City

Kolonaki

Kolonaki is an upscale residential and commercial district on the southern slopes of Lykavittos. Around Kolonaki Square are boutiques, galleries, cafes, and embassies, while several major museums line Vasilissis Sofias Avenue.

Location and CharacterKolonaki stretches between Syntagma Square, Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, and the southern slopes of Lykavittos. The district is considered affluent and is characterized by residential buildings from the interwar and post-war periods, fashion boutiques, and galleries. Around Kolonaki Square and in the streets of Skoufa and Tsakalof, Athenians gather in cafés, bars, and ouzeries.MuseumsThe Benaki Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art are only a few minutes apart. On the other side of Vasilissis Sofias Avenue are the Byzantine and Christian Museum and the War Museum. From the upper streets of the district, footpaths and the funicular lead up to Lykavittos.

Kolonaki stretches from Syntagma Square and Vasilissis Sofias Avenue up the slope of Lycabettus. Kolonaki Square, with its cafés, forms the center; above it, the streets grow steeper and transition into stepped alleys.

Sights in Kolonaki

Discover the most important sights and attractions

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The Byzantine and Christian Museum

Founded in 1914, the museum on Vasilissis Sofias is housed in Villa Ilissia, which architect Stamatios Kleanthis designed in 1848 for the Duchess of Plaisance. The exhibition rooms largely extend beneath the villa's garden. Over 25,000 objects are displayed, dating from the 3rd century to the late Middle Ages, including icons, frescoes, manuscripts, textiles, and ceramics.

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Museum of Cycladic Fine Art

The museum on Neofytou-Douka Street originates from the private collection of Nikolas and Dolly Goulandris. Its focus is on the simple marble idols of the early Cycladic culture from the 3rd millennium BC, complemented by sections on ancient Greek and Cypriot art. A glass walkway connects the modern main building with the neoclassical Stathatos Mansion, where temporary exhibitions are held.

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Benaki Museum

Antonis Benakis founded the museum in 1930 in his family's neoclassical townhouse at Koumbari and Vasilissis Sofias, across from the National Garden. The main building displays Greek art and daily life (prehistory to modern), including jewelry, costumes, icons, and furnished rooms from Northern Greece. The over 100,000-object collection includes Islamic art and other holdings in annexes. A rooftop café provides National Garden views.

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Restaurants in Kolonaki

Filippou

Traditional tavern on Xenokratous Street in upper Kolonaki, at the foot of Lycabettus. The menu features Greek tavern cuisine and slow-cooked dishes.

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Oikeio

A small restaurant on Ploutarchou Street, one of the stepped lanes leading up from Kolonaki to Lycabettus. Serving Greek cuisine with traditional home-style dishes.

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Kalamaki Kolonaki

Grill house on Ploutarchou Street in upper Kolonaki. Named after Kalamaki, the small meat skewer, which is the highlight here alongside pita and salads.

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Food and Drink

In Kolonaki, life centers around the cafés on Kolonaki Square and Skoufa Street, where Athenians linger for hours over coffee. Higher up, in the alleys near Lykabettos, you'll discover tavernas and grill restaurants.

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Freddo Espresso and Freddo Cappuccino

Ice-cold frothed espresso, for cappuccino with a cold milk foam, is the standard coffee in Greece for warm days. You decide the sugar level directly when ordering.

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Frappé

The Frappé, a foamed drink made with instant coffee, water, and ice, is older than the Freddo and is still offered everywhere to this day. It is served in a tall glass with a straw.

Kalamaki and Souvlaki

In Athens, Kalamaki refers to the small skewer of pork or chicken, known elsewhere in Greece as Souvlaki. You eat it plain with bread or wrapped in Pita.

History and Culture

Name and OriginThe name Kolonaki means "little column" and derives from an approximately two-meter-high column that stood at the site of present-day Kolonaki Square even before the area's development. With the growth of the capital in the 19th and 20th centuries, the area evolved into a preferred residential district for politicians, diplomats, and entrepreneurs.CollectionsThe Benaki Museum was founded in 1930 by Antonis Benakis in his family's villa and showcases Greek art from prehistory to modern times. The Museum of Cycladic Art is based on the collection of the Goulandris family. The Byzantine and Christian Museum has existed since 1914 and is located in Villa Ilissia, which was built in 1848 for the Duchess of Plaisance.

On the Go in Kolonaki

Getting ThereEvangelismos Metro Station on Line 3 is on Vasilissis Sofias Street, at the district's edge. From Syntagma Square, it's about a ten-minute walk to Kolonaki Square.On Foot and Towards LykavittosThe streets rise sharply northward towards Lykavittos; many side streets end in staircases. The funicular's lower station to Lykavittos is on Aristippou Street at the upper edge of the district.