Every Easter, an informal competition runs between the pastry shops of Athens: who will make the most impressive chocolate eggs? Once upon a time, the classic gift for christenings was a simple affair and eggs were eaten summarily, plain or with a piece of bun. Now they are so well-kept that we are almost sorry to break them. The city’s confectioners use their best chocolates, put their imaginations to work and prepare small sculptures to give to our loved ones or to ourselves.
The red chickens of Dimitris Economides
We still remember the cubism-inspired eggs that Dimitris Economidis made last year. This year, however, he has married quality chocolate with design by presenting small chocolate sculptures. The ‘poule rouge’, a crimson milk chocolate hen, is my favourite, while the elegant ‘noir et lait’ is perfect for those indecisive, as one half is 33% milk chocolate and the other half is dark chocolate 66 %. G.P.
340 Kifisias Avenue, Neo Psychiko, T/210-67.55.000
Stuffed eggs and bunnies at The Zillers Pastry Bar
We found a small chocolate collection passing by the special pastry shop with the signature of Giorgos Platinos. The eggs they make in their workshop are two, one crispy on the outside, the other on the inside. The first, made of 60% Valrhona bittersweet chocolate, is covered in caramelized cocoa nibs, bitters and breadcrumbs, and hides inside either chocolate fudge or crunchy bunny cookies) flavored with either vanilla or cinnamon – an egg for adults, which has, but also the necessary dose of childishness. It’s very good, but the latter steals the show for me: made of milk chocolate, with a generous dose of hazelnut praline and caramelized hazelnuts spread inside its “walls”, it’s super indulgent. Also check out the chocolate bunnies (either milk or bitter), they’re a great idea for baby showers, as are the super cute cartoon chickens. Both hide small surprises inside. LET.
Paleologou Benizelou 6, T/210-32.41.651
Esophy x Kora: with bun, croissant or wild flowers?
The Kora team repeats the successful collaboration with Sofia Dendrinou and Evdokia Liakou, the two friend-chocolatières behind Esophy. This Easter two large eggs were imagined, one in milk chocolate and one in white chocolate, “embroidered” with edible wildflowers from the foothills of Olympus (sourced by Olympus Fields who follow sustainable farming practices). Small and even more delicious are the eggs in the cardboard egg cases that come in two flavors: white chocolate with pieces of Kora’s musky bun and milk chocolate with caramelized croissant pieces. G.P.
44 Panagiotou Anagnostopoulou, Kolonaki, T/ 210-36.27.855
Poulette: Both the hare and the egg
The fluffy sugar paste bunny that decorates the chocolate eggs of pastry chef Katerina Liva is so cute that we want to eat it just by looking at it, while the floral pattern that surrounds it puts us in a spring and light mood. They are made from Callebaut milk chocolate and strawberry flavored chocolate and are irresistible. M.P.
64 Greek Serbian Friendship, Agia Paraskevi, T/ 211-11.14.172
Bread BC: With caramelized croissant
The croissants that are baked fresh every day in the modern bakery of the northern suburbs have also found their place in their Easter eggs. More specifically, the milk chocolate egg they have prepared is dipped whole in caramelized croissant flakes, which give it an extra crunchy texture. You’ll also find one made of bitter chocolate, with edible rose petals and fondant daisies, and one inspired by Oreo cookies. G.P.
59 Agias Paraskevis, Chalandri, T/210-68.51.961
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Pavlov’s Lab: With daisies or with legos?
There are not a few confectioners who decorate their eggs with Spring flowers, but Alex Pavlov’s “hand” makes the difference here. They are made of dark chocolate and look like a flower, covered as they are with delicate, three-dimensional daisies. He has prepared another one in the shape of a bear, with a red heart in his hands, but also a white one (it’s bitter chocolate, sprinkled with white chocolate and cocoa butter) with colorful lego blocks made of sugar paste. G.P.
Patriarch Grigoriou V’, Nea Erythrea, T/ 211-01.24.69
Madame Fraise: And egg and nest
An entire spring scene unfolds on Madame Fraise’s egg. It is a milk chocolate creation, filled with fluffy praline, with the famous Piedmont hazelnuts as raw material. On its surface you will see that they have made a nest out of chocolate twigs and filled it with caramelized nuts, with a paper sparrow watching over them. G.P.
225 Ymettou Street, Mets, T/211-41.86.086
Ourse: The Cracked Egg!
Different and… already broken (!) is the egg that we find this year at Ourse, which has the signature of the talented confectioner Spyros Pediaditakis and the shop’s mascot, the bear, emerging from the inside. The shell is made of white chocolate (plain and caramelized) and the inside includes either a crunchy almond praline or pistachio praline filling. G.P.
