Nikos Papadopoulos

I grew up in Exarcheia — the anarchist neighbourhood of Athens, right next to the National Archaeological Museum, which is not where you expect the best souvlaki in the city. Athens is not a city most people take seriously for food, which is their mistake. Greek street food is extraordinary — the souvlaki at 2am after the bars close, the bougatsa (cream-filled pastry) from the bakery that opens at 5am, the mezedes at a psarotaverna by the sea in Piraeus. I know which laïkí (street market) in Kypseli is worth going to on a Thursday, and which kafeneio in Monastiraki has the best Greek coffee and the least tourist pricing.