Map: Athens Shopping & Nightlife
Apostolou Pavlou Promenade and Thissio
Athens may not be a top shopping destination, but it does offer plenty of options for visitors who want to pick up good Greek souvenirs. On the other hand, Athens is known for its lively after-hours scene. In this chapter, you’ll find tips for shopping and for enjoying the city after dark.
Most shops catering to tourists are open long hours daily (souvenir stores in the Plaka can be open past midnight). Those serving locals are open roughly 9:00 to 20:00 on weekdays, have shorter hours on Saturday, and are closed on Sunday. Afternoon breaks are common, and some places close early a few nights a week.
For details on getting a VAT (Value-Added Tax) refund on your purchases, see the Practicalities chapter.
Shopping Areas: The main streets of the Plaka—especially Adrianou and Pandrossou—are crammed with crass tourist-trap shops selling cheap plaster replicas of ancient artifacts, along with calendars, magnets, playing cards, postcards, and profane T-shirts. Competition is fierce, so there’s room to bargain, especially if you’re buying several items. Forget Me Not is one of the more tasteful shops along here, with a thoughtfully curated selection of artsy souvenirs, including ceramics, housewares, fun T-shirts, and locally produced clothing and beachwear (Adrianou 100, tel. 210-325-3740, www.forgetmenotathens.gr).
For midrange shopping at mostly international chain stores, stroll the pedestrianized Ermou street between Syntagma Square and Monastiraki. You’ll find more local flavor at Greek shops such as Kem (handbags; Kornarou 1, just off Ermou) and the clothing stores Regalinas (Ermou 37) and Bill Cost (Ermou 14).
While tourists and big-money Athenians strut their stuff on Ermou, many locals prefer the more authentic shops on the streets just to the north, such as Perikleous, Lekka, and Kolokotroni.
For top-end international boutiques (like Prada and Louis Vuitton), head for the swanky Kolonaki neighborhood, just north of Syntagma Square—particularly posh Voukourestiou street.
Monastiraki Flea Market: This famous flea market stretches west of Monastiraki Square, along Ifestou street and its side streets. You’ll see plenty of souvenir shops, but the heart of the market is Avissinias Square, filled with antique shops selling furniture, household items, jewelry, dusty books, knickknacks, and stuff that might raise eyebrows at the airport. It’s a fun place for tourists and pickpockets to browse, but isn’t ideal for buying gifts for friends back home. There’s something going on every day, but the market is best and most crowded on Sundays, when store owners lay out the stuff they’ve been scouting for all week. If buying here, make sure to bargain (Sun flea market open 8:00-15:00, packed with locals by 10:00, Metro: Monastiraki or Thissio).
Department Store: The largest department store in Athens is Attica, which feels pretty much like a US department store and has a cafeteria on the top floor but no views (Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, Sat until 20:00, closed Sun, near Syntagma Square at 9 Panepistimiou, tel. 211-180-2600).
Serious buyers say that Athens is the best place in Greece to purchase jewelry, particularly at the shops along Adrianou. The choices are much better than you’ll find elsewhere, and—if you know how to haggle—so are the prices. The best advice is to take your time, and don’t be afraid to walk away. The sales staff gets paid on commission, and they hate to lose a potential customer. Most stores have similar selections, which they buy from factory wholesalers. If feeling shy about bargaining, ask “Do you have any discounts?” to start the conversation.
For something a bit more specialized (with high prices), visit Byzantino, which made the jewelry worn by Greek dancers in the closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They create pricey handmade replicas of museum pieces, along with some original designs (daily 10:00-21:00, Adrianou 120, tel. 210-324-6605, www.byzantino.com, run by Kosta).
Olympico creates their own modern pieces in the Greek style, along with museum copies. They also sell pieces made by artisans from all over Greece (daily 10:00-21:00, Adrianou 122, tel. 210-324-8697, George).
The gift shop at the Benaki Museum of Greek History and Culture (described on here) is also popular for its jewelry.
The best place to buy real leather sandals is Melissinos Art, the famous “poet sandal maker” of Athens. You’ll find an assortment of styles in basic shades of tan for about €40-50 per pair. The price goes up if you want to customize a pair with leather or beading in various colors, and you’ll have to wait a day or two (daily 10:00-20:00, off-season until 18:00, just off Monastiraki Square at the edge of Psyrri, Agias Theklas 2, tel. 210-321-9247, www.melissinos-art.com). For more on this shop, see here.
Icons and other Greek Orthodox objects can make good souvenirs. For the best selection, visit the shops near the cathedral, along Agia Filotheis street (most are closed Sat-Sun, described on here).
All over Athens you’ll see specialty food stores selling locally produced goods, such as olive oil, wine and liqueurs, mustards, and sweets like boxed baklava, loukoumi (a.k.a. Greek delight), and jars of “spoon sweets” (jam-like spreads).
