45 Best Shopping in Athens, Greece

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, gifts. The cozy and tasteful shop is run by third-generation weavers and is the oldest folk-art shop in Athens (established 1925).

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 "cultural goods" shop has gained a loyal following for its unique souvenirs. Here, you can buy gifts 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 a leather skateboard made in sandal style to unique bags that look like they're made from fishmongers' paper to plexiglass evil-eye charms, this is contemporary Greek design at its best.

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.

From real amber, or pinhead-size "evil eyes," to 2-inch-diameter wood, sugarcane, or shell beads, you'll find a dizzying selection of beads and styles here to string your own komboloi (worry beads). You'll admire the variety of this unique Greek version of a rosary, which can be made from traditional amber, but also from coral root, camel bone, semiprecious stones, and many more materials.

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.

Antiques collectors should head here to look for items such as exquisite dowry chests, 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. There's another branch in Monastiraki, at Pandrossou 50.

Multi-talented Pantelis follows 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 he worked throughout his life, was once visited by the Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor, Maria Callas, and Jackie O—and numerous TV crews thereafter. Pantelis is also a poet, composer, sculptor, and painter, and although he continues to create his father's classic sandal and bag designs he now also makes magnificently artistic sandals of his own. 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 palaiopolio (junk dealer) is especially popular among collectors of old radio sets and vintage toys, and carries wonderfully quirky items such as mechanized piggy banks.

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.

For five generations, the Sagiannos family's creations have adorned the fingers, necks, and ears of stylish Athenian matrons. The tradition continues in this shop/gallery, but with more-modern, one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by ordinary objects like bar codes and buttons.

The center is an outlet for quality handicrafts—ceramics, weavings, sheep bells, wood carvings, prints, and old paintings. Take a break from shopping in the center's quiet and quaint I Oraia Ellas café to enjoy a salad or mezedes in clear view of the Parthenon. Upstairs is an art gallery hosting temporary exhibitions of Greek art.

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.

Elegant wine gift packs are available at this old-fashioned wineshop, where you can browse a broad selection of Greek wines and liqueurs. The couple who own this place are wine lovers themselves and will be eager to offer any advice you need.

Among the solid shampoo cakes, body oils, lotions, and face masks sold here are a tremendous number of organic Greek-made soaps, most sliced from big blocks or wheels, which you pay for by weight. Try the watermelon soap, shimmering fizzing ball, and the soothing body soufflé.