If you want a Greek hair salon in Islington that understands what a party season week looks like, Athena Salons on Essex Road is a good place to start. It is a hair and nail salon with a Greek and English listing, and it is a Greek List member, which is why you are reading about it here. With Christmas parties, office dinners and family get togethers about to fill the diary, now is the time to book.
Finding a Greek hair salon in Islington that you trust is half the job. Every year the same thing happens. The first week of December arrives, the party invitations pile up and every good salon in London is full. Greeks in London love an occasion, and a Christmas party, a name day, a christening or a Greek community dinner usually means hair and nails need to be done on a particular evening, not whenever there is a free slot.
Booking a Greek hair salon in Islington in November gives you the pick of the days. It also gives you time for a consultation if you want to change your colour, because a good colourist will want to plan it properly rather than rush it on the afternoon of the event. If you are looking for ideas for where to go, our guide to the Greek Christmas party in London 2026 is a good place to start, and our list of Greek events in London this November will fill in the rest of your calendar.
According to the salon’s own website, the hairdressing side covers precision cuts, colouring, balayage, highlights, toner, blow dries, smoothing treatments, permanent waves and event hair. There is also a men’s menu with a haircut that includes a massage, hot towel and blow dry, plus clipper cuts and beard trims, and children’s haircuts for girls and boys. It makes it easy to book the whole family in during the same week.
On the nail side the list includes manicures, pedicures, Shellac gel polish, French Shellac, nail art and extensions. The salon also offers eyebrow shaping and tinting, and upper lip and chin treatments. The site lists a free consultation and a free patch test for colour clients, which is a sensible way to start if you have never coloured your hair with a new salon before.
Good to know: prices on the salon website are shown as starting prices, for example a haircut and blow dry from £80 and a Shellac manicure from £42. Check the current price list with the salon before you book.
The salon says on its website that its stylists have worked in some of London’s well known salons, including in Chelsea, and that nail work is handled by a dedicated nail technician and pedicurist. The decor and the calm music are part of the experience as well, with refreshments offered while you sit. If you are the kind of person who wants to be looked after for an hour before an evening out, that matters.
The Greek List listing is written in both Greek and English, so you can read about the salon in whichever language you prefer. Anyone who has tried to describe a colour in their second language will know that a stylist you can talk to easily is a real advantage.
A few practical ideas for your Greek hair salon in Islington visit, or any good salon:
Colour first, cut second. If you are changing colour, book it at least a week before the party so you have time to live with it and fix anything small. A fresh trim a few days before the event then keeps the shape sharp.
Think about your outfit. Bring a photo or a note of what you are wearing. Necklines, sleeves and jewellery all change which hairstyle works best, and an event hair appointment is much easier when the stylist can see the plan.
Do your nails last. Gel polish lasts well, so a Shellac manicure two or three days before the party will still look fresh on the night and for a couple of weeks afterwards. Nail art is a fun way to match the season without going over the top.
Bring a friend. The salon lists a referral offer on its website, where recommending a friend can earn half price off your next haircut. Check the details with the team when you book.
Greek stop: Athena Salons | Hair & Nails Experts, 125 Essex Road, Islington, London N1 2SN. Bookings through the salon website or by phone and WhatsApp on 07766 139628.
Getting there: The salon is on Essex Road in Islington, close to Essex Road station and a short trip from Angel, so it is easy to fit in before or after work.
If you are searching for a Greek hair salon in Islington before the busiest weeks of the year, take a look at the Athena Salons listing on Greek List, read the services and then contact the team to choose your date. Tell them Greek List sent you.
If you are planning a Greek Christmas get together at home, think about the small details early: who is hosting, who is bringing the melomakarona and who is doing the hair. A salon booking is one of those jobs that is easy to forget and hard to fix in the last week. Put it in your calendar now.
Looking for something to dress up for? Greek List has the most complete list of Greek events in the UK, and you can list your own event for free.
The businesses we feature are Greek List members. More than 100,000 Greeks and Cypriots in the UK read us every month through the website, the newsletter and the Ellines sto Londino group, and member listings rank first on Google. Join them and get found by the people who are looking for you.
Have you been to Athena Salons, or do you have another Greek favourite for hair and nails? Share it with us in the Facebook group Ellines sto Londino.
