Much like the city, Athens’s bar scene resists easy definition. Café-bars, dive bars, wine bars, jazz dens, whisky rooms, spritz and beer joints, and inventive cocktail spots sit side by side. You’ll find bars on every corner, on rooftops, hidden in courtyards, inside former warehouses, and down narrow streets—some obvious, others secret unless you know where to look. The cocktail scene is buzzing, helped by global recognition (two of the world’s 50 best bars are in Athens) and a generation of bartenders championing Greek spirits and mixers. The nightlife tends to get started after midnight. Here are 17 of the best bars to visit now.
Alexander’s Bar
Located in the lobby of the historic Hotel Grande Bretagne, Alexander’s Bar is old-school elegance: dark woods, marble, a tapestry of Alexander the Great, seven heavy chairs at the bar, and a clientele of dignitaries past and present. Classics—brandy, cognac, martinis, old fashioneds—are the order of the night. Best visited after dark to soak up the atmosphere.
The Bar in Front of the Bar
A tiny street-side perch with a changing cocktail menu built around seasonal ingredients and sustainable practices. The sign outside changes often and the daily-evolving drinks reflect a playful, flexible approach. Its sister, Rumble in the Jungle, hides behind an unmarked door nearby.
The 7 Jokers
A hard-drinking dive with circus-like murals and a late-night party vibe where patrons come for a beer and stay for tequila shots and dancing until the early hours. Expect rock-and-roll energy and a festive crowd.
Avra (Four Seasons Astir Palace)
Perched on the Athens Riviera, Avra offers sunset views over the Aegean, glamorous crowds, live DJs on weekends, and a seasonal cocktail program developed in-house. It’s glamorous, 30 minutes from central Athens, and perfect for a seaside evening.
The Clumsies
Spread across three stories of a 1919 townhouse, The Clumsies feels like an intimate house party with private rooms and a bustling bar. Founded in 2014, it’s renowned for inventive cocktails and a yearly-changing menu; recent themes honor inclusivity and pair unexpected ingredients in imaginative drinks.
Epta Martyres
A neo-Athenian tapas-and-wine spot owned by six friends. The bar channels Volos-style hospitality—every round comes with complimentary small dishes, which might include oysters or gravlax. Candlelit and cozy, it’s ideal for sharing wine and surprises; reservations recommended, but the bar accepts walk-ins.
Line
An industrial-chic bar in a former art gallery where fermentation is central: they ferment fruits, vegetables, and botanicals on-site, producing alternatives to grape wine and reusing byproducts to minimize waste. Sourdough baked from leftovers complements the menu. Line’s creative, circular approach has earned international acclaim.
Bar Amore
A Roman-enoteca–inspired spritzeria in Neos Kosmos focusing on low-alcohol Italian classics—Aperol Spritz, Garibaldi, Sbagliato—served with simple, delicious nibbles like cold cuts, anchovies, and bottarga. Retro vibes and aperitivo culture, open early evening to midnight.
Falaina
Tiny and buzzy on Asklipiou, Falaina (meaning “whale”) is anything but spacious. A dozen people inside means patrons spill onto the pavement, perching drinks on parked cars. It helped make the street one of the city’s liveliest nightlife stretches.
Baba au Rum
A long-standing international favorite since 2009, Baba au Rum blends mid-century modern, Tiki, and Tropicalia design with an enormous rum list and adventurous cocktails. Expect expertly made classics as well as avant-garde signatures; it keeps the character of Psirri alive.
Eprepe
A lively café-bar on pedestrian Agias Zonis in Kypseli. Outside tables put you in the middle of the street’s energy; inside, twisted classics and seasonal small plates shine. The bar’s youthful staff and bold cocktails keep the atmosphere vibrant.
Jazz in Jazz
A sepia-toned jazz-and-whisky bar dating to 1978, filled with gramophones, trombones, and vinyl. It’s a speakeasy-style spot for flawless classics and single malts, ideal for a moody date or a solo evening. Note: it closes for the summer months of June–August.
Galaxy
A downtown arcade bar with unchanged decor since 1972, beloved by directors, journalists, and cultural figures. Tight leather seating, impeccable dry martinis, and small bar snacks create a timeless, intimate hangout where local regulars gather.
Latraac
An open-air skate-bowl, garden-shed café and performance space in Kerameikos. Built by a skater-architect, it hosts DJs, gigs and a skater crowd; try spiked apricot sodas or the Latraac Mule. The ramp is seasonal—patrons migrate to nearby cultural rooftops in winter.
Wine is Fine
A minimalist Gallo-Greek wine bar on a sunny pedestrian street, offering low-intervention wines and a short bistro-style menu. Casual, stylish, and often lively with guests loitering over glasses while the owners’ DJ sensibility shapes the soundtrack.
Au Revoir
Established in 1958 by two brothers, Au Revoir is Athens’s oldest bar. A haunt for theater folk and generations of locals, it’s smoky, intimate, and precise in its long drinks. The bar closes for July and August but remains a winter favorite.
Taratsa by Lokali
A secret rooftop in Psirri above To Lokali, Taratsa is a lush terrace with bamboo bar, colored lights, banana plants, and agave-forward cocktails and rum punches. It’s an inner-city oasis popular with locals seeking a summer rooftop escape.
Additional notes
Athens’s bar scene blends tradition and innovation: ancient spirits and contemporary techniques, small-plate generosity and fermentation experiments, intimate dives and high-glamour rooftops. Whether you’re after a classic martini, a house-made fermented wine, a Aperitivo spritz, or a late-night dance floor, Athens offers bars that reward exploration—just don’t expect the party to start early.
A version of this story first appeared in Condé Nast Traveller UK.
