Athens Nightlife

Things To Do In Athens

To form an opinion about nightlife in Athens one has to experience it. The city that never sleeps offers a variety of options as diverse as its people and their heritage. Here, you don’t have to wait for the weekend for a late night out nor do you have to do repeats. Entertainment options vary and change from season to season.

On summer nights there are outdoor performances varying from classical to rock to Greek contemporary music, from ballet to folklore dancing.

For theater-goers, ancient Greek tragedies are hosted in quarried amphitheaters under the stars. Operas and ballets are also hosted outdoors from June through September. Even movies are shown in outdoor garden theaters.

For lovers of music, huge halls host mega rock concerts. For the younger crowds desiring a social scene of their own, our trendy nightclubs are alive until the wee early morning hours with the electricity and energy of pounding music.

For art enthusiasts, gallery shows abound in renovated warehouses.

Music is a big part of the Athens nightlife. Many bars, tavernas, and clubs offer live performances on a nightly basis. In addition, there is a full schedule of festivals that bring international acts to the larger concert venues, i.e., The Athens International Film Festival (April), Epidaurus Festival which runs May through August.

For the latest schedule of nightlife events in Athens including theater, opera, concerts, galleries, movies et al, a host of periodicals can guide you:

• Athinorama, a Greek weekly periodical;
• Athens News, an English-language newspaper, published on Fridays;
• Kathimerini, also an English-language newspaper, which is inserted into the International Herald Tribune, available Mondays through Saturdays.

To fully discover and appreciate Athens at night, one should seek the spots frequented by Athenians and search out local favorites.

Festival and Culture Venues

• Herod Atticus Odeon, at the foot of the Acropolis
• Lycabettus Theater, set at the top of Mt. Lycabettus
• Theater Vrahon “Melina Merkouri” in Vironas.
• Greek National Opera
• The Athens Concert Hall (Megaron Mousikis)

Live Music Stages
Music clubs, with large stages and state of the art sound equipment, where Greek stars perform till dawn. Performances change from season to season therefore it is advisable to call for schedules ahead of time.

• Vox
• Zygos
• Rex
• Romeo
• Apollo Palace
• Fever
• Athinon Arena
• Asteria
• Thalassa People’s Stage

Jazz Nightclubs in Athens
Every night, seven days a week: Half Note Jazz Club

Athens for Dinner
There are a number of excellent restaurants all around the City, from casual to upscale. For casual set out for Plaka, Monastiraki, Thission and Psirri for traditional Greek cuisine and meze, accompanied by ouzo or house wines.

• Zeidoron, Greek, 10 Taki at Aghion Anargyron, Psirri

Specialty, Upscale Dining

• Spondi, Mediterranean, 5 Pirronos Street, Pagrati
• Varoulko, Seafood Nouvelle, 80 Pirreos Street
• Balthazar, Contemporary, 27 Tsoha, Ambelokipi
• Plous Podilatou, Seafood, 42 Akti Koumoundourou, Pireaus
• Luna Rossa, Italian, truffle experts, Sokratous 213, Kallithea
• Le Petit Sommelier, Mediterranean, excellent wine list (800 labels), Zaimi 6, Palaio Faliro

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