bars · Athens
The best nights in Athens start at these addresses — award-winning cocktail rooms, beloved locals' haunts and views worth ordering a second round for. All rated 4.5 stars or higher.
Central Athens / Praxitelous Street · $$
A perennial fixture in the World's 50 Best Bars top ten, opened by champion bartenders Vassilis Kyritsis and Nikos Bakoulis in a 1919 townhouse. The all-day format runs from specialty coffee to wildly inventive cocktail menus upstairs.
Insider tip: Book the upstairs 'The Room' for groups; otherwise go on a weeknight before 9pm to snag bar seats.
Klitiou Street, city center · $$
Thanos Prunarus' rum temple kick-started the modern Athens cocktail renaissance in 2009 and remains a World's 50 Best regular. Expect serious tiki-leaning drinks and one of Europe's deepest rum collections in a small retro room.
Insider tip: It spills onto the pedestrian street in summer; order the signature Baba Au Rum cocktail first.
Monastiraki · $$
The rooftop that launched a thousand Acropolis photos, perched above Monastiraki Square with the Parthenon dead ahead. Cocktails are solid, but the head-on sunset view over the flea market rooftops is the point.
Insider tip: Reserve a front-row table for sunset days ahead, or come for a quieter weekday morning coffee with the same view.
Plaka · $
Athens' oldest distillery bar, founded in 1909, its back wall a glowing grid of hundreds of colored bottles. It pours house-made ouzo, brandy, and liqueurs in a room that doubles as a working shop.
Insider tip: Do a tasting flight of ouzo and the citrus liqueurs early evening; it gets shoulder-to-shoulder by 9pm.
Monastiraki / Avramiotou Street · $
A multi-level cultural hub hiding a leafy sunken courtyard garden where Athenians drink under string lights between gigs and exhibitions. By night the gig space hosts some of the city's best live acts and DJ sets.
Insider tip: Enter via Avramiotou Street and head straight down to the garden; check their program for late-night shows.
Ilisia / Vasilissis Sofias Avenue · $$
The Hilton's top-floor institution with a sweeping terrace view from Lycabettus to the Acropolis and the Saronic Gulf. Dressed-up Athenians come for sundowners and DJ sets above the city lights.
Insider tip: Arrive 30-45 minutes before sunset to get a rail-side spot; smart casual dress enforced.
April–June & September–October
Euro (EUR)
Greek
How this list is made: we only feature places rated 4.5 stars or higher with 1,000+ reviews from real travelers. Ratings and review counts are approximate and move over time — always check current numbers before booking. Photos are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses (credits in each gallery).
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Good to know
Two to three days covers the Acropolis, the major museums, and neighborhoods like Plaka and Psyrri at a comfortable pace. Add a day or two for trips to Sounion, Delphi, or a Saronic island before heading on.