Can’t live without your morning cup of joe? Go weak in the knees for artisanal, single-origin coffee grinds? These 5 kafekopteia (shops selling their own freshly ground coffee blends) in Athens won’t disappoint.
The SAMBA Coffee Roasters in Kolonaki (Solonos 36; 2103637283) and Ambelokipi (Laskaridou 7; 2161005005) never disappoint chic Athenians looking for artisanal coffee. Open since 1979, these shops are an extension of the classic SAMBA Coffee company and offer a range of espresso, organic, filter, and Greek coffees, and other drinks like their own label of hot chocolate. You can also find cool coffee merch, like artisanal mugs and next-level coffee-making gadgets. Tip: Their store in Ambelopkipi—called SAMBA Coffee Roasters Crossroads—is also a café with sweets and brunch dishes.
If you love old-world charm, look no further than Kafekopteio Misegianni (Leventi 7; 2107210036), a downtown Athens institution that’s been open and grinding for over a century. Their coffees are blended, roasted, and cut in the same space. They specialize in single-origin coffee blends—you’re spoiled for choice with blends from Mexico, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, and more, as well as 18 varieties of flavored coffee. You can also find their own espresso pods, tea, herbal drinks, nuts and sweets, and an adorable collection of teapots and cups.
With ten locations all over the city, Kafekopteia Loumidi (2103214426; see https://www.kafekopteialoumidi.gr/pages/diktio for locations) is another centenarian institution that grinds its own artisanal coffee. They specialize in Greek coffee roasted according to the ancient method of heating the coffee pot in a pan of hot ash, a process that results in a rich, robust blend. Their shops are a shrine to coffee time, where you can find teas, liqueurs, sweets, and traditional coffee-making kits.
Finally, a tiny downtown gem is H Gonia tou Kafe (Praxitelous 4; 2103225716), where their coffee grinder is right by the front door and burlap sacks with fresh coffee beans are lined up on the sidewalk. They specialize in their own blends of Greek coffee, and you can also find a wide range of traditional sweets and candies, from pasteli (sesame seed and honey) bars to tiny gold-wrapped caramel candies to Charlestons (rose-flavored candies). Tip: This is a great place to take your friends who are visiting from abroad and want small Greek treats to take back home.
Wishing you wonderful, caffeine-fueled adventures in Athens this Winter!
The Athenian Site 