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The Last Dairy Bar in Athens

13/1/2018

 

Where do you find the best Greek yogurt in Athens? At one very special place - the last dairy bar in Athens. Learn how you can easily visit Athens' last dairy bar all on your own.

Some links within this blog post are affiliate links, which means we are paid a small commission should you make a purchase ​

best Greek yogurt in Athens Greek yogurt in Greece - last dairy bar in Athens Picture
Greek yogurt doesn't get any better or more authentic than this. In my opinion, it's best Greek yogurt in Athens!
Have you ever tried a food you think you know so well, and suddenly something happens and you'll never look at it the same way again? That's what it was like when I tried Greek yogurt in Greece. The snowy yogurt was so thick that it nearly held its shape as it was cut and plated on a classic white saucer, with honey and fresh walnuts crowding the top and spilling over to the sides. Like nearly all yogurt in Greece, it was made from sheep's milk - and I'm sure the shop owner would say that there was a lot of love in the mix too, for I was visiting the Stani Milk Shop, the last dairy bar in all of central Athens. And as far as I'm concerned, it's the best Greek yogurt in Athens

Stani Milk Shop is an Athens culinary legend!

Greek yogurt in Athens - delicious dairy desserts Picture
A little bit custard pie, a little bit pastry, a whole lotta delicious.
Stani isn't the kind of place you easily stumble upon, though it is a very easy walk from Omonia Square, one of Athens' best known landmarks. Guided by Despina fromCulinary Backstreets Athens, my friends and I were in the safe hands of a local when it came to navigating the side streets and discovering little delights that I'd otherwise easily miss. 

Despina explained to us that Stani is a 4th generation dairy bar that dates to 1931, and the last of its kind. In bygone years, there was a popular tradition of stopping into a dairy bar for a glass of warm milk in the morning or to have creamy desserts such as rice pudding alongside evening coffee, but that practice has all but disappeared. Widespread refrigeration means that families have their own milk at home and, these days, its more common for busy Athenians to grab a mid morning coffee and small pastry (often savory) in lieu of a full breakfast or a morning mug of milk.

Real Greek yogurt in Greece... Yes, please!

Wine pudding covered with nuts and cinnamon in Athens Picture
A curious dessert... and a tasty one.
While dairy bars are known for serving warm milk, everything we ate was cold - and far more elaborate. In addition to the incredible, sturdy yogurt with honey and walnuts, we also feasted on galaktoboureko. "Gala" means milk (or so I'm told!) and this yummy treat was like a cross between a milk pie and a custard pudding with a filo pastry crust. It was smooth, substantial, and the perfect balance between sweet and subtle. 

Last but not least, we d0ve into a heavy plate of moustalevria. Despina explained that the name translates into "wine pudding" and the leftover grape materials from the wine harvest are called "must". In olden times, ash was a traditional ingredient but our more modern version was laden with cinnamon and nuts. To my palette, it was a curious, delicious concoction.

It didn't really remind me of wine or grapes and yet there was both an intense sweetness (and I was reminded that grape juice is a common sweetener in lieu of sugar in many recipes) and also a kind of acidity that played well with the cinnamon (was it the tart grape skins? Was I imagining a splash of nearly-fermented wine?) The texture was smooth, yet unusual. There was a slight jiggle, as if Jello was moustalevria's third cousin once removed.

I have a special affection for waste not, want not recipes and this was a delightful and clever one. I'd never imagined that milk, wine and grape leftovers, spices, nuts - and maybe ash! - would come together so beautifully and I'm so glad I had the chance to try it. It wasn't an everyday treat for me (that would be the g
alaktoboureko), but it's definitely something I'd seek out again on a future trip. 

Anyone can visit Stani Athens!

Stani milk shop in Athens Picture
Stani Milk Shop is small - you could easily walk past it.
Stani Milk Shop Athens Culinary Backstreet Athens Tour Picture
The pretty interior.
Picture
Dairy products for sale.
Stani milk shop Athens to try Greek yogurt Picture
The perfect patio seat.
Omonia Square is bustling (some might say it's hustling....) with people and traffic. Athenians told me that just a few short years ago, it wasn't considered the finest of addresses and had a rather unsavory reputation. Not knowing this on my first few visits, it struck me as just another busy, slightly gritty public square and transit hub in a big, busy city. And if the Stani Milk Shop is any indication, there are delightful side streets and small shops that are eager for an intrepid traveler to take just a few steps off the beaten path.

