Shopping A-Z

Antiques

Warning: If you hope to take home an antique -- perhaps an icon or a woodcarving -- know in advance that not everything sold as "antique" is genuine, and that it's illegal to take antiquities and icons more than 100 years old out of Greece without a hard-to-obtain export license.

If you're looking for first editions, prints showing 19th-century Athens, a silver sword, or amber worry beads, try Antiqua, 2-4 Leoforos Vas. Sofias, off Syntagma Square (tel. 210/323-2220). This is one of Athens's oldest antiques stores, and perhaps the best. It also features handsome ancient coins and old icons -- but take heed of the warning above.

Also near Syntagma Square, Giannoukos, 4 Vas. Amalias (tel. 210/324-1700), has a sound reputation. If you're near Syntagma and looking for antiquarian books, maps, and prints, try Salaminia, with branches at 47 Panepistimiou (tel. 210/321-8155) and 22 Stadiou (tel. 210/331-3944).

Over in Monastiraki on Pandrossou, of the many pseudo-antiques shops, you'll find one or two good ones. Martinos, 50 Pandrossou (tel. 210/321-2414; www.martinosart.gr), has Venetian and ancient glass, embroidery and kilims, swords, and side tables. Anita Patrikiadon, 58 Pandrossou (tel. 210/324-6325), also offers a good selection of weavings and woodcarvings. Also in Monastiraki, be sure to check out Byzantino, 120 Adrianou (tel. 210/324-6605), for certified handmade replicas of stunning, intricate gold designs of Byzantine and Hellenistic jewelry in addition to original works. In Kolonaki, the eponymous proprietor of Argyriadis, 42 Patriarchou Ioakim (tel. 210/725-1727), specializes in 18th-century furniture and a variety of more easily transported bibelots. Mihalarias Art, 1-3 Alopekis (tel. 210/721-3079), in a gorgeous neoclassical Kolonaki mansion, offers museum-quality furniture, paintings, and just about any bauble you can imagine. And be sure to visit the excellent Benaki Museum Gift Shop, 1 Koumbari (tel. 210/367-1000; www.benaki.gr), for high-quality prints, jewelry, ceramics, and books, plus stunning replicas of Greek artifacts.

Books

Eleftheroudakis, with its old quarters still open at 4 Nikis (tel. 210/322-2255), has new eight-story headquarters at 17 Leoforos Panepistimiou (tel. 210/331-4480). It sells Athens's widest selection of English-language books and a good range of CDs, including Greek music. The cafe's staff doesn't mind when readers stop by here to rest, pick up a free newspaper or journal, or use the clean restrooms. The store is amazingly tolerant of tourists who read, but don't buy, the wide selection of books on Greece. Check the bulletin board by the cafe for readings by local authors (sometimes in English) or upcoming concerts.

Compendium, 28 Nikis (tel. 210/322-1248), on the edge of the Plaka near Syntagma Square, is a small but fine English-language bookstore, selling both new and used fiction and nonfiction, plus magazines and maps. Local writers sometimes hold readings here. Just off Panepistimiou and steps from Syntagma Square, Reymondos, 18 Voukourestiou (tel. 210/364-8189), has a good selection in English (including dazzling photography books on Greece), stocks English-language magazines and newspapers, and is often open after usual shop hours. In the stoa, one floor up, Folia tou Bibliou (The Book Nest), 25-29 Panepistimiou (tel. 210/323-1703), stocks lots of English fiction and a wide selection of maps and books on Greece, as does Pantelis, 11 Amerikis, up from Panepistimiou (tel. 210/362-3673).

In Kolonaki, try Rombos, 6 Kapsali, off Kolonaki Square (tel. 210/724-2082), for English-language books, including books on Greece.

