Athens' Best Garden Cafe & Restaurant Hideaways

In terms of greeness, Athens doesn't even come close to other European capitals with their verdant parks and blossoming gardens. The truth is, modern urban development has not been particularly gentle with this city.  Numerous concrete buildings, along with poor road designs, hem in inhabitants and visitors with featureless views.  Thankfully, there are some oases in the cement desert that offer the hungry local or tourist a lush respite in which to enjoy a meal or drink.

Just behind Parliament lies the Ethnikos Kipos, or National Gardens, the indisputable green heart of the city.  Back in 1836, Queen Amalia had envisaged the Royal Gardens to follow the European models of the era, and so agronomist Frederick Schmidt, director of the gardens for almost 30 years, planted native flora from Cape Sounion and the island of Euboea, as well as many species from abroad that were suited to the Attica climate. Today, the gardens are home to more than 50,000 trees and shrubs and are open to visitors from morning to dusk.  The gardens' cafe sits at the Irodou Attikou entrance, with retro green tables arraying symmetrically in the relaxing shade of the alleyway.  After a morning walk, why not enjoy a cup of Greek coffee?  The menu offers dishes such as tzatziki, octopus stewed in vinegar sauce marinated anchovies and meatballs with potatoes.  It's pretty pricey though - be warned.

A few steps from Syntagma metro, a heavy iron gate stands guard over the former residence of the German archeologist Heinrich Schliemann.  Desinged by none other than the eminent Ernst Ziller, the architect of many of Athens' royal and municipal buildings, the Renaissance-inspired structure was named Iliou Melathron, or Trojan Mansion, in tribute to the owner's passion for the mythical city of Troy (also known as Ilion).  Iliou Melathron is now home to the Numismatic Museum, and the beautiful garden, where Schliemann spent hours planting and tending his trees, still includes many species of of Greek flora, with reproductions of ancient Greek statues peeking through the folige.

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