September 18, Athens: ‘Opening a restaurant here felt completely natural’

“We wanted to create a spot that feels uncomplicated,” says Nefeli Sachverdian, owner of Athens’ new restaurant September 18. With her partner, Yiannis Tsachlis, she has transformed a former plumbing workshop into an almost all-day space that’s designed to be somewhere people can simply drop in – Sachverdian is adamant there will always be room for walk-ins.

“When we first saw the building, it was in terrible condition, but I immediately knew it was the one,” she says. It has striking proportions, on a street that remains quiet despite being in one of the busiest parts of the city. “This is where we spend most of our time eating, drinking and meeting friends, so opening a restaurant here felt completely natural.”

Inside, a glowing, moon-like light hangs above the dining room, but the best tables are outside on the pavement, where plates of poached eggs with hummus and za’atar are served until 1pm. The restaurant then takes an hour’s siesta, after which lunch service takes diners through to the early hours. Dishes might include roasted aubergine with olives, pine nuts and dill yoghurt, or lemon tagliolini, while the honey cookie with chamomile cream has already become the city’s most talked-about pudding.

Communal dinners and exhibitions are planned for the future, but Sachverdian insists they have grown organically from the neighbourhood rather than as part of any grand concept. “We just wanted the restaurant to feel like it had always belonged here,” she says.

September 18, Kairi 6, Athina 105 51, Greece (september18.gr)