Athens FMTY: Beaches, Michelin Stars & Midnight Skinny Dips
Athens - τὸ κλεινὸν ἄστυ - “the glorious city”.
My absolute favourite places on earth are cities where one can find both city life and beach life: San Diego, Los Angeles (even if not up the top of my list anymore), Sydney, Cape Town.
Athens is no less. Plus, rich in history and culture, incredible food, very cool shops, and wonderful beaches about half an hour from the city centre (in London, you’re lucky to move 1-2 kilometres in traffic in half an hour!).
What I find really unpleasant is all European carriers not having a real business/first class for what they consider “short haul”. London-Athens is 4 hours. That’s not a short flight in my opinion. The business class is literally economy class, but they block the middle seat. They’ll still charge really high prices though. Flights to/from Athens are actually some of the most expensive I consistently come across within Europe, regardless of the season. And if it’s peak season and even last minute, be prepared to pay the same you’d pay to fly to Dubai in a lay-flat seat.
My lover and I stayed at the Four Seasons Astir Palace, which might just be one of my favourite hotels ever (and I can confidently say I’ve tried and tested so many all over the world!). It’s just the ease and convenience of being a short drive from the airport, a short drive from a major city with a plethora of restaurants, shops, cultural sights, and activities, but in a world of its own, and surrounded by stunning beaches.
My lover had a stunning villa with a private pool overlooking the sea (hello, midnight skinny dipping!), and my room was a standard (actually, pretty great) bungalow with a garden view.
Separate rooms are always required during extended dates, so that we don’t both look 80 by the end of the trip due to lack of sleep and contemplate killing each other if immunity was available.
After we arrived, settled in, and showered, it was mid-afternoon, so I thought it was time for us to enjoy a snack together.
The first evening’s dinner was at Delta (the only two-Michelin-star restaurant in the whole Greece, at time of writing) to start the trip on a high note.
This kind of restaurant deserved to have me wrapped in silk.
Delta is located inside the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, an avant-garde complex that also houses the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera. This restaurant, on the fifth floor of the building, came as a pleasant surprise thanks to the design of its dining spaces as well as other details such as the dreamlike trees suspended from the ceiling, and the impressive sea views.
The chef, who has trained in some of Europe's best restaurants, showcases a creative cuisine that places sustainability at the heart of everything, hence the continual focus on the provenance of ingredients (from their own kitchen garden, locally sourced, responsible fishing, etc.). The striking cuisine here is focused on a single 12-course tasting menu called Omnivore, which can be savoured alongside an extensive selection of Greek and international wines.
Midnight skinny dipping.
Our days were not sightseeing-packed - as we’ve both been to Athens before - and the focus of this trip was to enjoy some beach time, great conversation, and each other.
Daily afternoon snack:
For our second evening together, we dined at Varoulko Seaside, which looked like it was out of a postcard.
If you're looking for a restaurant with an authentic maritime flavour, this eatery overlooking the small yet attractive port of Mikrolimano will come as a pleasant surprise. Here, the relaxing ambience is in perfect harmony with superb views of the fishing boats moored out front. Traditionally, Piraeus is known as the port of Athens, hence the plethora of tavernas and restaurants specialising in fish and seafood located here. Varoulko Seaside follows the same influence, although the chef takes his maritime cuisine to another level.
Pictured: Zimmerman girl.
The day after was spent training my peach-like perky butt,
getting some spa treatments with a view,
and modelling silk handmade lingerie. Doesn’t this set scream Greece?
On the last evening, for a good send-off, we dined at CTC Urban Gastronomy (one Michelin star), which was sooo cute!
If a dining experience under the stars appeals to you, this highly sought-after restaurant, particularly during the summer months, will definitely fit the bill thanks to its charming urban terrace dotted with verdant trees and shrubs.
Check-out time! Not ready yet to leave this paradise, but it’s comforting to know that my lover and I share a special bond, and so this is definitely not the last of our trips!
Of course, every trip is unique, and there was so much more to this trip that cannot be reduced to a mere list of the spots we dined at. It was feelings of closeness, passion, sexual tension, laughter, mutual care. But since I’m receiving an ever-increasing number of enquiries for Euro Summer FMTYs, and I’m often asked to provide guidance on the itinerary, I hope that this article is of help, together with being of entertainment.
Want to plan our very own escape? Get in touch :)