Café€kolonakiWifi
Kostarelos in Kolonaki Athens is the dine-in dairy of three generations of cheesemakers, where morning espresso comes with a cheese sandwich and a Kolonaki.
Signature drink: Espresso with the morning cheese-sandwich counter
Tip: The morning rush ends by 10:30; the lunch sandwich service runs through to 15:00.
Café€syntagma-historic-centre
Krinos on Aiolou in central Athens has fried loukoumades on the same recipe and decor since 1923, a sit-down counter for the doughnut with honey and a Greek.
Signature drink: Loukoumades with honey, Greek coffee
Tip: Closed Sundays; the queue moves fast and the seated counter at the back is the destination.
Café€monastirakiWifi
Lukumades on Aiolou and Agia Irini Square in Athens is the modern loukoumades shop with filled and topped doughnuts and a hipster-leaning counter just steps.
Signature drink: Filled and topped loukoumades with espresso
Tip: The injected loukoumades with cream are the order; queue runs longest on summer weekends.
Café€koukakiWork-friendlyWifi
Drupes and Drips in Makrygianni near the Acropolis Museum in Athens flips between third-wave coffee in the morning and a spritzeria in the evening.
Signature drink: Third-wave coffee by day, wine by evening
Tip: Coffee runs through the morning; the bar flips to spritz and Italian wines from 13:00 onwards.
Café€syntagma-historic-centre
Ariston on Voulis behind Syntagma in Athens is the 1910 takeaway-pie bakery where the morning Greek coffee comes alongside the spanakopita on the counter.
Signature drink: Spanakopita with a Greek coffee at the counter
Tip: Stand-up counter only; closed Sundays. The morning pies fly out before 10:00.
Café€exarchiaWork-friendlyWifi
Taf Coffee on Emmanouil Benaki in Exarchia is the founding Athens third-wave coffee bar from 2009, an in-house roastery with the Rosebud blend as the daily.
Signature drink: Single-origin espresso, Rosebud house blend
Tip: The roastery on the bar is also a small retail shop; ask for the morning's single-origin filter.