49 Best Places to Shop in Athens, Greece

Multitalented Pantelis followed in the steps of his father, Stavros, aka "the poet sandalmaker," a legendary cultural figure in his own right, gentle soul, and internationally acclaimed shoemaker. His father's shop, where Pantelis grew up, was once visited by the Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor, Maria Callas, and Jackie O—and numerous TV crews thereafter. Pantelis is also a poet, composer, musician, sculptor, and painter, and although he continues to create his father's classic "ancient Greek sandals" and leather bag designs, he also makes magnificently artistic sandals of his own, and all are made to order on the client's feet right in the store. Visitors continue to arrive from around the world for their custom-made footwear, often with cameras in hand and happy to listen to Pantelis play the piano as they wait, admiring his artworks.

This shop presents imaginative jewelry and wearable art, inspired by mythology and nature. Each handmade piece combines traditional techniques with a playful, modern twist. The boutique’s collection includes striking necklaces, rings, and earrings, making it a must-visit for creative, design-forward accessories in Athens.

If you're looking for the best from Greece's top fashion designers, this is the place for you. Aesthet is the only store where you can find a collection of many different Greek luxury brands like Lalaounis, Zeus+Dione, Ancient Greek Sandals, Ioanna Kourbella, Ancient Kallos, Yiorgos Eleftheriades. From clothing to accessories like footwear, handbags, and swimwear, the store constantly updates its collection and does seasonal clearances, too.

On the fourth floor of this store you'll find the Beehive Spa, with a hair salon that uses only natural, chemical-free dyes. In the store you can also find a juice and healthy food snack bar, a lecture hall for events, and the entire Apivita product range (on the ground floor). Here at the flagship store of Apivita, a Greek brand that has become globally respected for its use of pure, organic, and scientifically manufactured cosmetic and pharmaceutical concoctions, you can create your own products. Guided by experts, choose among a plethora of wonderful natural Greek ingredients to create the ideal cosmetics or alternative medicines for you. Of course, you can also find all the ranges of ready-made products—from makeup and shampoos to face creams and essential oils—as well.

A concept store with cult status since it opened in the 1970s, this is where you'll find everything from the perfect rockstar outfit to S&M-style punk accessories and hand-painted T-shirts with bold messages. Created by fashion designer Dimitris Tsaounatos and now run by his son, the rebelliously natured shop has original, handmade, and vintage clothes and accessories. Hollywood A-listers and music legends come here from around the world to get decked out in outfits that they know they won't find anywhere else.

At Attica megastore you'll find everything and anything you need in terms of beauty products and women's, men's, and children's clothes and accessories, mostly by leading international designer brands. In-store you'll also find an ATM, beauty salon, personal shopping service, and tailoring service (it's well worth visiting during the July sales if you're in town).

The airy museum shop has excellent copies of Greek icons, jewelry, and folk art—at fair prices. You will also find embroideries, ceramics, stationery, art books, small reliefs, and sculpture pieces. The new Benaki Museum Annex on Pireos Street has its own shop with an interesting collection of modern Greek jewelry. The gift shop is also open on Monday (even though the museum is closed).

A large variety of handwoven articles, genuine folk art, ceramics from all over Greece, and traditional and modern jewelry all on show here make excellent, and affordable, souvenirs of your trip to Greece. The name means double axe, and this cozy and tasteful shop is run by third-generation weavers and is the oldest folk-art shop in Athens, established in 1925.

Greece's only contemporary jewelry museum and store is housed in a Neoclassical mansion in Plaka, where it showcases original and one-of-a-kind pieces by contemporary Greek jewelry designers to admire or buy. It also sells perfumes and candles by Santa Maria Novella and occasionally hosts exhibitions and art events.

Original gold masterpieces can be had at these shops, where Athenian masters, prompted by jewelry designer Lina Fanouraki, use gold almost like a fabric—creasing, scoring, and fluting it. There's another branch at Panagitsas 6 ( 210/623–2334) in the Kifissia neighborhood.

This inspirational shop has playfully gained a loyal following for its chic, quirky, and creative souvenirs. Here, you can buy gifts—from stationery and home decor items to clothing, toys, and jewelry—with a contemporary Greek design twist and a sense of humor, created by local designers Greece is for Lovers, Beetroot, Zeus + Dione, Studiolav, AC Design, and more. From unique bags that look like they're made from fishmongers' paper to plexiglass evil-eye charms, this is contemporary Greek design at its best.

