9 cafes worth the trip across Greece, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Greece guides.
Taf Coffee ★ 4.6 · Athens
exarchia · Emmanouil Mpenaki 7, Athina 106 78, Greece
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.
Tip: The roastery on the bar is also a small retail shop; ask for the morning's single-origin filter.
The Underdog ★ 4.5 · Athens
kerameikos-metaxourgeio · Iraklidon 8, Athina 118 51
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.
Tip: The cold brew is the order; the brunch at weekends pulls a queue from 10:30.
Mind the Cup ★ 4.4 · Athens
kerameikos-metaxourgeio · Aimiliou Veaki 29, Peristeri 121 34
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.
Tip: The pedestrian street outside is the spillover terrace; closed Sundays from October.
Krinos ★ 4.4 · Athens
syntagma-historic-centre · Aiolou 87, Athina 105 51, Greece
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 coffee.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the queue moves fast and the seated counter at the back is the destination.
Little Tree Books and Coffee ★ 4.3 · Athens
koukaki · Kavalloti 2, Athina 117 42
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.
Tip: The pavement bench faces the Acropolis Museum; closed Sundays in winter.
Lukumades ★ 4.3 · Athens
monastiraki · Aiolou 21, Athina 105 51
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.
Ariston ★ 4.3 · Athens
syntagma-historic-centre · Voulis 10, Athina 105 62
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.
Tip: Stand-up counter only; closed Sundays. The morning pies fly out before 10:00.
Kostarelos Kolonaki Café ★ 4.2 · Athens
kolonaki · Patriarchou Ioakim 30-32, Athina 106 75
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 view.
Tip: The morning rush ends by 10:30; the lunch sandwich service runs through to 15:00.
Drupes and Drips Coffee ★ 4.2 · Athens
koukaki · Zitrou 20, Athina 117 42
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.
Tip: Coffee runs through the morning; the bar flips to spritz and Italian wines from 13:00 onwards.