4 Best Bars in Athens, Greece

Background Illustration for Nightlife

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.

Batman

Neos Kosmos

A popular after-hours dive with a cult following. Known for its cozy atmosphere and lively crowd, it offers quality drinks accompanied by Greek music that often inspires spontaneous sing-alongs among locals. While the drinks may be on the pricier side, the vibrant ambience and authentic experience make it a worthwhile stop for night owls seeking a genuine taste of Athens nightlife.

Rock n Roll

Kolonaki

One of those "legendary" Athens clubs that just keep on going (after a short break when it was shut down for renovations), this place goes on after-hours but also starts early on some days. Large and high-ceilinged, with the DJ booth in the middle, it gathers revelers daily for drinks and bites as well as clubbing to Greek and international hits.

Recommended Fodor's Video

Zurbaran

Kolonaki

This is a restaurant-bar, but is more known for its late night allure when local celebs and high-end professionals flock there to let loose especially on weekends over a series of cocktails and shots. Whether you prefer the loud, buoyant, shoulder-rubbing indoor vibe or outdoors at a table on one of Kolonaki's most central streets for a less shouty conversation over good wine, this place is one of only a handful where you can stay out and party till the late hours.