Neighbourhood guide · Athens, Greece
Kolonaki
The chic, leafy quarter on the slopes of Lycabettus hill: designer boutiques, art galleries, smart cafés, two of the city's best museums and the highest viewpoint in central Athens.
About Kolonaki
Kolonaki is Athens' most upmarket central neighbourhood, home to embassies, galleries and elegant apartment blocks. Life revolves around Kolonaki Square and the surrounding streets, where designer boutiques and Greek fashion labels sit beside busy pavement cafés that fill up with well-dressed Athenians from mid-morning.
On its lower edge, along Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, are the Benaki Museum, with its sweeping collection of Greek art and culture, and the Museum of Cycladic Art, famous for its striking marble figurines. The National Garden and Syntagma are a short walk away.
Above the neighbourhood rises Lycabettus hill, the highest point in central Athens. Walk up through the pines or take the funicular from the top of Aristippou Street to the summit chapel of Agios Georgios for 360-degree views over the city to the sea, at their best around sunset.
Where Kolonaki is
The best of Kolonaki
Two of the best hotels in Kolonaki
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Autograph Collection
Academias Hotel
A restored pre-war building on the edge of Kolonaki, part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, with a boutique feel and polished service.
Akadimias StreetExplore View on map
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Hillside views
St George Lycabettus
Perched on the slopes of Lycabettus Hill in Kolonaki, with a rooftop pool and sweeping views across the city to the Acropolis and the sea.
2 KleomenousExplore View on map
Six of the best cafés in Kolonaki
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French bistro
Chez Michel
A chic bistro-café serving European and Mediterranean dishes from breakfast through to dinner, with tables on a quiet Kolonaki street.
15 Irodotou StreetExplore View on map
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Kolonaki people-watching
Da Capo
The classic Kolonaki Square café, where locals have met over freddo espresso for decades. Grab an outside table, order a coffee and a club sandwich, and watch the smart neighbourhood go by between shopping on Skoufa and Tsakalof.
1 Tsakalof Street, Kolonaki SquareExplore View on map
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Leafy square
Dexameni
A much-loved café under the trees of Dexameni Square, on the slopes of Lycabettus, serving coffee by day and meze with local beers into the evening.
Dexamenis SquareExplore View on map
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All day
Me Cafe
A relaxed all-day café just off Kolonaki Square, from breakfast and brunch bowls to desserts and a simple evening menu.
10 Kapsali StreetExplore View on map
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Parisian patisserie
Queen Bee
An elegant all-day bakehouse in a 1940s art deco building, with marble counters and brass, known for its croissants, pastries and specialty coffee.
45 Patriarchou Ioakeim StreetExplore View on map
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Plant-forward
Wild Souls
A small plant-forward café known for its own nut butters, clean snacks, simple toasts and good coffee.
14 Irodotou StreetExplore View on map
Ten of the best restaurants in Kolonaki
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Fish taverna
Barbounaki
An unpretentious little fish taverna loved for grilled sardines, fried red mullet and other simple seafood plates at fair prices.
39 Charitos StreetExplore View on map
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Trattoria
Capanna
A rustic Italian trattoria for pizza, tagliatelle al ragù and panna cotta.
38 Ploutarchou StreetExplore View on map
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Michelin Guide
CTC
Chef Alexandros Tsiotinis's 'urban gastronomy' restaurant in upmarket Kolonaki. Creative, French-trained cooking served as a polished tasting menu.
27 PloutarchouExplore View on map
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Historic taverna
Filippou
One of the oldest tavernas in Kolonaki, serving home-style dishes such as lamb kleftiko from a daily-changing menu.
19 Xenokratous StreetExplore View on map
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Inventive seafood
Iodio
Inventive seafood cooking from chef Georgianna Hiliadaki, one of the most talked-about tables in Kolonaki.
36 Loukianou StreetExplore View on map
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Gastrotaverna
Nice N Easy
A relaunched Kolonaki favourite, now a modern Greek gastrotaverna cooking with ingredients from producers around the country.
60 Omirou Street & Skoufa StreetExplore View on map
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Home cooking
Oikeio
A cosy, always-busy spot for traditional Greek cooking, from moussaka to sardines, with a light contemporary touch. Book ahead.
15 Ploutarchou StreetExplore View on map
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Seafood
Papadakis
Chef Argiro Barbarigou's much-loved Kolonaki restaurant, bringing the island flavours of Paros to the city. Fresh fish, seafood pastas and warm hospitality.
15 FokilidouExplore View on map
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Open kitchen
Simul
Modern Greek cooking from an open kitchen, with a strong focus on Greek wines.
63 Ypsilantou StreetExplore View on map
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Classic meze
To Kafeneio 1987
A renovated neighbourhood classic serving urban Greek dishes and meze.
26 Loukianou StreetExplore View on map
Four of the best bars in Kolonaki
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Ten & ten
Deka
A chic Kolonaki bar with a deliberately short list: ten wines and ten cocktails, each one carefully chosen and beautifully made.