An excellent array of jewelry by leading contemporary Greek and international designers, including a new genderless range. Being a concept store, this place is also where you'll find top designer watches, handbags, clothing, and accessories as well as home decor items.

Worry beads (komboloi) made with semiprecious and precious stones are thought to not only offer aesthetic pleasure but also wellness benefits to the holder, as does the very act of playing with the beads. Here you'll find an extraordinary choice of komboloi as well decorative komboloi that can be laid out on a coffee table.

This world-famous Greek jewelry house experiments with its designs, taking ideas from nature, biology, African art, and ancient Greek pieces—the last are sometimes so close to the original that they're mistaken for museum artifacts. The pieces are mainly in gold, some in silver—look out for the decorative objects inspired by ancient Greek housewares.

A cornucopia of fantastically embroidered cushion covers, blankets, and tapestries as well as beautiful carpets and rugs (including vintage, stone-washed rugs). This is the kind of shop where you can browse at your leisure. The store can ship your merchandise home to you as well.

Antiques collectors should head here to look for items such as dowry chests, rare ceramics, old swords, precious fabrics, and Venetian glass. You will certainly discover something you like in the four floors of this renovated antiques shop that has been an Athens landmark for the past 100 years.

A creative haven for Greek ceramics and contemporary art. The airy space showcases handcrafted pottery, playful jewelry, and design pieces by local artists. Regular ceramic art exhibitions (in Athens and now Paris, too) highlight modern Greek craftsmanship, making it a must-visit for unique, artful finds in Athens.

This unique shop sells items made exclusively of olive wood, such as salad bowls and tongs, wall clocks, watches, jewelry, and even backgammon sets. Alas, the beautiful specially made olive wood Gibson-style guitar is not for sale.

Pure, highly feminine, cinematically dreamy elegance, often imbued with a passionate 1950s inspiration is what you'll find at Vassilis Zoulias's boutique and upstairs atelier. The designer creates classic, playful dresses, skirts, and accessories with an exquisite trademark combination of cut, luxurious materials, patterns, and colors that has gained him a cultish following.

The art shop of this respected private art gallery stocks some beautiful objets d'art, including candlesticks and other decor, in addition to gifts like limited-edition silkscreens by famous Greek painters Yiannis Moralis, Nikos Xatzikyriakos-Gikas, Yiannis Tsarouchis.

For an ancient-modern steam bath experience head to Hammam Baths, a gorgeous neoclassical house that has been converted into a full-amenities day spa with Eastern decorative undertones and excellent service.

Wood furniture and ceramics, all hand-carved and hand-painted by the shop's owners—a creative couple specializing in antique furniture restoration and interior design—beautifully feature motifs from regional Greek designs. Needlework, hanging ceiling lamps, shadow puppets, and other decorative accessories like cushions, fabrics, wooden carved chests, and traditional low tables called sofras, are also for sale.

You'll first hear the music coming from down the stairs, where the store is quirkily located. The originality and surprise of its location is expanded upon entering and observing the designer items, including clothes and accessories for men, women, and children created by Greek and foreign new fashion visionaries. Simple home decor items, cosmetics, hair accessories, and jewelry are also sold here, always obeying the store's minimal, modern, and "funky" style guide. And there's coffee "with a twist," too.

Since it opened in 1994, this spacious, three-story gallery presents contemporary art exhibitions showcasing the works of young or new contemporary Greek artists as well as those by established artists. The gallery's entrance also serves as a store selling art posters and prints, home decor items, and jewelry.

Elena Votsi designed jewelry for Gucci and Ralph Lauren before opening her own boutiques, where she sells exquisite, larger-than-life creations in coral, amethyst, aquamarine, and turquoise. In 2003 she designed the Athens 2004 Olympic Games gold medal; in 2009 her handmade 18-karat gold ring with diamonds won a Couture Design Award in the Best in Haute Couture category in Las Vegas. Brava!

For more than 40 years, art restorer Dimitris Koutelieris has been inspired by his home island of Naxos. He salvages most of his materials from houses under restoration, then fashions them into picture frames, little wooden boats, small chairs, and other decorative objects. In his hands objects like cabin doors or window shutters gain a magical second life.

A concept store that combines contemporary Greek fashion with artisanal craftsmanship. Visitors can find clothing, unique jewelry, and accessories, all made in Greece. The store also offers freshly baked pastries and specialty coffee, providing a delightful shopping and dining experience.