04/06/2012

Hommie visits: Mind the Cup, Athens, Greece

My nightly wanderings led me to the west suburbs of Athens and somewhere in the centre of Peristeri I discovered Mind the Cup. The first thing I noticed was the façade's square industrial windows and the weathered patina metal chairs that surrounded a large round flower bed. When I caught a peek inside, I was sure that this café-bar had a very interesting story to tell.


Three friends, Chris, Nick and Panagiotis, joined their love of making beverages and cocktails and with love, enthusiasm and a dose of optimism they created Mind the Cup at the Peristeri area on March 2012. The name was inspired by the London Underground and the characteristic warning announcement 'Mind the gap (between the train and the platform)'. The pun between gap and cup emphasizes the specialization in coffee while remind staff and visitors the owners' philosophy: 'Mind the gap, your steps, your moves, your choices. Move slowly, steadily, concentrate on what you do, always try to improve it.'

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis 
The architectural firm bafis undertook the design and construction with 'different' as their basic approach combining industrial style (which was missing from the area) with pale earth tones. The dominant feature is a black metal scaffold combined with rough planks which covers the wall behind the bar. On this unique shelving unit you will find from alcohol bottles and coffee brewing accessories to vintage tape recorders and speakers. Beneath the scaffold a black Smeg fridge stands, having a decorative but mainly utilitarian purpose, hiding fresh fruits ready to be added in cocktails and juices.

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
Next to the bar, a metal staircase leads to the mezzanine where there's the machine that daily roasts the coffee for the cafe's needs. According to the owners: 'We wanted to give this industrial feeling because we get our coffee beans from various farms, we roast it in our shop and we try to reach 100% of its capacity through our passion for our work, our love for this product and the technical processing based on our experience. Something similar we combine in our cocktail bar by often creating new cocktails with various ingredients, such as syrups and aromatic liqueur.'

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
The basic furnitures have industrial style and the main materials are natural wood, raw metal and leather. Opposite the bar a leather chesterfield sofa, a rope-hanging swing and a vintage trunk, used as coffee-table, create a relaxing sitting area.

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis  

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
The Manila Rope Lights are created by the Canadian artist Alex Jowett (can be found at Atelier688) and Mind the Cup is the first cafe-bar in Europe that installed them! Large coffee mugs-shaped lights are hanging over the long central counter.

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
The decoration of the bathroom follows the overall style of the cafe-bar. Two metal buckets are the basins while a blackboard-wall is available for greetings, statements and all kinds of artistic impressions!

Outside, two large plane trees provide shade to Mind the Cup and to the exterior's tables. A fountain on the square outside the cafe-bar has been converted into a raised circular bed full of flowers and a humming old olive trunk in the centre, offering a mini dose of nature in the urban Athenian environment.

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis

photo © Chadoulis Pantelis
Mind the Cup is located at Emiliou Veaki 29, Peristeri, Athens, Greece.

2 comments:

  1. mpravo paidia.....kalh arxh..k..kales douleies...

    ReplyDelete
  2. σαγαπω χοουμιιιιιι!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete