LUKUMAΔΕΣ — Restaurant in Athens

I really enjoy this friendly place just in from the corner of the bustling street, diagonally across from the ancient Arch of Hadrian, into the pedestrian friendly street entrance to the charming Plaka neighborhood of Athens, Greece. Their outdoor seating area in front is blessed by a shady canopy of cooling trees, filled with singing cicadas, and loudly chirping flocks of wild parrots. It is the perfect respite from the intense heat of the sun to enjoy an iced coffee, or a cold water, or fresh squeezed orange juice, or their specialty, a donut called “Lukumades”, served with gelato and your choice of toppings and donut fillings. The entrances to the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum are just up the street, two short blocks. This is a relaxing, and peaceful place to sit, hang out and watch the world go by. I’m vegan, and they have plant milk alternatives for coffee drinks. The Lukumades and gelatos are not vegan, except for their...

The ice cream here was genuinely delicious rich, creamy, and with a good variety of flavors. It’s a shame, though, that our overall experience was tainted by the attitude of a staff member.

A blonde lady working there was rude and dismissive, and frankly, her behaviour came off as racist. One of the other employees (who we were told was new) didn’t inform us of any rules about not opening the ice cream containers to look inside. So when we did, she immediately told us off in a harsh tone, using the excuse that “he’s new” as if we were somehow supposed to know that.

It was an uncomfortable and unnecessary confrontation that could’ve easily been handled with basic courtesy. Good ice cream, but the customer service at least from this particular staff member was a serious letdown. I hope the management addresses this kind of behavior, because no one should be...

They were "sponsoring" today a kids festival, but still they were charging €3 for a half a scoop of ice cream. I think they made huge overhead.

Edit: after the response, even if the profits were donated, still the ice cream cart was operating with the same 2-3 people and the equipment at hand was something that the business owns, since they offer this service in outdoor spaces on a regular basis. So why be stingy with the quantity? Makes no sense. The main shop is located not 10 minutes by car so they could have been restocking in product at any time.

Also, did the organizer of the event charge them a fee for using the space? Most improbable. They didnt even need an extra power generator since they were getting theirs from the venue.

I call bs; the whole operation was most definitely for profit- or at the least they didnt seem very eager...