Akra

Delicate, two-bite melomakarona with discreet spices, they balance a lightly crunchy, baked-dough texture with a moist, well-soaked interior. Made entirely with organic Greek ingredients, they’re finished with an extra drizzle of honey during packaging, leaving a lingering, elegant aftertaste.

A la Gkrek

Flavorful, bite-sized treats made with exclusively Cretan olive oil and thyme honey, with raki replacing the more customary cognac in the syrup. Using walnuts from the mountains of Thessaly and no semolina, they stay light yet moist, brightened with generous orange zest and juice.

Papaparaskevas

With a light walnut filling and generously soaked in syrup – yet not cloying – these melomakarona are bold in both flavor and aroma, with orange and clove lingering on the palate. This robust three-bite confection is satisfying after just one. The tops feature the distinctive pinched isli pattern.

Tillas

This pastry shop has been feeding the residents of Nea Fildadelfia with all sorts of Anatolian delights for half a century, from ekmek and kazandibi to tulumba and kourkoubinia. Their melomakarona are dark-baked, crisp on the outside, richly syruped and juicy within. They are also available in bite-sized, walnut-filled versions.

Rio

Balanced in flavor and made with fine ingredients, Rio’s melomakarona feature fresh honey, walnuts, and aromatic spices, with a tender, crumbly dough that’s perfectly syruped. A delicate hint of orange rounds out the taste without overwhelming it.

Asimakopoulos

They make two kinds here – classic and isli – and customers line up at Christmas for both. Perfectly syruped and moist, the classic version is generously spiced with a bright orange note. The beloved Asia Minor-style isli are filled with ground walnut, with a sprinkling of pistachio on top. Both are made with thyme honey from Kefalonia – and both are unforgettable.

Mandragoras

Mandragoras’ irresistibly snackable bite-sized melomakarona are made in a Piraeus workshop with carefully sourced Greek ingredients. The shop also offers a Smyrna-style version – more cookie-like and lightly syruped, with walnuts inside and out and aromatic forest honey – both small, flavorful, and easy to love.

Pastry Family

One, two, three in a row. These bite-sized melomakarona are quietly addictive: small, dense, and nicely syruped without being overly sweet, letting the fragrant thyme honey from Kythira shine. Made without semolina – only flour – and finished with a sprinkling of Greek walnut.

Stani

This historic downtown Athens dairy and pastry shop’s melomakarona are juicy, soft and deeply flavorful. The dough is handled with minimal mixing, just enough to bring the ingredients together. Small but not bite-sized, Stani’s melomakarona follow a recipe as old as the shop itself and return to its display cases every Christmas.

Baklavas

Among the shop’s many Anatolian specialties – from the “king” of them all, baklava, to kifel and bourek – the isli stand out. These Asia Minor-style melomakarona, with their distinctive pinched pattern and refined flavor, are wonderfully moist and hide a generous filling of fresh, coarsely chopped walnuts.

Daremas

Famous for its grape-must biscuits, this century-old bakery in East Attica also makes exceptional melomakarona. Fragrant with extra-virgin olive oil from the Daremas family groves, generously topped with Greek walnuts and fresh orange juice, they’re perfectly baked, perfectly syruped and beautifully balanced in aroma, with a crisp bite and gentle honeyed sweetness.

Mama Psomi

They’ve been making this time-honored recipe for years, passed down through generations. Some might call them dry, but that’s what gives them their distinct character: crisp yet tender, never soggy. Made with honey from Laconia and very fresh walnuts from Feneos, they’re balanced in cinnamon and clove, with orange juice and zest adding a refined aroma and flavor. Medium-sized, they’re made with a blend of flours, no semolina, and finished with plenty of grated walnut on top.

Kora

The team at this new-age bakery is once again turning out Christmas treats that are both creative and – almost – traditional. Among them are well-balanced melomakarona, lightly scented with classic flavors like orange, cinnamon and clove, then finished with pecans instead of the usual walnuts, adding a deeper, nuttier taste.

