96 Best Shopping in Greece

On the 4th floor of this store you'll find the Beehive Spa; on the 3rd floor a hair salon that uses only natural, chemical-free dyes; on the 2nd floor a lecture hall for events; and the ground floor is where you can check out all the Apivita products. 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.

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.

Clearly, artists are behind the dazzling selection of gift items at Ostria. Beautifully displayed pieces include nautical objects like brass compasses and model ships, but also an array of toys, clocks, icons, and jewelry. There's also a huge selection of ceramics, some by owner Petros Skourtis. He and co-owner Katie Kapi, who is a painter, also invite customers to visit their nearby workshop, where they can even take a pottery course.

With eight outlets in Thessaloniki, Agapitos Patisserie, which aptly translates as "loved one," is indeed one of the best loved confectionary shops in the city. Best known for chocolate-covered tsourekia (a sweet bread traditionally served at Easter) and the syrupy pastries from Asia Minor.

This amazing shop sells many of the best herbs, spices, oils, and other ingredients that Greece offers and that flavor the cuisine served just around the corner at the restaurant. Many of the offerings are unique to the shop and give a true taste of the local area. Oil and wine tastings are given, too.

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.

This is actually two shops: one sells quality silver jewelry made in Talaris's own workshop, and the other displays gold pieces. The Metsovo silverwork trade is one of the oldest in the region; members of the Talaris family have been silversmiths for many generations (and now they have branched out as hoteliers, owning the hotel where their shops are).

Averof is the only patisserie in Thessaloniki that creates kosher pastries.