Though it is quite commercialized it is still a neighborhood and arguably the nicest neighborhood in central Athens. Most of the restaurants are typical tourist places but the quality of food is not bad and if you follow my leads in the restaurant section of this guide you should have a few enjoyable evenings and not be unpleasantly surprised by the bill. As for the tourist shops they are crammed full of stuff, some of it junk but plenty of interesting items if you feel compelled to bring back gifts to everyone you know. If you sit in one of these cafes long enough you will see that everyone who comes to Greece walks down these two streets. From famous basketball players to rock stars and nobel prize winners, these streets below the Acropolis are a major crossroads of civilization.
Some people like to get right out, walking around and shopping.
First of all you need to get your bearings. The Plaka is under the Acropolis . There are two main streets. Kydatheneon begins at Nikis st, which is one block down from Constitution or Syntagma Square . The easiest way to find it if you are not already in the Plaka is to find the square.