by Katerina Kamposou / photos by Tasos Anestis

Less than a decade ago, hanging out on Salaminos Street wasn’t exactly anyone’s first choice — in fact, it wasn’t even on the list. It was a neighborhood with neglected 1950s buildings, poor lighting, forgotten by time and somewhat run-down. But somehow, things turned around. Salaminos is no longer the hidden pedestrian street of Kerameikos — it’s the street of lights, of tables strung with colorful garlands, and groups of people celebrating until late at night. A small “corridor” for foodies, connecting Italian cuisine with mixology and industrial style. Here you sip Spritz, choose between pizza Napoletana or Chicago deep dish, and watch passersby as if you were on a Roman pedestrian street (if Rome had street art and grunge vibes).

Here for the famous Chicago pizza
Steve’s made Salaminos synonymous with Chicago-style pizza. It’s housed in an old truck repair shop from the ’60s — underneath the kitchen there’s still the pit where mechanics used to stand to fix vehicles. The staff wear mechanic uniforms, the huge garage door reads “Manufacturing and assembly of hamburgers,” and the industrial retro aesthetic feels straight out of an American movie set.

“This little alley, which now feels like a romantic seaside stroll, wasn’t always like this,” says Yannis from Steve’s. “When we opened in 2019, Salaminos was the dark side of Kerameikos — we’d walk through it quickly, keys in hand. But everything changed with our burgers and our Chicago deep dish pizza — a pizza that looks like a tart, with rich sauce and lots of cheese. We were the first to bring it to Greece, and we turned the area into a destination, with people coming exclusively for it,” he adds.

Neapolitan street food
Visitors to Salaminos are split into two camps: those who vote for American comfort and line up at Steve’s, and the more “tradition loyalists,” who want thin, authentic Italian dough. The latter have their go-to spot just a few steps away — the tables of Armando. Armando serves exclusively Neapolitan pizza and fills the pedestrian lane every night — not only with hungry groups looking for a spot at the colorful tables, but also with Instagrammers who come to photograph the most photogenic pizza box in Athens, featuring the face of “Saint” Diego Armando Maradona (hence the pizzeria’s name). DJ Rodolfo plays music at full volume, glasses are filled with Aperol, and pizzas of every kind land on the tables — from the classic Margherita to the Spinata with pickled zucchini and kimchi, like the ones ordered by Vasso and Vivi, two girls we met by chance at Armando who love not only pizza but also the new hangouts that are springing up.

As they say: “For us, this area is the center of culture. It’s neither Gazi nor Kolonaki nor Exarchia, which are all overrun now. Salaminos brings something fresher to nightlife and dining, changing the whole vibe of the old Metaxourgeio and Kerameikos, which used to intimidate Athenians.”

Introducing gnocchi fritti to Athens
Osteria Mamma, right next door, serves everything Italian — except pizza. “Salaminos is a phenomenon,” says entrepreneur Vasilis Stefanakis, who, along with chef Eleni Saranti, created the concept behind Osteria. They traveled across almost all of Italy to gather ideas and craft dishes not found anywhere else in Athens, such as gnocchi fritti and gnudi. The result is a rustic osteria, with its signature round tables, white tablecloths, romantic candles, and porcelain decorated with lemons on the tables — giving Salaminos a touch of Bologna.

Cocktails in a neoclassical mansion
Just before the pedestrian street ends, we arrived at Beauty Killed the Beast, the first cocktail bar to land on Salaminos. Housed in an impressive neoclassical building with glass panels, plants, velvet textures, and details that feel more like an old house than a bar, by night it transforms into an atmospheric spot: low lighting, electronic and soul music (sometimes selected by one of the four co-owners, Myron Stratis), and tables full of people who stay until late. It’s no coincidence that it serves as the finale of the Salaminos stroll — a theatrical closing to a route that begins with pizza, street food, Italian dishes, and ends here, with a drink.

So, why do we love Salaminos?
Because it’s the small street that came to life thanks to people who weren’t afraid to take risks — they lit it up themselves, and turned it into a destination.