Round, with or without a hole, bathed in honey or filled with various favourite ingredients such as praline, loukoumades are a truly delightful treat. Tradition calls for them to be warm and honeyed with plenty of cinnamon.
However, the new-age loukoumades are filled with various sweet creams and garnished with all kinds of ingredients, while they are also made salty. Therefore, the art of good loukoumades is rare and deserves to be enjoyed in the best loukoumades shops.
Athens
Ktistakis
The loukoumades are not sliced but syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon and sesame. Round, crispy Chanio doughnuts with plenty of syrup inside, according to a traditional recipe that has remained the same and unchanged for 110 years.
59 Sokratous, Omonia, tel.: 210 5240 891
Krinos
The meeting point of old and new Athenians after shopping. Light and crispy doughnuts are subtly dipped in honey and sprinkled with hazelnut praline or ice cream—the sweetest reward for young and old after a walk in the market.
Aiolou 87, Omonia, tel.: 210 32 16852
Lukoumades
They make fresh, fluffy and crispy loukoumades, which they combine with almost everything. Dust, honey, cinnamon, hazelnut and pistachio praline, bougatsa, lemon or banana cream, salted caramel, ice cream, snickers and cookies. And the best is that they also have savoury ones with feta or mizythra.
21 Aiolou, Agia Irini Square, tel.: 210 3210 880
Balatsouras
With a recipe from Asia Minor, since 1930, the Balatsouras brothers have been serving traditional loukoumades in their simplest version, i.e. with honey and cinnamon, but also in various combinations with bueno cream, white chocolate, almond, coconut, truffle, ice cream, etc.
Small, bite-sized, but also classic ones with a hole in the middle to choose from.
1 Grigoriou Kydionion, Aegaleo, tel.: 210 5982 806
Stani
Crusty and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these doughnuts have a nostalgic taste. Always fresh and hot, with first-quality honey and musky cinnamon. Enjoy a portion on the spot and take a can home; they are also delicious the next day.
10 M. Kotopoulis, Omonia, tel. 210 5233 637
Keenkies
Starting backwards, i.e., from the savoury ones, it is worth saying that the doughnuts are the basis for complete meals since they are combined with bacon and cream, minced meat and béchamel, and even egg and mozzarella.
In the sweet versions, dozens of ingredients, from strawberry praline, peanut butter and tahini to chocolate rice flakes. On the plus side, there is a wide variety of vegan options.
56 Themistokleous, Exarchia, tel. 210 3815 278
Siametis
Dough made with passion and fine oil are the secrets of its success. As for the fillings and garnishes, the list is long: flower honey and thyme honey, Bavarian cream, dark chocolate, strawberry and raspberry jam, orange cream, cheddar, Philadelphia, and feta.
Panos 8, Vari, tel.: 210 8992 270
Thessaloniki
Loukoumania
Fresh dough is made daily, so the loukoumades are fluffy, crispy, and, at the same time, juicy and honeyed. They are filled or poured with whatever your mind can think of. Try Ferrero and Banoffee, while if you have an appetite for something salty, the ones with Cretan graviera are just what you need.
Best seller: Louksilaki, a stick with seven loukoumades that can be filled with whatever you want and eaten by hand.
Dec. 24 Gounari, tel.: 2310 268 484
The loukoumades of Loxandra
Harilaou Square is flooded every day with the smell of freshly baked loukoumades. The combinations and options are endless. Try loukoumades with ION chocofretta praline, with tiramisu cream, apricot jam and even with kefalotiri.
4 Gymnasiarchou Stefanou, tel.: 2310 323 140
Kokkinos Skoufos
Two crimson carts in Nea Paralia sell daily fresh handmade loukoumades, which they combine with dozens of ingredients. Honey, chocolates of all kinds, cookies and nuts in irresistible combinations that sweeten your walks.
St. Triada, tel.: 693 273 2404
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