Swing Thing is a bar in Old Town, Heraklion.
Editorially verified August 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: The Cinnamon Treasure, or the yoghurt pina colada
Food program: Coffee by day
Tip: It works as an espresso bar in daylight and switches to cocktails after dark, with a takeaway drinks list too.
Address: Arkoleontos 13, Iraklio 712 02, Heraklion
Beer O'Clock is the rock bistro on Parodos Minotavrou in Heraklion, stocking more than a hundred beer labels and grilling burgers to drink alongside them.
Signature drink: Cretan Charma lager
Food: Burgers and bistro plates
Order: A Cretan lager with one of the burgers
Tip: Over 100 beer labels are stocked, and happy hour runs in the late afternoon before the kitchen gets busy.
Dish Bar holds a corner of Agios Titos square in Heraklion, pairing Mediterranean plates with a cocktail list and its nineties dance nights.
Signature drink: Tom's Temptation
Food: Full Mediterranean menu
Order: Tom's Temptation, passionfruit, caramel and lime
Tip: The room is known for its nineties dance nights, so check the socials before planning an evening around one.
El Sur is the Latin-leaning resto bar on Arkoleon in Heraklion, mixing margaritas and mojitos beside a kitchen doing Mexican food and sushi.
Signature drink: Margarita
Food: Mexican and sushi
Order: A margarita, with tacos to keep it company
Tip: Arkoleon is a two-minute walk from Lions Square, and the kitchen runs as late as the bar does.
La Brasserie stacks a terrace, a bar, a gallery and a club into one Korai Street address in Heraklion, and runs from lunch until the early hours.
Signature drink: Cocktails on the terrace
Food: Restaurant menu until late
Order: A cocktail on La Terrasse before the club opens
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. The club floor opens at 22:00, with Latin nights and karaoke through the week.
Beer O'Clock is the rock bistro on Parodos Minotavrou in Heraklion, stocking more than a hundred beer labels and grilling burgers to drink alongside them.
Signature drink: Cretan Charma lager
Food: Burgers and bistro plates
Order: A Cretan lager with one of the burgers
Tip: Over 100 beer labels are stocked, and happy hour runs in the late afternoon before the kitchen gets busy.
Dish Bar holds a corner of Agios Titos square in Heraklion, pairing Mediterranean plates with a cocktail list and its nineties dance nights.
Signature drink: Tom's Temptation
Food: Full Mediterranean menu
Order: Tom's Temptation, passionfruit, caramel and lime
Tip: The room is known for its nineties dance nights, so check the socials before planning an evening around one.
The Dodo Cocktail Bar pours on the Sofokli Venizelou seafront in Heraklion, cheap by old-town standards and pointed straight out at the water.
Signature drink: Mojito Pirata
Food: Snacks
Order: The Mojito Pirata, with the sea in front of you
Tip: One of the cheaper cocktail lists on the Heraklion seafront, and a seasonal one: it runs roughly April to October.
El Sur is the Latin-leaning resto bar on Arkoleon in Heraklion, mixing margaritas and mojitos beside a kitchen doing Mexican food and sushi.
Signature drink: Margarita
Food: Mexican and sushi
Order: A margarita, with tacos to keep it company
Tip: Arkoleon is a two-minute walk from Lions Square, and the kitchen runs as late as the bar does.
La Brasserie stacks a terrace, a bar, a gallery and a club into one Korai Street address in Heraklion, and runs from lunch until the early hours.
Signature drink: Cocktails on the terrace
Food: Restaurant menu until late
Order: A cocktail on La Terrasse before the club opens
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. The club floor opens at 22:00, with Latin nights and karaoke through the week.
Bartenders Club on Chronaki Gianni in Heraklion is a bartending school and an old-school cocktail bar sharing one address in the city centre.
Signature drink: Old-school classics
Food: Snacks
Order: A classic, made by whoever is teaching that week
Tip: The same address runs a bartending school, so the people behind the stick are usually the ones writing the curriculum.
