Kolonaki Square (Plateia Kolonakiou), Athens.
The short answer: Kolonaki is the upscale residential quarter on the slopes of Lycabettus Hill, in the centre of Athens. From Kolonaki Square it is about 650 metres, an 8 minute walk, to Syntagma, and about 700 metres to Evangelismos metro, whose Line 3 normally runs directly to the airport; check STASY for evening works. Come for slow coffee, small bistros and late bars on Ploutarchou and Kapsali, the boutiques of Skoufa and Voukourestiou, five museums within a 15 minute walk, and the climb up Lycabettus at sunset. The square itself is currently a fenced worksite for the new Metro Line 4, so the neighbourhood's café life has moved into the side streets.
I have lived in Kolonaki for more than ten years and host guests in two apartments here, and this is the guide I wish I could hand every one of them at the door. It goes in the order you will need it: how the neighbourhood is laid out, then coffee, food and drinks, then shopping, museums and walks, and finally the practical things, from the nearest pharmacy to a taxi at 2 am. Every place named was checked against a 2025 or 2026 source, or is one I go to myself, on 11 October 2026.
Getting your bearings
Three Kolonakis on one slope
Kolonaki climbs from the flat streets around Syntagma and Vasilissis Sofias up to the pines of Lycabettus, and it changes character as it goes.
| Part | Streets | What it is like |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Kolonaki | Vasilissis Sofias, Irodotou, Ipsilantou, around Evangelismos | Flat, the museums, the hospital and the metro |
| The square and its streets | Skoufa, Tsakalof, Kapsali, Patriarchou Ioakeim, Voukourestiou | Shops, cafés, restaurants, busiest by day |
| Upper Kolonaki | Ploutarchou, Xenokratous, Deinokratous, Dexameni Square | Steep, residential, the bars and the funicular |
If you want the story of how the neighbourhood got its name, with an interactive map of everything in this guide, see our Kolonaki neighbourhood page.
How far everything is
All distances are from Kolonaki Square, measured with OpenStreetMap pedestrian routing on 11 October 2026. The times assume a flat pace of 4.8 km/h; add a few minutes for anything uphill.
| To | Distance | Walk |
|---|---|---|
| Benaki Museum | about 80 m | 1 minute |
| Museum of Cycladic Art | about 270 m | 3 minutes |
| Dexameni Square | about 380 m | 5 minutes, uphill |
| Byzantine and Christian Museum | about 570 m | 7 minutes |
| Syntagma metro (Lines 2 and 3) | about 650 m | 8 minutes |
| Lycabettus funicular station | about 680 m | 9 minutes, steeply uphill |
| Evangelismos metro (Line 3) | about 700 m | 9 minutes |
| National Gallery | about 1 km | 13 minutes |
| Acropolis Museum | about 1.8 km | 23 minutes, mostly downhill |
The slope
The one thing to know before you choose where to stay: the upper streets are properly steep, and some turn into flights of steps. Lower Kolonaki is flat. If stairs are a problem, the side of the neighbourhood you sleep on matters more than anything else, and where to stay in Kolonaki explains it street by street.
Kolonaki Square today
The square is fenced off as the construction site of Kolonaki station on the new Metro Line 4. In October 2024 the site covered about 4,000 square metres, around a shaft that will be 35 metres deep (Skai, 18 October 2024), and Hellenic Metro's target for completing the line is September 2032 (Hellenic Metro). The cafés around its edge are open; for a quieter table, walk one street further in.
Coffee and breakfast
Coffee in Kolonaki is a sit-down affair: a freddo espresso or freddo cappuccino, drunk slowly, often for an hour. These are the places I would send you first. Our full list, with what to order and when to go, is in my favourite cafés in Kolonaki.
| Café | Where | Go for |
|---|---|---|
| Me Kolonaki | Kapsali 10 | My own morning coffee; breakfast and brunch, open through to dinner |
| Wild Souls | Irodotou 14, corner of Karneadou | A plant-based café and deli from the Greek nut-butter brand |
| Zurbaran | Patriarchou Ioakeim 38 | An all-day café that turns into a bar at night |
| Da Capo | Tsakalof 1, on the square | The classic people-watching terrace; it is self-service, so order at the counter |
| Filion | Skoufa 34 | Old Athens café culture, with orange pie |
| Dexameni | Dexameni Square | A shaded village-square café on the way up to Lycabettus |
Da Capo and Dexameni were both in travel.gr's Kolonaki guide of September 2026, and Spotted by Locals still described Filion's crowd of journalists and writers in June 2025.
Where to eat
Athenians lunch late, from about 14:00, and dine later, from 21:00. Book dinner a day ahead from Thursday to Saturday. These are the tables I use myself, plus three that every Kolonaki resident knows; the full guide by time of day, with prices and dishes, is where to eat like a local in Kolonaki.
