The perfect burger, or rather the perfect American-style greasy spoon, has long been the holy grail of expats and locals in Athens. There have been a number of places that have gone after the title of the Athenian burger king over the past 30 years, usually in the affluent southern suburb of Glyfada, home to a U.S. military base in the 1980s, but none have had lasting power. The military base has been closed for some time now but the appetite for American diner-style food (the kind popularized in what have traditionally been Greek-owned diners) has not abated in the least. Enter New York Sandwiches, opened less than two years ago near Pyrgos Athinon (pyrgos means “tower”) – the only skyscraper in central Athens – in the busy area of Ambelokipoi. With a menu that includes burgers, bagel sandwiches and Philly cheesesteaks, old-school letter boards hanging above the counter listing what’s on offer, and pictures of New York on the walls, the restaurant works hard to bring a bit of America to the heart of Athens.