22/02/2012

Hommie visits: Tailor Made in Athens, Greece

Arriving in Greece, for my christmas break, and having made my 'New-places-to-visit'-list, I started to explore them in my favourite area of Athens, the city's Centre. I had already heard that there was something happening in Ag. Eirini's square and that more and more coffee and drinking 'temples' appeared there. One of them is Tailor Made - 'micro Roastery & coctail Bar'! This new meeting point opened just the previous summer and has already stolen, if not the hearts of the coffee lovers and cocktail specialists, at least mine, both decoratively and savourily!




Its name has double meaning! First of all, is a tribute to all these tailors and fabric stores operated (and still operate) in this area. And then, as the tailor is making custom made clothes for each client (tailor made), thus this café-bar roasts by itself, almost daily, its coffee varieties and makes custom made cocktails depending on the tastes of each visitor. It has also great varieties of coffee and tea that you can buy for your home.


Let's have a look now at our style and decorative stuff! Firstly, the building that houses Tailor Made is work of the Saxon architect Ernst Ziller (read here a quick bio), hence his curved face on one of the interior walls. UTS (UnderTheSpell Design and Illustration Lab) is a firm from Chalkida, that in partnership with the owners, edited the interior design. The first thing that I noticed, and immediately fell in love with, is the plenty natural sunlight entering the big windows and creating a wonderful friendly and homey atmosphere. Generally, the colours and materials used for the decoration are: white, beige, grey, black, the imposing dark wood, stone and the raw industrial OSB wood.


Tailor Made is theoretically divided into two main areas: the double-height bar room and the café room. In the first one you can see the curved Ziller's face on the plaster wall, inspired by the works of Portuguese street artist Vhils, and three giant illuminated frames with sewing patterns drawn on OSB wood, hanging behind the bar. Bar's counter is made of several old wooden doors and drawers, painted in a dark wood tone. In the same room you will notice the dj's 'corner', a piece of furniture made of old industrial pallets, and a mini library-divider just next to it.


In the centre of the other room you will find the open bar, as the owners call it, a large table, standing on a pile of coffee's sacks(!), where you can sit around while watching in front of you the preparation of your coffee or tea. At the background, in front of the stone wall, a self-unit made of wooden crates hosts Tailor Made's coffee and tea varieties but also various brewing accessories to buy for your home.


Other decorative elements you'll notice are the wall speakers which are cleverly hidden inside vintage radios, a handmade mirror/artwork, an old sewing machine which has become a table and dispersed ottomans made of rag rugs. I have to say that I really appreciated the rag rugs after I saw these diy variants!





Of course, I couldn't not mention the basement, where the toilets are and the bright yellow colour is everywhere! When the weather is better you can sit outside! Rag rug's cushions, metal tables, Tolix-style metal chairs and tables made of reclaimed wood are some of the outdoor furniture outside Tailor Made, on the square.

Photographs Petros P.

Tailor Made 'micro Roastery & cocktail Bar' is located at 2, Ag. Eirinis Square, Monastiraki, Athens. Visit its site to learn more about the coffee and tea varieties in detail.

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