My regular tables
| Restaurant | Where | Cooking | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Rosé | Kapsali 3 | Small bistro built around rosé, with a French and Japanese menu | +30 210 729 0171 |
| Oikeio | Ploutarchou 15 | Greek home cooking, pavement tables in summer | +30 210 725 9216 |
| Chez Michel | Irodotou 15 | French-style bistro | +30 215 551 0090 |
| Malconi's | Patriarchou Ioakeim 43, corner of Ploutarchou | Italian | +30 210 724 8920 |
| Trattoria Capanna | Ploutarchou 38 | Italian trattoria, on the way up to Lycabettus | +30 210 724 1777 |
| Gorlomi | Ploutarchou 9 | Italian restaurant and lounge with a long wine list | +30 210 725 1855 |
| Zurbaran | Patriarchou Ioakeim 38 | All-day kitchen, open into the small hours | +30 210 723 8334 |
| Me Kolonaki | Kapsali 10 | All-day, from breakfast to dinner | +30 210 724 2588 |
Le Rosé is tiny and has live guitar and double bass on weekend evenings, so book it (travel.gr, September 2026).
Three neighbourhood institutions
- Filippou, Xenokratous 19. A family taverna on a site the family has run since 1923, and the most honest Greek lunch in Kolonaki; pastitsio was €9.80 on its own menu, checked 10 October 2026.
- To Kafeneio 1987, Loukianou 26. The old kafeneio, reopened in late 2025 with a new kitchen cooking Greek comfort food.
- Iodio, Loukianou 36. Inventive seafood since November 2024, the place for a special fish dinner.
Where to drink
Kolonaki's bars cluster at the top of Ploutarchou and on Loukianou, and they fill late: before 23:00 you will have your pick of tables. More bars, street by street, are in drinks in Kolonaki.
| Bar | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Le Rosé | Kapsali 3 | A glass of rosé, with or without dinner |
| Jazz in Jazz | Deinokratous 4 | A small, long-running jazz bar near Dexameni |
| Rock n Roll | Loukianou 6 | A Kolonaki classic, busy until late |
| Deka | Ploutarchou 10 | The bar at number ten (deka is Greek for ten) |
| Gorlomi | Ploutarchou 9 | Wine and cocktails in the lounge, open until 3 am |
| Zelus | Ploutarchou 9, under Gorlomi | The club downstairs, Thursday to Saturday |
| Zurbaran | Patriarchou Ioakeim 38 | Café by day, bar into the small hours |
Jazz in Jazz has closed for part of the summer in past years, so check before going in July or August. Phone numbers: Jazz in Jazz +30 210 722 5246, Rock n Roll +30 210 721 0065, Deka +30 210 725 2345.
Shopping
Voukourestiou Street in Kolonaki with the Acropolis in the distance.
Kolonaki has been Athens' address for boutiques for decades, and much of it is properly high-end. Treat it as a long browse with a coffee in between rather than a mall trip.
The shopping streets
| Street | What you find there |
|---|---|
| Voukourestiou | International luxury flagships and jewellers, on the stretch down towards Syntagma |
| Skoufa | Greek and international designers, with cafés in between |
| Tsakalof | The pedestrian spine off the square, fashion and cafés |
| Patriarchou Ioakeim | Smaller boutiques, delis and the everyday shops of the neighbourhood |
Two Greek names worth finding: Zeus+Dione, the Greek fashion label, whose Kolonaki store is at Voukourestiou 6, and Luisa, the multi-brand designer boutique, with its flagship at Skoufa 15 (both from their own store pages, checked 11 October 2026).
Food to take home
- Maison d'Olive, Xanthippou 7-9: olive oil, wine and Greek pantry goods, good for gifts.
- Carnicero, Patriarchou Ioakeim 51: butcher and delicatessen.
- Cibo et Vino, Kapsali 10, and Nora's Deli, Panagiotou Anagnostopoulou 11: cheese, charcuterie and things for a picnic on the hill.
- The Friday street market (laiki) on Xenokratous, every Friday morning: seasonal fruit and vegetables, fish, olives and honey. If you are staying in an apartment with a kitchen, this is where to shop.
Museums and galleries
The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, Kolonaki, Athens.
For a residential neighbourhood, Kolonaki has a remarkable run of museums along its lower edge on Vasilissis Sofias, and none of them has the queues of the Acropolis.
| Museum | Walk from the square | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Benaki Museum | 1 minute | Greek art and history from prehistory to the 20th century, in the Benaki family's mansion |
| Museum of Cycladic Art | 3 minutes | The marble Cycladic figures; an hour or two is enough |
| Byzantine and Christian Museum | 7 minutes | Icons and mosaics, and a fine garden; closed Tuesdays, otherwise 08:30 to 15:30 (its own site, checked 11 October 2026) |
| War Museum | 10 minutes | Greek military history, on Vasilissis Sofias since 1975 |
| National Gallery | 13 minutes | Greek painting of the 19th and 20th centuries |
Opening hours change with the season and with exhibitions, so check the museum's own site the day before. The art galleries are scattered through the side streets; Gagosian has a gallery on Anapiron Polemou, a few minutes above the square.
Walks
Up Lycabettus
The walk everyone should do once. From the top of Ploutarchou a footpath climbs through the pines to the summit chapel of Agios Georgios in 20 to 40 minutes, or the funicular does it in a few. Go for sunset, and on extreme fire-risk days in summer expect the city to close the hill. Fares, hours, sunset times by month and the theatre are all in our Lycabettus guide.
