Why it works
It is not a restaurant and it is not a bar. It is a small wooden kiosk in the park, with simple tables under the plane trees. That is exactly the point: you can sit in the greenery for coffee or a drink without leaving central Athens.
In the morning neighbours come for coffee, at midday parents and kids stop after the playground, in the afternoon walkers and runners pause for juice, and in the evening groups gather for tsipouro and meze until 22:30.
Where it is and how to get there from Angel Athens (Ioulianou 50)
Gardenia is inside Pedion tou Areos, on the northwest side of the park, near the corner of Evelpidon and Moustoxidi, just behind Plateia Protomagias (May Day Square). From the apartment the walk is essentially one long line eastward: take Ioulianou, cross Patision, continue on Ipirou, and enter the park at its southwest corner. Follow the main pathways inward and east — a few minutes later you'll see a small wooden kiosk between the trees. Total distance is roughly 1 km · 10–12 minutes on foot, flat all the way, and entirely inside the green.
What you will find on the menu
☕ Coffee & cold drinks
Freddo espresso, freddo cappuccino, hot variations, hot chocolate, tea, fresh juices and smoothies. Reliable and reasonably priced, usually around €2.50–3.50.
🥪 Snacks & light meals
Sandwiches, Arabic flatbreads, cheese pies, toasts. The cheese and cured-meat platters are a good option if you are sharing with beer. Soft-serve ice cream in the warm months is handy for kids after the playground. Everything comes quickly, without restaurant-style service.
🍷 Tsipouro, beer & cocktails
A very popular evening choice. A small carafe of tsipouro with a meze platter (olives, feta, tomato, rusks), together with cold beer, wine and simple cocktails under the plane trees.
Practical info
📍 Address
Inside Pedion tou Areos · near Plateia Protomagias, at the corner of Evelpidon & Moustoxidi.
🕐 Hours
Monday to Sunday · 09:30 – 22:30. Open continuously, no afternoon break.
📞 Phone
+30 698 014 5342 · no reservations, so you usually just take the next free table. Children's parties by arrangement.
💶 Prices
Coffee €2.50–3.50, snacks €3–6, tsipouro carafe with meze €8–12, beer €3–4. Canteen prices, not bar prices.
What to order
- Freddo espresso — a steady daytime choice, properly chilled and balanced.
- Tsipouro carafe with meze platter — a very popular order in the afternoon and evening.
- Arabic flatbread — quick, served warm, and filling without feeling too heavy.
- Soft-serve ice cream — simple but perfect after a walk through the park, especially with kids.
- Fresh orange juice — squeezed on the spot, no added sugar.
When to go
Morning to noon is the quiet window and works well for coffee and a book in the shade. Weekend afternoons (12:00–17:00) get busier with families and students, but the atmosphere stays relaxed. Late afternoon (18:00–21:00) is a very good time for tsipouro or coffee under the trees. On hot days, it can be one of the cooler stops in your day.
Combine it with a longer walk through the park
Gardenia works very well as a stop during a walk through Pedion tou Areos: start at the main Mavrommateon entrance, walk up to the central plaza, pass the alley with the busts of the heroes of 1821, and head down toward the rose garden before stopping for coffee or tsipouro. It makes for an easy 60–90 minute walk in the park.
If you'd rather have a proper meal and full table service, on the same side of the park you'll find Green Park Athens — a renovated neoclassical building with a real kitchen. The two are not competitors: Gardenia is the quick, relaxed, outdoor option; Green Park is the "sit down and eat properly" option.
A practical recommendation
When we suggest Gardenia
We suggest Gardenia when someone wants to sit in the greenery without much planning: an hour of decompression after walking in the centre, a break during a park walk, an afternoon stop with a book, or a casual evening over tsipouro. There are proper tables under the plane trees and you can usually find a spot without a reservation. It is simple, affordable, and offers something that is harder to find in central Athens: time under the trees.
Quick reference
- Name: Kantina O Kipos tis Gardenias
- Address: Inside Pedion tou Areos park (Evelpidon & Moustoxidi), Athens
- Phone: +30 698 014 5342
- Social: Facebook · Instagram
- Hours: Mon–Sun 09:30 – 22:30
- From Ioulianou 50: ~1 km · 10–12 min walk (through the park)
- Good for: daytime coffee, snacks, tsipouro & meze, kids, casual groups, sunset in the green
— Kathy
