The Whistler Espresso Bar is a bar in Old Town, Heraklion.
Editorially verified August 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: An espresso martini, once the coffee shift ends
Food program: Snacks with every drink
Tip: Free nibbles arrive with the drinks, which is a habit more Agiou Titou bars could copy.
Address: Agiou Titou 12, Iraklio 712 02, Heraklion
Think Tank is the quietest drinking option in central Heraklion, a neoclassical espresso and wine bar that turns into a rooftop cocktail spot after dark.
Signature drink: Cretan Kotsifali by the glass
Food: Brunch and snacks
Order: A glass of Kotsifali on the terrace
Tip: Reserve the terrace in advance. It is the calmest drinking terrace in the old town and it fills fast.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Think Tank is the quietest drinking option in central Heraklion, a neoclassical espresso and wine bar that turns into a rooftop cocktail spot after dark.
Signature drink: Cretan Kotsifali by the glass
Food: Brunch and snacks
Order: A glass of Kotsifali on the terrace
Tip: Reserve the terrace in advance. It is the calmest drinking terrace in the old town and it fills fast.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
