A city of many contradictions, Athens will leave you in raptures. As far as ancient history goes, it simply doesn’t get better than this. And though the maze-like streets and squares are laced with an inky, lived-in sort of grit, they feel deeply romantic. With a fresh crop of new openings having sprung up this past year – and more on the way – there’s no better time to immerse yourself in the Greek capital’s heady chaos.

Occupying a factory space on a narrow side street, Mona brings singular interiors and a downright irresistible mood to the unsung Psyri neighbourhood. Inside, exposed concrete is offset by whispery-soft textiles. Chaises clad in cognac-toned velvet sit atop original terrazzo floors. On the walls, you’ll find framed drawings by Ms Alexandria Coe. The rooftop thrums with pét nat-fuelled conversation and from its tables you can glimpse the soaring columns of the Parthenon.

Follow Agion Anargiron Street for a bit and you’ll come across one of Athens’ latest arrivals, Apollo Palm, split between two Bauhaus-style buildings. Here, white-on-white spaces are jazzed up with huge, mirrored panels and pops of sunburst yellow. Light streams in through gauzy drapes, bathing everything in a soft-focus glow.

Positioned on the fringes of Plaka, there’s a lot to be said for The Dolli’s cool, clean-lined aesthetic. Though most impressive is its high-perched pool, which happens to be angled squarely at the Acropolis. Meanwhile, half an hour’s drive from the city in Aegean-lapped Glyfada, One&Only Aesthesis makes for an unbeatable base from which to dip in and out of the action.

When you’re not gawping at the time-worn façades or contemplating the meaning of life from a kafenia table, you’d be remiss not to dive head-first into Athens’ fizzing art scene. Hot Wheels showcases experimental works from a global lineup of multi-disciplinary artists, Arch – named for its proximity to the lofty Arch of Hadrian – is another non-negotiable. Also check out the upstairs workshop space at The Breeder in Metaxourgio, where Mr Dimitris Gketsis’ metal-cast organic forms (from clam shells to hearts, noses and eyes) are displayed beneath polaroids documenting his creative journey.

Open-air cinemas have long been a part of Athenian life and lately a handful of old-school iterations have reopened following restoration projects. With its vine-entangled walls and rows of director’s chairs, Zephyros has to be one of the most alluring. You can also catch rooftop screenings of the classics (think La Piscine and La Dolce Vita, to name but a couple) at CineParis.

When it comes to stirring sights, the necropolis of Keramikos is a good place to start. All monumental tombs, funerary sculptures and crumbling walls, there’s an eerie beauty to it and you can expect to lose a few hours roaming between the epitaphs.

Up there with the city’s most notable Byzantine structures is the stone-and-brick Church of Panagia Kapnikarea, which stands out a mile amid Ermou Street’s gleaming shop fronts. Andnot far from Syntagma Square you can admire medals, coins and gems galore at the Numismatic Museum.

Then of course there’s the Acropolis, which admittedly calls for little introduction. Swerve the snap-happy tour group hordes by making your way over there towards the end of the afternoon – somewhere around 4.00pm is the sweet spot. Trust us when we say you’ll be glad for the space, and the way those Doric columns glow in the last of the day’s sun.

Turning out moreish plates informed by the seasons, Akra, which opened its doors last summer, draws a clued-in crowd to artsy Pangrati. The menu is forever being switched up, but current standouts include grilled amberjack with tomatoes and rice and zucchini peaks with potatoes and goats cheese.

Occupying a neoclassical building a stone’s throw from Syntagma Square, Michelin-starred Soil’s 14-course tasting menu is a triumph. Meanwhile, at Nolan, you can expect elevated Greek dishes with an Asian kick. A few doors down is Birdman, a dimly lit Japanese grill focused on nose-to-tail cooking. Don’t miss the oshizushi tartare with yuzu and Andros capers and, while you’re at it, try a mastic negroni, which comes garnished with frozen cucumber jellies.

In the graffiti-scrawled Exarchia neighbourhood, you’ll find equally buzzy Pharaoh, where Athens’ movers and shakers tuck into comforting Greek classics as the resident DJ spins jazz records behind a huge chrome-topped bar. Try the rooster with hilopites and round things off with a wedge of galaktoboureko – a sort of custard encased in sugar-crisped filo pastry.

Spilling onto the pavement of an unassuming Monastiraki street, Wine Is Fine puts labels from natural producers front and centre and has a menu of artfully presented small plates to complement them. You can continue the low-intervention wine crawl with a glass at Tanini Agapi Mou, then the just-opened Fellos, with its cushion-strewn benches and huge windows pulled open to let the breeze in, is fast becoming the go-to for a nightcap (we recommend the basil-muddled Ke-Pos). Last but not least, keep an eye on the events line-up at Big Table Athens, with a bit of luck one of the rooftop get-togethers will be on while you’re in town.

Begin in Psyri, where you’ll find Treasure House Vintage packed to the rafters with denim, deadstock work pants and a brilliant edit of slogan tees. Further along the same street, vinyl collectors can sift through crates of lesser-known punk and psych rock at Syd Records. Half an hour away in Koukaki, Underflow has an eclectic line-up of jazz and experimental, plus a basement bar pouring smoky single malt.

For zines and conversation-starting coffee table books, Hyper Hypo is worth checking out. Even better is Adad Books in Merkouri Square, with its sharp-eyed curation and sun-dappled tables for perching at with a freddo espresso.