Bar Crawling in Gazi Neighborhood of Athens

Gazi is a vibrant neighborhood of Athens with many cafés and bars for all different tastes. Here, Gazi College café and bar. Photo source: Athensvoice.gr — Gazi is a vibrant neighborhood of Athens with many cafés and bars for all different tastes. Here, *Gazi College* café and bar. Photo source: Athensvoice.gr

Athens has so many options for nightlife that some can be easily missed or skipped, but Gazi neighborhood is a total must when you are spending your holidays in the Greek capital!

How about hanging out in an abandoned industrial district that has been revived by artists and bar owners? Gazi has actually taken its name by the old gas works that were there in the mid of the 19th century. The towering pylons of Gazi’s gasworks glow red at night calling us for party! When in Athens, you cannot miss visiting Gazi and get a taste of its buzzing nightlife.

Make sure you visit Technopolis, the old industrial gas museum in Athens, which nowadays hosts amazing events, concerts, art exhibitions and much more! Check out its website to see what it is happening around during your stay in Athens. Currently, for example, there is a jazz festival!

The area of Gazi also offers amazing street art and graffiti that sometimes can even rival Exarcheia! Photo source: Truevoyagers

Easily accessible by the metro station of Keramikos (blue line), Gazi gets full of locals and visitors, especially in the winter but even during the hot summer days when the Athenians don’t go clubbing at the Athens riviera beach bars. Its central location, makes Gazi an excellent and “safe” choice, even during summer. Here, you will always find something to do or a place to dance, even late at night or on a business day!

1. Gay scene

Shamone offers many themed nights on Fridays and during the weekends. Check out its Facebook page for the upcoming parties. Photo source: Enikos.gr

Gazi has grown into Athens biggest gay scene. Here you will find a lot of gay bars, for all ages and music tastes, from chill bars to crowded clubs, perfect for late night dancing! BeQueer (Keleou 10) is super fun with warm atmosphere, while around the corner you will find Noiz (Leof. Konstantinoupoleos 78), one of the oldest lesbian bars in the city. S-Cape (Iakchou 32) is a popular place, packed with younger gay, lesbian and transgender crowd that stays open until early in the morning.

Visit Shamone (Elasidon 46), for your first drinks under the rhythms of pop Greek and international music and for some fabulous drag shows. Then, check out Sodade2 (Triptolemou 10) for all-night dancing. Sodade is one of the most legendary gay clubs in Athens and is open every night, while offering 2 stages on Fridays and Saturdays, drag shows every Thursday and a Karaoke party every Sunday.

2. Live music

Afrikana bar looks like a Greek Cycladic island home from outside! Photo source: Truevoyagers — *Afrikana* bar looks like a Greek Cycladic island home from outside! Photo source: Truevoyagers

Afrikana (Ierofanton 13) is a favorite place to listen to some live jazz music in the city. Jazz and African bands are on stage almost every day. Cozy atmosphere, nice place to socialize, affordable prices.

If you are interested in listening to the local Greek blues, the traditional rebetiko music, go to Steki Pinoklis (Meg. Alexandrou 102), a Greek taverna with tasty meze plates that most of the times hosts rebetiko bands. The bands play almost every night, from around 10 p.m. and on Sundays starting from 4 p.m. Make sure you visit Bios (Pireos 84) during your bar crawl! Occupying a Bauhaus apartment building, this place is a gem! It has a bar, a club, a small house cinema and a rooftop deck with a great view of Acropolis! There are often live performances and exhibitions, or at least a DJ playing interesting music.

Gazarte (Voutadon 34) is a cultural hub and a concert hall, where you can watch video screenings while enjoying the city views. There is also a bookstore and a theater that hosts musicals and comedies. Fuzz (Patriarxou Ioakeim 1) has a very active live music scene as well.

Interested in experiencing something new?

3. Cocktails

Try one of the 45 Moires’ delicious cocktails while enjoying the view of Acropolis. Photo source: 45moires.gr — Try one of the *45 Moires*’ delicious cocktails while enjoying the view of Acropolis. Photo source: 45moires.gr

Momix (Keleou 1) is a special place where cocktails get the molecular treatment, fizzing, smoking or transformed into gums and powders! Basically, the concept is about tasting drinks and cocktails in their solid form or in other alternative ways! This place is a must if you want to experiment with cocktails. It even has an amazing garden for the hot summer days that are now approaching.

At the mostly mainstream and crowded Gazi, you can also find rock music with amazing selections from classic rock to modern alternative experiments, right on a rooftop bar at 45 Moires (Iakchou 20). This place is a must, especially in the summer, when you can enjoy its tasty and cool cocktails at its terrace with some splendid views.

4. Bars

Hoxton is an interesting bar in Gazi with industrial interior design and leather sofas. Photo source: Truevoyagers — *Hoxton* is an interesting bar in Gazi with industrial interior design and leather sofas. Photo source: Truevoyagers

The bar scene in the lively area of Gazi is limitless. Hoxton (Voutadon 42) is one of Athenians’ favorite. During the hot summer days, there is plenty of space outdoors to enjoy your cool drinks! Fantastic music, friendly atmosphere and excellent drinks at an interesting former warehouse.

Flamme Rouge-Cycle Cafe Bar (Triptolemou 26) is a bike-themed bar serving excellent drinks. It is a calm and peaceful place, perfect to get some break from the vibrant life of Gazi and to relax at its courtyard during summer. Plintirio Bar (Orfeos 33), meaning “laundry machine”, is another interesting place to spend your night. It is a bar that plays mostly old pop music from the 80s-90s-00s, both Greek and international. The interior design of this bar is so fun, full of laundry machines and laundry detergent.

5. “After” bars, the Greek way

The stage of Hotel Ermou music scene in Athens. Source: Join-us.gr — The stage of *Hotel Ermou* music scene in Athens. Source: Join-us.gr

If you want to experience a true Greek night, you have to at least try to have a drink -or two- at one of the Greek bars - clubs at Gazi which solely play Greek music. I know some of you may get disappointed, since even Greek people do not always like these places, which are often called “skyladika” (dog houses) and are usually considered trashy. But, please, give it a try, it’s worth it!

Explore the Greek food culture

There you will listen to Greek “kapsoura”, Greek music that mostly talks about a crush and unfulfilled love, usually accompanied by the bouzouki instrument. You will experience why Greeks get so passionate when listening to these songs, usually moving their hands a lot and shout-singing! Some bars stay open until late at Gazi and offer Greek music: Dirty Blond (Persefonis 29 and Iakchou), Socialista (Triptolemou 33), B Psychiatriki (Persefonis 39) and Rio Skybar (Ploutarchou 66). For many Greeks, a night out without listening to Greek music is not a fun one.

For the full live Greek music experience, go also to one of the “bouzoukia” places, where you will find a large music center with seated tables, but also a bar. Some good suggestions in Gazi are the following: Enastron (Peiraios 188), Fotaerio (Peiraios 102) and Hotel Ermou (Ermou 152). The singers performing there are usually some of the most successful and popular Greek entertainers.