All Freddo café hits

Sf you want to look like a local, forget about the tarama traces on the corners of your moustache, put away your Komboloi and think coffee. Not just any coffee shop, be careful, here too, the tourist in you could be spotted. Think Freddo. The indispensable Freddo café.

Coffee and Greece

This whipped espresso, served over ice and sipped for hours on end, is the must-have accessory that will make you a true Greek, whether you’re a man or a woman. Over the last ten years or so, it has become so widespread that it could be crowned the national drink. Relegating the Frappé and other Greek coffees have been relegated to the status of has-beens, but Freddo is drunk from morning to night and from night to morning, on terraces, in the street, at work or in the car, whatever the circumstances and whatever the weather.

Ranked ^17th in the world in coffee consumption, with almost 6 kilos per person per year, Greece is just ahead of France and well ahead of the United States. And if the Greeks are reputed to have democratized the Struck in the 60s (Nescafé powder mixed with a lot of water and a few ice cubes – sensitive stomachs please), their taste for coffee has grown stronger over the years, and soluble coffee has given way to freshly roasted kokkos (Greek for beans) and ground, the quintessential coffee.

Freddo café: the secret

Freddo is available in two versions: Freddo espresso and Freddo cappuccino. The first consists of one or two shots of espresso, shaken in a blender and served over ice cubes, while the second is prepared in the same way, but with a thick layer of cold, frothy milk on top. These two Greek inventions contributed to the development of an entire national coffee culture, and Athens in particular is home to an increasing number of excellent specialist establishments.

Beware! Never toast with coffee, it’s considered bad luck.

A few addresses for a good café freddo in Athens

Carpo

Carpo , and especially Kolonaki’s on Kanari Street, is the meeting place for all coffee lovers. Freshly roasted coffee perfumes the street, while nuts, almonds, chocolates and other delicacies make this store authentic and convivial.

Carpo, 6 Kanari Street, Athens

TAF – The Art Foundation

A favorite haunt of artists and young Athenians, TAF is located in the Monastiraki district, and offers various art exhibitions on its floors, while coffee can be enjoyed idly in the magnificent garden.

TAF, 5 Normanou Street, Athens

SIX D.O.G.S

Located 100 metres from Monastiraki Square, SIX D.O.G.S. is a place you need to know. A café for daytime relaxation, a cocktail bar and DJ in the evening, the magnificent garden is also home to Athenian youth culture.

Six DOGS, 6-8 Avramiotou Street, Athens

DA CAPO

Located opposite Kolonaki Square, this café has been an institution for years. Da Capo is the address of choice for businessmen. Green marble and gilding, it serves a rich, thick Freddo cappuccino, though in self-service mode you can hang out on the terrace for hours.

Da Capo, 1 rue Tsakalof, Athens

MR BEAN COFFEE

Located on Emmanouil Benaki Street in Exarchia, Mr Bean Coffee Brewers is a small, friendly café. With its high ceilings and neo-industrial decor, this is one of the neighborhood’s most coveted addresses. The establishment roasts its own coffee, which contributes to its success.

Mr Bean Coffee, 20 rue Emmanouil Benaki, Athens

ATHENEE

In a totally different ambience, the Athénée on Voukourestiou Street is The Place To Be. The café-lounge-restaurant, whose history dates back to the 1940s, has welcomed the greats of history, international politicians, artists and celebrities such as Anna Wintour, Monica Bellucci, Nikos Aliagas… Two terraces, a large interior room, Dior and Prada next door, we love this address.

Athenaeum, 9 Voukourestiou Street, Athens

^{Julie-Anne A.}