The culturally rich, historic, vibrant and cool Athenian neighbourhood of Psyrri is packed with precious antiques, talented local artisans, authentic Greek tavernas, boho bars, charming cafes and loads of visitors who come here time and time again to enjoy a spot where the modern world blends in beautifully with old-time charm.
With so many amazing dessert places to choose from, we’ve rounded up our favourite spots to enjoy some delicious sweets in Psirri, for your next visit to the Greek capital!
Ta Serbetia Stou Psirri
One of Athens’ most loved patisseries, Ta Serbetia Stou Psirri is a family-run shop that first opened its doors in 1997. Since then, they have been serving mouthwatering homemade sweets created using family recipes that have been passed down through generations. From traditional Greek classics to cheesecakes, there is something here to satisfy all tastes.
A: Eschilou 3, Psirri
Marika Tarts
For some of the most delicious handmade tarts in Athens, head to Marika’s, who bakes sweet and savoury tarts each day, using seasonal and fresh products. Here you’ll taste traditional Greek flavours through to more modern variations- including pumpkin, lemon meringue and banoffee tarts.
A: Pallados 4, Psirri
To Serbetospito Tis Nancys
Otherwise known as Nancy’s Sweet Home, here you will find big servings of desserts that are mouthwatering. From rich chocolate cake to traditional Galaktoboureko (custard pie), it’s a local favourite that’s always packed, so make sure you go early.
A: Iroon 1 Square, Athens
Bougatsadiko Thessaloniki
For traditional Bougatsa, like you would find in Thessaloniki (where this famous dessert originated) head to Bougatsidiko, where you can also watch the masters open their filo by hand!
A: Iroon 1 Square, Athens
Zoubourlou
Serving some of the most authentic Greek desserts in Psirri, including Baklava, Kataifi and Ekmek, (drenched in their secret syrup), this stylish patisserie is the perfect spot to catch up with friends.
A: Eschilou 4, Athens
Crepa Holic
Who doesn’t love a good crepe? Specialising in crepes and waffles, Crepa Holic is open seven days a week, until 3 am in the morning- so if you are searching for something sweet after midnight, this one is for you!
A: Pallados 17, Psirri
To Koulouri Tou Psyrri
Most famous for its Koulouri (a round bread sprinkled with sesame seeds) this hole in the wall bakery also serves a sweet version, which is fried dough dusted with sugar, as well as homemade muffins and cakes.
The culturally rich, historic, vibrant and cool Athenian neighbourhood of Psyrri is packed with precious antiques, talented local artisans, authentic Greek tavernas, boho bars, charming cafes and loads of visitors who come here time and time again to enjoy a spot where the modern world blends in beautifully with old-time charm.
With so many amazing bars to choose from, we’ve rounded up our favourite spots to grab a drink in Psyrri, for your next visit to the Greek capital!
Wine lovers this one’s for you! With a great range of local and international reds and whites- Cinque is laid back, casual and inviting.
A: Agatharchou 15, Athina
Tranzistor Bistroteque
If you want to feel Psyrri’s charm, this is a great place to grab a table and sit back and enjoy a drink with the locals.
A: Protogenous 10, Athina
Styl Café
This traditional all-day cafe/bar is a great place to chill after a day of shopping or sightseeing.
A: Evaggelistrias 1, Athina
BOO café
One of the coolest spots in terms of decor and ambiance, it’s the perfect place for a pre-dinner or late-night drink.
A: Lepeniotou 22, Athens
Foundry Hotel Rooftop Bar
On a warm Athenian night, there’s nothing better than heading to a rooftop bar like this to enjoy a refreshing drink and a fun vibe.
A: Sarri 40, Psyrri
The Artist Rooftop Bar
Another great spot in the Greek capital that offers lush cocktails on a buzzing rooftop!
A: 7 Kalamida St, Psirri
Kings Theatre Wine Bar
One of the most popular Bistrot and wine bars in the heart of Athens, Kings Theatre is not to be missed when visiting this vibrant neighbourhood- even if it’s only for one quick drink!
