It's time to enjoy the most impressive and lucky dessert of the year.
The pastry shops and bakeries of Athens offer many different options for vasilopita. Other vasilopites are topped with chocolate and nuts, sprinkled with icing sugar, and decorated with coloured candies.
In any case, they smell of fresh butter, vanilla, orange, spices and almonds; they are delicious and made with art and passion.
Olive Magazine has compiled a list of the best vasilopita to be found in the Greek capital.
Πελίτ (Pelit)
The ultimate vasilopita. It smells of fresh butter, machleb and mastic; it is fluffy and melts in the mouth. Airy, like a cloud.
On top, it is sprinkled with sesame and black seed; you will always find it fresh and keep it perfectly for several days. It generally sells out, so be sure to get it relatively early or give them a call to pre-order.
9 Rodou & Miltiadou, Maroussi, tel. 210 8068 696
Cookie land
This fluffy, delicious cake has rich aromas of vanilla and butter and a fantastic almond flavour. It has been made according to a traditional recipe for 23 years and is reminiscent of home.
The chocolate version is covered in a thick layer of white chocolate, and it's a dream! After that, who cares about fluff?
150 Papadiamantopoulou, Athens, tel. 210 7771 695
Pastry Family
Fine orange cake with slivered almonds and enough sugar to be sweet but not cloying. Its delicious taste is known all over the city, so on days like this, queues form at the door of this pastry shop and the phones for orders ring non-stop.
19 Rizari, Athens, tel. 210 7210 987
Τα Γιούλια (Ta Yioulia)
This is a shop that, since 1945, has been specialising in Constantinople tsoureki with the recipe of Grandfather Vangelis. Every year on days like this, they make Vasilopitas with their exact same unchanged and tested recipe.
74 Alekou Panagouli, Nea Ionia, tel.: 210 2798 351
Desire
The historic patisserie makes a classic cake full of almond aromas. With selected raw materials and a traditional recipe, this vasilopita has had fanatical fans for years since it is delicious and beautifully decorated with white icing.
6 Demokritou, Kolonaki, tel. 210 3632 333
Lido
Authentic Constantinople vasilopita in its freshest and most delicious version. Mahleb and orange star in its aromas while its texture is chewy and full of fibres. There is always a line on days like this, but the wait is 100% worth it.
35 Chremonidou, Pagrati, tel. 210 7516 898
Αρτοποιείο Τσουκαλά (Artopoieio Tsoukala)
Do you love chocolate recipes? With deep knowledge of years and always using the purest ingredients, this family bakery makes a classic vasilopita filled with plenty of dark chocolate praline every year.
It's pure temptation! Fluffy, chocolatey and musky.
And if you prefer vasilopita, here you will find it dusted with dark or white chocolate icing (you can order it as you like) and completely homemade, as if it just came out of your kitchen.
88 Papadiamantopoulou, Zografou, tel. 21 0770 7372
READ MORE: Panettone or kormos: What do Greeks prefer for Christmas?
