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.