A: Karaiskaki 26, Athina
Be Social
Perfect spot to grab a casual drink and then sit back and enjoy people-watching in this historic part of Athens.
A: Agios Aanargiron 17 & Taki 10, Athina
To Lokali
An all-day bar/restaurant that serves modern Greek mezedes paired with your drink of choice.
A: Sarri 44, Athina
DOS Gardenias
If you are looking for a funky Latin joint, look no further than DOS! Here you will enjoy a cool Cuban-inspired atmosphere as you sip on your Mojito.
A: Ivis 21, Navarchou Apostoli 17, Athens
Cantina Social
This locally loved cafe/bar is a great spot for a casual drink any time of the day.
A: Leokoriou 8, Athina
Clockwork Monkey Bistro
A super chic spot that offers a great atmosphere, amazing food and delicious cocktails!
Minu is one of those places that is hard to describe in one word. However, they manage to sum themselves up in three: plants, objects, cafe.
Minu is a charmingly designed sanctuary in the heart of Athens’ Psyrri district, where you can shop hard-to-find homewares, peruse (and get lost in) an extensive collection of plants, or sit back with a refreshment in the elegant courtyard. Of course, at one point or another, you’ll end up doing all three of these things.
The low down… As soon as you step into Minu, you’re taken in by the exotic plants that seem to softly envelop you from all angles, designer homewares and unique gifts (think copies of Kinfolk magazine and glassware that Don Draper himself would insist upon). Walk a little further in to find a long coffee counter stacked with freshly baked cakes, friendly staff and beautifully situated seating options for groups and couples. The cafe/bar is self-service, so place your order at the counter and be sure to explore the entire space before you take a seat as the space is filled with rare plants and surprising touches in every nook. The challenge you’ll face at Minu is deciding on one place to settle in.
Type of cuisine? Minu is a delight for the senses, and this philosophy is carried through to the food on offer. The menu at Minu has been designed by Athinagoras Kostakos (a rising star in Greek cuisine, currently the culinary director at Scorpios Mykonos and Meraki London) and features fresh flavours, artfully presented.
Décor/ Ambience? A thoughtfully designed space, Minu combines an aesthetic mix of Scandinavian minimalism with touches of art deco. Attention has been paid to every detail, from the sprawling pink marble bar to the bathroom tapware. The ambience is decidedly serene and is perfect for intimate catch-ups, informal meetings, or even solo dining with your favourite book, or a design journal you picked up from the gift store.
Menu? Brunch is the sweet spot on Minu’s menu, including the house-favourite Happy Egg Bowl with poached eggs and avocado or the aptly named Scrambleness. The menu varies seasonally and also includes salads, bao buns and a pork katsu sando to remember.
Something to drink? By day, there is a great range of coffee, healthy smoothies and tea on offer. In the evening hours, give their house Negroni a try, or sample a perfectly chilled glass of Biblia Xora rosé.
Price range? Brunch is priced between 8-16€
Location? Sarri 50, Athens
Opening hours/days? Open from 09.00-23.00 Monday – Sunday
Athens’ Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis announced on Monday that 63 abandoned buildings in the Greek capital will be handed over for renovations as part of the city’s extensive regenerations plan.
The Municipality of Athens aims to bring new life to the urban centre, improving the standard of living for locals and ensuring that the Greek capital attracts more tourists all-year-round; as well as more investors.
“Today 63 buildings will return to the Athenians. The way is open for them to be revived- to regain their life and colour… let’s re-illuminate every corner of the city,” announced Mayor Bakoyannis on his Facebook page.
Many of these worn-down properties feature classic Athenian architecture and will require major maintenance and upgrading of the facade before they can be used again.
The properties are located in the centre of Athens, mainly in the neighbourhoods of Omonia, Acropolis, Metaxourgeio, and Psyrri. Each building was given a thorough clean and was disinfected before approval for renovations could commence.
There’s the Asian food district under Syntagma Square, Indian and Pakistani food in Psyrri and many, many other ethnic food places in pockets of the city that have sprouted up in recent years.
Here’s our guide to the ones you definitely shouldn’t miss! NB. In case of lockdown, or if you simply can’t get to these places, all are also available on home delivery apps like E-food and Wolt.