The best place to shop for these is where the locals do—near the Central Market. Specialty grocers and spice shops cluster around Athinas and Evripidou streets, including Peri Lesvou, which sells items produced on the island of Lesbos (closed Sun, Athinas 27, tel. 210-323-3227) and Zouridakis, featuring products from Crete (closed Sun, Evripidou 25, tel. 210-321-1109).
Yoleni’s is a top-end, all-purpose Greek grocery store in the posh Kolonaki area, about a 10-minute walk from Syntagma Square. Its shelves are stocked with high-end wine, olive oil, liqueur, honey, and other temptations. They also have a café (with sandwiches and salads), wine bar, steak house, and venue for cooking classes (long hours daily, Stolonos 9, tel. 212-222-3622, www.yolenis.com).
For chocolate and other Greek goods, check out Matsouka (ΜΑΤΣΟΥΚΑ) and its offshoots, dominating a block of Karageorgi Servias, around the corner from Syntagma Square (with other branches around the city; all open long hours daily). Their main branch (at #10) sells nuts, candies, dried fruit, honey, olive oil, and other food items. Across the street is their spice shop; nearby (at #3) is their coffee-roasting operation; and a half-block away (at the corner with Voulis) is their top-end chocolate shop, selling pricey Greek, French, and Belgian pralines. Even if not buying, step inside and take a deep whiff. Notice the case of fancy desserts. Greeks bring these to a home when they’re invited for a visit instead of, say, a bottle of wine.
As you travel through Greece, you may notice Greek men spinning, stroking, and generally fidgeting with their worry beads. Greeks use these beaded strings to soothe themselves and get focused—especially during hard times. Loosely based on prayer beads, but today a secular hobby, worry beads make for a fun Greek souvenir. You’ll see them sold all over central Athens.
Many major faiths employ some version of stringed beads as a worship aid, typically to help keep track of prayers while calming and focusing the mind. Think of the Catholic rosary, Muslim prayer beads, and the long, knotted rope belts worn by medieval monks. Hindus and Buddhists also make use of beads. Greeks—likely inspired by Muslims during the nearly 400 years of Ottoman rule—adopted the habit, but it no longer carries any religious connotations.
The most typical type of worry bead is the komboloï, a loop with an odd number of beads (it can be any number, as long as it’s odd). The top of the loop may have a fixed “main bead” (or two), also called the “priest.” The newer begleri—popular only since the 1950s—is a single string with an even number of beads (so it can be comfortably balanced in the hand).
The beads are made from a variety of materials. The basic tourist version is a cheap “starter set” made from synthetic materials, similar to marbles. You’ll pay more for organic materials, which are considered more pleasant to touch: precious stones, bones, horn, wood, coral, mother-of-pearl, seeds, and more. The most prized worry beads are made of amber. Most valuable are the hand-cut amber beads, which are very soft and fragile; machine-cut amber is processed to be stronger.
When buying, go ahead and try several different strings to find one that fits well in your hand; tune in to the smoothness of the beads and the sound they make when clacking together.
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to use your worry beads—everyone finds a routine that works for them. Some flip or spin the beads in their hands, while others sit quietly and count the beads over and over. There are as many ways to use worry beads as there are Greeks. Their seemingly nervous habit appears to have the opposite effect—defusing stress and calming the nerves.
Also near Syntagma Square, Mastiha Shop specializes in (and is named for) a unique Greek treat—a sweet resin produced only by trees on a particular part of Chios island. Mastica has been revered since ancient times for its medicinal properties in treating stomach ailments. These days, this shop uses the distinctively flavorful substance for a number of products—from cookies and liqueurs to essential oils and preserves. Mastica is also commonly used in chewing gum (look for the EΛMA brand, sold at newsstands all over Greece) and as a sweet treat for kids, who dip a spoon in a jar of mastica syrup and eat it like a lollipop. Drop in for some free samples (closed Sun, a block above Syntagma Square at Panepistimiou 6, tel. 210-363-2750).
Athens is a thriving city...and the Athenians know how to have a good time after hours. I’ve provided some ideas for how to spend an evening, from folk performances to outdoor movies, enjoying rooftop cocktails, or simply strolling around and finding a scene that appeals to you.
Athens is most inviting from May through October (aside from miserably hot August), when al fresco activities such as outdoor cinema, festivals (including the Athens & Epidavros Festival), folk-dancing shows at Dora Stratou Theater, and outdoor sidewalk cafés and bars are in full swing.
In the heat of summer, some clubs close down to relocate to outdoor venues on the coast. In the winter, your options are limited to indoor venues (concerts and other performances). But folk musicians, who tend to spend their summers in small towns and islands, hibernate in Athens in winter—offering ample opportunities to hear traditional music. A number of tavernas feature live music and dancing locals year-round, providing a wonderful setting for a late dinner.