Dexameni Square
A five-minute climb from the square brings you to the quietest corner of Kolonaki: a leafy square built over the end of Hadrian's aqueduct, with the Dexameni café under the trees and, from late spring to autumn, the open-air Cine Dexameni. Jazz in Jazz is around the corner.
A loop for a first afternoon
Start at the Benaki Museum, walk up Koumbari to the square, take Skoufa past the church of Agios Dionysios Areopagitis, cut up to Dexameni for a coffee, then carry on up Ploutarchou to the funicular for sunset. Come down for dinner on Ploutarchou or Kapsali. It is a little over a kilometre, almost all of it uphill.
Practicalities
Metro, airport and the Acropolis
Evangelismos (Line 3) is the station for lower and eastern Kolonaki, and Syntagma (Lines 2 and 3) for the western side; Line 3 normally runs directly to the airport from both stations; check STASY for phased evening closures before a late journey. For the Acropolis, take Line 3 to Syntagma and change to Line 2 for one stop to Akropoli, or walk about 25 minutes, downhill most of the way. A 90-minute ticket costs €1.20 (OASA). Tickets, the airport train and buses are covered in getting around Athens.
Taxis
Taxis in Athens are yellow and licensed, and the easiest way to get one is through a ride app that takes your card:
| App | What it books | iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uber | Licensed taxis (in Greece) | iPhone | Android |
| Bolt | A ride | iPhone | Android |
| FREENOW by Lyft | Licensed taxis | iPhone | Android |
| Lemon | Licensed taxis | iPhone | Android |
To phone for one instead: Parthenon +30 210 532 3300 or Kosmos +30 210 411 8300 (both can be called from a foreign phone). Kosmos also has the short number 18300, from a Greek mobile. Between the airport and the centre, taxis charge a flat fare of €50 by day and €65 at night (00:00 to 05:00), per car (ΦΕΚ Β' 5674/18-09-2026). Taxis are required by law to accept cards, but ask before you get in.
Driving and parking
Kolonaki is inside the City of Athens controlled parking scheme. Blue bays are for residents only; white visitor bays are paid Monday to Friday 09:00 to 21:00 and Saturday 09:00 to 16:00, through the city's AthensWay app, which replaced myAthensPass in September 2026. White bays are scarce, so for a car you will not use every day, a private garage is easier. Ask us and we will tell you the nearest one.
Pharmacies and supermarkets
There are more than a dozen pharmacies within a short walk; these are the closest to the square. Pharmacies take turns staying open late; the Attica Pharmacists' Association lists each day's on-duty pharmacies at fsa-efimeries.gr (in Greek).
| Pharmacy | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Abatzoglou | Patriarchou Ioakeim 6 | +30 210 725 5620 |
| Vyza Simou | Kapsali 3 | +30 210 722 7945 |
| Vasiliki Kalyva | Skoufa 14, corner of Irakleitou | +30 210 364 1766 |
| Maria Karagianni | Loukianou 9, corner of Karneadou | +30 210 721 0631 |
| Emmanouil Vallindras | Xenokratous 34 | +30 210 723 4153 |
| Supermarket | Address |
|---|---|
| Masoutis | Irodotou 11 |
| ok! market | Karneadou 3 |
| Carrefour Express | Dimokritou 13 |
| AB Shop & Go | Ipsilantou 15 |
| Bazaar | Xenokratous 33, upper Kolonaki |
Pharmacies and supermarkets from their Google Maps listings, checked 10 October 2026.
Emergencies
The European emergency number 112 works from any phone; for an ambulance call 166. Evangelismos General Hospital, one of the largest public hospitals in Greece, is on the eastern edge of the neighbourhood, about 700 metres from the square. If you are coming to Athens for treatment there, see staying near Athens hospitals. For how the neighbourhood feels at night, see is Athens safe.
August
Some Kolonaki restaurants and bars close for a summer break, often around the 15 August holiday. If you are here then, check before you walk over; the best time to visit Athens covers what the month is like.
Where to go next
- Eat, drink, coffee: where to eat like a local in Kolonaki, drinks in Kolonaki and my favourite cafés in Kolonaki.
- The hill: Lycabettus: the walk, the funicular and sunset times.
- Planning the trip: a two to three day Athens itinerary, and for a longer stay, a month in Kolonaki.
- Choosing a base: Kolonaki vs Plaka vs Koukaki, where to stay in Athens, and if you are catching a ferry, where to stay in Athens before a ferry.
Staying in Kolonaki
I host two licensed apartments in the neighbourhood: a one-bedroom on Deinokratous, in upper Kolonaki about 100 metres from the funicular and around the corner from Jazz in Jazz, and a two-bedroom near Evangelismos, on the flat lower side beside the metro and the museums. Everything in this guide is a walk from either door. You can see both apartments or book direct, and when you arrive I will tell you which of these places is open that week.
Last updated 11 October 2026. Photos: C messier / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0; George E. Koronaios / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0.