Coffee tourism: seven Athens’ specialty cafés worth visiting
Athens is the city of freddo cappuccinos. No matter if it’s summer or winter, you’ll see people slurping away on this foamy cold brew everywhere. But that’s not the only type of coffee that’s abundant in the city, either. Athens’ specialty coffee scene keeps growing.
So if you’re a specialty coffee lover who happens to be travelling to or living in Greece, we’ve created a must-visit list of seven cafés. Pack this with your sunglasses and camera for a heavenly holiday.
SEE ALSO: 5 Specialty Coffee Shops to Visit in Barcelona
Athens’ specialty coffee scene
Athens produces an amazing amount of talented baristas and specialty cafés, and it’s impossible to objectively pick out the “best” from those. Instead, we’ve picked some of our favourites from within the city, ones where we’re confident you’ll have a good experience.
We’ve also prioritised coffee shops that either have or have had coffee Champions working in them, in addition to friendly waiters and baristas who can speak English. We know that it’s not just the coffee beans that make a coffee house great (although they’re pretty important!)
So let’s jump in and explore some of Athen’s wonderful cafés…
1. Tailor Made
One of Athens’ first specialty coffee shops, Tailor Made is situated in the central area of Monastiraki. Today, this area is full of fancy bars and restaurants, but it used to be where you went for fabrics and tailors. This history is reflected in Tailor Made’s name, along with the concept of making a coffee that’s perfect for the consumer.
Let Tailor Made tailor a drink for you.
Where | Plateia Agias Eirinis 2 |
Style | Part-roastery, part-café, and part-cocktail and DJ bar, with a large terrace for people drinking in |
Espresso Machine | Simonelli T3 |
Grinder | Simonelli Mythos, Mahlkönig Kold |
Coffee Offerings | Fresh roasted coffee from Brazil, Kenya, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras, either as espresso and filters or combined with alcohol, along with cold drip brew made in beautiful giant drippers |
Must-Try Drink | Their flat white freddo (low fat milk with a foamy double ristretto top) is a speciality that you won’t find in other places |
Food & Other Drinks | Snacks and light meals, home-made desserts, teas and infusions, and fresh juice |
Retail Offerings | All their coffees are also available for purchase, along with brewing equipment, cups, infusions, and cascara. |
A beautiful coffee house in a beautiful city.
2. Taf
You’ll find Taf hidden away on a small, central street outside of the tourist zone. Visitors have the opportunity to escape from the noise and heat of the day by, instead, diving into the world of professionally brewed coffee. This Athens specialty coffee shop first opened in 2009. Since then, it’s strived to provide a wide range of coffee options – so get ready to try something new.
Try a coffee even cleaner than the décor at Taf.
Where | Emmanouil Mpenaki 7 |
Style | A well-lit but fairly small space with two floors and several tables outside |
Espresso Machine | La Marzocco Strada MP |
Grinder | Anfim |
Coffee Offerings | Serving espresso and filters from self-roasted Ninety Plus coffees, with a new single origin available every week |
Must-Try Drink | Ethiopian Nekisse brewed in their V60 |
Food & Other Drinks | Sandwiches, bruschetta, pizza, alcohol, soft drinks, and fresh juice, with a brunch menu available from 10:00-6:00 pm. |
Retail Offerings | 30 different single origins and blends |
At Taf, every day is a chance to try something new…
3. Warehouse Speciality Blends
This coffee house is what happens when a love of wine and coffee meet. A well-kept secret, to find it you have to either be lost or following directions. Yet Warehouse Specialty Blends, open since 2014, is well worth the search. Come here in the morning for a coffee and croissant, or in the evening for a delicious dinner paired with one of 200 excellent wines from their own cellar.
Warehouse Specialty Coffee is perfect in the morning…
Where | Mavromichali & Valtetsiou 21 |
Style | A grunge mix of wood and metal spread over two floors with a spacious terrace |
Espresso Machine | Victoria Arduino Black Eagle VA388 2 Group |
Grinder | Nuova Simonelli Mythos |
Coffee Offerings | Single origins from Sapid Coffee Roasting Co |
Must-Try Drink | Espresso – it’s black, clean, and very tasty |
Food & Other Drinks | Full menu ranging from light dishes to dinner and sweet desserts |
Retail Offerings | 250g bags of coffee from Sapid coffee roasters, brewing equipment including V60s and ibriks |
… and equally perfect in the evening!