Events Listings: Athens has a constantly rotating schedule of cultural activities, such as concerts to suit every audience. For local events, look for publications such as the English-language version of the daily newspaper Kathimerini (www.ekathimerini.com).
Athens’ biggest party is the Athens & Epidavros Festival, held every June and July. The festival’s highlights are its world-class performances of dance, music, and theater at the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus, nestled spectacularly below the floodlit Acropolis. Outdoor performances at other venues enliven the already hopping city. Performances also take place at the famous Theater of Epidavros on the Peloponnese (these extend into August). Tickets go on sale in early May. You can buy them online, over the phone, and at the festival box office (closed Sun, in the arcade at Panepistimiou 39, opposite the National Library, tel. 210-327-2000, www.greekfestival.gr). Same-day tickets are also sold at the theater box office.
The Dora Stratou Theater on Filopappos Hill is the place to go to see authentic folk dancing. The theater company—the best in Greece—was originally formed to record and preserve the country’s many traditional dances. Their repertoire includes such favorites as the graceful kalamatianos circle dance, the syrtaki (famously immortalized by Anthony Quinn in Zorba the Greek), and the dramatic solo zimbetikos (€15, 1.5-hour performances run late May-late Sept, generally Wed-Fri at 21:30, Sat-Sun at 20:30, no shows Mon-Tue, morning tel. 210-324-4395, evening tel. 210-921-4650, www.grdance.org). The theater is on the south side of Filopappos Hill. If you’re taking the Metro, get off at Petralona (10-minute walk) rather than the farther Akropoli stop (20-minute walk). To walk to the theater from below the Acropolis, figure at least 20 minutes (entirely around the base of Filopappos Hill, signposted from western end of Dionysiou Areopagitou).
The rebuilt ancient theater at the foot of the Acropolis, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, occasionally hosts concerts under the stars. The theater atop Lykavittos Hill is another outdoor favorite. Both of these are used in summer for the Athens & Epidavros Festival.
Athens has a wonderful tradition of outdoor movies. Screenings take place most nights in summer (around €10, roughly June-Sept, sometimes in May and Oct depending on weather; shows start around 20:00 or 21:00, depending on when the sun sets; many offer a second, later showing). Drinks are served at these “theaters,” which are actually compact open-air courtyards with folding chairs. Movies typically are shown in their original language, with Greek subtitles (though children’s movies might be dubbed in Greek). Of Athens’ many outdoor cinema venues, these are particularly well known, convenient, and atmospheric. Call or check online to see what’s playing.
Aigli Village Cinema is a cool, classic outdoor theater in the National Garden (at the Zappeion), playing the latest blockbusters with a great sound system (tel. 210-336-9369, www.aeglizappiou.gr).
Cine Paris, in the Plaka, shows movies on the roof with Acropolis views (overlooking Filomousou Square of Kidathineon 22, tel. 210-322-2071, www.cineparis.gr).
Cine Theseion, along the Apostolou Pavlou pedestrian drag in the Thissio neighborhood, enjoys grand floodlit Acropolis views from some of its seats—one of the reasons it was voted the “best outdoor cinema in the world.” It shows both classic and current movies (Apostolou Pavlou 7, tel. 210-347-0980 or 210-342-0864, www.cine-thisio.gr).
A peaceful pedestrian lane circles the Acropolis, providing locals and visitors alike a delightful place for an evening stroll. This promenade is what I call the “Acropolis Loop” (consisting of Dionysiou Areopagitou to the south and Apostolou Pavlou to the west). As the sun goes down, it’s busy with locals (lovers, families, seniors, children at play) and visitors alike.
The promenade cuts through the Thissio district, just beyond the Agora, where the tables and couches of clubs and cocktail bars clog the pedestrian lanes under the Acropolis. More upscale than the Plaka, Thissio gives you an easy escape from the tired tourism of that zone. Thissio is basically composed of three or four streets running into Apostolou Pavlou (part of the “Acropolis Loop”). Iraklidon street is a tight lane with people socializing furiously at café tables squeezed under trees. Akamantos street, while still colorful, is a bit more sedate. Backgammon boards chatter, TVs blare the latest sporting events, and young Athenians sip their iced coffees en masse. As the sun sets and the floodlit temples of the Acropolis ornament the horizon, you understand why this quiet and breezy corner is such a hit with locals enjoying an evening out.
Come here just to stroll through a fine café scene, enjoy a drink and some great people-watching, or see a movie under the stars (at Cine Theseion, listed earlier).
