Last updated: 14 April 2021
Touched with island magic, this curated list of keepsakes and edible souvenirs uncover special ateliers and smart finds located off the beaten path of tourist shops. Uniquely Greek, stylish, and of the moment, they make winning gifts for loved ones back home. Or if, like us, you are homebound and pining for pre-COVID summers in Greece, go online for a virtual simulation of evenings spent getting lost in a maze of island village shops.
TO BEACH WITH
Sea You Soon’s beach towels are the perfect companion on long summer days. Sand resistant, absorbent, lightweight, and easy to pack, choose from elegant stripes to eye-catching prints. Equally covetable are their clutches and the Luz tote bag. We love the tote’s 2 handle option which gives us the flexibility we need for juggling babies and bits.
TO BEAUTIFY
Handcrafted and full of character, Kerameio’s edgy and elegant ceramics are lovingly made in Serifos. Also finished with non-toxic glazes, we love their squeezed cups (pictured here) with asymmetric appeal. Or for a memento with a distinctively Greek signature, their V-shaped blue and white jugs are strikingly bold and beautiful.
So steeped in history, there’s always an archaeological site somewhere nearby in Greece. Exploring our ancient past in between beach hops, the Benaki Museum Shop allows you to take home memories of such special encounters with objects of old. They carry a selection of faithful museum replicas reproduced by craftsmen using ancient techniques. We love the simplicity of their Cycladic collection, including the bowl pictured here.
TO PLAY WITH
Celebrating the heroes and heroines of the 1821 Greek War of Independence, Katerina Kourteli has created a collection of four exquisite hand painted peg dolls. Timeless toys for hours of creative play, meet Laskarina Mpoumpoulina, Theodoros Kolokotronis, Manto Mavrogenous and Nikitas Stamatelopoulos. Katerina ships worldwide. Contact her on Instagram @katerina.kourteli.art.
We love Svoora – a local brand with a wide and thoughtful range of beautiful wood toys. These spinning wood tops come in a selection of Greek Gods and icons, including Cycladic style chapels and boats.
Here are toys that grown ups get just as excited about. Playmobil’s 12 Gods of Olympus take imaginations to the mythological worlds of ancient Greece. Another collection features characters from familiar Aesop’s fables classics. Available online or in store from Forget Me Not, check out other fabulous memorabilia from this treasure of a gift shop.
TO WEAR
Energise your work days with Thalassa’s ties and scarves that diffuse vacation vibes into the hustle of the daily grind. In a variety of Greek motifs from Cycladic architecture to Evzones soldiers, there’s a design for any icon of Greece that is personally significant to you.
TO SAVOUR
Vefa’s Kitchen is a compendium of recipes providing enough guidance to open a Greek restaurant. Also bearing a striking cover, it doubles up as a coffee table book if ever your culinary enthusiasm runs dry.
Or step right into a Greek home kitchen with Alexandra Stratou. Cooking with Loula uncovers the soul and spirit of Greek cooking. Busy moms will appreciate the section on simple and healthy weekday dishes.
Lastly, our favourite go-to chef on YouTube released an English cookbook (Akis Petrezekis – Greek Comfort Food) in 2019. With easy to execute and reliable recipes, it’s the next best thing if you can’t bring Akis home with you.
Those mint green boxes of chocolate coated blobs became increasingly familiar when our Greek friends returned from their homeland. The mystery – decadent Tsoureki brioche-like buns from the Thessaloniki institution, Terkenlis. Packed to-go and available at the Athens and Thessaloniki airports, these edible souvenirs transcend most individual differences for thougtless-thoughtful gifting.
Greece is an Eden of aromatic herbs. Mountain tea or sideritis is mild, floral, rich in antioxidants and beautifully paired with honey. Brew, sweeten, and shake with ice until frothy for cool summer drink that will refresh any a hot day. Or drink hot as is. Tastefully tinned, Anassa’s mountain and other teas know the importance of packaging design in the tradition of gift-giving.