Crafts

There are lots of mass-produced so-called "crafts" for sale in Athens, which is why it's good to know which shops offer quality work. The Center of Hellenic Tradition, 59 Mitropoleos and 36 Pandrossou in the Plaka (tel. 210/321-3023), is a wonderful place for quality traditional Greek art, including icons, pottery, woodcarvings, embroideries, and prints. Best of all, you can take a break from shopping and look at the Acropolis while you have coffee and a snack at the cafe here. While you are on and around Mitropoleos, named after Athens's Metropolitan cathedral, keep an eye out for the shops where craftspeople still turn out decent reproductions of icons for the faithful.

Also in the Plaka, Anoyi, 1 Sotiros (tel. 210/322-6487), is an absolute delight, with old prints, furniture, reproduced icons, and fabrics. On the fringes of the Plaka, the National Welfare Organization (Ethnikos Organismos Pronias), 6 Ypatias and Apollonos, just east of the cathedral (tel. 210/325-0524), has gorgeous embroideries, rugs, pottery, icons, and very bored, unhelpful salespeople. The Greek Women's Institution, 3 Kolokotroni (tel. 210/325-0524), specializes in embroidery from the islands and copies of embroideries from the Benaki Museum.

Department Stores

The Attica department store in the beautiful CityLink building, 9 Panepistimiou (tel. 210/180-2500; www.atticadps.gr; Metro: Syntagma), has the best window displays in the city and over 300 stores in its eight floors, with 800 different brands of clothing, accessories, cosmetics, and home wares. Notos Galleries, 2-8 Eolou (tel. 210/324-5811; www.notosgalleries.gr; Metro: Omonia/Monastiraki), has seven floors of clothing, cosmetics, sportswear, and more. Hondos Center, 4 Platieia Omonias (tel. 210/323-3304; www.hondoscenter.gr), smack in the middle of Omonia Square -- and many locations throughout the city -- is reasonably priced and has just about everything you could want, plus a rooftop cafe with Acropolis views. For smaller shops, wander along Ermou, off Syntagma, where you'll find enough shoe shops to outfit the world. When you tire of shoes, explore the side streets of Emou, such as Mitropoleos, Voulis, and Praxitelous, where you can buy everything from chocolates and curtains, to doorknobs and dust bins, to buttons and baptism dresses. Outside the center, coastal Glyfada and leafy Kifissia also offer excellent (but more high-end) shopping. With its 80 stores, Athens Heart, 180 Pireos (tel. 210/341-4105; www.athensheart.gr; Metro: Petralona), is the easiest downtown mall to access. If you want to shop in a megamall with 15 movie theaters, 25 restaurants, and 300 shops, hop on Metro line 1 and get off at Nerantziotissa station, right in front of the Athens Mall (called the Mall Athens in Greece; Mon-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 9am-8pm; www.themallathens.gr). When you're done shopping, go the top-floor balcony and have a cold drink while you take in the view of northern Athens and the magnificent Athens Olympic Sports Complex, the city's newest landmark.

Fashion

If you do any window-shopping in Athens, you'll soon see how expensive most things are, except during the January and August sales. Not surprisingly, Athens's most posh clothing stores are in Kolonaki. Much of what you'll see is American or European and often carries a hefty import duty; the other selections are mostly Greek designer wear. Good streets to browse are Voukourestiou, Kanari, Milioni, Tsakalof, Patriarchou Ioakim, Skoufa, and perhaps the most expensive street in town, Anagnostopoulou -- where Versace, Ferre, Lagerfeld, and Guy Laroche have boutiques, as do well-known Athenian designers such as Aslanis, Nikos, Filemon, and Sofos. If shoes are your thing, head for Tsakalof, with its heavy concentration of the shoe stores that most Athenians find irresistible.

