City Zen

Athens

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DESTINATIONS greece athens Cafes City Zen

City Zen

City Zen in Monastiraki is one of the three coffee-bar-restaurants you can find around the area having a roof terrace granting a breathtaking view over the neighbourhood and the Acropolis. Open from morning until late in the night, City Zen is perfect for a coffee stop during the day, some drinks at night or food at any time.

Cafes

Drinking coffee in Greece is an institution, and Athens is no exception. You will find the cafes and their terraces full of people, laughter, cigarette smoke and animation everyday and all year long. Cafes here are the place to meet up with friends, relax, have long conversations about life and politics, or to play backgammon (when in Greece, call it "Tavli"). The most Greek coffee drink is without a doubt the frappé. It was invented at the 1957 Thessaloniki International Fair by Giannis Dritsas — a representative of the Nestlé company. It's basically instant coffee whipped with cold water until frothy, served on ice. If you're not an instant coffee lover, ask for the server to add some sugar and milk to your drink. It's quite a marvelous invention for hot summer days. Or course, third wave coffee has made is to Athens as well. You can choose to sit at a trendy or alternative cafe, at a traditional kafeneio, or even at one of Greece's own coffee chains.