MULTI-CULTI MENUS
Would you prefer an Indian samosa or, a Mexican chimichanga or burrito, a middle eastern tabbouleh salad or an Asian-style salad with stir-fried veggies and prawns? If you can’t make your mind up– or want a combination of ethnic foods– go to Etnico (Kolokotroni 22, Monastiraki) where there are plenty of options to choose from. There are also a sufficient amount of vegan options on the menu. Migada serves everything from Thai Tom Kha Gai soup to Asian noodles, falafels, Mexican tacos and Indian curries (Praxitelous 8, Monastiraki). Their menu is separated into sections based on explorer’s journeys to different parts of the world and including the ingredients and dishes found there. They also serve a satisfying amount of vegan and vegetarian dishes (including a delicious vegan chocolate cake).
INDIAN
In recent years some of Athens’ Indian restaurants have created the ‘Indian souvlaki’, which makes for a perfect takeaway wrap if you’re not in the mood for the Greek souvlaki because you fancy something more exotic. Mirch (Ermou 109, Thisseio) serves the most popular one of this type, made with a large thin nan bread stuffed with chicken tikka, raita and mixed vegetables and cut in half. Bollywood Masala (Fokionos 4) makes the same chicken tikka souvlaki, as well as an onion bhaji souvlaki and Indian-style kebab souvlaki. Both also serve easy-to-eat-out samosas and poppadoms.
PAKISTANI
Pak Tika Tak (Menandrou 13, Psyrri) serves spicy kebabs and chicken tikka wraps as well as several vegetarian options like rice with chickpeas or vegetable curry.
For the rare pleasure of trying Pakistani sweets to much along the street or take home, go to Sitara Sweets and Bakery (Menandrou 14, Psyrri). Here you’ll find authentic, homemade traditional desserts like gulab jamun, jalebi and barfi. You can also get a plate of pani puri (crisp fried crepe-like dough balls stuffed with imli pani flavored water, chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion or chickpeas, that’s very hard to find elsewhere in Athens!
Pak Tika Tak
Sitara Sweets and Bakery
MIDDLE EASTERN
At Baba Ganoush (Embedokleous 25-27, Varnava Sq. Pangrati) you’ll find top quality falafel (served with either hummus, yogurt sauce or baba ganoush) but not only. You can also try their middle eastern-style burgers, either in a vegan or vegetarian rendition, with a patty made of quinoa and sweet potato that’s topped with yogurt-harissa sauce, pickles, onion and ketchup. Over the last decade falafels have become one of the staple streetfoods in Athens and although not yet even close to overshadowing the reign of souvlaki, the increasing number of health minded Greeks are opting for crunchy chickpea balls over meat more every day. Falafel Abu Milad (Liosion 1, Omonia) is considered one of the best in town for both vegetarians and meat eaters. It makes well-seasoned falafels that are fried to crunchy perfection and served in a pitta with various seasonings of your choice. Here you’ll also find sandwiches with chicken or lamb kebab with a homemade sauce and chicken on a stick with hummus.
Falafel Abu Milad
At Baba Ganouch
Meanwhile Feyrouz (Karori 23 & Agathonos, Psyrri) serves up delicious lachmajun (thin pita bread slathered with minced meat and sauce but here also in a vegan rendition with zaatar spices and walnuts), a bready pie (peinirli) stuffed with a lentil, chickpea, hummus and aubergine filling and sprinkled with fresh coriander, and even desserts like baklava.
At Sumsum (Solonos 86, Exarcheia) you’ll find Arab street food like mutabal, a pitta bread wrap filled with lamb or beef mince and bana ganoush, or falafel wraps with hummus as well as lachmajun and taouk pitta which is stuffed with chicken, yogurt and herbs. Salads and soups of the day are also available for takeout.
THAI
Several quality Thai restaurants have opened in Athens over the last few years, but Tuk Tuk (Veikou 40, Koukaki) is the first street food version of Thai, which is surprising considering that in Thailand it’s the street food that rules! From spicy Papaya Salad with dried prawns and peanuts and Khanom Jeeb Mu steamed Pork Dumplings to Tom Kha Gai coconut milk curry soup and Pad Thai noodles, you’ll find all the street classics here in relatively authentic versions.
