Category Archives: Eat & Drink

Vogatsikou 3

Vogatsikou 3 is the new hot place in town ! It opened only a few weeks ago in the place of the town’s most famous bar of the 90’s, Bel Air and has quality written all over it !

The spirits collection is impressive, the cocktail list magnificent, the style and atmosphere amazing !

I really don’t know if it is the energy of the place itself that makes it unique or the new concept of the bar, I think both.

Vogatsikou 3

This is a place that even if you are not a heavy drinker you will want to try everything.  The spirits offered are premium quality and you will have the chance to experience unique tastes and brands.

If you are a fan of cocktails, then this is your place. There are more than 70 cocktails on the catalog. If you find it difficult to choose, then just ask the bartenders to help, they are very professional and helpful with suggestions.

The crowd is a mix of the trendy crowd of the 90’s who are still enjoying a good night out and the younger generation. The music is also a mix that applies to all age groups, upbeat with a soulful twist, and gives the final touch.

Overall, I was really impressed by the combination of top quality drinks, music, service and atmosphere. I give a 10/10 and will certainly be back very soon !

Finally a bar like it is supposed to be !

Vogatsikou 3
Cocktail Bar
Vogatsikou 3

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Excelsior Sunday Brunch

Sunday Brunch is a relatively new trend in our city. It started a couple of years ago and now slowly spreads around as we see more bar restaurants giving this option.

Tomorrow is a holiday as we have Clean Monday or better known to non greeks as Lent Monday.  Ideally we would spend the day with a day or hopefully three-day excursion in the countryside, but the weather had other plans. Heavy rain and winter weather forced us to stay in house, but not for long.

Some friends had the idea to celebrate the beginning of March in style so we decided to have a relaxing Sunday Brunch which proved to be an excellent idea.

excelsiorAs you can see in the photo the setting was very spring like, nothing like the weather outside. As we sat on the table and the water with fresh fruits fell into our glass we decided we had made the best choice.

The food was not the typical breakfast you find in hotels, but modern style with new tastes. There are 2 buffet areas, one with salty and one with sweet options, and if that is not enough for you there are some extra options a la carte. Fresh juice and coffee is included in the very tempting price of 9 euros.  I have to tell you that everything I tasted was really delicious and since we stayed there for a long time, I was not hungry again until late in the afternoon.

What really impressed me the most was the dj playing really fantastic music, the excellent service, and the inspired theme decor. Today we celebrated the beginning of march and the table decor was set accordingly.

I will definitely be back to check out more themed Sundays !

The Excelsior Bistro
Restaurant
Komninon 10 & Mitropoleos

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Place De La Liberté

As we are getting ready for spring, we always search for new places to enjoy the city’s seaside view.

A new place the opened recently close to my office is Place De La Liberté, a french style bistro cafe.

LiberteIt is perfect for a short midday coffee break or after work drink. The area does not actually have many options for this type of coffee bars so this one is highly recommended.

The french style is enhanced by the croissant that comes with your coffee, unless you choose greek coffee, then in this case the classic “biscotoloukoumo” is served !

Place De La Liberté is a great suggestion to enjoy coffee or sunset drink with seaside view in an elegant environment !

It is conveniently located by the port, bank areas, and film festival venues.

Place De La Liberté

Café and Bar

Nikis av. 1 & Venizelou, Thessaloníki

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Coq au Zen

I was really troubled if I should write about this place in the blog, because it is my # 1 favourite winter place for the last 3 years and is already quite crowded.

I finally decided that a) it is not fair to keep secrets, b) who reads this blog anyway, c) the universe will give back to me someday, so here it is, the one and only, Coq au Zen !

Coq au ZenWhat I most love about this place is the unique atmosphere. It is located in a small old shopping arcade, so in the daytime you will also see small shops open next to it. As night time approaches, the arcade is transformed to an atmospheric bar and you forget you are in Thessaloniki.

Coq au Zen has good quality drinks and menu, an interesting selection of wines, and is also a good option for a lunch break or early dinner. After 22.00 it gets really crowded, except from the summer days where people prefer more outdoor settings.

The music is also very eclectic and quite different night after night, depending on the dj.

Don’t be surprised if you hear a live piano set, there is one at the back and not only for decoration !

Coq Au Zen
Bar
Valaoritou 37

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Sugar Angel workshop & coffee

This is by far the sweetest coffee shop in town! Let me start by saying that if you manage to come to this place only for coffee and not eat anything, congratulations ! You have strong willpower !

Sugar AngelI have actually been here only for coffee or tea twice, so I am really proud of myself. All the other times since it opened, a few months ago, I have tried everything with chocolate, and also the apple pie and the famous red velvet cake !

What I love most about the desserts here is that they are not heavy at all, they have high quality ingredients and delicate taste.

