The Weekly Collection #2
What's cooking in town? What will happen in restaurants, bars, theatre & music scenes that you want to be there?
A wise man without a beard and rings on his hands once told a group that Thursday was the new Saturday. The cheers he received at that moment made him realize that he must have said something right. Of course, he also met 1-2 resistances like this to be sure they heard him say it, but most of the group agreed without much fuss. A few months later, after going out, eating, watching the city's events, and getting drunk sweetly from her fun, she realized that every day could be Saturday in Athens.
The premieres of theatrical performances run to catch up with each other's applause, while events from techno to jazz fill the agendas before they are even empty. In the meantime, Athens's food and wine side is holding up well, with little diamonds glittering in the city's narrow streets, reminding us that what we are looking for may be closer than we thought.
The wine bar is overflowing with Tannin: Tannin, My Love!
Where: 91 Hippocrates
When: Every day after 18.30
And on Social? Facebook
Why: In an atmosphere reminiscent of a jungle with a solid aesthetic, Tannin, my love with its list of 100 wines - which you choose with the help of a student's ruler - and it's small, the meticulous menu is that point of Hippocrates where you stop and to fool around with it. The pink NEON, the plants, the bar. And above, where you are sure you have seen it all, there is a sign on the pedestrian street right next to it that says "KAVA" and guides your gaze to a basement. The piano, along with some clusters of bottles, pops out to further intrigue your mood.
Next to one of the last active video clubs in Athens, the wine bar that has been the talk of the town since the very first year makes sure to give its visitors something extra every time. For example, this Friday, 11/11, the magical lower space of Tanini welcomes the jazz duo of Giorgos Kontrafouris and Stefanos Andreadis for an evening full of music, good wine and solid gastronomic options to accompany it.
For this specific event, pre-booking is required at 211 11 50 145
Do you have any food tips: Be sure to try the myzithra from Kefalonia (you can take it with various kinds of cheese and cured meats). Equally remarkable is the sea bass ceviche or, if you're into heart, the beef filet tartare. The toasted bread from the Terrible Child is a must-have in most dishes.
And for wine? If you have decided what colour you want the wine to be in your glass, everything depends on Eva. If you still need to come up with that too, you will make it even more difficult for her, but I am sure she will bring you something that will please your palate.
The unmissable show of the week: The Man from Podolsk, directed by Giorgos Koutlis
Where: On the Nikos Kourkoulos stage of the National Theatre
When: Wednesday - Sunday
Why: "You like the absurd."
Perhaps one of this season's best shows comes to the iconic Chiller building of the National Theater to transport us to the Kafkaesque setting of an anything-but-ordinary police station. With a powerful text performed for the first time in a Greek theatre, the writer Dmitri Danilov tests our endurance in laughter and thought while the excellent cast of actors under the direction of Giorgos Koutlis manages to get a thumbs up along with the applause, which would say "don't miss her". A jumble of mental and spiritual upliftment that brings us face to face with the uncomfortable condition of a police force with a different - very different - temperament from the one we are used to. An avant-garde, surreal night in a department that undertakes to bend a prisoner's resistance to joy and interest in life. At the end of the show, in a sense, we all become that prisoner. And we danced to the song we were skillfully taught for about an hour and 20 minutes on the Nikos Kourkoulos stage.
Where do I book: www.ticketservices.gr/event and at 210.7234567 (with your credit card)
The city's Tangerine bar: Santarosa on Asklipiou Street
Where: Asklipou 69, Athens
When: Every night
And on Social? Facebook
Why: In this store, time is so relative that you almost forget it. So does stress. No one has yet figured out if there is some invisible door in the shop that only lets in happy faces of people casually chatting and enjoying themselves as if the word stress doesn't exist in their vocabulary. Or if the shop's energy is so fantastic that it only attracts people who know how to have a good time enjoying their drink and company. In the imposing bar of Santarosa, the atmosphere has something of Tangier (the place responsible for the decoration and the shop's name). At the same time, the Gothic element makes its presence felt.
To get there, you need nothing more than your good mood and maybe a flight mode on your mobile - to enjoy it without restrictions.
Extra tip: When and if you are in the mood for social research, check Santarosa's Facebook page. Perhaps the only bar that doesn't have drinks on its page doesn't have cocktails, but some obscure videos- haiku for the other person's scroll.
The Dream On exhibition: NEON + Hellenic Parliament at the Tobacco Factory
Where: Lenorman 218
When: Wednesday - Sunday 11.00-19.00 / Saturday 12.00 - 20.00
Until when: 27/11
And on Social? Instagram | Facebook
Why: In 18 large-scale installations, the artists John Bock, Helen Chadwick, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Martha Dimitropoulou, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, David Hammons, Thomas Hirschhorn, Damien Hirst, Michael Landy, Maria Loizidou, Paul McCarthy, Annette Messager, Maros Michalakakou, Wangechi Mutu, Paul Pfeiffer, Matthew Ritchie, Anna-Maria Samaras, Alexandros Psychoulis undertake under the supervision of Dimitris Paleokrassas to take us along on a journey of mind and evolution. It is worth noting that after the end of the exhibition, the works will be donated to 4 museums in 3 countries on two continents (EMST, TATE, and jointly to the Guggenheim and MCA Chicago). Vegetable heads and credit card shredding machines. A Mercedes covered in straw and a cardboard maze that can keep you captivated for hours in the different phases of Thomas Hirschhorn's life.
Extra Tip: Don't say no to this invitation to tour Thomas's mind; some piece is definitely in there.
Where do I book: The exhibition is free; you will need to pre-book your place at NEON | ARTSVP
The comeback film of Panos X. Koutras: DODO, a colourful film
Where: In the city's cinemas
When: All week
Why: Fans of the cult "Attack of the Giant Moussaka" will need no more reasons to see the new directorial creation of Panos Koutras. Nevertheless, after the excellent "Xenia" and the famous "Strella", the director returns with the appearance of an extinct bird and a solid cast (Smaragda Karydis, Akis Sakellariou, Jeff Montana, Natasha Exintaveloni, Angelos Papadimitriou, etc. ) with a dramedy who wants to comment on everyday life in her colourful way. The official selection of the Cannes Film Festival for 2022, Dodo, starts its journey in Greek cinemas today and is waiting for us to support it.
Dee Dee Bridgewater's only jazz concert: At the SNFCC
Where: In the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the SNFCC
When: Monday 14/11 at 20.30
And on Social? Dee Dee Bridgewater - YouTube
Why: As part of the Cultural Center's Cosmos concerts, the fantastic Dee Dee Bridgewater puts us in the jazz mood that every Monday needs to go well. A Grammy and Tony Award winner, the widely considered priestess of jazz, began her journey in 1974 with Afro Blue and, to this day, has made millions of people drink water (or instead whiskey) to her name and follow her wherever she goes. So it is no coincidence that the Greek jazz audience has already pre-purchased their tickets from the very first day of the announcement of her concert in Greece. However, if you have time, the answer is yes, as long as you hurry!
Where can I book? You can either book online or at the Ticket Services office (39 Panepistemiou, Athens) or by phone at 210 7234567
Till next time: Go out, turn off your mobile phone and enjoy your favourite places with loved ones.
