6 Best Bars in Athens, Greece

Despite demanding working hours, significantly tighter budgets, and family obligations, Athenians simply refuse to stay home, and will always find good reasons to sit out with friends at a bar until the middle of the night. Athens's heady nightlife starts late. Most bars and clubs don't get hopping until midnight and they stay open at the very least until 3 am. Drink prices can be rather steep (about €9–€13), but the pours are generous, and in recent years the cocktails have become exciting and sophisticated. Often there is a cover charge on weekends at the most popular clubs, which also have bouncers (aptly called "face-control" by Greeks because they tend to let only the "lookers" in). For a uniquely Greek evening, visit a club featuring rembetika music, a type of blues, or the popular bouzoukia (clubs with live bouzouki, a stringed instrument, music). Few clubs take credit cards for drinks.

Nightclubs in Greece migrate with the seasons. From October through May, they're in vast, throbbing venues in Central Athens and the northern suburbs; from June through September, many relocate to luxurious digs on the south coast for moonlit beach views. The same spaces are used from year to year, but owners and names tend to bounce around. Before heading out, check local listings or talk to your hotel concierge, especially during the summer. One way to avoid both lines and cover charges—since partying doesn't get going until after 1 am—is to make an earlier dinner reservation at one of the many clubs that have restaurants as well.

The Clumsies

Monastiraki Fodor's Choice

Located between Syntagma and Psirri, this innovative and consistently famous bar-restaurant is among the most popular in Athens, and one of the World's 50 Best Bars. The impressively decorated, multilevel venue even has a private room, where clients can order bespoke drinks. The unpretentious, fashionable bar is loved for its unique, signature cocktails, all made with creative vision and excellent taste. There's a degustation menu that offers the chance of tasting four to five smaller versions), or you can just have them regular size, which is never too difficult to do here.

Baba Au Rum

Monastiraki Fodor's Choice

Rum is the star at this trendy, popular bar in the heart of Monastiraki. All the liqueurs, syrups, and essences to flavor highly original and delicious cocktails are made in-house. The vibe is buzzy both indoors—where the decor has stylish yet quirky vintage touches like stained-glass lamps and antique drinking glasses—and out, where crowds gather especially on weekends. From tiki-inspired beverages to dark rum, chocolate, and lemon creations, you can spend hours experimenting here. Voted as one of the top 50 bars worldwide.

CRU

Exarcheia Fodor's Choice

Expert sommelier and chef Anton Lianoudakis welcomes you in a small, quirkily decorated and cozy space with a large bench in the middle to taste wines, olive oils, and honey from select producers. One can book tasting sessions or just sit to enjoy wines paired with delightful homemade bites, made in a cupboard-size kitchen—from marinated cheeses and freshly baked Georgian pitta bread to ice cream with olive oil and aged vinegar. Stoic philosophy nights are also organized, accompanied by dishes based on ancient Greek recipes. Lianoudakis's expertise and knowledge is as phenomenal as the Greek and Armenian wines he presents.

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Hotel Chelsea

Pangrati Fodor's Choice

Not a hotel as its name suggests but instead a bar where the crowds spill out colorfully onto the sidewalk tables every night of the week. Its main appeal comes from its come-as-you-are style, speedy service (considering the size of the crowd), and solid drinks.

Kapnikarea

Monastiraki Fodor's Choice

Down-to-earth, local, lively, Kapnikarea is named after the sunken Byzantine church that it flanks. Come here to relax after some sightseeing or shopping on busy Ermou Street where live rembetika (the Greek blues from Asia Minor) music swirls mesmerically around a little alleyway every day at different hours. Locals love sitting here enjoying a cold beer and meze, morphing into impromptu choirs, intoning their favorite songs. This little spot has been around for ages and is not to be missed.

Rockfellas Excelsior

Piraeus Fodor's Choice

This is where locals come to party, sipping delicious and creative cocktails and to bop along to upbeat music. Open until the early hours, this place with the motto "the bar we call home" is a trendy haunt where smiling easily becomes contagious. Its seaside location at Zea Marina adds another refreshing reason to go.

Athens

Athens

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