Ploutarchou StreetExplore View on map
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Gastrobar
Diva
A lively gastrobar with seasonal cooking and a busy bar.
38 Patriarchou Ioakeim StreetExplore View on map
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Rosé wine bar
Le Rosé
A rosé-focused wine bar and bistro off Kolonaki Square with French-Japanese small plates and live music at weekends.
3 Kapsali StreetExplore View on map
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Oysters and wine
Ratka
A Kolonaki institution with pavement tables on Charitos Street for oysters, Mediterranean plates and a long wine list.
30–32 Charitos StreetExplore View on map
Two of the best places for fitness & spa in Kolonaki
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Natural beauty
Apivita Beehive Spa
A spa inside Apivita's four-floor flagship store, in a space built from upcycled beehives, using the Greek brand's natural products made with bee and Greek plant ingredients. Try the Mediterranean skin food facial or a deep tissue massage.
Apivita Experience Store, KolonakiExplore View on map
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Boutique training
Athlesis
A boutique fitness centre founded in 2015 for small-group and personal training, mixing TRX, cardio, cross-spinning, yoga, Pilates and massage into programmes built around your goals. Book sessions online.
KolonakiExplore View on map
Four of the best museums in Kolonaki
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Greek culture
Benaki Museum
Founded by Antonis Benakis and opened in 1930, a sweeping journey through Greek art and culture from prehistory to the 20th century, in a neoclassical mansion with a lovely rooftop café.
1 Koumbari Street & Vasilissis Sofias AvenueExplore View on map
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Art & music
B&M Theocharakis Foundation
A foundation for the fine arts and music opened in 2007 in a 1928 building opposite the National Garden, with exhibitions of Greek and international art, concerts and a café.
9 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue & 1 Merlin StreetExplore View on map
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Byzantine art
Byzantine & Christian Museum
A superb collection of icons, mosaics and frescoes spanning the Byzantine era, in a peaceful villa and garden.
22 Vasilissis Sofias AveExplore View on map
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Cycladic figurines
Museum of Cycladic Art
Famous for its striking marble Cycladic figurines, more than 4,500 years old and an inspiration to modern artists, with ancient Greek and Cypriot art and big contemporary shows in a neoclassical mansion.
4 Neofytou Douka StreetExplore View on map
Shopping in Kolonaki
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Designer and Greek labels
Kolonaki Boutique Streets
Around Kolonaki Square, the streets of Skoufa, Tsakalof, Anagnostopoulou, Solonos and Patriarchou Ioakeim are lined with designer boutiques, Greek contemporary fashion labels, jewellery workshops, concept stores and smart pavement cafés for a break between shops.
Skoufa, Tsakalof, Anagnostopoulou & Patriarchou Ioakeim StreetsExplore View on map
More from our lists in Kolonaki
Restaurants in Kolonaki
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Italian
Capanna
A pretty Italian trattoria on the slopes of Kolonaki, popular for its pizza and fresh pasta.
38 PloutarchouExplore View on map
Attractions in Kolonaki
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Greek culture
Benaki Museum
A captivating journey through Greek art and culture from prehistory to the 20th century, set in an elegant mansion with a lovely rooftop café.
1 Koumbari & Vasilissis SofiasExplore View on map
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Best city view
Lycabettus Hill
The highest point in central Athens, with a little chapel at the top and 360-degree views from the Acropolis to the sea. Walk up through the pines or take the funicular, and stay for sunset.
Funicular from Aristippou StreetExplore View on map
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Ancient art
Museum of Cycladic Art
Home to the iconic marble Cycladic figurines that inspired Picasso and Modigliani, plus excellent temporary exhibitions in a neoclassical mansion.
4 Neofytou DoukaExplore View on map
Art in Kolonaki
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Pop & street art
Allouche Benias Gallery
The Athens branch of a New York gallery, opened in 2018 in a 19th-century mansion, with art that draws on pop and street-art influences.
1 Kanari StreetExplore View on map
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Blue-chip art
Gagosian Athens
The Athens outpost of the global gallery, opened in 2017 in a listed modernist mansion, showing major international artists.
22 Anapiron Polemou StreetExplore View on map
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Greek contemporary
Kalfayan Galleries
A leading gallery for contemporary Greek art, with roots in Armenian cultural collecting, in a glass-box building in Kolonaki.
11 Charitos StreetExplore View on map
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50+ years
Zoumboulakis Galleries
Founded more than 50 years ago and representing many of Greece's major artists, with a design and antiques shop near Syntagma.
6 Kriezotou StreetExplore View on map
See the full list: 21 of the Best Art Galleries & Museums in Athens
Cinema in Kolonaki
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Neighbourhood favourite
Cine Athinaia
A classic Kolonaki garden cinema hidden among apartment blocks, regularly rated one of the best summer cinemas in Athens, showing new releases in a relaxed, bougainvillea-framed courtyard. Closed for the winter; reopens in spring 2027.
