On Residence

Worth getting out of bed for

You’d never know it to look at the placid waters of Thermaikos Gulf and watch locals breezily wander the boardwalk, but Thessaloniki’s history hasn’t been smooth sailing. Marauders and massacres, wars, fires, Nazi occupation, and a sharp economic downturn have forged it in tumult, but this scrappy second city has bounced back every time, and over millennia, pieces fell into place for its art and design scene to thrive, its more-bubbling-cauldron-than-melting-pot cuisine to mark it as a distinctly gastronomic destination, and old and new to come together in harmony. You can’t escape the past – the Greeks, Romans and Macedonians built things to last – but you can admire it from this distance. Byzantine walls and fortifications are the perfect sunset perch; the Arch of Galerius details the military exploits of a 4th-century Roman emperor and the domed Rotunda was to be his mausoleum; columns outline the Roman Forum ruins; a bevy of Byzantine churches stand decorously throughout; and the White Tower is a somewhat sobering totem of bloody back-in-the-day rule, as the site of many beheadings – it was known as ‘the Bloody Tower’ until it was quite literally whitewashed in the 19th century. Heptapyrgion, an ancient prison infamous for its brutality, which only closed in 1989, offers spooky tours; and, Aristotelous Square replaced the labyrinthine lanes of the old city after much was razed by fire in 1917. There are 15 Unesco sites – and a lot to learn, with a brainwave-ing 29 museums, dedicated to folklife, the Olympics, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (the founder of the Republic of Turkey), war, water and wine-making, and more niche interests: plaster casts, selfies… In many ways, the arts have been the city’s saving grace and this is no more evident than along the lively waterfront, where you’ll find museums dedicated to photography and cinema, the screening venues for November’s annual Thessaloniki Film Festival and the Contemporary Art Centre, all crowding onto one pier. The Museum of Contemporary Art shows the city on fast-forward, further inland, the Costakis Collection and Teloglion Fine Arts Foundation pull together important 20th-century pieces, and smaller venues such as Toss and Nitra galleries onward march. The Biennale cultivates even the more unusual parts of the city, with some shows in slaughterhouses, churches and baths; and for an intro to the city’s dynamic design scene, come to Dimitria Festival (held in early autumn), which first started in Byzantine times; and Urban Pik-nik is a party with screenings and gigs held in the ancient agora. For surprisingly stylish souvenirs, head to hellofrom or trawl main drag Egnatia. Then ease off your day pausing for thought by George Zongolopoulos’s Umbrellas sculpture and strolling the shorefront’s gardens.

Local restaurants

Having been something of a free-for-all in the past, Thessaloniki’s cuisine has crossed many borders, with Roman, Jewish, Turkish and French influences and strong Macedonian base notes. It keeps things lively – take Extravaganza, a shabby-chic spot serving portfolio dishes such as radish risotto with smoked eel, poached pear and gorgonzola; chickpea meatballs with tahini and yoghurt mousse; and salmon on black rice in orange gazpacho. Full Tou Meze (‘full of meze’, a promise they keep), is a bright white space with strings of chillies and garlic hanging from the ceiling in good portent; load up all the breads and dips, and then go wild on dolmadakia, marathopita fennel pie, lasagna rolls stuffed with spinach and bacon, manouri cheese drizzled in honey, sausages, seafood and anything else you can manage. Mare e Monti throws Italian into the mix with classics and some locally influenced twists, say the baked pecorino with cinnamon, honey and walnuts. Try the linguine Rigoletto with parmesan, prosciutto and balsamic in a sauvignon reduction, or the fusilli della regina with strips of fillet steak, cream and brandy, flambéed. And, Igglis (a bastardisation of ‘English’) has Crittall-style windows and plants aplenty; the chefs keep it simple and traditional – the grilled lamb or steak with hand-cut potatoes, or smoky pork and thyme on mash are just-right. The pod of metal dolphins breaching through 7 Thalasses’ wall might be a little much, but there’s no flash needed when it comes to the food: prawn Caesar salads, shrimp tartare with green apple, and artful mouthfuls of caviar-sprinkled sushi.

Local cafés

Mia Feta Bar gives the tangy crumbly Grecian cheese its due. It’s in pretty much everything, whether crumbled over French toast, smoked and served with fava beans and mushrooms, saganaki-style with molasses and orange cream… And things don’t get much better for the lactose-intolerant at Bougatsa Banti (33 Panagias Faneromenis), where Macedonia’s famous phyllo pastry, filled with custard or cheese, comes in hearty sugar-dusted slabs.

Local bars

Thessalonians are a sociable bunch, with people coming and going from the port for centuries. The night might find you sipping tsipouro (Greek grappa) as someone needles about on a bouzouki, clinking cocktails under rainbow lights or discussing the minutiae of microbrews. Aside from its neons, the Blue Cup isn’t all that blue – more industrial with its brick walls and ample wood –  but their classic cocktails are on a level, unlike you after a few bands have wrapped up their sets here. Bord de L’eau Drinkroom is an avant-garde jewellery and art store by day and a sanctuary for the city’s cool crowd by night – if you like what the DJ’s spinning, you can buy vinyl here too. Local wine bar may be impossible to Google, but it’s worth the hair-tearing, because once you’re plonked under its greenery-shaded terrace with a glass of Domaine Skouras Viognier in hand, all stresses will melt away. And, To Palio Hamam’s rooftop overlooks the terracotta domes of Ottoman-era baths – which look especially magical lit up at night.