I had never before noticed a small alley off the lower end of Solonos St, in Exarcheia, until recently, that is, when I happened to pass by, and stop at, a well-kept front window display of an ice cream shop.
The selections looked very tempting, so I asked to try, even though I was running late for an appointment. Up until that point, I had not paid any attention to the little tags with the flavours inscribed on them, as well as the type of milk used to make the ice cream. To my surprise, I realised that this little shop with the large freezer-window display produces ice cream using plant-based milks. Cats & Monsters, as the shop is called, is Athens’ first ever vegan ice cream shop.
Cats & Monsters is the brainchild of a German couple, Franz and Claudia, who were based in Berlin for many years and chose to spend numerous summers in Greece. Franz was a photographer by trade and his wife an architect. They could not wait until retirement age to leave their homeland’s chilly weather for the warmer temperatures of the south. As a result, the couple decided to abandon their livelihoods at home, relocate to Athens, and start up a shop selling vegan ice cream. The concept reflects their life principles, as both have been vegan for seven years, as well as their interests, given the duo’s love for cooking and making sweets.
The ice creams here, then, are made with soya, oat, rice and almond milk, all noted on the tags, including whether the selections are gluten-free or not. The range of flavours, close to twenty in all, have nothing to envy of traditional ice creams. You will find chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut and plenty more. I tried the lemon cheesecake and apple pie flavours. Both were very tasty but did lack the heavy body most of us have become accustomed to in ice creams. This is natural given the fact that these ice creams are completely free of any animal ingredients. As can be imagined, I did not restrict myself to just the two initial flavours. My first two scoops gradually vanished while I asked questions and the polite German couple responded offering details. As a follow-up order, I asked for the chocolate with chili flavour, which left a pleasantly spicy aftertaste, as well as the tiramisu, rich in espresso coffee flavour.
As time elapsed, I kept discovering a growing number of unusual flavours that I felt the urge to try. But I thought I’d best leave it for the next time when I would bring along a close friend, who is vegan, so she and I could enjoy the flavours together. This outing will finally spare me of her complaints that Athens lacks good vegan ice cream.
4 Patousa, Exarcheia, Tue-Sun, 13.00-19.00