The sounds of the busy square were a distant memory as we sat and ate at one of the tables set up outside the milk shop and listened to Despina tell us about the history of dairy in the city. It was a beautiful, relaxing spot and the large umbrellas were the perfect cover from the sun. The shop also has a few small tables inside should you find yourself visiting in rainy weather. It sells tubs of yogurt and a few baked goods and milk based treats suitable for taking home, which would be great for anyone renting an apartment during their trip.

If you're dreaming of trying real Greek yogurt in Greece, a stop here will make all your dreams come true! Try it for yourself and I think you'll agree with me that it's the best Greek yogurt in Athens!
  • If you want to follow in my footsteps, sign up for a tour with Culinary Backstreets. They're good folks and they offer exceptional tours. I owe my ticket to my amazing friend and fellow travel blogger Jo, who has a great article on Athenian food on her site.
  • ....But be careful when the tour makes a stop in Athens' meat market. My stomach did not do so well - and you can read all about my embarrassment here.
  • If you need one more reason to visit Stani, I've read that they also serve orange juice, fried eggs (fried in butter!), bread, and pastries. This is worth noting because Athens is NOT a breakfast town. A real locals' joint that also serves a North American-y breakfast is a rare find.
  • In Athens, we stayed at the Athinais Hotel. You can read all about our experience, see what our friends thought about their hotels and hostels, and get great accommodation tips here.

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Marvi link
28/1/2018 04:13:07 am

I love greek yogurt and I’d definitely would love to try some in Greece! Good to see that Stani still persists even today. The future generations of travelers could really use a good dairy bar when visiting Athens. As they say, nothing beats the original! :)

Vanessa
28/1/2018 02:19:22 pm

Wouldn't a dairy bar be the perfect spot for travelers all over the world - it would be the perfect spot to drop into before early morning flights.

Danila Caputo
28/1/2018 12:37:40 pm

I can only eat Greek yogurt because of an intollerance, but I never knew it tastes different in Greece, silly me! I'd love to taste it with honey and walnuts, but I would probably also taste the other desserts. They all look particularly yummy!

Vanessa
28/1/2018 02:19:52 pm

Yep, as great as the yogurt was, the desserts ruled the day!

Lauren link
28/1/2018 08:50:53 pm

My wanderlust for Greece keeps growing! Although I don't eat dairy, I'm glad that you got to enjoy this treat and it tastes better in Greece! It's wonderful how certain neighborhoods or areas are cleaning up as compared to previous years - I've heard many people say they didn't expect too much from Athens and were pleasantly surprised when they went!

Vanessa
29/1/2018 11:47:57 am

Athens definitely wins for the award for being our most "pleasantly surprised" destination. Our tour was heavy on dairy products - we also stopped to try feta cheese and ice cream - but I know that they have done private tours for people around food exclusions before (like gluten free) and I suspect they could do the same for other diets.

Nathalie Caty link
29/1/2018 09:20:46 am

I realized what we call cultural/ethnic food are not the same when we eat in their country. I love Greek yogurt. However, when I was in Greece, it has a different taste and texture that I barely ate it.

Vanessa
29/1/2018 11:49:00 am

What's funny is that I was the opposite - I'm not a huge fan of Greek yogurt that I find in the stores in Canada but I ate it every morning in Greece at my hotel. I wonder if cows milk (which is most common here) and sheep's milk make a difference.

Suruchi link
30/1/2018 07:48:04 am

The Greek Yogurt with honey and nuts on it, looks so tempting. And actually I have never seen the one, which can withstand its shape so well when cut. The galaktoboureko.to sounds quite interesting. I think we are going to try and feast on all of these once travelling to Greece.

Vanessa
30/1/2018 10:08:19 am

Let me know how you enjoy it when you're there!

Anne link
30/1/2018 03:08:22 pm

I’m not a massive fan of Greek yogurt as I find it a big sour. That said this looks deliciously amazing. Often things taste better in its home place.

Vanessa
30/1/2018 09:42:32 pm

You need to go to a place like this where they are kinda crazy with the honey!

Medha Verma link
31/1/2018 05:50:17 am

That's the best part about knowing a local in a city you visit - they can take you to some of the best hidden places with great food and you end up experiencing things you may never read about on the internet and what may not come up in your research. Greek yogurt is pretty awesome and it seems you found a fantastic place for it!

Vanessa
5/2/2018 10:24:24 am

That's such a good point and an extra good reason to take a food tour - there are just some things you rarely read about.

On the same tour, we also made some stops at places that, while they were good, you probably wouldn't read about them online. But what made them super special was the location, learning the history of the building, chatting with the staff.


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