Rum cocktail barsyntagma-historic-centre
Baba au Rum on Kleitiou has poured tiki and rum-led cocktails in central Athens for over a decade, with 11 consecutive years on the World's 50 Best Bars list to its name.
Signature drink: Rum tiki and tropical cocktails
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Back bar holds over 400 rums; ask the bartender for the agricole flight to start.
Rooftop barmonastiraki
A for Athens is the rooftop bar above the hotel of the same name on Monastiraki Square, with the head-on view of the Acropolis that defined the genre in central Athens.
Signature drink: Acropolis-view cocktails at sunset
Food: Mediterranean small plates
Tip: Sunset on weekends fills 45 minutes before the doors open; arrive by 18:30 in summer.
Rooftop bar and restaurantmonastiraki
Couleur Locale on Normanou is the multi-floor Monastiraki Athens hideaway with a rooftop terrace that climbs to a clear view of the Acropolis and Plaka.
Signature drink: Day-to-night Acropolis-view cocktails
Food: Tapas and finger food
Tip: The rooftop terrace on the 2nd and 3rd floor is the destination; the ground floor is the queue.
Rooftop barmonastiraki
360 Cocktail Bar on Ifaistou is the corner-of-Monastiraki rooftop with the head-on Acropolis view that Athens guidebooks default to, with 60 cocktails on the carte.
Signature drink: 60 cocktails on the menu with a panoramic terrace
Food: Small plates and pizzas
Tip: The corner sofa is the photograph; book at 18:00 on summer Fridays for the sunset slot.
Bar, garden, live musicmonastiraki
Six d.o.g.s. on Avramiotou is the Athens arts space and bar with a lush back garden in the centre of Monastiraki, with a constantly changing live-music line-up.
Signature drink: Garden cocktails with a back-room music programme
Food: Brunch and bar snacks
Tip: The back garden is the destination; check the website for live-music nights before booking.
Spritzeria and wine barkoukaki
Drupes and Drips in Makrygianni near the Acropolis Museum in Athens brings Veneto aperitivo culture to the city: a short Italian wine list and spritz in a tiny corner bar.
Signature drink: Italian-tradition spritz, Veneto-leaning wines
Food: Cicchetti and small plates
Tip: Spritzes run EUR7 to EUR9; the small plates are for sharing, not for solo dining.