Alexandroupoli: 4 places for food, sweets and drinks

A city with a long tradition and rich heritage lies on the coast of northern Greece, where land and history mix.

The history of Alexandroupoli unfolds in the port; the streets tell touching stories, the buildings fill the calendars with events, and its cultural life flourishes, allowing residents and visitors to delve into the cultural heritage of Evros.

A dainty, tiny capital, a precious guardian in Europe's most remote region, shows the evolution of Greek gastronomy. The iconic lighthouse catches the eye, but if you leave it behind and get lost in the streets of the city, you will find the elements that make a city European.

Clean streets, traffic lights, and pedestrian crossings, which, strangely enough for the Greek temperament, are observed with seriousness; pedestrian streets with tsipouradikas, cycle paths, new-generation fast coffee shops, traditional sweet shops, and hospitality that surprises you.

Kerouac – Urban Garden & Lounge Bar

Kerouac has that something that draws you in and makes you want to come back.

Maybe it's the aura of the historic building, with its tall windows, which let in plenty of daylight from everywhere and create its own Instagram backdrops. Perhaps it's the imposing mural of the anthropomorphic peacock signed by Crew Mitroulakis and the large palm trees in front of the spiral staircase in the middle of the room. Maybe the marble bar with the blue lighting and the lounges with the comfortable sofas.

It opens early for morning coffee and has options for nutritious meals between breakfast and lunch. Curated by chef Dimitris Tsananas, the menu follows modern trends with technique and finesse without losing measure.

Among the highlights are the Signature cocktails.

It's the perfect place to decompress after work or school. Late at night, the music gets louder; depending on the day, you might catch a live performance.

13 Joakim Kaviri, Alexandroupoli, tel. 2551 082222

OMEN Deli & Wine

OMEN is divided into two areas, or rather three.

To the left houses the delicatessen, and to the right, in the portico, you can stop in the foyer for a quick coffee with a snack or proceed to the inner, well-hidden courtyard.

The delicatessen area is filled with selected edible gems, such as the PDO and aged cheeses, which are prominently displayed in the display case.

Fine foods of the country are mixed with other European ones, and a modern taste puzzle is completed with revived foods from Greece, alternative flours from Europe, and a large wine cellar in the background, with the most sought-after labels.

The restaurant in the courtyard is ideal for hiding from the problems of everyday life and enjoying wine accompanied by cured cheeses and charcuterie.

The staff is welcoming, discreet, and smiling, and the prices in the deli and restaurant are so affordable that even Athenians would envy them.

El. 41 Venizelou, 681 32 Alexandroupoli, tel. 2551 020025

TO XYMA

Have you ever had a shop feel "like yours"? Here, it is probably appropriate. Someone said to its owners, "Wrap it up as it is and bring it to Athens," and we agree with them.

This is the store you enter and forget what you wanted to get, not only because you get lost in the incredibly wide variety of carefully selected products with an emphasis on the fine raw material and their story, but also because the hospitality crosses the line of friendship.

In the tiny showcase on the right, we found handmade sweets that would be the envy of even the trendiest concept store in Athens.

In the tiny kitchen, large sandwiches—the kind you can hold with both hands—are filled with the finest cheeses, cold meats, and spreads and prepared with freshly baked quality bread.

As for the owners, we left it for the end, as their hospitality represents the kindness of Alexandroupoli and the whole of Greece.

It was impossible to leave without nibbling on a bite to eat at that moment, without tasting what we were looking for, and without sipping a local spirit or a sip of wine. Not only us but also other passing visitors.

Phylis 19, 681 32 Alexandroupoli, tel. 25510 27496

The House of Sweets

The House of Sweets has delicacies and desserts for every taste and every age. It is impossible not to be attracted by the exterior decoration and not to be tempted to take a look.

Maybe it's the pistachio colour, the nostalgic style of an Italian Pizzeria, the fudge in the window, or all of these together.

It's a clean, big store with themed showcases around the perimeter. There are showcases of chocolate mice, almond pastes, profiteroles, and syrupy daddies.

There was another one with walnuts, snowballs, and coloured macarons, another with carioles and pasties with fruits and nuts, and a separate showcase in the centre with an impressive array of baklavas and various syrup-based sweets, traditional and a more modern approach.

41 Joakim Kaviri, Alexandroupoli, tel. 2551 037526

Yianna Balafouti is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos. 

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