The Mytilini Coffee Tour
EMBARKING UPON A CAFFEINATED TOUR OF MYTILINI
This tour of the best coffee houses in Mytilini is designed to take around half a day, however it is possible to select sections of the tour and complete it over a series of days, or by all means stay at each cafe for as long as required, to extend the tour over a full day. As the tour is centred around the main economic centre of Mytilini, focused between Ermou street and the harbour, this is completely possible, with an array of restaurants around the city in close proximity to all stopping points. It is recommended that the tour is completed in the suggested direction, as the three final stops on the tour are open late into the evening, embracing the Greek 'kafeteria' culture (as outlined on the Coffee Culture page), effectively becoming bars in the evening, although coffee will still be served at this time. These will provide good opportunities for lunchtime food if undertaking the tour in the morning, or evening food and beverages, if following the tour in the afternoon after siesta time. The tour itself is around 1km in length, due to the small size of the centre of Mytilini, however it encompasses a proportion of the main shopping street Ermou, and the busy harbour front. Time should be taken between each cafe of significant distance apart, to embrace the culture and view the historic beauty of some of the most impressive streets that the tour follows.
The tour begins by the harbour on Pavlou Kountourioti, a few doors away from the highly visible Lesvion Hotel. The map below is for guidance - clicking on the 'expand view' button at the top of the map will open the route in Google maps on a full scale. The printable PDF button below will provide the directions on this page in a printable format, with a map attached for ease of use. The tour will end further along the harbour at the concentration of many cafes and bars. From here, the original start point is around 300m away. If you need to return here at the end of the tour, it can be reached by following the harbour back round towards the Lesvion Hotel, which will be visible from the endpoint.
Printer-friendly directions can be downloaded from here:
POINT A (START): ΦΟΥΡΝΟΣ ΜΕΞΥΛΑ
Make your way to Point A, shown in green on the map. The yellow-fronted cafe/bakery, as pictured is the first stop of the tour. On a nice day, there is the option to sit outside to enjoy the movements in the harbour, especially if visiting in the morning. This cafe has an extensive coffee and frappé/freddo menu, along with a bakery serving freshly made Greek produce, such as baklava and pastries. This should provide a good first stop to pick up a breakfast or lunchtime snack for the day ahead.
POINT B: ΣΤΟΑ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΟΥ
Turn right out of coffee shop A, and walk down Alkeou Street towards Ermou at the end. The second stop coffeehouse is a narrow entrance as shown in picture 1, squeezed between two other shops in front of you. This modern-looking cafe is to the left of the stairs, and tables reach all the way along the wall of this narrow space to the bar at the end. The well-priced drinks menu is shown, and the space also turns into a late bar at night, showing sport on the TV, so worth returning to in the evening to see how this kafeteria transforms at night.
POINT C: ΠΑΛΙΑ ΑΓΟΡΑ (OLD MARKET CAFE)
The walk to this kafeneio is the longest, yet perhaps most straightforward. Turn left onto Ermou and follow it for around 10 minutes, looking out for this distinctive 'Old Market Cafe' on your right, just before the intersection with Agiou Theodoron. The jumbled yet attractive exterior continues inside, however the seats outside offer a great spot for watching the bustle of Ermou, the main market street. The owner speaks little English and there is no written menu, so your newfound skills ordering coffee will be put to good use! (See Ordering Coffee)
POINT D: ΜΟΥΣΙΚΟ ΚΑΦΕΝΕΙΟ
Turn left out of the kafeneio to follow Ermou the way you have come. When you arrive at a fork in the road, keep left to walk down Mitropoleos. Cafe D is on your left, just after you pass the first road on your left (Vernadaki). Despite what the name suggests, this establishment operates under the kafeteria concept, with good coffee and outdoor seating by day, and alcoholic beverages and sometimes live music at night, with a late closing time. Food is also recommended here, so feel free to order an accompaniment to your coffee if you desire.
POINT E: ΚΑΦΕΝΕΙΟ
These final two cafes are within very close proximity to each other, so you can afford to switch to alcoholic refreshments by now if you are completing this in the evening! From the exit of Cafe D, walk directly ahead along Athanasiou Mitrelia, turning down Samou, the small second road to your left. The kafeteria. Again, as a bar in the evening the experience will depend on the time of day you visit, but this spacious cafe should provide you with a comfortable setting for a drink. Despite its understated name, music can once again be enjoyed here by night.
POINT F (FINISH): ARCHIPELAGOUS CAFES/BARS
Arriving at point F on the map marks the end of the coffee tour of Mytilini. Continue following Samou towards the harbour, where you will find a number of cafes, bars and restaurants serving a range of drinks along with local and international food. As this area is more catered for tourists, you will find that many cafes have English menus and staff speak good English, so this may be a chance to explore some of the options you have not yet had the chance to try. Many of these businesses stay open late and show live sport, so this may be a good area to explore for evening activities and food options.
Photograph Acknowledgement:
Compass heading image: Courtesy of Wixpress Ltd.