Athens has always worshiped its cafés, but lately a new species has taken root – hybrid spaces that collapse the distance between shop and coffeehouse, where an espresso can be savored beneath a canopy of philodendrons or beside a stack of ceramics you’re suddenly tempted to buy.
They’re rooms that warm up when the sky turns pewter, yet remain composed and photogenic enough to make a quick break feel like a small occasion. From neoclassical shells with terrazzo underfoot to leafy salons and museum cafés with a curator’s eye, these are the season’s most inviting café-concept stores – places to linger, browse, and leave with more than a caffeine buzz.
01
EMST Café & Shop
Inside the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the new cafe and shop offer a calm, minimalist counterpoint to the bold installations upstairs. The menu is designed to complement the experience of art, while the shop carries exhibition catalogs, books, and carefully selected objects. It feels like an extension of the museum —a pause for reflection before you step back into the city.
Kallirois Ave & Amv. Franzis, Koukaki
02
ERE Athens
In Koukaki, this space blends showroom and cafe with a refined sense of design. Light woods, clean lines, and curated displays create an atmosphere more like a studio than a shop. You can browse artisanal pieces and lifestyle objects, then sit down with coffee and a slice of pastry. It’s a space that feels as if it was designed to slow you down, encouraging you to notice both the taste of what’s in front of you and the details around you.
Erechthiou 30 & Kavalotti, Makriyianni
03
Philos
Housed in a neoclassical mansion on Solonos Street, Philos has been singular in its style since it opened. It is part cafe, part concept store, and part cultural salon. Its cafe-restaurant service area opens into adjoining rooms filled with fashion, accessories, and homeware. High ceilings, marble walls, and timber floors create a sense of faded grandeur, while the café itself feels comfortable and lived-in. It’s an easy place to spend hours—sipping, browsing, or simply soaking up the layered atmosphere of a house that feels both historic and contemporary.
Solonos 32, Kolonaki
04
Minu
Hidden in Psyrri, Minu is a design store, plant shop, and cafe all in one. Tables sit among shelves of ceramics, art objects, and lush greenery, so drinking coffee feels like being invited into a private collection. Everything you see, from the pendant lamps to the side tables, is available for sale, which makes the space playful and ever-changing. It’s cozy in a very urban way—intimate, stylish, and full of detail.
Sarri 50, Thisseio
05
Anamesa
Just a short walk from Syntagma Square, Anamesa is a lifestyle boutique with a cafe corner, where fashion and design share the stage with strong coffee and light bites. The space has a polished, international feel but remains personal enough to encourage lingering. You can try on a jacket, browse the rails, and then settle in with a slice of cake—an ideal mix for a central Athens pause.
Nikis 24, Syntagma
+
10AM Apotheke
This pop-up plays with the format, combining skincare and home goods with a cafe counter in a small, design-forward setting. Its temporary nature adds a sense of immediacy—you stumble upon it (or book an appointment via The Greek Foundation site), spend time with a coffee while browsing, and take away something unexpected. In a city that reinvents itself constantly, it’s a reminder that some of the most memorable spaces aren’t meant to last forever.
Konstandinoupoleos 82, Gazi
