After dark, Athens

Cafe Alavastron is a small bar, very cosy and great atmosphere. When I was there the artist Haig Yazdjian was playing.

As soon as he heard we were arabs, he happily went into arabic music. He lived in Syria for a while and spoke arabic. He had an amazing voice!!

The atmosphere was very joyful and very nice crowd :o)

Check their website for the programme, most of the information is in Greek.

I would highly recommend it!!

Dress Code: No dress code

A Small pub between Eksarxia and Kolonaki districts that many nights have local rock bands after 22:00(weekdays) or 00:00 o'clock(Saturdays). Entrance fee:5-7 euros + your drinks. Usually it gets packed with people on saturdays after midnight but we still like it...

Well, I was out on Monday night...not much to expect. I was told by hotel concierge of one five star hotel who recommended some guests to go to 2 michelin stars restaurant before he spoke to me that I should go to some bars in Scoufa street rather than a night club. He recommended "PAssportoux", "3 little pigs" and "big apple". We went to "Passportoux" as recommended after our lovely dinner. It was 2.50 euro by cab from our hotel close to Monastiraki station Scoufa street.(Ask cab driver to have the metre on.) The place was very stylish with lovely crowds. Friendly & cute barmen waited to serve you there. It was not that bad at all for Monday night but it's not that great for a party being like me. 555

It seemed all the night life was around Lykavittos Hill. We went looking for a few gay clubs up there that were no longer existing. But there were plenty of goodlooking people gathering around several bars and clubs in that area. We did go down a dark street and there were armed guards who immediately ushered us from the area. I have still NO idea what that was about. Also, there was a wedding going on at one of the churches by the hill and it was said it was someone famous, there were photographers everywhere and hoards of people. We ventured around some of the other neighborhoods that night but none seemed as happening as the foot of the hill. 

Dress Code: Everyone in the neighborhood was very well dressed, as most Greeks are generally. Very trendy and styalish.

Plaka is full of streets, alleys, stores, restaurants, and most of all tourists. Plaka is a must do when in Athens. I recommend exploring this area later in the afternoon after you're finished with the Acropolis. This is a half day affair. Just pick a place to start and don't worry about getting lost. Keep walking until there is nothing to see or until you get hungry that you find yourself in one of the many restaurants there. If you can, explore it later in the evening when the sun has set. The lights at night make for an interesting time and the parthenon is marvelous to look at in the headlights at night.

The 'Orange Bar' is located about a block away from the Acropolis, right by Athens Backpackers and Hadrian's Arch. Since the bar at the hostel closed at midnight, everyone who wasn't ready to turn in would head down the street to the Orange Bar. The bar itself is fairly small, but doesn't get too crowded. They have sidewalk tables which allow you to take in Athens at night while enjoying a Mythos or two. A decent place to unwind and rest your feet after a day of sightseeing.

Dress Code: Come as you are

I've been going to this Plaka ouzoria for 8 years now. It is family run and still can pack them in. There is usually only one bartender so patience is a virture. You will recognise this place as you walk buy and glance inside to see all the colored bottles on the walls.
Many languages spoken here and the young local men love to chat with the people from around the world. Whatever you do...don't go in stuffy or stuck up, roll up your sleeves and enjoy Athens at it's bohemian finest.

Dress Code: Come as you are .

I did not like the Plaka for the fact that I thought that it was way too touristy. Therefore one night I decided to give the Exarhia neighborhood a try as my guidebook recommended a number of restaurants and bars in the area. I was much pleased with this spot. I spent altogether five nights in Athens and I ate and drank three of those nights away in this neighborhood.
I really liked the restaurants here. The food is real Greek food and can be cheap to really expensive but always very good. There are also numerous bars here, especially on Platia Exarhion, which is a square in the centre of the neighborhood. The square itself is full of patios and is a great place for people watching. It is not quite so touristy as the Plaka but I do think that it is beginning to get some attention as I did find other travellers that I met earlier during my journey through Greece.
The map I posted here should help with directs. I could help for one night I got quite lost here.

Went here with a Greek friend in 2003. The whole neighbourhood is crammed with imposing looking nightclubs. Expect crowded streets, expensive cars and much posing! If you want to go clubbing in Athens, I would recomend this area. I don't think there is a lot of other choice apart from in the suburbs of Athens like Glyfada. The music was a hectic mix of RnB/Garage, Commercial trance blended with euro dance remixes of traditional Greek music. I rather liked it :-)

Dress Code: Smart casual

Athens is known around Europe as the city that never goes to sleep. Nightlife gets going after midnight and keeps going until dawn.

Athens shows off her temperament and moves to the large clubs by the seaside. All over Attica, from Voula to Porto Rafti, there are beach parties almost every night. My favourite are: "BO" and "Galea" in Voula. Entrance fee is about 12 Euro.

The center of Athens has great possibilities to have fun. Kolonaki region for stylish bars and restaurants (in "Central" - the funky restaurant - you can meet famous greek people);
Psyri with old buildings and small artisans workshops has many cozy bars, but overcrowded on weekend (I like the fashion rock-bar "House of the rising sun");
Thisio's outdoor bars are perfect for an early-evening drink with a great view of Acropolis.