Bars in Athens were never meant to feed you. Drinking came first; food, if it appeared at all, was an afterthought – a bowl of tired nuts, a few bitter olives meant to slow the pace rather than sustain it.
That hierarchy has begun to shift. Over the past few years, a different model has taken hold, one that’s now impossible to miss. A growing number of bars operate with kitchens that stay open late, turning out food that’s substantial enough to matter without interrupting the rhythm of the night.
These are not restaurants stretching their hours, but bars broadening their sense of hospitality. Music, conversation and accomplished cocktails remain central, but they’re now joined by dishes – small and generous alike – that are imaginative, flavor-driven and meant to be eaten well past dinner. The places we’ve gathered here capture that change. Together, they suggest that in Athens, eating has quietly become part of going out: not a novelty, but an increasingly natural way to structure an evening.
01
Maggie Cassidy
What matters more is how the bar operates as a neighborhood place that moves easily from day into night. A distinctive horseshoe-shaped bar anchors the room, encouraging people to gather rather than disperse. Cocktails rework familiar classics, including a house Negroni, a Garibaldi variation with coconut and pineapple, and a whisky sour built around fruit and spice, with some offered in smaller pours. Food is designed to be eaten by hand, with corn ribs, chicken karaage, broccoli with miso and pumpkin seed, fish and chips, mini burgers, and a recurring trio of chicken skewers. Music comes from guest DJs several nights a week, without overtaking conversation.
Laskaridou 7 & Louizis Rankour, Ampelokipi
02
Birdman
Most people arrive here with food already in mind. Seating gathers around the bar and the open kitchen, where chicken karaage, pork gyoza, and yakitori skewers, including tsukune, are prepared throughout service. Orders tend to come in waves rather than courses, and delectable small plates are replaced as drinks continue. The room stays busy, with a steady sound level shaped by use rather than design. Cocktails align closely with the menu: the Ume Bloody Mary, built with ume and spice, is a frequent order, while refreshing Japanese whisky highballs weith apple and yuzu move quickly alongside the grill.
Voulis 35, Syntagma
03
Baba Au Rum
Drinks set the pace, but food now plays a more deliberate role. The menu includes shrimp ceviche with citrus and chili, beef carpaccio, and handmade gnocchi with gorgonzola and beetroot, allowing tables to settle in rather than move on. The interior carries warmth without excess, and the crowd reflects the bar’s long-standing reputation. Cocktails remain central: Devil’s Milk, built on aged rum and spice, appears steadily across the room, while the Mai Tai is served in a restrained, balanced version that works alongside food.
Klitiou 6, Monastiraki
04
Dr.8
Pizza determines both the menu and the tempo. The kitchen turns out New York–style pies, including the ’nduja pizza with scamorza and honey, alongside pasta such as mezzi rigatoni with pistachio pesto. Orders are placed early and repeated later, often as the music takes over the room. The bar fills quickly and stays active well into the night. Cocktails follow familiar forms: the Burnout Margarita, built with fruit and chili, is ordered consistently, while a classic Negroni appears once the table settles into food.
Dragatsaniou 8, Syntagma
05
Yesterday’s
Service begins early, with coffee and brunch dishes such as bagels, pancakes, and eggs prepared in several versions, before the menu shifts later in the day toward thin-crust pizzas, fresh salads, and smash burgers that have quickly become regular orders. By evening, attention settles at the bar, where cocktails and spirits take the lead and music moves from relaxed selections into higher energy, with DJ sets on certain nights. Seating extends indoors and onto the square, and the room stays active from morning through late hours.
Ir. Polytechniou 3, Ilioupoli
06
Ichigo Ichie
The reference to a Japanese cultural concept remains secondary to how the bar actually functions. Set on a quiet pedestrian street, the room is compact and dark-toned, with a low ceiling and a custom-built bar that concentrates activity rather than dispersing it. The drinks list works through collaborations and favors Japanese spirits, tea, and careful ice work, with highballs and Margaritas reinterpreted through ingredients such as shiso, oolong, and fruit cordials. Food looks toward Japan without imitation, including wagyu sliders, chicken karaage, and gyoza filled with shrimp and pork. Music leans electronic, without fixing itself to a single register.