50 Charitos StreetExplore View on map
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Kolonaki classic
Cine Dexameni
A much-loved summer cinema on a leafy square on the slopes of Lycabettus, reached up whitewashed steps from Kolonaki, with festival winners, European and French films and the occasional blockbuster. Closed for the winter; reopens in spring 2027.
Dexamenis SquareExplore View on map
See the full list: 24 of the Best Cinemas in Athens & Glyfada: Open-Air & Indoor
Fitness + Spa in Kolonaki
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English-speaking team
Achilleas Sotiriou & Anthi
A Kolonaki colour and styling salon led by celebrity stylist Achilleas Sotiriou, with an English-speaking team: balayage and ammonia-free colour, keratin smoothing and hair extensions.
17 Tsakalof StreetExplore View on map
See the full list: 25 of the Best Spas, Gyms, Yoga Studios & Salons in Athens
Medical & Health in Kolonaki
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Central Athens
DentalMedicine Athens
A modern dental clinic on Solonos Street, between Kolonaki and Syntagma metro, offering general, cosmetic and implant dentistry for residents and visitors.
10 Solonos StreetExplore View on map
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Face & body
Dr Maria Skolarikou
A plastic surgeon trained at the Athens medical school, with a practice in Kolonaki offering aesthetic surgery of the face and body, as well as non-surgical treatments.
6 Monis Petraki StreetExplore View on map
See the full list: 20 of the Best Hospitals, Clinics & Therapies in Athens
Shopping in Kolonaki
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Flagship in Kolonaki
APIVITA Experience Store
The flagship of APIVITA, the Greek natural cosmetics brand built on bee products and Greek herbs, in a neoclassical building in Kolonaki, with the full range of skincare, haircare and suncare.
6 Solonos StreetExplore View on map
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Kolonaki flagship
Ileana Makri
The Athenian designer's flagship in Kolonaki, for her signature evil-eye pieces and colourful fine jewellery, worn by celebrities around the world.
13–15 Patriarchou Ioakeim StreetExplore View on map
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Designer shoes in Kolonaki
Kalogirou Kolonaki
Greece's best-known luxury shoe store, with shoes, bags and accessories from the big international designer houses, in the heart of Kolonaki.
4 Patriarchou Ioakeim StreetExplore View on map
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In Kolonaki
Massimo Dutti Kolonaki
Massimo Dutti's Kolonaki store, at the start of Skoufa Street, for smart tailoring, knitwear and leather goods for women and men.
1 Skoufa StreetExplore View on map
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Eye tests & sunglasses
Panaidis Eyewear
A leading Greek optician with designer frames and sunglasses, eye tests and contact lenses. Also on Ermou Street and in Glyfada.
5 Filikis Etairias Square (Kolonaki Square)Explore View on map
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In Kolonaki
Sephora Kolonaki
Sephora in the heart of Kolonaki, for make-up, skincare and fragrance from the big international and niche beauty brands.
23 Kanari StreetExplore View on map
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American diner
TGI Fridays Kolonaki
The American casual-dining favourite in Kolonaki, near Syntagma: burgers, ribs, loaded fries, big salads and cocktails, popular with families and groups. There's another branch on Kifisias Avenue in Ampelokipi.
2 Neofytou Vamva StreetExplore View on map
Real Estate in Kolonaki
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Since 1954
Antiqua
One of the city's oldest and most respected antique galleries, founded in 1954 and now in Kolonaki, specialising in historical design and 20th-century masterpieces.
7 Irodotou StreetExplore View on map
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International luxury
Barnes Greece
The Athens office of the Paris-based international luxury agency, opened in 2018. Barnes handles prime apartments, neoclassical townhouses and Riviera villas for Greek and international buyers.
14 Irodotou StreetExplore View on map
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Studio & shop
Box Interiors
International award-winning interior architects in Kolonaki, offering interiors, architecture and landscape design, with a curated design shop of furniture and accessories.
31 Solonos StreetExplore View on map
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Italian design
Cassina Store Athens
The Italian furniture house's first single-brand store in Athens, three floors of design classics in Kolonaki, run with Deloudis, Cassina's Greek partner for nearly 50 years.
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Luxury specialist
Greece Sotheby's International Realty
The Greek arm of the Sotheby's International Realty network and one of the best-known names in high-end Greek property, selling luxury apartments, villas and estates in Athens, on the Athens Riviera and across the islands. Its work won International Property Awards in 2025–2026.
11 Voukourestiou StreetExplore View on map
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Near Syntagma
Tsantilis Antiques
Fine art and decorative antiques a few minutes from Syntagma, from gilt bronze and lighting to Asian sculpture, European oil paintings and silverware.
5 Sekeri StreetExplore View on map
See the full list: 28 of the Best Estate Agents, Interiors & Antiques in Athens