The best matcha in Athens, Greece: 6 cafés worth visiting
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
When it comes to the food & drinks scene, Athens will surprise you I can pretty much guarantee that. Those of you who read my posts regularly, will know that Athens is kind of like my second home, after living there for some time I always find myself returning from time to time. And every single time that happens, I find a new food spot or cafe that I want to try. Athens is constantly changing (and I think for the better). I visited a few months ago and since then the matcha scene in the Greek capital really has caught up. Just in the last two weeks a completely brand new place opened that is focusing on serving high quality matcha lattes, and more!
Whether you're looking for the best matcha in Athens, Greece, a quiet café to work from, or simply somewhere serving ceremonial grade matcha rather than an overly sweet green latte, this guide has you covered. I spent time visiting some of the city's most talked-about matcha cafés to find the ones that are genuinely worth your money. From minimalist Japanese-inspired spaces to cosy brunch spots, these are the places I'd happily return to every time I'm back in Athens.
Speaking of, I have already written a few articles about Athens, Greece, if you are planning a visit, make sure you check them out. One is a guide to slow travel through Athens as a solo female traveller (although suitable for anyone) and my ultimate food guide (which I aim to update every once in a while, given how quickly the food scene changes). And of course, you will want to visit some nice beaches around the city too, so for my top recommendations make sure you read this guide.
One of my favourite things about travelling is creating little rituals that make a destination feel more familiar. For me, that often means finding a cosy café, ordering a good matcha and slowing down for an hour before heading off to explore somewhere new. Athens, Greece, is one of those cities where it's incredibly easy to do just that.
If you enjoy travelling this way too, you might like my free Travel Wellness Routine Builder. It includes simple reflective prompts, mindful travel rituals and a printable checklist to help you feel more grounded while travelling, whether you're café hopping around Athens or exploring somewhere completely new.
Now, back to the best matcha places in Athens. I felt like it was my honour to discover the best matcha spots in town so you don’t have to. Although, it slightly made me question whether there should be a legal amount of matcha one can consume in a day. Just like in many big cities these days, most cafes will try to cater to the matcha trends, but that doesn’t mean all places serve matcha that is worth your attention. So, I tried to collect all the best ones where I felt like matcha lattes were actually made with care and the price tag was worth my money. Additionally, I will add a couple notes about each place when it comes to the atmosphere, whether you can work from them as a digital nomad and what my impression was overall to help you pick a place that fits your needs the best.
I feel like after visiting Japan last year, I have definitely gained more awareness and knowledge on ceremonial grade matchas, and find it easier to differentiate between good and bad quality matchas. Some of the places I found definitely offer some more complex options, but I personally appreciate a simple, regular matcha latte too, without any sweetness, or flavour. So, whether you are a strawberry matcha latte girlie or someone who likes their matcha simple, you will find a place on this list that will match your vibe. I often like to try a simple matcha latte in places because I find that if the matcha is good quality, no syrups or flavours are needed to make it an enjoyable drink. And, if I am in the mood for something with flavour, I like it when it is not overpowering, artificial tasting or overly sweet. I was very impressed with the ones I tried below, and I can genuinely say, I didn’t try a matcha in any of these places that I didn’t like.
If you're staying in neighbourhoods like Koukaki, Pangrati, Kolonaki, Monastiraki or Syntagma, you'll find that most of these cafés are easy to reach on foot or with a short metro ride. One of my favourite things about Athens, Greece, is how walkable the city centre is, which makes it easy to spend an entire morning hopping between cafés, bakeries and local boutiques.
Which matcha café in Athens, Greece should you visit?
If you're struggling to choose, here's what I'd personally recommend depending on what you're looking for.
The best ceremonial grade matcha: Brush Matcha
The best atmosphere: Misa
A café to work from: Sync
The best flavoured matcha: IYKL
A quick takeaway: 72H
Matcha with brunch: Anana Coffee & Food
The Best Matcha Cafés in Athens, Greece
Brush Matcha
Located just a few minutes from Syntagma Square, this place really does look like a little corner in Japan. The interior and exterior are both bringing that quintessential Japanese feel. On top of matcha drinks they also serve some nice matcha flavoured treats too. The drinks were one of the best, each cup is made with care. I tried the banana and strawberry versions and was quite happy with both flavours, as they tasted very natural and balanced, not like artificial fruit flavours filled with sugar. The only thing I would say as a downside to this spot is there isn’t that many places to sit around, so I think it’s more like a takeaway matcha spot before a morning stroll kind of spot.
