Shopping Districts Malls

Kolonaki: Best Neighborhood for Fashionistas and People Watching

Kolonaki has the added charm of combining chic people watching, dining and bar hopping to the shopping experience, giving it a SoHo downtown feel with buzzing bistros, cool cafes and bubbly bars. The neighborhood of the "elite", it Athenians houses top designers and expensive retail boutiques. Main shopping streets include: Voukourestiou (international brand names and luxury jewellery shops) Skoufa, Tsakalof, Patriarhou Ioakeim, Haritos street and Anagnostopoulou. A myriad of cafes and restaurants can be found on Milioni, Skoufa and at Kolonaki Square.

Keep in mind: If in town during the winter holidays, the shops on Haritos Street traditionally welcome Christmas on the second Saturday in December with the best holiday bazaar in town, an energetic street party with great DJ's.

Historic Centre: Best Neighborhood for Traditional and Contemporary Souvenirs, Greek and Pop art

Monastiraki and Plaka are the main shopping areas where you go to buy gifts for friends and relatives: souvenirs, folk art and traditional Greek wares such as pottery, worry beads, handmade leather sandals and bags. Woven rugs, intricate tablecloths, linens and carpets are sure to be appreciated by all.  Explore the streets off Athinas Street for a view into the Athens of the 60's, where small storekeepers maintain their exclusive shops of sorts from leather to metal and glass works. Gourmands scoop into the barrels of olives, herbs and spices along Evripidou Street. Theseion and Psirri, at the base of the Acropolis and just across Athinas Street, is where you can stop and take a break before you check out the art galleries and vintage shops that have flourished in these most charming of Athenian districts.

Don't miss: Don't miss the outdoor bazaar at Avissinia Square in Monastiraki on Sundays for a gallery of bargain antiques, wood furniture and bric-a-brac.

Syntagma - Constitution Square: Best Neighborhood for Chocolates and Diamonds; Affordable Fashion and Books

Stadiou and Panepistimiou Avenues, connecting at Syntagma and Omonia, host large department stores and interesting arcade galleries and fine jewelry stores. Ermou and the streets south of the square (Pericleous, Aiolou, Mitropoleos) feature many, many shops large and small with shoes, the latest fashions from European, Greek and international name brands as well as smaller shops with fabrics, beads, gold and silver jewelry, Karageorgi Servias has evolved into sweet tooth central, whereas the walk towards Kolokotroni Street now includes a bustling, trendy new shopping and nightlife scene.

Glyfada: Best Neighborhood for Easy "Wide-Sidewalk" Shopping in Athens

Wide sidewalk shopping, a rare feature for a city built around an ancient landscape, lined with dozens upon dozens of stores, cafeterias and restaurants await, 45 minutes away from Syntagma by tram in Glyfada. The alter ego of the posh Kolonaki. Glyfada offers just as many shops (if not more) with the added value of being along the paralia or coast. Athenians who want a break from the shops in the center will often combine a seaside ride and lunch with shopping here. Worth mentioning also are Glyfada's tavernas well known for serving delectable meat dishes known as Biftekoupoli. Main shopping streets: include Ioannou Metaxa and the streets around Esperidon Square, while restaurants are overflowing at Zisimopoulou Streets and Kyprou.

Kifissia: Best Neighborhood for Opulent Items

Shopping in the suburb of Kifissia has a look and feel of its own.  As a posh northern suburb, with lots of green and one-family homes and villas, it elicits an elite shopping experience. The visitor seeking to purchase or browse luxury items, will be satisfied by the shops in Kifissia, home to the many rich and famous (even as far back asthe Turkish occupation). Kifissia is where to go for opulent items such as handcrafted cufflinks, custom tailored suits, fine jewelry, silverware and tableware. Main streets include: Kassaveti, Levidou and Kyriazi.Take time out to indulge in the luxurious pastry shops and fun brasserie style restaurants in nearby Kefalari and Nea Erithrea.

Plus: Neo Psychiko: A new chic addition to the fabric of Athenian shopping districts, Neo Psychiko, caters to the affluent communities of the Northern Attica region suburbs too. The top name brands in fashion and cosmetics are all here as are the after-shopping mandatory list of cafeterias and restaurants.