Athens
Athens's most romantic drinking rooms are the ones locals use for first dates. The date night bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
360 Cocktail Bar sits on top of a Monastiraki building and delivers the most reliably packed Acropolis-view rooftop in Athens. The cocktail program is broad and. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
42 Bar opened in 2014 and has built itself into the Athens cocktail bar most committed to the classical canon. The room is small, low-lit, and built around a po. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
A for Athens sits on top of the A for Athens Hotel and delivers the most direct Acropolis view in Plaka. The 7th-floor cocktail bar has floor-to-ceiling windows. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Baba Au Rum has been routinely placed in the World s 50 Best Bars list since 2015 and remains the most internationally respected cocktail bar in Greece. The roo. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
AMPELOKIPOI · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Balthazar draws a steady local crowd in Ampelokipoi. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
PLAKA · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar Pirates draws a steady local crowd in Plaka. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
PLAKA · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bibliotheke Cocktail Bar draws a steady local crowd in Plaka. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
KERAMEIKOS · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bios draws a steady local crowd in Kerameikos. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Brettos is the oldest distillery in Athens — operating since 1909 in the same Plaka shopfront. The wall of 60+ backlit liqueur bottles is the most photographed . Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
PLAKA · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Brettos draws a steady local crowd in Plaka. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Athens or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten date night bars that any serious drinker in Athens would tell you to put on the list.
360 Cocktail Bar sits on top of a Monastiraki building and delivers the most reliably packed Acropolis-view rooftop in Athens. The cocktail program is broad and. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
42 Bar opened in 2014 and has built itself into the Athens cocktail bar most committed to the classical canon. The room is small, low-lit, and built around a po. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Athens? See our guide to the best date-night bars worldwide, or compare date-night bars city by city.