4. Duo Goulies & Duo Mpoukies
A newly opened coffee shop in the heart of the city, Duo Goulies & Duo Mpoukies is a good choice for a break from the city crowds. You’ll find outstanding coffee and healthy homemade snacks here.
Excellent coffee and coffee equipment galore.
Where | Dragatsaniou 8 |
Style | Spacious and self-service |
Espresso Machine | La Marzocco PP Linea |
Grinder | Ditting is offered as retail, but order a coffee here and they’ll use Anfim |
Coffee Offerings | Taf coffee – cold brews are Rosebud or Pianeta blends, hot Hariti or Pianeta, and drips Hariti or El Pilon Costa Rica |
Must-Try Drink | Cappuccino poured by their Latte Art Champion |
Food & Other Drinks | Greek yoghurts with chia, nut, and raisins; homemade salads; muesli with dry fruits; and many, many other healthy snacks |
Retail Offerings | Taf cups and Taf coffees, from 1 kilo blends to 250g single origins |
A refreshing spot away from the heat of the day.
5. Just Made 33
If you’re a fan of ibrik coffee, Just Made 33 is definitely for you. It serves 1st place winning coffee by the 2016 World Cezve/Ibrik Champion, Kostas Komninakis – come over to taste the glory! Yet even if you’re not in the mood for an ibrik, there’s still plenty of other good options here.
No shortage of brewing devices at Just Made 33.
Where | Evaggelistrias 33 |
Style | Spacious coffee house with a big terrace |
Espresso Machine | Dalla Corte 3 group DC Pro |
Grinder | Quamar 1DIP DKS-65 |
Coffee Offerings | Espresso blends and single origins by Sapid Coffee Roasting Co |
Must-Try Drink | Ibrik coffee with Geisha Sweet Princess from Panama |
Food & Other Drinks | Salads, melted sandwiches, burgers, pasta, sides and soups, home-made pastries, infusions, teas, and lemonade |
Retail Offerings | 250g bags of coffee |
Pair your coffee with some first-rate food at Just Made 33.
6. Underdog
You finally made it to the Acropolis – now after that epic sightseeing, it’s time for a coffee! And maybe something a little stronger… The beautifully designed Underdog is both a bar and a café in one.
Décor almost as great as the coffee.
Where | Iraklidon 8 |
Style | Stylish and spacious multi-level coffee-bar with an inner opened terrace |
Espresso Machine | Slayer V3 |
Grinder | Anfim Titanium |
Coffee Offerings | 2 single origin espressos and 1-4 filters, all seasonal |
Must-Try Drink | Their unique Espresso ‘n’ Tonic |
Food & Other Drinks | Light snacks, artesanal beers from around the world, lunch menu, brunch on weekends, teas, infusions, juice, and an alcohol bar |
Retail Offerings | Coffee equipment and 250g bags of home roast |
When it comes to their coffee, Underdog’s no underdog.
7. Mind The Cup
This (not so) little beauty is one of the first specialty coffee shops in the west of Athens. We recommend taking the opportunity to walk around the neighbourhood before dropping into Mind The Cup for a drink in the shade.
Service with a smile at Mind The Cup.
Where | Aimiliou Veaki 29 |
Style | Spacious café-roastery |
Espresso Machine | Victoria Arduino Black Eagle Gravimetric |
Grinder | Victoria Arduino Mythos for espressos, Malkönig EK43 for filters |
Coffee Offerings | Seasonal speciality coffees roasted in-house; espressos mostly from Central America, filters typically Ethiopian and Colombian single origins |
Must-Try Drink | A flat white made by the Hellenic Latte Art Champion |
Food & Other Drinks | Snacks, fresh juice, and alcohol |
Retail Offerings | All their coffees are available for purchase |
Order coffee, tea, or something else altogether at Mind The Cup.
Before you visit any Athens’ specialty coffee shops…
So there you have it – seven excellent Athens specialty coffee houses. Yet they’re certainly not the only cafés worth visiting in this city. It might seem like there’s almost too much to do in the birthplace of democracy, with all the historical sites, markets, and shopping. But if you have a spare bit of time and have already been to these seven, why not explore the other coffee houses? And let us know what you find!
Edited by T. Newton.
All views within this opinion piece belong to the guest writer, and do not reflect Perfect Daily Grind’s stance. Perfect Daily Grind believes in furthering debate over topical issues within the industry, and so seeks to represent the views of all sides.
Perfect Daily Grind.