Night is an essential part of Athenian life. People dine late, around 9 or 10 pm, then move on to a bar, and the busiest venues only really fill up after midnight. In summer nightlife moves outdoors: onto terraces, into cinemas under the stars, ancient theatres and the seaside.
Rooftop bars and terraces
The most Athenian thing to do at sunset is to climb to a terrace with a view of the Acropolis and watch the Parthenon light up. Many hotels and buildings around Monastiraki, Syntagma, Plaka, Thissio and Koukaki have rooftop bars open to non-guests, from the very elegant to the informal. In summer book for sunset.
Cocktail bars
In recent years Athens has become one of Europe's cocktail capitals: some central bars regularly appear in rankings of the world's best bars, with bartenders using Greek ingredients such as mastic, mountain herbs, honey and tsipouro. They cluster between Syntagma, Psyrri and the commercial triangle, often in old shops or on the first floor of unsigned buildings.
Nightlife districts
| District | Atmosphere |
|---|---|
| Psyrri | Bars, tavernas with live music, young crowd and tourists |
| Gazi | Clubs, music bars, LGBTQ+ venues, long nights |
| Exarchia | Cheap bars, students, rock and alternative music |
| Kolonaki | Elegant bars on Haritos Street, professional crowd |
| Koukaki and Pangrati | Neighbourhood bars and wine bars, relaxed feel |
| The commercial centre | Hidden cocktail bars, small clubs |
Live Greek music
For a truly Greek experience there are two very different options. Rebetadika are tavernas where you hear rebetiko, the music of the ports and poor districts of the early 20th century, played on bouzouki and baglamas while you eat mezedes and drink tsipouro; customers sometimes get up to dance the zeibekiko. Bouzoukia are big venues where stars of Greek song perform, with expensive tables, bottles, flowers thrown at the stage in place of the smashed plates of old, and nights until dawn. See Greek music.
Summer: cinemas, theatres and concerts
- Open-air cinemas are an Athenian institution: gardens with chairs, jasmine and films screened under the stars, some with the Acropolis behind, such as Cine Thisio and Cine Paris in Plaka.
- The Athens Epidaurus Festival brings theatre, dance and concerts to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, below the Acropolis, and other venues. See events and festivals.
- The Lycabettus Theatre and Technopolis in Gazi host rock, pop and jazz concerts.
- On the Riviera, between Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, summer seaside clubs stay open until dawn.
Tips
- Many venues charge no entry, but drinks in clubs and bouzoukia are expensive.
- The metro closes around midnight (later at weekends on some lines): get home by taxi or app.
- Drinking in the street is common in squares, but keeping the volume down is appreciated by residents.
- Smoking indoors is banned, though many venues have large outdoor areas.
See also where to eat and neighbourhoods.