Misa
Take a short walk from Monastiraki square to find another place that feels like you somehow ended up in Japan in the middle of Athens. And another one that takes their matcha game very seriously. They offer different types of matcha lattes from your typical strawberry matcha latte to a refreshing yuzu matcha tonic. Atmosphere wise this may have been my favourite spot, I actually ended up working from here one afternoon for a couple of hours.
IYKL
A very recent addition to Athens’ matcha scene, and a very trendy one at that. Another spot that offers ceremonial grade, good quality matchas. They also have a selection of savoury bites, cakes (yes, one with matcha) and pastry. I tried the coconut cloud, which was a perfect refresher on a hot summer day. I liked the environment because there is space to sit around for a longer chat, or even could be a good spot to work from as a digital nomad. This cafe is also a short walk from both Monastiraki and Sytagma square, so if you want to try it, you won't have to go out of your way.
72H
This spot made it to my favourite food spots in Athens list for a reason. You will easily find it if you walk between the two main squares of the city, Syntagma and Monastiraki. While they don’t offer a huge selection of matcha drinks, I really liked the simple matcha latte they have. As mentioned above, sometimes it is just a case of wanting a simple drink, no flavours or syrups added, and this matcha delivers on this front. If this is your vibe, you can grab a nice, fresh pastry (my personal favourite is the cardamom bun) in the morning and a matcha latte to go. It’s a takeaway spot (unless you visit their place next door to get a sit down meal), so this is only ideal for a takeaway too.
Sync
Also located close to Monastiraki square, unlike the above spot, Sync actually delivers on both, the simple and the more complex matcha fronts. You can get a simple hot or iced matcha latte with your milk of choice, but if you feel more adventurous, you can try the blueberry or the vanilla pitaya ones. Both have a strong, but natural vanilla flavour to them, and neither is too sweet to overpower the matcha itself. The atmosphere here is great and there are plenty of seats, both indoors and outdoors to enjoy. This can be a perfect digital nomad spot for a slow morning or productive afternoon.
Anana Coffee & Food
Hidden away on Praxitelous Street, but not too far from neither Monastiraki or Syntagma, another place that doesn’t specialise in matcha, but offer a simple but great-quality matcha latte (either hot or cold). This is also a good brunch spot, so if that is what you’re looking for, this might be the top contender. You can sit around for hours if you want, it has a colourful and vibrant interior, so it’s perfect to visit with friends while travelling.
Honourable mention: Overoll Croissanterie
This place is more famous for its sweet treats (which are worth trying too). But I also found their pistachio matcha latte good enough to make this list. It wasn’t overly sweet, so I actually enjoyed it with some sweet pastry as a post breakfast treat. This is another spot that is more ideal for takeaways, so don’t plan to sit around for hours.
Which matcha café in Athens, Greece should you visit?
If you're struggling to choose, here's what I'd personally recommend depending on what you're looking for.
The best ceremonial grade matcha: Brush Matcha
The best atmosphere: Misa
A café to work from: Sync
The best flavoured matcha: IYKL
A quick takeaway: 72H
Matcha with brunch: Anana Coffee & Food
Frequently Asked Questions about matcha in Athens, Greece
Where can you get the best matcha in Athens, Greece?
If you're after ceremonial grade matcha prepared with care, Brush Matcha and Misa were my personal favourites. If you enjoy more creative drinks, IYKL and Sync both serve excellent flavoured matchas without overpowering the quality of the tea itself.
Is ceremonial grade matcha easy to find in Athens?
Yes. Athens' café scene has grown rapidly over the past year, and several independent cafés now specialise in ceremonial grade matcha alongside specialty coffee. It's becoming much easier to find high-quality matcha without having to search too hard.
How much does a matcha latte cost in Athens?
Most of the cafés I visited charged somewhere between €4 and €6, depending on whether you ordered a classic matcha latte or one with additional flavours such as strawberry, coconut or blueberry.
Are there digital nomad-friendly cafés in Athens?
Definitely. If you're planning to work remotely for a few hours, I'd recommend Sync, Misa and Anana Coffee & Food. All three have comfortable seating, a relaxed atmosphere and are places where I happily spent longer than just one coffee break.
There we go, this brings me to the end of my list of the best matcha cafés in Athens, Greece. If you're a matcha fan like me, I'm pretty confident you'll find somewhere on this list you'll want to come back to.
One of the things I love most about Athens is that its food and café scene never stays the same. Every time I return, there's always somewhere new that's opened, and the city's matcha scene is no exception. I'll keep updating this guide whenever I discover another café that's genuinely worth recommending, so if you're planning a trip to Athens, feel free to bookmark this page and check back before your next visit.
