashion house MOID, led by third-generation designer Ioakeim Mitakos.
Bookbar by Kaktos — The Greek publisher recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. This charming LGBTQ+-friendly cafe and store features a small selection of English titles and is also the perfect spot to people-watch.
Apiana — Leave room in your luggage for a stockpile of Greek olives and other pantry items. The Kalothanasis family has been harvesting and producing a variety of olives, oils, and pickles since 1921. Pack wisely!
Maria Callas, homoerotic art, and ancient ruins
First-timers to Athens will want to check the antiquities off their bucket list, including the Acropolis, the Agora, and the Panathenaic Stadium. Sure, you could book a crowded tour with an earpiece and overheated children. But for a customized LGBTQ+ perspective on Greek culture then and now, as well as other travel planning, Monobrow Gay Tours lives up to its name, offering bespoke self-guided itineraries or personal guides to accompany you throughout Athens and beyond.
Members of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, co-founders (and adorable couple) Theo Afkoudias and Thanasis Boumpas (pictured left) have established deep connections throughout Athens and beyond to offer insider access to some of Greece’s most celebrated hotels, restaurants, and experiences.
Vacationer did a bit of our own recon work and suggests checking out these cultural attractions in Athens:
Maria Callas Museum — One of the great opera singers of the 20th century (Charles Ludlam was so enamored he wrote an entire campy play about her), Maria Callas turned heads both on and off the stage for her fiery disposition and soaring vocal range. The collection has been 25 years in the making, with the museum officially opening in 2023. Guided tours dive into Callas’s professional highlights, including her legendary performances in Norma, Tosca, and Aida.
Alekos Fassianos Museum — Contemporary artist Alekos Fassianos turned his family’s apartment building into a showcase for his lifelong work as a painter and sculptor. Although he died a year before the museum opened, the resulting collection provides a look inside the artistic process of one of Greece’s most formidable creative forces. Little is known about the artist’s personal life, and even though the artist was married. His later works—particularly “The First Humans in Their Room,” painted in 2000—deliver an intimate, homoerotic quality reflective of three major themes throughout his career: man, nature, and environment.
Where to feed your Dionysian side
Memorable meals can be found throughout Athens, from its 35 Michelin-recognized restaurants to tastings among the city streets. Secret Food Tours, while not necessarily “secret,” offer a convenient way to try some of the city’s most notable dishes with a knowledgeable guide to shepherd travelers throughout the bustling streets.
For a more relaxed meal, consider one of these options:
Dopios — We broke our cardinal rule and dined at Dopios twice during our time in Athens. Its solid menu elevates classic dips like taramosalata (fish roe dip) and melitzanosalata (smoked eggplant dip with Florina pepper), and the plentiful al fresco seating with a view of the Byzantine-era church Saint Theodores.
Meze 21 — Theo from Monobrow Gay Tours suggests that the price of a Greek salad indicates whether a restaurant caters to locals or tourists. With its cigar-smoking retirees sitting out front perusing the daily paper, Meze 21 falls into the former category. But if you can snag a table, the rustic taverna will satiate.
Adia Aluma — Part of Hilton’s Curio Collection and one of the brand’s newest properties in Athens, the Adia Aluma features a rooftop pool and restaurant, where the view is as appetizing as the menu for casual bites and cocktails.
Tommy’s Gyros — Ignore the hours listed online. If there’s a crowd (which there always is), this fast-casual spot will likely be open, and a must-stop for an overstuffed gyro after a night at the clubs.
In Athens, nightlife never says goodnight
Shamone — Its namesake owner (aka Sevasti Georgiou) has allegedly lived a colorful life before opening one of Athens’ premiere queer clubs: Adult film star, dog whisperer, and close friend of Andy Warhol. The fact is, how much fun Shamone can be. Located in the emerging neighborhood of Gazi and a bit too close to the railway tracks, the venue attracts both travelers and locals.
Beaver — The women-run cooperative cafe/bar welcomes everyone, but definitely serves sapphic vibes along with affordable cocktails and food.
BEqueer — The name says it all. Opened in 2017, the venue was one of the first in Athens to embrace the full spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community and continues to do so.
Need more tips? Check out our guide to Greece’s most breathtaking destinations.
