63 Best Nightlife in Greece

This creative bar-café-restaurant comes in the style of an open-plan house, complete with playroom and pool area. It's the ultimate "all things to everyone" stop-by, and despite the pompous name and concept-pushing, it's great fun—albeit not cheap. By day, board games and pool tables are wheeled out in its cozy womb of a café, with a contemporary Greek menu on hand. A playground area takes care of the kids, while entrance to the beach has a fee (€8), with a private section (€12) for those who want more space to swim. Then, once the sun sets, the café becomes the perfect spot to slowly sip a cocktail on the beachfront as the evening gives way to live music (usually on Thursday) or local DJs. It's open year-round.

The rooftop bar and restaurant at the Cavalieri Hotel are hard to beat for views. Hotel guests happily mingle with locals as the scene slowly enlivens from a mellow, early-evening cocktail crowd to a more-energetic party atmosphere.

This is Kalambaka's hot spot, with live bands and pool tables drawing in the local youth. It's a good place to head if you need a break from the quiet austerity of monastic visits. Oh, and if you get peckish, the food here also rocks. It's typical bar fare: burgers, nachos, and the like.

This Ottoman-era arcade has been transformed into the nightlife hub of the city. Bars and clubs, all with differing styles and music, now occupy every nook and cranny, and attract Ioannina's hip and trendy crowd. One can hop from Stoa Bar, playing deep house and funky sets, to Route 66 with its alternative, soul, and funky grooves. If it's cool yuppie vibes you're after, head to trendy Montage with its breezy uptown decor. In summer the action gets combustible, as these bars merge and mingle, since most of the action is outside. In winter they become more autonomous, shutting doors and pumping up that volume.

With a menu of more than 70 cocktails and an extensive wine list, there is something for everyone at this rooftop bar in the heart of lively Monastiraki Square. An unexpected bonus is the magical view of the Acropolis.

Greek music—sometimes live—sets the lively tone: drop by for a drink or tuck into a large gourmet menu of meaty offerings Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. In the small hours, you can still get finger food, and some center tables might be removed to make room for dancing and, even better, for some legendary "flower wars" among happy club goers. Smart dress is strongly recommended.

A few steps away from the nightlife bustle of Petrou Ralli's row of music-pumping bars, Baba Bar is still in the heart of the action, just slightly tucked away in a pretty little street that's lit by strings of soft white light bulbs. The bar's small, Cycladic-style interior can get packed with regulars that come back for their eclectic selection of cocktails with names like Pirate Martini, Rosemary Melon, Pina Rosa, and the signature rum Baba.

Cool architects and graphic designers, arty students and hipster DJs, revolutionaries and experimental philosophers: they all hang out in the cavernous basement of this Bauhaus building in the Kerameikos neighborhood, part of the greater Gazi district. Expect to hear the best electronica music in town. In summer, relish the view of the Acropolis from the postmodern, neon-lighted roof terrace. A handful of "multispace" imitators have emerged, offering offbeat film/video and music events in painfully hip industrial spaces—but Bios remains the standard.

Laptops, coffee mugs, and chess sets cover the long wooden tables in this Central Athens joint by day. By night, chatty partygoers squeeze—booze in hand—into any spot they can find at this bar, which remains as edgily cool as when it first opened in the 1990s. It often feels like a laid-back party, as DJs navigate through rock, pop, and dance tunes and the multitasking bar hosts art exhibits, dance performances, art films projected on a massive wall, and theater installations. Wood details, low-hanging sculpture-lamps, and wax artworks give a warm feel to the high-ceilinged space.

With walls adorned with brightly lit bottles in all colors of the spectrum, Brettos is mainly popular among tourists who have seen photos of it over the years. Locals who still choose to come here do so to relish the memories of the oldest distillery in town (going strong since 1909) and the second-oldest bar in the whole of Europe. The huge barrels store head-spinning spirits produced on the premises even today—ouzo, cognac, liqueurs (like top picks cinnamon or mango), tsipouro, and more. Order a mezedes platter to accompany your beverage of choice.

Catch a coffee or freshly squeezed mixed-fruit juice by day or a drink by night at at this popular hangout in tree-covered Lakka Square—and don't forget their croissants: the best in town!

In a creatively restored Ottoman-period marketplace, this cool bar-club is a mainstay of Ioannina nightlife. Theme nights, imaginative drinks, and a mixture of funk, rock, and dance music keep eclectic night owls flocking in.

With its extensive shady deck terrace, Dizi Bar is a favorite summer rendezvous for locals. Many nights feature live music or DJ-led dancing until late. Call owner Kostas to find out what's happening and when.