To reach Thissio, walk the pedestrian lane around the Acropolis from either end. It makes a wonderful destination after the more peaceful stretch from the Acropolis Museum (Metro: Akropoli). Or ride the Metro to Thissio, then follow the crowds uphill along the broad Apostolou Pavlou walkway toward the Acropolis. For more details about this main drag, see here.
Athens abounds with bar/cafés serving drinks in lively and atmospheric settings (including on rooftops boasting grand views). I’ve listed a few good areas to explore. Note that although bars are supposed to be nonsmoking, many places don’t adhere to this rule. Expect to leave most bars smelling of smoke.
Psyrri: Immediately north of Thissio, this area is downscale and more cutting-edge than its neighbor...seedy-chic. The center of this district is Iroon Square, with several cute bar/cafés spilling into the square under a jolly mural. Nearby Lepeniotou and Esopou streets are good to explore for their creatively decorated places. You can get your bearings by doing my self-guided walk of Psyrri (
see the Psyrri & Central Market Walk chapter); for dining recommendations, see the Eating in Athens chapter.
St. Irene (Agia Irini) Square and Nearby: The square surrounding the Church of St. Irene, a short walk east of Psyrri (across busy Athinas street), offers one of the most delightful wine-and-coffee scenes in the center. Day or night you’ll find the place filled with locals enjoying the stylish, modern bar/cafés and classy ambience. The streets that peel off from the square are largely traffic-free and lined with places that invite you to explore and come in for a drink. The best of these is Six D.o.g.s bar, hiding down some stairs in a nondescript alley between the square and Psyrri. This sunken open-air courtyard with high stone walls, leafy trees overhead, and seating on multilevel terraces serves up tropical cocktails and plenty of atmosphere (6 Avramioutou, tel. 210-321-0510).
Monastiraki Square and Nearby: Right on Monastiraki Square, several rooftop bars offer some of the best views of the city (described later). Nearby Adrianou street has a line of inviting restaurants and cafés with outdoor seating—some with spectacular Acropolis views. For something completely un-Greek, head a few blocks away to James Joyce Irish Pub to drink a pint of your favorite Irish brew (Astiggos 12, tel. 210-323-5055).
Near the Old Parliament: Several bars are scattered along the streets surrounding the Old Parliament building and Kolokotronis Square (just off Stadiou). This area offers a quieter, darker feel than the neighborhoods described earlier, and serves a more professional-feeling clientele. Just wander the streets—Anthimou Gazi, Christou Lada, and Kolokotroni—to find a spot that suits your tastes.
Plaka/Syntagma: Although the Plaka is jammed full of tourists and few locals, it couldn’t be more central or user-friendly, with live traditional music spilling out of seemingly every other taverna. One particularly pleasant area to explore is the stepped lane called Mnisikleous. For drinks, I enjoy Brettos distillery (with a casual atmosphere surrounded by large casks), By the Glass (a sophisticated wine bar serving good food), and Heteroclito (another good wine bar with food; near the cathedral, closer to Syntagma Square). All of these are described at the end of the Eating in Athens chapter.
Gazi: This neighborhood, west of Keramikos Cemetery, feels more local and authentically lively—but young. You’ll find clubs, bars, and restaurants on the streets spiraling out from its main square (which, conveniently, surrounds the Keramikos Metro stop). For an orientation to this area, including some recommended restaurants, see the Eating in Athens chapter.
Kolonaki: This upscale and stylish district, at the foot of Lykavittos Hill, is Athens’ top area for yuppie nightlife.
Exarchia: The very grungy student/anarchist zone that stretches north of Kolonaki is rougher around the edges than the other places I describe here. But adventurous travelers might enjoy exploring the area...with caution. (First, read the description on here.)
A touristy-yet-appealing way to spend an evening is at one of Athens’ many rooftop bars, all with views of floodlit monuments.
The rooftop of the A for Athens hotel hosts both locals and tourists who come to gawk at its views. Thanks to its prime spot on Monastiraki Square, it offers dramatic views of the Acropolis looming above the city. If this place is too crowded, try the 360 Cocktail Bar on the same square (but with less impressive panoramas).
For a similarly great view and overpriced cocktails, visit the recommended rooftop restaurant and bar of the Hotel Grande Bretagne, across the street from Syntagma Square. If strolling the pedestrian promenade through Thissio, consider a stop at the Thissio View restaurant and bar (Apostolou Pavlou 25).
There are also several rooftop bars at hotels near the Acropolis Museum, including the Modern Restaurant, on top of the Athenswas Hotel (5 Dionysiou Areopagitou), and the Point α Bar at the Herodion Hotel (4 Rovertou Galli). You’ll be in the company of other tourists, and views are less impressive, as you’re looking at the backside of the Acropolis, but these spots are convenient to some of my recommended accommodations in Makrigianni and Koukaki.