Feyrouz
Sumsum
VIETNAMESE
An exciting new arrival on the street food scene is Vietnamese Madame Phu Man Chu (Praxitelous 36, Monastiraki) whereyou can order mustard leaf rolls stuffed with prawns, smoked pork and rice noodles, chicken skewers marinated in lemongrass, tomato soup with mussels and fried tofu with sweet chilli sauce. Dao (Agion Anargiron 43, Psyrri)also serves delicious street food and specializes in Banh Mi French baguette sandwiches with a mouthwatering variety of fillings – from BBQ pork or beef to shredded chicken and fried egg. They also serve Pho and wonton soups, spring rolls (both fried and fresh), stir fried rice and noodles.
JAPANESE
There isn’t really a Japanese street food place in Athens right now but there are many Japanese restaurants, especially in the Syntagma area, where you can pop in and order food to take out.
TIBETAN – Currently Closed Due to Covid But We’re Letting You Know About it Anyway!
Chomolungma (Karytsi 10, Syntagma) is the one and only Tibetan eatery in Athens right now, and although its menu is still quite small, the food there already has a small following. Try the crunchy cheese balls with tomato chutney, momos (dumplings) with their accompanying sauces like curry, pepper chutney, mango chutney and chili mayonnaise, lotus root chips with matcha tea sauce and tangste salad with pickled coleslaw.
PinkFlamingo
Mr Pugs Canteen
CHINESE
Pink Flamingo (Skoufou2-4) is a dinky, two-storey place with a giant neon pink flamingo at its exterior that serves dimssum, dumplings and particularly delicious bao buns. In cooler months you might find a soup of the day too. At Mr. Pug’s Canteen (Katsoulieri 6, Halandri) the menu is simple yet gratifyingly yummy, with a wide selection of bao buns with different fillings, such as crispy cod, duck, beef burger, pork and dragon air (spiced minced beef, chili, kimchi and fried garlic). Oddly, the dessert is Mexican churros. At Street Wok (Panormou 115) you choose the base of your choice (different types of noodles or rice) and then add your choice of vegetables, meats and condiments like bean sprouts, pineapple, herbs, peanuts. The third and final step is selecting your sauce of choice (hot Szechuan, coconut curry, sweet chilli etc). Simple, fast and tasty.
MEXICAN
Grexico (Fokionos 4, Syntagma) serves up freshly made burritos, quesadillas, tacos with dressings and salads. More of a restaurant than street food joint, but with excellent take-out options, is Taqueria Maya (Petraki 10), a self-service place serving a variety of burritos, quesadillas, tacos and salads as well as takeout margaritas.
Taqueria Maya
Taqueria Maya
HAWAIIAN
The only one of its kind so far, Poke (Petraki 7, Syntagma) serves Hawaiian sushi bowls, with a set menu as well as a great array (that changes according to what’s available during each season) of ingredients for a DIY bowl. With rice as the base, you’re free to add any kind of raw or cooked fish, veggies, fruit, herbs and seasonings like sauces, shredded seaweed and spices to create your own Poke concoction.
Russian
For freshly made, fluffy and crisp piroshki pies stuffed with minced meat or potato, visit Gadaychuk Mariya (Acharnon 140). Also popular, and with much more variety of homemade piroshki is Kalina Malinka (Solonos & Mavromihali, Exarcheia and on Stadiou 27, Syntagma). Here you’ll find fried or baked piroshki with fillings such as spring onion and egg, beef mince, feta cheese, chicken and mushroom or sausage and gouda cheese, as well as authentic, handmade Russian salad and crunchy tsebourek. And then there are the desserts, like baked fluffy rolls and sugared cinnamon rolls.
The Municipality of Athens aims to bring new life to the urban centre, improving the standard of living for locals and ensuring that the Greek capital attracts more tourists all-year-round; as well as more investors.
Many of these worn-down properties feature classic Athenian architecture and will require major maintenance and upgrading of the facade before they can be used again. 
