After immigrating to Greece, you will discover that meeting friends at a coffee house is a favorite pastime for Greeks. It takes fifteen minutes for the coffee to be brewed; once served, it takes another fifteen minutes for the coffee grounds to fully settle. During this interval, people exchange greetings.
Coffee cups are generally very small, containing little liquid, and half of that is coffee grounds. Greeks can spend a good portion of the day sipping such a small cup. The further down you drink, the more grounds appear, and the idle chatter grows accordingly.
Coffee was born in Africa in the 13th century. After being enjoyed exclusively by Arabs for three centuries, it spread to Europe in the 16th century. The habit of coffee drinking has been popular in Europe and America for centuries, gradually developing into a "coffee culture." There are vastly different coffee cultures in the world: the romance of France, the elegance of Austria, the passion of Italy, the speed of the United States... Each coffee culture is a microcosm of a social state.
Greek coffee is completely different from coffee in other Western countries; it is, in fact, identical to Turkish coffee. It is prepared in a very traditional method: the ground coffee powder is placed in a small coffee pot with water and boiled until it bubbles; afterward, both the water and the grounds are poured directly into a small cup. When brewing, one spoonful of coffee grounds combined with one teaspoon of sugar is called "medium sweet," two teaspoons is called "very sweet," and no sugar is called "plain."
Traditional Greek coffee houses are just as rustic as that small, bitter, sediment-filled cup of coffee. They are usually very primitive, with a few marble-topped tables and a stack of inexpensive wooden rattan chairs. A television in the corner remains on indefinitely just to provide some background noise, whether anyone is watching it or not (unless, of course, there is a football match on). The walls of the coffee house are usually adorned with old photographs or yellowed posters.
In Greece, coffee houses are frequented mostly by men, especially the elderly. They serve as both community clubs and recreation rooms for retirees. In the difficult days of the past, men worked hard every day and would come here to relax and rest in their spare time. The coffee house became the heart of their "social" life. Here, they would engage in lively debates, play cards together, or sit in solitary contemplation...
Outside tourist souvenir shops, the vast array of postcards is filled with photography featuring "Greek coffee house" themes: appearing on the cards are weathered, simply dressed elderly men, lazily sitting on chairs in traditional Greek coffee houses as if they had been sitting there for half their lives. Although they may not be as photogenic as the sculptures in history museums or the enchanting Aegean beaches, they represent the lifestyle of the older generation of Greeks—simple, modest, and living life in the company of others.
With social changes, traditional coffee houses are becoming increasingly rare across Greece, replaced by modern cafes. These are much more sophisticated than traditional coffee houses—spacious, bright, pleasing to the eye, and alluring... Many newly opened cafes are essentially testing grounds for modern interior design art.
Drinking coffee outdoors is also a major feature of Greece. This was born out of the hot summer climate. Today, many cafes have outdoor seating on the streets all year round. In midsummer there are air coolers, and in winter there are heaters. In the historic Plaka district of Athens, cafes are almost empty indoors, with everyone crowded onto the sidewalk.