Loukoumades are Greek doughnuts that have a round appearance and a nice golden colour. They are made with flour and salt and covered with honey syrup and cinnamon. This dessert probably comes from ancient Greece, where it was made and awarded to the winners of the Olympic Games. In today’s Athens, there are various shops that have loukoumades on their menu. However, the best loukoumades in Athens, in my opinion, are made in Ktistakis.

Ktistakis is hidden in the streets around Omonoia Square but deserves every moment you will spend searching for it. It makes only one thing: delicious little loukoumades, crunchy on the outside but soft and full of honey syrup on the inside (also, they add cinnamon and sesame on top). The Ktistakis family established their first shop in Chania, Crete, and came to Athens during the 1950s to establish a new shop in the area around Omonoia Square. It was moved to its current location in 1997 and it still treats Athenians with its unique loukoumades that are like sweet little bites made in heaven.

One of my sweetest childhood memories is of Ktistakis. Each time I went to the city center with my family, I just waited patiently for our required stop at Ktistakis. I now visit whenever I am in the city center in order to relive this lovely moment, and I am never let down because the taste is still the same.