No matter where you are in Athens the Acropolis towers above, ever present. Somehow, the sight of the Acropolis just never gets old. The Acropolis shines even more at night when the Parthenon and other temples are lit when the sun goes down. If you haven’t had enough looks at the Acropolis, you can head to one of these three Athens rooftop bars, each providing stunning views of the Acropolis from different angles accompanied by a cocktail.
Point α Bar at Herodion Hotel
After spending the afternoon watching the sun go down from atop the Acropolis, you can head down the hill for a drink at Point α Bar, the rooftop garden bar of Athens’ Herodion Hotel, so your views of the Acropolis don’t have to end.
Point α Bar is the closest Athens rooftop bar to the Acropolis and has a view from the south. Its placemats proudly proclaim that the Parthenon Temple is only 289 meters away. Point α Bar’s rooftop view is also unique because you not only see the Acropolis, you also see the New Acropolis Museum, only 85 meters away. It’s like having two views of the Acropolis, as the top floor of the museum, which is lit at night, is set up like the Parthenon and has many of the Parthenon’s original statues and friezes.
All of the cocktails on Point α Bar’s cocktail list except for the classic cocktails were created by Point α Bar’s bartender Lefteris Sofatzis, who goes by Lefty. Point α Bar’s rooftop garden bar has been open for three seasons (May to October) and Lefty has been there for two of them. Lefty has won cocktail competitions with his concoctions.
Point α Bar’s cocktails are unique and inventive, which was a special surprise because cocktails don’t really seem to be as much of a thing around Greece as they are in other countries. The Hellas Fashioned is a play on an Old Fashioned, made with Metaxa 5 Star brandy, sugar, angostura bitters, and rose water. The 3 Cardinals is a melon flavored cocktail, but not too sweet, made with Midori, Frangelico, elderflower syrup, fresh lime juice, and fresh orange juice.
Point α Bar’s cocktail list also includes classic cocktails, like the Wisecrack Fizz, and Tapas Cocktails, which are made to pair with tapas like the Mediterranean Basil Smash made with ouzo, lime juice, sugar, pink pepper, and basil, which pairs with shrimp ceviche. Point α Bar also serves dinner during the warm months of the year.
Air Lounge Bar & Restaurant at Fresh Hotel
For a view of the north side of the Acropolis, head to Fresh Hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar Air Lounge. Fresh Hotel is a modern, fun, brightly colored hotel just north of the Psiri neighborhood. The restaurant and bar are located on the ninth floor alongside the pool.
The restaurant serves modern Greek and Mediterranean cuisine and a good glass of wine for five euros. The tables in the restaurant have views of the city, but walk out to the deck by the pool and you’ll be greeted with a view of the city and the Acropolis towering above. The bar serves standard cocktails like daiquiris, mai tais, and piña coladas and also vintage cocktails including Singapore slings, manhattans, and Moscow mules.
GB Roof Garden at Hotel Grande Bretagne
The GB Roof Garden at Hotel Grande Bretagne probably has the best angle for viewing the Acropolis as more of the temples can be seen from the east, but it also comes with a hefty price tag. Hotel Grande Bretagne is a luxury hotel located across the street from Syntagma Square at the head of Athens’ shopping street Ermou. The hotel is so fancy, I hear some suites even come with a butler.
The dress code at GB Roof Garden is elegant smart casual and a cocktail will run you 14 to 16 euros. But the cocktails are good and so is the view. One of the Bartender’s Signatures drinks is Flower Drops made with gin, mastiha liqueur, orange marmalade, flower water, lime juice, and orange bitters, garnished with a skewer of rosehips. Every time I took a sip I was first greeted with the faint aroma of roses. The Cocktail Collection by the Luxury Collection cocktails includes Tears of Chios made with vodka, mastiha, lime juice, and agave, and garnished with grapes and mint leaves.
There are many bars throughout Athens and many rooftop bars in the world, but a rooftop bar with a view of the Acropolis just isn’t something you can experience anywhere else, so be sure to hit up one or all of these bars during your next trip to Greece.
Thank you to Point at Herodion Hotel and Fresh Hotel for hosting our evenings at their rooftop bars and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are my own.
