Coffee and holidays are simply a perfect combination
I was in Greece for a few days to put my feet up and coffee drink. Last summer I had already written about the Greek coffee culture. Now it’s time to drink locally.
Just arrived in Thessaloniki, we go by car into the city. A fun fact upfront. Thessaloniki has the most cafés per inhabitant in Europe. The Greeks also had enough time, because coffee has been here since the Ottoman Empire. And you can taste it. Coffee tradition is very important here. The national drink Cafe Frappe, Greek coffee and espresso Freddo you get on every corner and just taste divine. Sure – the Olymp is around the corner 😉
However, anyone looking for typical Third Wave coffee shops and fruity coffees has a very limited offer in Thessaloniki. I have tested a few cafes and coffee shops for you.
Coffee Island
Around the corner of the magnificent Church of the Acheiropoietos is a very tiny coffee shop located. One of over 400 Coffee Island coffee shops in Greece, Cyprus, England and Canada. In 1999, the first Coffee Island was opened west of Athens, in Patra – a traditional café with a modern twist. There is directly traded specialty coffee, for a small extra charge even Microlot coffee. The choice is large: whether Italian as espresso, machiato, cappuccino, hand filter coffee or rather typical Greek coffee specialties. Since you can also buy coffee, I let them grind the special blend powder fine for my Ibrik at home. And even the right equipment is here. So a small typical Greek coffee tray will make it back to Germany. Then I have a Greek coffee on the spot. But you can also have it as take away. If you do not want to go outside at all, you can order your hot or iced coffee online and even have it delivered to your home or office if you live in a specific area of the coffee shop. Great holistic concept.
Colored Coffee
Coffee in all colors of the rainbow – I had to go there! The first impression is not too convincing. But as they are famous for their unusual creations since 2016, lets give it a try. The menu has already overwhelming me – a colorful mess of pictures in a photo album. Here you can choose between Selfie Coffee, Colored Latte, colorful Cappuccino Freddo with comic faces, to Colored Choco, Selfie Donut and colorful salad. It will be a pink cappuccino for me. But instead of beetroot or matcha like in those hip Third Wave coffee shops it looks like they use food coloring. Unfortunately the waitress cannot explain where the color comes from in English. Well at least the cappuccino looks great and tastes good. However this spot wont be my favorite one.
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Coffee Lab Salonica
Agias Sofias 42, Thessaloniki 546 22
Sometimes the unplanned stops are among the best. Just a few steps away from Colored Coffee is the Coffee Lab Salonica. You can realize this is a Third Wave coffeeshop already by the interior – if not you can read it under the logo at the entrance. The store opened just a few months ago. Everything makes a fresh and valuable impression. Clean but warm thanks to wood and indirect light. On the right you have the coffee bar incl. brew bar and on the left you will find the Single Origin coffees and the equipment – right in the middle a Dutch Cold Drip Coffee Maker. Since I have never tried a siphon coffee and I see it on the menu for incredibly cheap € 2.10, my decision is made. But I seem to be the first aksing for it. The two guys behind the counter accept the challenge, and the coffee tastes okay, even though I’m not really a Guatemala coffee fan. Next time, I might just stick to the espresso or cold brew. When paying, they told me that there is only one more Third Wave Coffee Shop in the city. My last stop.
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Blue Cup Coffee Roasters
The best is actually in the end. The sun is shining and close to the harbor there is this delightful outdoor area with umbrellas and a tree in the middle. Inside there is a coffee counter on the right side including the Brew Bar – on the left side a cocktail bar – great combination and both looks very valuable again. You can buy coffees and equipment or just enjoy your coffee outside in the sun. This time we get a cappuccino with a perfect latteart fern leaf and an espresso freddo. we also get small pieces of cake and a bottle of water for free. It tastes great! The atmosphere is awesome, the baristas knows exactly what they are doing, the waiters are attentive – you have to go there!
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