Lukumades on Aiolou and Agia Irini Square in Athens is the modern loukoumades shop with filled and topped doughnuts in a hipster-leaning counter near Monastiraki.
Tip: The injected loukoumades with cream are the order; queue runs longest on summer weekends.
Address: Aiolou 21, Athina 105 51, Athens
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, a tiny corner room.
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.
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.
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 espresso.
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.
The Underdog on Iraklidon in Thissio Athens is the third-wave coffee bar and micro-roastery from 2011, in a restored neoclassical building with a brunch carte at weekends.
Signature drink: Cold brew and weekend brunch in a neoclassical building
Tip: The cold brew is the order; the brunch at weekends pulls a queue from 10:30.
Mind the Cup on Aimiliou Veaki in Peristeri Athens is a specialty coffee roastery and bar on a pedestrian street, a third-wave Athens destination outside the centre.
Signature drink: Single-origin espresso and filter from in-house roastery
Tip: The pedestrian street outside is the spillover terrace; closed Sundays from October.
Little Tree on Kavalloti in Koukaki is the small bookshop café near the Acropolis Museum in Athens, a quiet room with filter coffee, handmade sweets and Greek titles.
Signature drink: Filter coffee and handmade sweets
Tip: The pavement bench faces the Acropolis Museum; closed Sundays in winter.
