Plaka and Monastiraki are both ancient parts of Athens located close to the Acropolis. The Plaka is at the base of the Acropolis to the east while Monastiraki is below the Acropolis to the north. It is easy to walk from one area to the other, browsing in the quaint shops and wandering through the maze of narrow cobblestone lanes.
The Plaka that we see today was built upon the oldest neighborhoods of ancient Athens which have been continuously inhabited since ancient times. From our own observation, the defining feature of the Plaka seems to be the hilly cafes, restaurants and shops that are built into the slope of the Acropolis. Monastiraki, on the other hand, is anchored by the metro station of the same name that is surrounded by a bustling square with vendors and street performers. Inside the square, there is a church and a mosque that reflect the tumultuous history of Athens. Monastiraki is also well known for its flea market and interesting antique shops.
Our first visit to Plaka and Monastiraki was after a morning at the Acropolis with Thenia. We walked down the main south slope and diverted to a little path toward Plaka. The area really lived up to its reputation. The narrow, mainly pedestrian streets, are lined with neoclassical buildings. Throughout, there are cute little shops and inviting cafes and restaurants.
The weather was comfortable and cool so we chose a place for lunch with rooftop dining. Before we made it to the narrow wooden stairs that led to the rooftop, EY paused to look at the Christmas decorations in the main dining area and was delighted to see the little Santa Claus model. This was to be the first of many photos that EY would want to take with Santa in the days leading up to Christmas.
We got a lovely table on the rooftop and enjoyed our meal of chicken souvlaki, kokkinisto (beef stew with tomatoes) and pasta. We have begun to take note that fries are plentiful, heaped atop every plated entrée, and extremely delicious in Greece. It is never necessary to order fries separately because they come with almost everything.
We wandered down the Plaka and found ourselves in Monastiraki.
We were on the hunt for ice cream but found something even better. Everybody was giddy with excitement when we entered Mona Lisa D’Atelier del Gelato, a fantasy dessert shop with a waterfall of pure chocolate on display at the entrance. The kids were ready to dive right into it. The whole shop looked like something out of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. The shop offers gelato, ice pops, handmade chocolates, fresh waffles and fresh mini donuts all with irresistible customizations like cone types, toppings and glazes. We spent a lot of time looking carefully at all of the eye-catching displays and the myriad of options. After some discussion, we made the sensible choice and got three cups of double scoops of gelato to share among the six of us. We sat outside of the shop and enjoyed eating the ice cream while taking in the scenery.
It is possible to spend the entire day browsing through the shops in Plaka and Monastiraki. In between the many tourist trinket shops, there are some shops that sell very beautiful and high quality Greek products like olive oil, clothing, handicrafts and antiques.
A few days later, we enjoyed another meal in Monastiraki at a restaurant called “A Little Taste of Home.” They excelled at braised meat dishes and we loved their braised beef short ribs and lamb shank. AY has really taken a liking to Greek salad with the best part being sopping up the plate with crusty bread. At the end of the meal, they served me and Leo little glasses of a traditional Greek liquor called Mastiha which is made from the sap of the mastic tree, an evergreen shrub found only on the Greek island of Chios. It is meant to be sipped after a meal and is supposed to have digestive and other health benefits.
Apart from shops and restaurants, Plaka and Monastiraki are loaded with many of the main archaeological sites of Athens. Over the course of our week in Athens, we made our way through many of the historic sites.
