Greece’s Best Dessert Bar Opens in Athens

Chania’s famous Koukouvaya Cafe, which has been named Greece’s leading dessert bar (year in, year out), has now opened its doors in the heart of Athens!

Popular among locals and tourists alike, the family-run eatery first opened up in 1997, in Chania, Crete, and is located right near the hill of Prophet Elias and the Venizelos Graves. Offering majestic views across to the Old Town and its Venetian Harbour, it quickly became the place for locals to gather and enjoy a coffee while indulging in the delicious homemade desserts. 

The decadent sweets have become so famous, nowadays people from all over the country and worldwide come here to taste the mouthwatering creations- especially their signature chocolate cake “Zoumero”, which is a moist cake dripping in a rich chocolate sauce- needless to say this secret family recipe is very well guarded! 

Take note: servings are extremely generous and if you are in a group, we suggest you order a variety of the freshly made sweets and indulge in a spoonful (or two, three) of each one.

Some of the other popular items on the menu include the “Erasmia” a chocolate sponge cake filled with orange custard, topped with freshly made whipped cream, orange glaze, and chocolate flakes, the “Igloo” a domed shape dessert, which features layers of vanilla custard and chocolate covered in crunchy caramelized almond crumbs; and if you get a chance also try the incredible variety of cheesecakes and waffles.

For those looking to taste some traditional Greek desserts, they also serve homemade Lemonopita (lemon cake), Mosaiko (chocolate biscuit cake), Milopita (apple pie), Karidopita (walnut cake), Rizogalo (rice pudding), and Ekmek Kataifi (shredded pastry topped with syrup, custard, and cream).

And now you can taste these decadent sweets when visiting Athens, as a second Koukouvaya shop opened in Plateia Agia Eirinis (in early June), allowing Athenians and international visitors to the Greek capital the opportunity to try out this leading cafe-patisserie, that has surpassed the borders of Crete as well as Greece, earning it international recognition as one of the best spots in the world to grab a dessert! 

A: Crete- Venizelos Graves, Chania 731 00; Athens- Skouze 1, Plateia Agias Eirinis