A mixology consultant's guide to finding the best cocktails in Athens

For Georgia Georgakopoulou, former bar manager of award-winning drink destination The Clumsies and one of the city's premier bartenders, nightlife is nothing new in her ancient-meets-modern hometown.

"I believe Athens is a city that never rests," she says, when we ask her to name the hottest cocktail bars in town. "Dionysian festivals are part of our history. We've been drinking since then."

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Georga Georgakopoulou is an Athens-based bar consultant who was drawn to Athens' bar culture after training as a primary school teacher. Under her management, The Clumsies hit number three on the World's 50 Best Bars list. She is currently launching Etiquette, a "cocktail lab" designed to help spread Athens' cutting-edge cocktail culture through Greece and beyond.

Social drinking has a nearly 2,000 year-long history in Athens. Tavernas and lively bouzoukia have thrived since the Byzantine era as meeting points for locals and travellers alike, and following independence from the Ottomans in 1832, homegrown Grecian tipples flourished throughout Athens. "In this city you can easily find spirits unique to Greece, for example mastiha, tsipouro, ouzo and even gins – grown, harvested and produced only in our lands," says Georgakopoulou. She notes that while international cocktails are massively popular in Greece, Greek mixologists are "using more and more Greek gins like Mataroa and Votanikon that contain mastiha, a precious tree resin from Chios island. For citrusy cocktails, there's kitron naxou, a liqueur from Naxos infused with leaves and fruit of the citron tree."

The epitome of cosmopolitan, Athens has evolved as a hub for travellers, and welcomes millions of visitors a year from all over the world. "We have philoxenia (friend of the foreigner) in our blood," says Georgakopoulou. It’s why she's not surprised the city is known globally as a cocktail bar destination.

Here are Georgakopoulou's six favourite cocktail bars in Athens.

1. Best classic Athens cocktail experience: Galaxy

For Georgakopoulou, a proper night out in Athens starts at Galaxy, Athens' oldest continuously operating bar. A Stadiou Street institution since 1972, the bar's textured glass globe lights cast a vintage glow on wood-panelled walls and yellowing portraits of famous Greek personalities. In-the-know locals of all ages show up when the doors open at 17:00 sharp.

Perfectly executed classic cocktails like the Dirty Gin Martinis and Old Fashioneds come in small glasses with a side of nostalgia: in addition to olives and mixed nuts, strips of toasted white bread arrive painted in olive oil – the signature Athenian bar snack of yore. "There's no molecular gastronomy or crazy mixology here," she says. "Just friendly bartenders who know what they're doing."

2. Best newcomer with an old-school vibe: Feelin' Good Athens

Long overshadowed by the Makrigianni district that houses the Acropolis Museum (and hordes of tourists), Athens's Koukáki neighbourhood, with its mandarin tree-lined streets and cosy cafes, has a quiet village-like feel by day and heats up by night. "It's a place to watch," says Georgakopoulou. "A lot of energy and creativity." It's also home to Feelin' Good, Georgakopoulou's pick for the city's best nightlife newcomer.

The minimal, welcoming little bar occupies a former bakery on the corner of the lively pedestrian stretch Georgaki Olympiou Street and features the bakery's original 1970s tile floors along with new cinema light box signs and a dedicated stage for nightly DJs and jam sessions. Named after one of Nina Simone's most famous songs, the bar pays homage to the owners' favourite musical genres – American blues, jazz music and hip-hop.

Feelin' Good slings American standards like the Amaretto Sour, the Grasshopper and the wildly popular Garibaldi, the Campari-and-orange cocktail reinterpreted by none other than NYC bar, Dante. It also serves snacks like chicken nuggets inspired by rapper Nas's Sweet Chick recipe with Jack Daniels-infused barbecue sauce. Even consulting sommelier Chrysa Yatra's wine list pays tribute to the US, with Californian Chardonnay and Zinfandel sprinkled in for good measure. Feelin' Good's success has inspired plans to include a Harlem-style jazz brunch and a brand-new cocktail list this year. "I've been twice so far," says Georgakopoulou, "Every time I just love their gin and tonic!"

3. Best bar for sustainable cocktails: Line

For delicious "green" cocktails, Georgakopoulou recommends visiting Line, which uses the entire plant in their creations to avoid waste and, she says, takes in-house fermentation to the next level. "They’re like real scientists in there," says Georgakopoulou.

Line is run by mixology team Vasilis Kyritsis and Nikos Bakoulis, owners of The Clumsies, along with their associate, Dimitris Dafopoulos. Though it only opened in 2022, it reached number 12 on the 2023 list of the World's Best Bars. "Their goal is to not waste anything, and still make the best drinks in the city," says Georgakopoulou. Creativity and sustainability drive the menu, while maintaining a standard of top mixology. A small distillery has even been installed in the space to produce a wine-like product from local and seasonal fruit like pomegranate and figs.

4. Best Italian-style aperitivo: Drupes Spritzeria

Drupes Spritzeria straddles Koukáki and Neos Cosmos, another residential neighbourhood on the rise. "This place feels like Italy in Athens," says Georgakopoulou. Drupes' owner Artemis Pappadopoulos originally designed the bar as an Italian-style caffetteria where customers of his family bakery, Takis (just across the road), could sit down and enjoy their pastries, but it's since morphed into a go-to aperitivo spot. "I've seen it really busy in the afternoon, people outside sipping spritzes and cheese plates – a really relaxing vibe," says Georgakopoulou. Low ceilings, wine barrels and counter seating mimic the hushed cosiness of Venetian cicchetterie (bars designed for a drink and tapas-like small plates). A rigorously Veneto-heavy wine list completes the picture, but the Aperol spritz is the star. Variations on the classics include Il Figo – made with Cocchi Americano Herbal Aperitif, lemon lime and peppermint – and Poli Grapefruit, made with rose-scented liqueur Airone Rosso di Poli and grapefruit soda.

5. Best hidden jazz gem: Jazz in Jazz

For some Cajun flavour, head to Jazz in Jazz – a New Orleans-inspired spot Georgakopoulou calls "a jewel of a classic bar".

"Brettos is a place that I love!" says Georgakopoulou. Brettos, a former taverna, is Athens' oldest distillery and a Plaka district mainstay. The 1909-built wooden shelves, wall barrels and an antique cash register lend this spot a museum-like quality. "You can stop by and taste anything from the wooden casks in the walls," says Georgakopoulou "It's really cool."

Black-and-white photos of jazz legends crowd the walls, along with tubas and trombones and a glass case that houses the owner's extensive cassette tape collection, all jazz recorded off the radio. "This is the place for traditional cocktails, like a dry Martini or even a Scotch neat," says Georgakopoulou. She recommends arriving early, as this tiny spot does get crowded. "Cocktails are stirred and never shaken here," she adds.

6. Best for barrel-aged cocktails: Barreldier

Housed inside a shopping arcade just off bustling Syntagma Square, Barreldier combines the charm of a dimly lit classic bar with buzzy local vibes. Georgakopoulou says to come here for unique barrel-aged signature drinks like the White Negroni and the Adonis. "They are the first and the only bar in town to do that," says Georgakopoulou. "I love the extra boozy cocktails made with Barreldier's homemade vermouth and bitters. They're all secret recipes passed down from one of the owners' grandmothers."

-bbc