Mystra 39, Glyfada, T/ 212-10.67.019
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GB Corner’s textured, wavy eggs
This year, GB Corner’s hand-made chocolate eggs, designed by the pastry chef of the Hotel Megali Bretagne, Alexandros Koufas, who often choose forms that imitate nature, are particularly special this year. Maybe that’s how these embossed, wavy eggs were inspired. They are made from Valrhona, milk or bitter chocolate (with 70% cocoa). In the first case, they hide a rich layer of hazelnut praline, with fegentine, hazelnut cracker and candied buckwheat and in the second caramel, hazelnut praline, caramelized hazelnuts and tonka. LET.
1 Vasileos Georgiou A’, Syntagma Square, Athens, T/210-33.30.750
Mokpo’s Pop Eggs
A destination for godfathers and godmothers this season is Mokpo in Chalandri, which specializes in impressive, colorful eggs with a pop aesthetic. Danai Riga, who spends countless hours working with sugar paste, brushes and special colors to decorate them, scours Pinterest for months to come up with the most original designs. This year we find three different styles: those with hearts reminiscent of Mexican milagro, those with abstract flowers and eggs reminiscent of viral cartoon cakes. G.P.
8 Vasileos Georgiou Avenue 2, Chalandri, T/ 210-68.38.859
Terrible Child: richly stuffed
Those of you who have tried the sweets of the Terrible Child know that they succeed as well as their pastries. This year’s eggs, made from Valrhona bitter or milk chocolate, are relatively minimal on the outside but hide a rich layer of caramelized pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, cranberries and orange confit inside. G.P.
30 Papadiamantopoulou, Ilisia, T/210-77.77.537
Easter Fillings
In the small and creative patisserie of the young Alexandros Koniaris, we usually go for lemon pie with sheep yogurt and croissants with bacon and maple syrup. But he couldn’t help but prepare something for Easter as well. His chocolate eggs are minimal and crimson with the words Easter Fillings written like a tattoo on the chocolate. G.P.
23 Pyrronos, Pagrati, T/210-75.64.760
Sweet Alchemy: Confectionery and Fashion
Every Easter Stelios Parliaros brings something from the world of fashion to his patisserie, dressing paper, retro egg cases in beautiful fabrics he chooses himself. This year his eggs were taken on by Deux Hommes, maximum and fancy. You can fill them, as they suggest at Sweet Alchemy, with small chocolate eggs made of Valrhona chocolate and donate them to slightly larger baptistries. Of course, they also have more classic options, such as animal figures made of bitter, milk or dulcey chocolate (white chocolate with a caramel flavor). Goose is my favorite. G.P.
24 Irodotou, Kolonaki, T/210-72.40.205
The crimson egg of La Maison – Fine Pastry
I went for that fragrant bun of Thanasis Tsagliotis, which smells of mastic, I also got a red chocolate egg. It’s not one of the fanciest ones on the list, it’s simpler, more classic, but it wins you over with its taste. It is made of milk chocolate, filled with hazelnut praline, hazelnut cracker, puffed rice and fegentine which, as it crunches in the mouth, gives you the feeling of eating a wafer. Before putting it in its transparent box and closing it with a ribbon, they sprinkle it with red cocoa butter and drizzle some white chocolate on top. LET.
149 Dimosthenous, Kallithea, T/216-70.06.518
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Asimakopoulos: Beautiful and playful
This year, Easter eggs are made in various sizes and designs at the historic pastry shop of Exarchia. They decorate them with hearts, legos and other imaginative decorations to satisfy the tastes of young and old. We find eggs with milk chocolate and with dark chocolate with 55% cocoa. The decorations are also made with different types of chocolate: white, gold and ruby. M.P.
Char. Trikoupi 82, Exarchia, T/210-36.10.092
Papaspyrou: Splashes of color
This year, Easter eggs are decorated with splattered colors in the old and beloved pastry shop of Athens. They are made from milk and bitter chocolate without any filling. They also have nice chocolate pigs that the little ones will love. M.P.
Agia Paraskevi 115, Chalandri, T/210-68.42.278 / Tatoiou 100 and Kolokotroni 29, Kifisia, T/210-62.04.836 / Panormou 19, Ampelokipoi, T/210-64.24.528 / Agia Triados and N. Zichni 15 , Acharnai, T/210-24.09.235
Melissa: Simple and delicious
In their workshop, they make chocolate delicacies all year round, but especially during the Easter season they make chocolate eggs into elegant artefacts. Others are filled with fegentine (waffle flakes) or nuts, others are plain milk or health chocolate with varying percentages of cocoa. The chocolate is rich and its taste stays with you. We like them because they are simple and elegant. M.P.
43 Ethnarchou Makariou, Peristeri, T/210-57.11.055
