For generations, the Antoniou family has welcomed visitors to Naxos through To Elliniko, the family restaurant that remains a fixture near the island’s port. Greek Things, founded by Manolis Antoniou directly across the street, extends that tradition of hospitality into a new setting. Part concept store, part bar and cultural meeting point, it offers a contemporary take on what it means to bring a piece of Greece home. Instead of familiar tourist souvenirs, the shelves bring together ceramics, jewelry, textiles, marble objects, clothing, photography and independent publications by Greek makers, artists and publishers, alongside a growing collection of pieces created exclusively for the store. Books play an equally important role, forming an evolving library dedicated to architecture, design, gastronomy, mythology, island life and contemporary Greek culture. Designed by architect Artemis Valyraki in a space that once belonged to the original family restaurant, the interior draws on the material language of Naxos while retaining traces of the building’s past. At its center, a luminous installation made from glass, mirrors and galvanized steel reimagines the classical Greek column as a flexible display for rotating objects. More than a retail space, Greek Things is conceived as a place for discovery and exchange, connecting visitors with the people and ideas shaping Greece today. While To Elliniko introduces Naxos through food and the rituals of the table, Greek Things continues the conversation through objects, books and stories, offering a more thoughtful portrait of the island, far removed from the usual souvenir-shop clichés.
Greek Things rethinks the island souvenir shop through contemporary Greek design