Greece – Cups and Comments

Last fall, I wrote about my adventures in Athens, Greece. As stated previously, I had gone hesitantly, begrudgingly. I wasn’t too excited, and I wasn’t expecting much from the trip. Then, I landed. Then, I explored.

I extended my original one week into three weeks; I turned one trip into three trips. I completely fell in love. I loved the city, the landscape, the monuments, the museums, the food, the people, and–of course–the coffee.

Now, there are a number of places I went to once and found simply wonderful. I want to go back. I want to go back and try some more, for my own benefit and to be more confident in my recommendations and commentary here. There are also quite a number of places I went two, three, and more times that I think are fabulous, but I am not listing here–it would be too much.

So, this is not an exhaustive list, and it is not the usual detailed single recommendation. Rather, this time around, I am doing my favorite 3–and “favorite 3”, this phrasing is intentional. I was impressed by lots, there are definitely more than 3 to love; however, I am recommending these 3 for their coffee, and three separate, unique reasons that made them stand out among the rest.

In no special order:

Little Tree Books & Coffee

I enjoy wandering while I travel; I will go to the big monuments and the expected places, and then I will explore beyond and around the neighborhood. I discovered Little Tree Books & Coffee on such an exploration. Just beyond the Acropolis, perhaps a 10-minute walk from all the hustle and bustle of the promenade of restaurants, vendors, and music, is this cute, quiet, and amazing cafe.

The coffee was delightful, the lemon tart was outstanding, the smoothie was tasty and filling. On top of all of this, the customer service was great, the ambiance was calming, and as a book lover I could spend days here. And this is the reason for recommending it: it’s not just the coffee or the rest of the menu, it’s the overall experience, particularly for the book lover looking for a little bit of calm, or the next good read . . .

La Pizzetta

A pizzeria? Okay — hear me out: as part of a trip package, I had breakfast at La Pizzetta during my first week. The breakfast was impeccable — coffee, water, a host of breads and pastries. I never had their Italian goodies, so I can’t speak on them–what I did have though, and what I am speaking on, was amazing.

The Greek coffee (always metrois) was divine; seriously, it still stands out as some of the best Greek coffee I had throughout all my trips and days in Athens. The upstairs seating area is quiet, closed off, and cozy. The internet is strong and the workers are remarkably kind.

During my last trip, I spent every afternoon of my first week, upstairs with a coffee and chocolate croissant twist. It was the perfect combination to wind-down from all the walking, and the perfect combination to perk me up for the rest of my day. In fact, it became a daily ritual because my friend loved it too–she was with me for the first week, and she had selected it as our rendezvous point. She fell in love with it, for its coffee and its ambiance–she utilized it as a work space (the time difference meant her days started in our late afternoon/early evening). I know it sounds a bit odd, but their freshly made breads, pastries, and Greek coffee are top-notch.

Folk. Restaurant

Less than a couple of minutes from La Pizzetta is Folk.

I never had a savory meal here. I did have their Greek coffee, a few pastries, and a bit of breakfast–and all of it was simply marvelous.

During my first trip, I spent one afternoon working here–I was in between accommodations and wanted a clean, delicious, caffeinated spot to stay, and Folk. really delivered. I came back over the course of that stay, and my next two trips.

Folk. has tabletop/bar-seating right in front of the windows; this makes for outstanding people-watching as the area can get quite busy. It is on a corner, a lively pedestrian intersection, with outdoor seating, and, at times, there are even musicians outside–stationary and walking by. The servers were always kind. The menu had quite the mix and variety of options. And, of course, the Greek coffee hit the spot.

And there you have it: my three favorite caffeinated spots in Athens.

Each had a welcoming and warm vibe created through their own ambient charm, tasty treats, and stellar people at the helm. Each had amazing coffee. Each made me want to come back–and since I can’t go back at the moment, or any time soon, I hope you are inspired to find a way to get to them . . . and please make sure to report back when you do!

Don’t mind me and my briki — 😁

briki:

a briki is a small long-handled pot used to make coffee
- coffee made with this pot, and in this style, is most common in Armenia, Greece, Turkey/Türkiye, and throughout Eastern Europe and the Balkans (these two regions have some overlap–)
- coffee made with this pot, and in this style, is often referred to as Greek or Turkish coffee
a briki is a small long-handled pot used to make coffee
- the pot is traditionally made of brass or copper; however, nowadays, it is routinely made from stainless steel, aluminium, or ceramics
briki – Greek; cezve – Turkish — term referenced in two previous coffee lessons (#25 and #24)

Anafiotika Cafe & Restaurant–Attica, Athens, Greece

Greek Coffee:

similar to, at times argued to be the same as, Turkish Coffee
- a particular way to brew, serve, prepare coffee . . .
  - coffee is prepared in a briki, using very finely ground coffee beans without filtering
    - briki: a small pot with a long handle, traditionally made of copper or brass
- coffee brewed with very finely ground coffee beans
  - when served, do not drink the entirety of the serving–in this preparation coffee grounds are not removed from the coffee when served
- coffee preparation style that can be found throughout the world, though it has particular prominence in Turkey/Türkiye, Greece, Armenia, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans

Greek v. Turkish Coffee: similar to one another, argued to be exactly the same . . . however:

Greek coffee tends to be lighter roast
Both can be sweetened, but generally Turkish coffee will add sugar directly into the cevze (“briki” in Greek), while Greeks add sugar afterward . . .

In my experience Greek coffee was larger–had more that I could actually drink. When I ordered Greek coffee I was always asked if I wanted sugar, and then how much or what kind (sketos/black; metrios/semi-sweet); glykos/sweet). When I ordered and received my Greek coffee, it was generally served alone, sometimes an unsweetened cookie might be served with it, it was just the coffee; whereas, in Turkey, Turkish coffee was almost always served with something sweet (Turkish delight).

MS Rooftop Garden–Attica, Athens, Greece

Between November 2021 – April 2022 I visited Athens, Greece 🇬🇷 three times, for a total of 62 days.

I went in November, sort of on a whim, begrudgingly, a sort of layover between jobs. It wasn’t my first choice to travel just then, and it wasn’t my first choice to go to Greece either. In fact, I had never really had any desire to travel to Greece . . . but I went . . . and I absolutely LOVED it!

The job fell through, and so did a couple of other applications, but I had a seasonal remote contract with something else, so I kept returning to see more, enjoy more, do more. I fell in love with everything — the language, the people, the museums, the sites, the greenery, the coffee!

I have to go back, and see more of Athens, and venture beyond it as there’s a whole lot more to the country to see, but before I do, before I recommend some coffee and share about this amazing adventure, allow me to share some pictures 🤗.

Here’s a preview, a taste, a sneak peak into Greece, and some Greek coffee ☕

November 2021: