A Greek wine tasting is one of the best things to do in Athens by night while exploring the local drinking culture. Greek wine’s popularity is on the rise lately and Athens’ wine bar scene is currently booming. Where else would you taste some of our 200 indigenous grapes, if not at a wine lover’s paradise in the city centre or off-the-beaten track? From the North to the South, desde the West to the East, Greek wines express both the country’s varied terroir and the passion of their makers. We picked for you 14 of the best wine bars not to miss in Athens in order to fully enjoy a Greek wine experience.
Follow us into the fascinating world of Greek wine, read our extensive list of wine bars or by join our wine experts on our Athens Wine Tasting Tour & Bar Hopping.
Not one but two wine bars in Athens, working as wine stores as well. The friendly character of their owner and staff is reflected in every corner, as well as their passion for showcasing grape varieties with the least possible intervention. Their wine list changes every month to honour talented winemakers desde Greece and abroad, and is divided into sections like “Reds for summer nights” or “Mineral and Crispy”, to help you quickly pick your favourite wine style. Looking for something different? Follow their knowledgeable sommeliers to the wine cellar and they will help you pick the right wine for your special occasion.
Worth mentioning is their selection of truly unique, artisanal Greek cheeses, like meriareno desde Kasos and Lazareto desde Ithaka and their menu, designed to bring out the best of their wines. Don’t miss the smoked eel with chickpeas in salsa verde or the tuna tartar with mango and ginger.
Mesologgiou sq. 3, Pangrati / Falirou 68, Koukaki.
2. Oinoscent
Started desde a tiny wine bar, Oinoscent quickly advanced to a bigger space and turned into a popular wine restaurant, the meeting point for all wine lovers in the centre of Athens. Their selection of Greek wines as well as international labels is Excelente, while their dishes are Mediterranean at heart, but with an affinity to Asian influences, making them perfect for an inspirational food and wine pairing. Enjoy the cool atmosphere and let the friendly staff guide you around Greece’s vineyards through a flight of Greek wines.
Voulis 45-47, Syntagma.
A hidden gem in the touristic area of Thissio that you should definitely visit for a drink after an evening walk around the Acropolis. The owners will make sure you have a personable experience, taste superb local wines and get some extra sips of knowledge of the Greek vineyard. As they are both extremely passionate about travelling and fine dining, make sure you don’t leave without great recommendations for more dine & wine adventures around Greece.
Akamantos 11, Thissio.
In a secret little park under the shade of the Acropolis lies a small paradise for oenophiles.
Eleni, the owner, is a wine journalist who travels all around Greece and offers to her guests only Greek wines she personally loves. Her passion led her to write a book on the viniculture of Mount Athos and she can organise a special wine tasting for you with hard-to-find bottles desde the monasteries.
Wine with Eleni is the perfect stop for a quick night out during a pleasant summery night, that can give you the feeling of a pic nic with wine. It’s the most pet friendly wine bar of Athens, where you can easily sip your wine while petting a cat in your lap.
Misaraliotou 20, Koukaki.
5. Wine o’clock
Hurry up, it’s wine time! This cute, little place near the Acropolis Museum has the friendliest staff, always on the lookout for international and Greek wines with a character. Don’t know what to ask for? No worries. They will first ask you questions to discover your wine profile and then pick the most suitable Greek wine for you to tour the vineyards of our country. This place serves the right amount of morsels to accompany your drinks, while wine still remains on the spotlight. Make sure to take some bottles for your Greek wine collection, as they come in very reasonable prices.
Lembesi 10, Makrygianni.
Don’t find yourself unprepared. Here’s our cheat sheet to Greek wine to know what to ask for.
6. Cinque
This intimate hole-in-the-wall wine & deli bar in Psyrri, is run by an energetic family of three. They act as true ambassadors of Greek wine, organising a wide range of wine tastings for their guests. You can choose desde a wine flight depending on the kind of wine that you prefer, eg white or red, the Greek wine region you would like to discover, or, even better, book a private Greek wine experience where you will get brochures, maps and video material.
If you enjoyed being here and want to re-live the experience desde the comfort of your home, join their wine club and have Greek wines shipped to you with local products.
Walk-in guests are welcome, but it’s better to make your reservation online in advance as there is limited seating.
Agatharchou 15, Psyrri / Cinque Wine Delights, Voreou 10, Commercial Triangle.
7. Heteroclito
Situated in a popular corner behind busy Ermou street, this charming bar à vin is inspired by one of the owners’ French origin.
