12 Best Nightlife in The Cyclades, Greece

520

This cool, whitewashed Cycladic-style space features a rooftop veranda perfect for sipping eclectic cocktails and admiring the view over to Paros. Siblings Argiro and Manos Fotis named this spot 520 for the bar code automatically marked on any products that are made in Greece.

ASTRA

Small and perfectly formed, since 1986 ASTRA has kept up its exclusive, somewhat mature elegance. The clientele is upscale, and the drinks are pretty and expensive. Supermodels, rock stars, and royalty swing by when they're in town. The DJ spins house and funk, which is danceable, and not unbearably loud.

Baba Bar

A few steps away from the nightlife bustle of Petrou Ralli's row of music-pumping bars, Baba Bar is still in the heart of the action, just slightly tucked away in a pretty little street that's lit by strings of soft white light bulbs. The bar's small, Cycladic-style interior can get packed with regulars that come back for their eclectic selection of cocktails with names like Pirate Martini, Rosemary Melon, Pina Rosa, and the signature rum Baba.

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Hassapiko

A former butcher shop, Hassapiko is an Ia institution. Also known as MaryKay's bar, after the owner, it is open all-day for brunch and coffee but it comes alive at night when its chilled vibe attracts returning sunset-seekers and it is the ideal place for a late nightcap.

Koursaros Bar

Koursaros, which translates to "Pirate," gets its share of summer party crowds each year. Its decor is a soft mix of dark wood and stone with vintage maps and seafaring artifacts that play into the bar's nautical theme. Its location, at the very corner by the harbor, has made it one of the most visible landmark nightlife spots in Tinos since 1987. Café by day, a DJ turns up the music at night spinning rock, funk, or jazz.

Linardo

You can't miss this place; fuschia bougainvillea on the 400-year-old whitewashed building is mirrored by bright pink doors. Inside, Linardo's interior is impeccably maintained and cooly decorated—it has to be, considering that it's one of Naousa's top hot spots, where crowds gather until the early morning to listen to the coolest music on the isle.

Meli and Kanela

The Kioulafis family paid attention to every detail when renovating this family treasure, a simple Cycladic dwelling built more than a century ago. Tucked in the walls of Old Town, Meli and Kanela's bright turquoise door beckons you into its bar lounge and café space that's enhanced by soft lighting, creamy beige-and-white walls, and traditional charm. The name, which means honey and cinnamon in Greek, is a relaxing nightlife spot to chat over a rakomelo cocktail featuring honey and cinnamon, served with a large wedge of fresh orange.

Ocean Club

A lively chunk of Naxos nightlife is set on the south end of the Old Town, where happening bars face the waterfront and gather packed crowds of party people. This is one of them, with ambient decor and DJs that pump mainstream dance hits. Peak season, the party teeters to the edge of the street, right above the sea, where extra bars are set up to accommodate the happy crowds.

Old Customs Cafe

If the relentless boom and beat of dance music on Mykonos begins to wear you down, head down to this small but perfectly formed bar that plays a good mix of classic and modern rock. The friendliest of staff make this a world away from the cookie-cutter identical bars found all over town.

Pirate Bar

One of the oldest bars on the island, this cozy hideaway combines whitewashed walls with a stone-and-wood design and soft lighting. Great cocktails made from local ingredients should be taken on one of the handful of tables on the cobbled street outside.

Sivilla

Tinos Town has a nightlife district, but it only comes to life in the heat of the summer. Sivilla, located on one of the area's alleyways, churns out both Greek pop and international mainstream dance hits.

Tropicana Beach Bar

One of the most popular beach bars in Mykonos is set on Paradise Beach, where the party starts every afternoon in the peak summer season. The international, young, and looking-for-fun crowd heads to the outdoor bar to dance in the sand, on tables, and by the sea. The music is loud, mainstream, and fun, the people are happy, and the watermelon cocktail is famously strong.