When is the Varvakeios central market in Athens open?

The Varvakeios Agora, Athens’s central market, fills the block between Athinas, Sofokleous, Evripidou and Aiolou streets and opens 08:00–18:00, closed on Sundays. It was inaugurated in 1884 and gained its glass roof in 1886, and its fish hall takes in 5 to 10 tonnes of fresh fish a day.

Which kafeneio near Monastiraki in Athens has an Acropolis view?

Η ωραία Ελλάς, on Mitropoleos at the Pandrossou arcade, has a roof terrace under trees looking over Plaka to the Acropolis. It opened in 1960, serves coffee cooked on embers from 07:00 with a loukoumi and a newspaper, and moves on to wine, beer and tsipouro in the evening.

Where is specialty coffee in Psyrri, Athens?

Anäna at Praxitelous 33 roasts in-house and rotates its coffees every quarter. Picky at Christokopidou 14 opens at 07:30 daily with single-origin coffees sourced from Taf, and The Underdog roasts in Psyrri. Mokka, on Athinas since 1923, brews pour-overs and Greek coffee from single-origin arabica.

Cafés in Monastiraki & Psyrri, Athens: Hours and Map

Monastiraki (Μοναστηράκι, little monastery) is named after the Church of the Pantanassa on its square, and it is one of the city’s main shopping districts, with Pandrossou and Adrianou as its main streets.¹ Monastiraki station, on the square itself, serves metro Lines 1 and 3.¹

North of Ermou, Psyrri (Ψυρρή) is one of the oldest quarters of Athens; Lord Byron stayed here and wrote “Maid of Athens”. It had a poor reputation until the early 1990s and is now known for restaurants, bars and live-music tavernas.² Adrianou and Athinas have the most cafés in the area, and two of its brunch cafés are in Psyrri’s pedestrian lanes.

Local tip: The central market closes on Sundays, so come on a weekday or Saturday morning; Mokka on Athinas, near the stalls, brews pour-overs from single-origin beans.³⁴

At a glance

76Cafés listed

6With opening hours

07:30Earliest opening

02:00Latest closing

Opens earliest: Picky Brunch & Speciality Coffee, from 07:30 (Mon–Fri 07:30–18:00 · Sat–Sun 07:30–19:00).

Closes latest: kalimeres, until 02:00 (Daily 09:00–02:00).

Most listed streets: Ηφαίστου (2).

Most common features: partial wheelchair access (11%), outdoor seating (9%), card payment (9%).

Getting around Monastiraki and Psyrri

Monastiraki is the interchange between Lines 1 and 3, and everything here is walkable from the station. Psyrri’s central square is Platia Iroon (Heroes’ Square), and the streets leading to it are named after heroes of the War of Independence, such as Karaiskakis and Miaoulis.²

Psyrri keeps later hours than the market streets. Kalimeres on Taki is open 09:00–02:00, Ellyz on Agiou Filippou until 23:59, and Little Kook at Karaiskaki 17, a bakery café, from 11:00 to midnight. Τα σερμπέτια στου Ψυρρή, a sweet shop at Aischylou 3, offers Wi-Fi.

Athinas Street and the central market

The Varvakeios Agora, Athens’s central market, fills the block between Athinas, Sofokleous, Evripidou and Aiolou. A donation from the caviar importer Ioannis Varvakis paid for it; it was inaugurated in 1884, gained its glass roof in 1886, and its fish hall takes in 5 to 10 tonnes of fresh fish a day.³ The market opens 08:00–18:00 and closes on Sundays.³

Mokka, at Athinas 44 near the market, has sold coffee since 1923 and renovated its original building in 1999. It brews flat whites, pour-overs and Greek coffee from single-origin arabica bought from partner producers in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Guatemala.⁴

A kafeneío facing the Acropolis

Η ωραία Ελλάς (I oraía Ellás, beautiful Greece), on Mitropoleos at the Pandrossou arcade, opened in 1960. From 07:00 it serves coffee cooked on embers with a loukoumi and a newspaper, then wine, beer and tsipouro into the evening; its roof terrace sits under trees, looking over Plaka to the Acropolis, and the interior has architecture by Pikionis and exhibits from the Centre of Greek Tradition.⁵

On Adrianou, Δίοδος Αρχαίας Αγοράς (Díodos, the passage of the Ancient Agora) at no. 19 has outdoor tables, and Καφενείο «Βαγγέλης» is a few doors on at no. 23. Παραδοσιακόν Καφενείον Καστέλλο is on Evripidou, beyond the market.

Roasters and brunch in Psyrri

The Underdog roasts its coffee in Psyrri, in its own roastery.⁶ Anäna, at Praxitelous 33, was founded by Panos Xilas in 2019; it roasts in-house, rotates its coffees every quarter, bottles cold brew and keeps an entirely vegan or vegetarian food menu.⁷

Picky, at Christokopidou 14, opens at 07:30 every day, runs its kitchen until 17:00 and serves single-origin coffees from Colombia, Brazil and Guatemala, sourced from Taf.⁸ Round the corner, The Brunchers on pedestrian Agias Theklas opens at 08:00 and closes at 16:00 on weekdays and 18:00 at weekends.

Cafés in Monastiraki & Psyrri

At a glance

Ellyz

kalimeres

Picky Brunch & Speciality Coffee

The Brunchers

Little Kook

ALTOMODA

Be social

BLUE FOX

Bon Espresso Bar

Bookbar

Cafe Barbera

Cardia Cafe

City Zen All Day Bar Restaurant

Coffee & Goods

Creme Royale

Crystal Lotus Play Cafe

Cupz Coffee and Bakery

Drincs

Em Cafe

Espresso House Athens

Folk.

Happy Blender

Harvest

iFeel

Just made 33

Karyatis

La pantera negra

Mask

Minu Athens

Mokka

Myller

Oliva Café

Palmie Bistro

Playhouse Athens

Sq

The Hatter’s

Coffee chains in Monastiraki & Psyrri

Coffee Island

Coffee Berry

Coffee Lab

Starbucks

Getting around Monastiraki and Psyrri

Athinas Street and the central market

A kafeneío facing the Acropolis

Roasters and brunch in Psyrri

Sources

More of Athens

Thiseio & Petralona

Syntagma & Plaka

Koukaki & Makrygianni

Exarchia

Kolonaki

Pangrati

Kypseli

Monastiraki & Psyrri cafés: questions

When is the Varvakeios central market in Athens open?

Which kafeneio near Monastiraki in Athens has an Acropolis view?

Where is specialty coffee in Psyrri, Athens?

Own a café in Monastiraki & Psyrri?