Cocktail barCocktail bar€€Old TownSeasonal, April to October
Xalavro built a bar out of a ruined 1900s house on Milatou in Heraklion, and its courtyard is the most atmospheric drink in the whole old town.
Signature drink: Jungle Bird
Food: Open kitchen
Order: A Jungle Bird in the open courtyard
Tip: A seasonal, open-air room running roughly April to October, with an annual summer cocktail festival that brings in bartenders from abroad.
Cocktail barSpeakeasy€€Old Town
The Bitters Bar works a 1920s speakeasy brief on Idis in Heraklion, mixing from a deep bitters shelf and its own jars of homemade marmalade.
Signature drink: Yellow Prince
Food: Homemade marmalades with the drinks
Order: The Yellow Prince, made with house marmalade
Tip: Behind Lions Square on Idis, with jazz and blues on the speakers and homemade marmalades beside every glass.
Cocktail barCocktail bar€€Korai and ChandakosDaily 19:00-02:00
Stone Project is the Korai cocktail room in Heraklion, industrial-looking, DJ-driven, and pouring a Mastiha Sour that justifies the walk across town.
Signature drink: Mastiha Sour
Food: Snacks
Order: A Mastiha Sour, before the DJ starts
Tip: The room opens at seven and runs to two in the morning through the week, so it stays going after most of Korai has shut.
Cocktail barCocktail bar€€Old Town
Swing Thing sits near the Venetian Loggia in Heraklion, pulling espresso by day and building retro-leaning cocktails once the sun has dropped.
Signature drink: Cinnamon Treasure
Signature pour: Greek-yoghurt pina colada
Food: Coffee by day
Order: The Cinnamon Treasure, or the yoghurt pina colada
Tip: It works as an espresso bar in daylight and switches to cocktails after dark, with a takeaway drinks list too.
GreekBeer bar€€Old TownMon-Sat 12:00-01:00; Sun closed
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.
MediterraneanCocktail bar€€Old TownDaily 09:00-04:00
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.