Agiou Markou 38, Psyrri
07
Deka
The room brings together elements associated with Kolonaki over time, combining clean lines with older architectural details and a layout that encourages lingering rather than quick turnover. Food is served throughout the day and evening, built around a small menu designed for sharing. Dishes such as burrata with tomatoes and carob rusk, sea bass ceviche with leche de tigre, and eggs with stakovoutyro and truffle appear regularly, alongside a pastrami sandwich ordered well into the afternoon. The drinks list balances wine and cocktails, with an emphasis on versatility rather than volume.
Ploutarchou 10, Kolonaki
08
Stepa
A corner of Asklipiou Street that once served mainly foot traffic has become a bar that convinces people to stay well into the night. As service progresses, more substantial items such as grilled meatballs and rigatoni with beef ragù and Metsovone cream are ordered repeatedly, alongside lighter options including avocado ceviche and chickpea fritters. The room accommodates indoor seating as well as tables spilling onto the pedestrian street, and music carries enough momentum to support later hours. Cocktails work within familiar structures, with a dirty martini variation ordered regularly and a citrus-led spritz moving easily alongside food.
Asklipiou 61A, Exarchia
09
Odori Vermuteria
Italian aperitivo culture informs both drinks and food. Vermouth-based serves dominate, supported by vitello tonnato and thin-crust pizzas that arrive gradually and encourage return orders. The room accommodates early evening gatherings as well as later arrivals, with considerable overlap between the two. Drinks stay close to tradition: a Negroni built around vermouth and a vermouth tonic appear most often alongside food.
Skouleniou 2, Psyrri
10
Topa!
The menu is designed for movement rather than sequence. Chickpeas with squid circulate easily across tables, while the Basque-style cheesecake made with local cheeses often appears later in the evening. The space supports long conversations and shared ordering, with a crowd that favors groups. Drinks follow Mediterranean logic: vermouth served neat or over ice sets the tone, followed by cider or a straightforward gin and tonic chosen to match the food.
Fokionos Negri 43, Kypseli
11
Hotel Eternite
Food is treated here as a natural extension of drinking rather than a separate event. The menu includes sourdough bruschettas with katiki and seasonal mushrooms, graviera from Syros with beef pastrami and tomato chutney, and straightforward cheese and charcuterie boards. Salads range from burrata with basil oil to beetroot with katiki and walnuts, while ceviche of the day’s fish and beef tartare anchor the more substantial options. Less expected dishes, such as a hot dog with house coleslaw or chicken meatballs with sweet potato purée, appear regularly. The Kypseli setting supports an unhurried evening pace.
Paxon 34, Kypseli
12
SOA
What distinguishes this bar early on is the way food and cocktails are developed in parallel rather than hierarchically. The drinks list works from familiar forms, but ingredients and techniques are adjusted in ways that reward attention, as in a Martini built around umami elements or a Margarita reworked with roasted citrus and spice. Food follows the same logic. Street-food formats such as a beef meatball sub with marinara or a shrimp sub with jerk-spiced mayonnaise and kimchi are substantial enough to shape the evening. Additional spaces upstairs and below allow for periodic changes in focus, but the ground-floor bar remains the point of continuity.
Georgiou Stavrou 2-4, Monastiraki
13
Terroirist
The second iteration of this wine-led project shifts the focus toward a more bar-oriented use of space, without losing sight of the list. The room retains much of its original structure, opening easily onto the street and allowing both seated and standing drinking. The wine selection, shaped around Greek producers with a smaller international component, changes daily by the glass and extends well beyond the printed list. Food supports that approach, beginning with cheeses and charcuterie from small Greek producers and moving into shareable plates such as vitello tonnato tartare, fried cauliflower with gochujang and honey, and Black Angus kushiyaki with ponzu and béarnaise.
Embedokleous 38, Pangrati
14
Oinoscent
The menu moves well beyond accompaniments, with cheese and charcuterie boards forming a reliable base and plates such as pasta with seasonal vegetables or sausages served hot appearing as the night develops. Ordering tends to happen in stages, often prompted by another glass rather than by hunger alone. The room stays animated without becoming loud, drawing a crowd that treats wine as part of nightlife rather than ceremony. Cocktails remain secondary but present. A Negroni and a vermouth-based aperitif are the usual alternatives when bottles are not the first choice.
Voulis 45, Syntagma
