Five Grinders

if you're heading out to melissia on a slow morning with no particular deadline, leof. pigis 63 is worth building the hour around. five grinders sits in a part of athens that doesn't get much attention from the specialty scene guides, which is exactly why it has the feel of somewhere locals actually use rather than somewhere locals perform using. the reputation here is quiet and consistent, the kind that accumulates without a campaign behind it. you don't need to make a big trip of it. come for a cortado mid-morning, when the street outside is unhurried and the day hasn't committed to anything yet, and you'll understand why the regulars on this stretch of pigis keep coming back.