Cafe Zonars

Having endured several forgettable latte experiences on my Greek odyssey, I was looking forward to heading onto Cafe Zonars when I got back to Athens. I had read about this cafe being an Athen's institution with its appealing art deco interior providing a haven for the city's left and the literary set. Sadly the cafe has undergone a transformation in recent years and has been seriously spruced up. It is now a very upmarket establishment and frequented by a wealthier set with gold chains and designer label shopping bags. But located in the more sedate area of Kolonaki, just off Syntagma Square, Cafe Zonars promises comfortable respite from the heat and dust of Athen's busy streets and more importantly, is serious about its coffee. Noticing the caffe lattes here were of the standard weak taller variety, I went for the safer option of a cappuccino. I wasn't disappointed. The coffee was rich and smooth and lacked the bitterness I had come to expect from Greek espresso. The milk was fresh...not long-life...and silky-smooth heated to the right temperature...hot, without scorching the lips! Served with a small almond chocolate, this Athen's coffee experience did not disappoint. Reccommended.

Coffee Odyssey

Well latte lovers, I am back on the caffeine airwaves having just returned from a few months abroad in the caffe latte wasteland of the Greek Isles. I have done my fair share of latte tastings whilst spending a month on the gorgeous Greek Isle of Ithaca. Believe me, I understand the lure of this picturesque place which led Homer on his epic sojourn, but if it's a decent latte you're after you'd better jump ship and cross the Adriatic to Italia and the home of Lavazza. My Greek Island coffee experiences largely involved bitter espresso topped with long-life milk. Some cafes did make an effort to whip up a decent latte with smoothly creamed milk but the flavour was always hot bitter espresso with that long-life after taste. The latte pictured here was served in a large cup. Don't be fooled by its smooth appearance. This latte was 90 % long-life milk and 10% bitter espresso.

If it's a good coffee you're after while visiting Greece, you will need to head back to Athens to the Cafe Zonars just off Syntagma Square in upmarket Kolanaki...More on this experience in a future blog.

Piccolo Perfetto!

A new discovery. The Piccolo Latte. Just the thing for the latte lover who wants that little coffee burst after their meal but does not have room for a big glass of latte. This latte comes served in a cute little macchiato size glass but has equal quantities of milk so lacks the bitterness of the machiatto served with only a stain of milk. I experienced the delights of the Piccolo Latte at a funky Italian cafe/restaurant on a recent visit to Daylesford, Victoria. It was just the thing after a delightful Marguerita pizza made in true Italian style with thin crust, a tasty tomato sauce and just a smattering of ingredients to entice and not overwhelm the taste buds. This was complemented by a glass or two of a pleasing local sav. blanc! Accompanied by a small home made chocolate, the Piccolo Latte was small in size but big on satisfaction. Perfetto!