A few individual shops near Kolonaki Square to check out: Artisti Italiani, 5 Kanari (tel. 210/363-9085), has Italian-designed clothes for men and women. Head to the Bettina Boutique, 40 Pindarou and 29 Anagnostopoulou (tel. 210/339-2094), for Greek designer Sophia Kokosalaki, whose sexy and edgy work has made her the toast of Paris. Jade, 3 Anagnostopoulou (tel. 210/364-5922); Ritsi, 13 Tsakalof (tel. 210/363-8677); and Sofos, 5 Anagnostopoulou (tel. 210/361-8713), all sell designer women's clothing. Elina Lembessi, 13 Irakleitou (tel. 210/363-1731), has elegantly casual tops, bottoms, and accessories. Desmina, 5 Koubare (tel. 210/364-1010), offers sportier women's clothing, with lots of pantsuits and casual wear. New Man, 25 Solonos at Voukourestiou (tel. 210/360-8876), has casual men's clothes, while nearby Berto Lucci, 8 Solonos (tel. 210/360-3775), carries more trendy attire. Greek designer Yiorgos Eleftheriades, 13 Agion Anargiron (tel. 210/331-2622; www.yiorgoseleftheriades.gr), well known in Greece and abroad for his casual yet elegant designs for both men and women, has recently moved his studio/store from Kolonaki to Psirri. It is well worth a visit. Back in Kolonaki, check out Christos Veloudakis, 22a Tsakalof (tel. 210/364-1764), where long, red velvet curtains lead you into an impeccably stylish boutique for men and women right on Tsakalof street.

In pharmacies, keep an eye out for the Korres line of natural beauty products, now being sold in smart shops abroad such as Liberty of London. The soaps and lotions make lovely gifts. If you want to visit Korres's mother store, go to the corner of 8 Ivikou, near the Panathenaic Stadium (tel. 210/756-0600; www.korres.com).

Jewelry

All that glitters most definitely is not gold in Athens's myriad of jewelry shops. Unless you know your gold very well, you'll want to exercise caution when shopping here, especially in the Plaka and Monastiraki stores that cater to tourists.

Greece's best-known jewelry stores are Zolotas, with branches at 10 Panepistimiou (tel. 210/361-3782) and at 9 Stadiou (tel. 210/331-3320; www.zolotas.gr), and LALAoUNIS, 6 Panepistimiou (tel. 210/362-1371; www.lalaounis.com). Both firms have gorgeous reproductions of ancient and Byzantine jewelry, as well as their own designs. You can see more of the LALAoUNIS designs at the LALAoUNIS museum. Also, Kanakis at 17 Stratigou Makrigianni (tel. 210/922-8297) features a stunning range of ancient Greek motifs in original and contemporary gold designs.

For serious window-shopping for gold and silver, crisscross pedestrian Voukourestiou, which is dripping with jewelry shops. Then head to Kolonaki Square along Patriarchou Ioakim, where still more ornate and serious baubles are on display. Don't miss J. Vourakis at 8 Voukourestiou (tel. 210/331-1087) and Fanourakis at 23 Patriiarchou Ioakeim (tel. 210/234-6624; www.fanourakis.gr).

One of the best shops for silver is Nisiotis, 23 Lekka, just off Syntagma Square (tel. 210/324-4183). Off Syntagma, but toward Plaka, Pantelis Mountis, 27 Apollonos (tel./fax 210/324-4574), sells reproductions of Byzantine icons and religious medals.

We've been pleased with the quality and prices at Emanuel Masmanidis's small Gold Rose Jewelry shop, 85 Pandrossou (tel. 210/321-5662). Others report satisfaction in dealings with Stathis, 2 Venizelou, Mitropoleos Square (tel. 210/322-4691). For more moderate budgets, you might want to check out Archipelagos at 142 Adrianou in Plaka (tel. 210/323-1321) for unique pieces in silver and gold; Apriati near Syntagma Square at 9 Pendelis (tel. 210/322-9020; www.apriati.com) has great designs from local artists and a second store in Kolonaki at 29 Pindarou; Folli Follie at 37 Ermou (tel. 210/323-0601; www.folli-follie.com) is an internationally successful Greek chain that has a wide range of goodies, from accessories to briefcases. Last and most certainly not least, be sure to check out the awesome designs of Elena Votsi at 7 Xanthou in Kolonaki (tel. 201/360-0936; www.elenavotsi.com; Metro: Evangelismos). Elena is the designer of the new Olympic Games medals and is renowned worldwide for her striking designs using semiprecious stones.