Something funny you will notice when you sit on one of the few tables is that all the people usually eat the same cake. It is no surprise since one sees something delicious on the table next to them and cannot resist but to try.

Sugar Angel cakeApart from coffee and desserts, you will find cakes to order in any style you can imagine, so this place is a must for children birthday cakes as well !

Sugar Angel is open during shopping hours and closed on Sundays. Keep also in mind that there are not many tables so it is not certain you will find a place to sit. Luckily you can take all the sweets to go as well ! In fact, if you take any of the sweets to go and you get a wooden spoon or fork you should know that they are natural biodegradable tableware from naturesse !

Sugar Angel workshop & coffee
Dessert Shop and Cupcake Shop
Lassani 1 (Proxenou Koromila)

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CityZen Wine Bar

CityZen is an elegant wine bar that opened one year ago. Although new in town, it quickly became a favourite among wine lovers.

Featuring an extensive wine list which you can also enjoy by the glass, elegant atmosphere and music ranging from lounge to upbeat depending on the time, it is a stylish all day wine bar.

It’s central location and setting make it an ideal choice for winter.

CitiZen

The crowd is from mid 20’s up to much older but always classy and stylish. The older ones are actually mostly people who know how to have fun and you can find out for yourselves if there is a special occasion party. I’ve been there to such parties myself and all the crowd was dancing like pre-crisis times ! This is not the normal style of this bar though.

Overall it is a place to find Zen in the City, like it’s name suggests, and is actually one of the best suggestions to chill out with a coffee or drink after a day of work or shopping !

CityZen

Wine Bar

P.P.Germanou 12, 54622, Thessaloníki

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Fiali wines and spirits

fialiAs we are approaching the christmas season all we are thinking is food and drink …

The Food Festival has just started in the city so we have the chance to explore new tastes.

What we need now is some wine suggestions and here is Fiali to help us with that.

Fiali is the new wines and spirits shop that has just opened on the east part of the city, in the area of Kalamaria.

The owners George and Michael will give you their expert tips and advice and guide you in your selection of wine or other drinks.

They regularly offer in house wine tastings, currently every friday, so I suggest you follow them on Facebook or Twitter to stay updated with the latest news.

Besides the well known brands of wines and spirits, they specialize in finding and presenting to us unique, small winery options giving us the excuse to return to their shop for some more tasting !

Address : 68 Aegeou str, Kalamaria

Tel : 2310 40 20 75

Email : fiali@outlook.com

The Bar

The BarOne of my favourite bars all year long is The Bar in the White Tower area.  This bar last year celebrated its 10 years and I also celebrated 10 years of going there with my friends !

It is one of the few places I equally enjoy during summer and winter. and actually feels like home to me !  The decor itself is not the normal bar atmosphere but it has a unique colourful, ethnic mix style, which is exactly my style !  The stuff is very friendly and will always find you a place to sit even if it is fully crowded, which is a big plus if you go late on a Saturday night !

Since this October came with a cool attitude and temperature dropped very quickly … this is a great suggestion for one of your first indoors Friday night drinks.

If you are lucky, you might get the chance to see one of the live bands they house at some winter nights.  They have provided us with some excellent memories of good times !

The Bar
Bar
Nikiforou Foka 3

Near White Tower

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Fix in Art

fixinartFix in Art is an alternative art multi-space in the west side of the city, not far from the city centre.

It is located in an old building right next to the nightlife area of Fix. It houses concerts, dance lessons, theatre seminars, free movie screenings and a used bookstore all under one roof !

I first went there last spring after a friend suggested to go watch the classic movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and I was pleasantly surprised with this alternative art space.

The new dance season starts today so you can visit their facebook page for details on time schedule and prices. I have to tell you that this is not your regular dance class with latin and zumba. Here you can even learn how to dance Bollywood style !

I suggest you keep an eye on their page as various events come up throughout the year.

Φιξ In art
Performing Arts Venue and Other Nightlife
26th of October 15

Fix area

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Candybar

Candybar

Let’s say goodbye to September with a really sweet suggestion.

Candybar is a very cute coffee place that recently opened at Thessaloniki at the pedestrian street of Ag. Theodoras in the heart of the city !

It is very colourful and happy inside and out.  It offers home made sweets and beverages along with the usual coffee and drinks, all at very attractive prices.  While the weather is still good you will enjoy sitting outside by the swings in the pedestrian area away from the street noise.

If the wafers and marshmallows that come with your drink are not enough, you can always order one of the special sweets .

Candybar is a great choice all year long. When the weather gets colder just sitting inside this playful environment enjoying a delicious hot drink will make it a bit easier…

Candybar
Café, Cocktail Bar, and Lounge
Agias Theodoras 4

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