Coffee is taken very seriously all over Greece, and many will drink it from dawn to dusk to the exclusion of all else, except, perhaps, for during and after the evening meal.

The standard is Greek Coffee (Turkish Coffee with Turkish crossed out and Greek written in its place), and is made with finely ground beans in an individual pan, with as much or little sugar as required. The result is a tiny cup of strong coffee, always served with water, nearly half of which is sludge.

Much more popular in summer months is iced coffee or frappe. This is made with instant granules (and sugar to taste), whipped up into a thick froth and topped up with ice and either water or milk as required. Traditionally the milk would be condensed (apparently the Greeks never weaned themselves off it after long years of post-war shortages), so if this bothers you, be sure to ask for fresh!

After that, the options used to run to Nescafe, and nothing else. Nowadays, though, the proliferation of trendy modern cafe bars with Italian influence (particularly in Argostoli), mean that cappuccino, latte and espresso hounds will not be disappointed.

The corollary is, however, that with the younger generation going elsewhere, the traditional kafenion is declining rapidly. There are still a few which survive relatively unscathed, but you will need to keep your eyes well peeled.