Sweet Alchemy

Perfectly sized – neither large nor bite-sized – these melomakarona come in ready-to-gift packaging: a clear box tied with a red ribbon and labeled Gateaux de voyage, the French term for travel-friendly sweets. Made with flour (no semolina), extra-virgin olive oil, walnuts and excellent thyme honey, they’re scented with classic cinnamon, clove and orange. Stelios Parliaros also adds a little butter for extra aroma, making them non-vegan, and adds a touch of ground walnut in the dough.

Delikanidaki

Intensely orange-forward, in keeping with the tradition of eastern Crete, the melomakarona made by the Mavrikaki sisters at their grocery store in Rafina are delightfully crumbly, with a lovely toasted flavor and highly aromatic profile. They’re also available year-round, not just during the holidays.

Desiré

Soft at the center and syruped just enough – never cloying – the melomakarona from this classic Athenian pastry shop are fragrant with cinnamon, clove and fresh orange. The flavors are well balanced, allowing the Cretan blossom honey to shine. If you love the classic version, you might also try their date-and-walnut-filled or dark-chocolate-dipped variations.

Poulette

Small in size and made with no added sugar, these melomakarona use only Laconian honey from citrus blossoms and wildflowers in the syrup. The dough combines a small amount of flour with oat bran, making them both juicy and crisp, and they’re filled with a touch of dark chocolate for a pleasantly rich finish.

Asterisque

Asterisque’s gluten-free melomakarona rival any conventional version. This new-generation bakery in Mets, dedicated entirely to gluten-free baking, uses extra-virgin olive oil and a blend of buckwheat and millet flours, creating cookies that are crisp outside and dense, juicy inside. Lightly scented with cinnamon, clove and orange, everyone will enjoy them, regardless of dietary restrictions. Vegan versions with agave syrup and sugar-free options are also available by special order.

Dimitra Gounaridi

These tiny, syrup-soaked gems are a true study in melomakarona. Crisp on the outside, with all the syrup settling into a soft, honeyed center, they’re generously spiced and vividly orangy. They’re syruped with either pine or orange-blossom honey, depending on availability, sourced from Greek beekeepers. Their isli are just as successful, with a buttery, crumbly dough, fragrant and well syruped, each one carefully hand-pinched and filled with plenty of Greek walnuts.

La Maison

Pastry chef Thanasis Tsagkliotis makes small, flat melomakarona, each about one generous bite. Fragrant with cinnamon, clove, a touch of nutmeg and orange zest, they have a thin, crisp exterior and a pleasantly chewy, lightly syruped interior. The dough is made with extra-virgin olive oil – clearly present in the flavor – alongside sunflower oil for just the right crumble, preventing the dough from becoming too firm. He uses fine thyme honey not only in the syrup but also in the dough, fully replacing sugar.

Pavlov’s Lab

Each one is about a bite and a half – crisp on the outside, juicy at the core. Made with flour and semolina, they’re generously spiced with cinnamon, clove, and plenty of orange zest and juice. Pastry chef Alexander Pavlov’s team finishes them with a fragrant blend of thyme and blossom honey, then tops them generously with ground walnuts.

Lakafosis

Beyond its famed galaktoboureko, the historic pastry shop in Drosia also makes excellent melomakarona, finely balanced in cinnamon, clove, and syruping. They’re made with the award-winning Mourikis family honey, sold on-site, resulting in small, dark, crumbly – but never dry – cookies with an intensely aromatic, gently baked flavor.

Feyrouz

Blistered, well-baked and moist with syrup, these shell-shaped melomakarona feature a captivating mandarin aroma. Inspired by Middle Eastern ma’amoul and stamped with a custom mold, they’re filled with a subtle mandarin-and-walnut compote. Produced daily in limited quantities, they’re best enjoyed after resting a day, when their texture improves. Sold in small, elegant boxes, they also make ideal gifts.

This article first appeared in gastronomos.gr.