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Greece
I think Craft is Greece's only microbrewery. Its excellent beers are on sale in various bars in the city and elsewhere in Greece. The bar/restaurant on Alexendras Ave also houses a brewery and serves beer-friendly grub.
The smoked lager is particularly unusual and goes well with the sausage platter. Red Ale, Black Lager and Weiss beer also tasty.
205 Alexandras Avenue
Tel: +30 210 646 2350
www.craft.gr/
Nearest station: Ampelokipoi
I've not been to its namesake on top of the Hilton but I imagine they couldn't be more different. Located in a shopping arcade (!) the Galaxy is an old-school bar that doesn't feel like it's changed since the 60s. Pictures of Kerouac, Balzac, Jack London and Beethoven behind the bar. Dapper barman serving seasoned drinkers.
Stadiou 10 (in shopping arcade)
210 322 7733
Nearest metro: Syntagma
These super-stylish self-catering apartments are only five minutes away from the Acropolis, and are spacious enough for families on a budget, groups of friends, or couples who want a bargain alternative to backpacker hostels.
The open-plan studios are styled with funky furniture and modern art on the walls, and fully equipped with a kitchen, free internet, a flatscreen TV, bathrooms, and air conditioning - a welcome respite from the intense summer heat and city smog.
The bedroom and sitting room both have their own balconies, or you can head up to the rooftop bar for a breathtaking view of the Acropolis as the sun sets. The perfect accompaniments are a well-priced cold bottle of beer and Sheesha Pipes in every flavour from Coca-Cola to Vanilla.
There's also a happy hour from 7-8pm every night with half-price cocktails-the Parthenon Passion is a must!
If you want budget accomodation but aren't quite ready to bunk down in a hostel dorm, the Athens Studios allow you to tackle this frenetic city at your own pace.
Listen to the traditional sounds of the underground music scene in Greece (a strangely likable blend of blues and bouzouki) at this little club away from the tourist crowds of Plaka. Rembetiki Stoa Athanaton is a popular place with a fun crowd just north of the Monastiraki flea market. As with much of Athens, things didn’t start warming up until midnight.
Sofokleos 19
This is Berlin in Athens.
Run by a creative team, this multi-purpose place is the point of reference for alternatively trendy-cool young Athenians. A large bar with minimal decor and experimental DJ sets, a live stage that hosts international progressive artists, a basement club, and a small cinema, all under the same industrial roof.
84 Pireos St
+30 210 3425335
www.bios.gr
You'll listen to good music, enjoy free tapas with your drinks and mingle with interesting young crowds in a place that is packed every single night (avoid Saturdays).
The food in the small restaurant room is also lovely.
44 Triptolemou St.
Gazi
+30 210 3471844
A cosy jazz 'museum' in the posh area of Kolonaki.
Enjoy vintage jazz in an appropriately smoky environment and have a philosophical chat with Costas the legendary owner.
Avoid telling him that you prefer modern jazz (that's anything after bebop!), he may ask you to leave his bar!
4 Deinokratous st (oposite St George Lycabetus Hotel)
Kolonaki
210-7258362
The most beautiful old, low-lit bar, which actually makes its own ouzo and liqueurs on the premises. Even if you don't want to have a drink, pop your head in the door and have a look - stunning. And with an outdoor rooftop cinema, The Cine Paris, just over the (pedestrianised) street, perfect for having a few drinks and waiting for the sun to go down before going to see a film.
41 Kydatheneon St, The Plaka, Athens
Tel: 210 323 2110
Decorated with a fully wooden interior and resembling the original Cotton Club, this wonderful and cosy bistro awaits you from early in the morning for coffee until late at night. It's food menu is also exquisite. Every night there’s live music.
3 Kolokotroni Street (shopping arcade) opposite the Old Parliament, next to Habitat; nearest metro station: Syntagma. tel: 210 331 4915
One of the friendliest places in Athens and maybe the only venue for great live jazz music in this city by some of the world's most renowned jazz musicians. The place can be packed on Saturday nights and if Milo Z happens to be around with his band it's going to be just another crazy party!
Trivonianou Street, Mets;
www.halfnote.gr
It's a club for expat foreigners in the city. Great if you're in Athens for quite a while and you want some company to go bar-hopping or clubbing with.
Tucked in Panormou Street, it's a hipster, slightly left-of-centre hangout that would probably suit a Guardian reader just fine. Some of the best funk music you can find in Athens and drinks that would probably count as quintiple portions over here.
Nearest metro station: Panormou
This year's swinging bar in the Kolonaki area of Athens is called (Perfect) TEN, by the same people who brought us Sol y Mar in Myconos (or so I am told). Uplifting music, very friendly service despite the fact that you can't move in the place. Cool fun but avoid it on Saturdays if you can.
Ploutarchou Street, Kolonaki
This area is a little warren of streets radiating out from Iroon Square. It’s close to Monastiraki, but being just a fraction further from the Agora and Acropolis, it’s a bit cheaper. There are lots of restaurants, bars and cafes all close by so you can just pick whichever place looks most tempting on the night.
Just north of Metro Monastiriki
On the Hilton Hotel's top floor this is one of the hippest and most elegant bars in Athens. A huge variety of cocktails and tasty finger food at somewhat high prices in Wallpaper-like surroundings. Bonus: a stunning view of the Acropolis that will impress you unless you are an Athenian and used to it.
Hilton Hotel, Athens
One of the very first bars to open in the up and coming area of Gazi, Nipiagogeio (as its name suggests) used to be a kindergarten, before it turned into one of the most renowned freestyle bars in Athens. Decoration still keeps a kindergarten theme, particularly in the bar's cosy courtyard (open in summer). People are generally unpretentious and in the mood for dancing, whatever is on offer by the guest DJ.
8, Kleanthous Street and Elasidon, Gazi;
tel: 210 345 8534
A great place in busy Kyriazi Street in Kifissia, close to stores such as Celine, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, Zara and Tsouderos (ah those fabulous and oh-so-reasonably-priced shoes and DKNY bags). Great drinks, beautiful people, amazing music in this hip bar in one of the most beautiful leafy suburbs in Athens.
Kyriazi street, Kifissia
As far as nightlife is concerned, I would recommend the above three bars. The first is situated in the area of Galatsi, to the north of the city centre and very close to a green hill called Alsos Galatsiou, with stunning panoramic views of Athens, which you can enjoy at Zeppelin Bar. Galatsi Hill also boasts a summer open air cinema snuggled among the pine trees.
I also recommend Thirio bar in Psyrri for lovers of funk, electronic "ethnic" and rock sounds and would suggest Bar Guru Bar (a trendy multicultural area behind Sophocleous str) for its great Thai decor and lovely cocktails (also serves Thai cuisine).
Kibubu - on Galatsiou ave
Thirio - Psyrri, very near Iroon sq just ask
Bar Guru Bar - Theatrou Sq, Athens (centre)
Trendy gay bar in the buzzing Gazi area. Large windows which are opened up in the summer allow the gorgeous folk of Athens to spill out across the pavement and talk, listen to the music and watch the world go by. There is table service for your drinks too. An ideal place to start your night out (from 11pm!)
Konstantinoupoleos 84, Gazi
One the must-see hip bars in psiri, with an upstairs dance club and flavoursome international dishes. Renowned for its eclectic, always in the mood for dancing crowd and arguably the nicest courtyard one can find in the middle of town.
65 Evripidou street, psiri
Tel: 0030 210 3310907
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