Athens
Polished, precise, civilised. Athens's best hotel-bar drinking — picked for craft, not concierge buzz.
Kolonaki · $$$
By the Glass draws a steady local crowd in Kolonaki. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Kolonaki · $$$
Coco-Mat Athens Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Kolonaki. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Sintagma · $$$$
Sky Bar at Athens Capital Hotel draws a steady local crowd in Sintagma. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
The Clumsies opened in 2014 and has been routinely placed in the World s 50 Best Bars list ever since. The two-floor space is unusual: the upstairs is bright, c
Plaka · $$$
The Gin Joint draws a steady local crowd in Plaka. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Kifisia · $$$
The Mansion draws a steady local crowd in Kifisia. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Plaka · $$$
The Old Tavern of Psaras draws a steady local crowd in Plaka. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Monastiraki · $$$
360 Cocktail Bar draws a steady local crowd in Monastiraki. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
360 Cocktail Bar sits on top of a Monastiraki building and delivers the most reliably packed Acropolis-view rooftop in Athens. The cocktail program is broad and
City centre · $$$
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
Hotel bars solve specific problems. You need a bar near your room. You need somewhere quiet to take a meeting. You want the drink right the first time and you don't want to negotiate a wait. Every recommendation below clears those three bars. Most are open to non-guests; we've flagged any that aren't.
Best for: business travellers, late-checkout drinks, hotel-room negotiations made civilised, anniversaries that deserve a hotel jacket. Pricing skews higher than the city average — that's the trade. The rooms below justify it.
Civilised, polished, not pretending to be a club. Pick by neighbourhood and proximity to where you're sleeping.
Looking beyond Athens? See our guide to the best hotel bars worldwide, or compare hotel bars city by city.