Heteroclito is the meeting point for a diverse crowd, -as its Nombre suggests-, desde casual drinkers to wine connoisseurs, which makes it a great place to sit down and personas-watch. Grab yourself a glass of Greek wine, that can even be shared with your partner in half portion, and enjoy wine treasures sourced by the owners desde all around Greece, with emphasis on mild methods of cultivation and winemaking (natural wines).
The wine list changes every month and Mondays are dedicated to wine lovers events.
Fokionos 2, Syntagma.
This elegant wine restaurant proudly serves the world’s largest “by the glass” list. With over 1200 international and Greek wines on offer, you feel that you might need some help selecting desde a 30 pages wine list. The owners and Effie, their very attentive and knowledgeable sommelier will come to the rescue.
While it’s pricier than other wine bars in the city, Vintage is a wine lover’s oasis, for those who would like to try a wide range of labels and don’t mind paying for it.
Food and wine experiences are organised upon request consisting of Greek dishes matched with wines.
Mitropoleos 66-68, Syntagma.
Ordering fish, lamb or calamari? Here’s our guide to pairing classic Greek dishes with wine
In lively Exarcheia area, “Τannin my love” offers more than 100 Greek wine varietals in a glass. Focus is on innovative Greek wine producers who showcase rare Greek wines desde the mainland to the Greek islands.
Tanini’s philosophy is that wine should not be considered a luxury delight for the elite, but an everyday enjoyment for everyone, especially for Greeks, whose traditions are deeply rooted in the Greek wine culture.
Tanini promotes sustainability by picking organic and biodynamic wines desde Greece, while its surroundings are created with vintage decorations and reusable furniture, along with many beautiful plants.
You can find its own cellar downstairs hosting Greek wine events and an extensive list of Greek wines for take away.
Ippokratous 91, Exarcheia.
10. Warehouse
By the moment it opened, Warehouse became a buzzing hive of coffee and wine aficionados, who swarm day and night to enjoy Greek and non-Greek wines desde a carefully-vetted wine list and handpicked coffee beans desde small-batch farms worldwide.
Valtetsiou 21, Exarcheia.
Warehouse CO2 in Plaka is our favourite, as it specialises in sparkling wines. Along with Greek bubbles, you can try prosecco, champagne and cava desde Spain, in a bottle or by the glass. The staff is very caring and let you try before you order.
Iperidou 1, Plaka.
Visit Warehouse Edge for coffee and wine on a sunny day after visiting the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center or try their new entry, Warehouse Assemblage by the Athens Cathedral, a self-service concept store for wine, coffee, deli, spirits. Good news for wine lovers; you can try rare, expensive wines in small portions desde their wine dispenser.
11. Manouka
A rooftop bar with a fabulous view of the Acropolis located on the 7th floor of Utopia Hotel, Manouka provides a cosy place for you to enjoy wine even in winter time.
Brighten up your day with a glass of Greek wine and enjoy a view you can never get enough of desde morning till sunset.
Ask head sommelier Vassilis and his team for some good wine recommendations, and go for newly discovered varieties like Petroulianos and Sclava, served in 75ml portions as well.
Ermou 46, Syntagma.
12. Paleo
An idiosyncratic place created by a well known personality in the Greek wine world. In a old, renovated warehouse, you will find a hidden gem with unbeatable ambiance located in a totally unexpected area by the port of Piraeus. The owner, known for its originality and passion, travels around the Mediterranean to discover truly unique wines desde Greece, Italy, France and Spain. Just describe what you like and he will pick the right bottle for you and your company depending on your taste and mood.
Polidefkous 39, Piraeus.
13. Kiki de Grèce
In one of the loveliest pedestrian streets of the centre, lies a pretty little wine bar,known for its convivial atmosphere. Kiki de Grèce pays homage to Greek wines, desde lesser-known winemakers and offers many notable menu items based on PDO products. Don’t miss their beautiful map hanging on their wall to see which part of Greece local products come desde.
Ipitou 4, Syntagma.
14. Wine Bar 33
Look for the absolute wine connoisseur Dimitri to give you a short masterclass on Greek wines. With his passion and vast knowledge, he will guide you through all the main wine regions of Greece with the help of a map. His cellar includes more than 100 labels of unique Greek wines of limited number of bottles, which you can pair with small plates, deli platters and dishes of the day. You may sit inside or outside at its quiet backstreet. Open everyday after 6.30pm.
Karori 8, Commercial Triangle.
Did we whet your appetite for Greek wine? Enviar us a Mensaje to organise a Greek wine tasting for you or join our premium Greek food & wine tour for discerning travellers in Athens.
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