The ring of outdoor cafes around Plateia Laou is the social centre of Larissa. Greek coffee culture is serious here — a frappe or a proper espresso comes with a glass of water and the expectation that you will stay as long as you like. The square-facing places are lively from early morning through late evening. During the summer months the outdoor seating expands to cover most of the square.
The student atmosphere keeps prices reasonable. On warm evenings the square is one of the best places in provincial Greece to simply sit and watch a city go about its life — the mix of ages, the families with children, the older men playing backgammon, the students with laptops. There is no tourist crowd to navigate.