Markets & Groceries

The Central Market on Athinas is open Monday through Saturday from about 8am to 6pm. You may not want to take advantage of all of the bargain prices (two sheep's heads for the price of one is our all-time favorite), but this is a great place to buy Greek spices, herbs, cheeses, and sweets -- and to see how Athens is fed.

Every Friday from about 8am until 2pm, Xenokratous in Kolonaki turns into a street market selling flowers, fruits, and vegetables. This is a very different scene from the rowdy turmoil of the Central Market, although it's lively enough. Kolonaki matrons come here with their Filipino servants, who lug their purchases home while the ladies head off for shopping and light lunches (perhaps at fashionable To Kafenio, tel. 210/722-9056). Every neighborhood has a weekly market; if you want to take in a number of them, ask at your hotel. Green Farm (tel. 210/361-4001), also in Kolonaki, sells only organic produce.

In Plaka, Mesogeia, 52 Nikkis (tel. 210/322-9146), with organic produce, is one of a number of small "boutique" groceries springing up in Athens.

Music

You won't have trouble finding Metropolis, 66 Panepistimiou and 15 Tsakalof (tel. 210/361-1463), Athens's largest music store: Follow the booming vibrations. At Slammin', 22 Asklepiou (tel. 210/361-3611), you can buy CDs and clothes. The excellent bookstore Eleftheroudakis has a wide selection of CDs.

Shoes

If you walk along Tsakalof or Patriarchou Ioakim in Kolonaki, or along almost any street in central Athens, you'll get an idea of how serious Greeks are about their footwear. Sometimes the biggest crowds in town on a Saturday night are the window-shoppers eyeing the shoes on Ermou off Syntagma Square. One good-quality store is Kaloyirou, at 12 Pandrossou, Plaka (tel. 210/331-0727), and at 4 Patriarchou Ioakim, Kolonaki (tel. 210/722-8804). The Kolonaki branch, housed inside an elegant 19th-century mansion, offers four floors of shoes for women for all occasions (plus bags and accessories on the first floor) and a separate entrance for the men's store. It is an Athenian institution. Other good choices include Mouriadis, 4 Stadiou (tel. 210/322-1229); Moschoutis, 12 Voulis at Ermou (tel. 210/324-6504); and Spiliopoulos at 63 Ermou (tel. 210/322-7590).

Spirits/Wine

Cellier, 1 Kriezotou (tel. 210/361-0040; Metro: Syntagma), has an excellent collection of some of Greece's best wines and liqueurs, with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. The same can be said for Fine Wine in Plaka at 3 Lysikratous (tel. 210/323-0350; Metro: Syntagma).

Sweets

You'll have no problem satisfying your sweet tooth in Athens. If anything, you'll come up gasping for air as you eat the seriously sweet sweets adored by most Greeks.

The long-established Aristokratikon, 9 Karayioryi Servias, just off Syntagma Square (tel. 210/322-0546), makes excellent chocolates, glazed pistachio nuts, and loukoumia (Turkish delight). Beware -- even chocoholics may find the truffles coated with white chocolate too sweet. Karavan, the hole in the wall at 11 Voukourestiou (no phone), has the best Levantine delights in town. Serving excellent coffee and sweets, K. Kotsolis Pastry Shop, 112 Adrianou, is an oasis of old-fashioned charm in the midst of the Plaka souvenir shops.

Loukoumades are the Greek doughnuts with a difference -- each is about the size of an American doughnut hole, drenched in honey, covered with cinnamon, and served hot. Delicious. If you're near Syntagma Square, try Doris, 30 Praxitelous (tel. 210/323-2671). If you're nearer Omonia Square, try Aigina, 46 Panepistimiou (tel. 210/381-4621). Better yet, try both.