Athens

Nightlife

Greeks enjoy their nightlife so much that they take an afternoon nap to rest up for it. The evening often begins with a leisurely volta (stroll); you'll see this in most neighborhoods, including the main drags through the Plaka and Kolonaki Square. Most Greeks don't think of dinner until at least 9 pm in winter, 10 pm in summer. Around midnight, the party may move on to a club for music and dancing.

Movies

Athens has lots of air-conditioned theaters (mostly multiplexes) showing new-release Greek, American, and European films. Listings appear in the Athens News, in Kathimerini (the English-language insert in the International Herald Tribune), and in the weekly Hellenic Times.

The Performing Arts in Athens

The acoustically marvelous Megaron Mousikis Concert Hall, hosts a wide range of classical music programs that include operas symphonies, and recitals. On performance nights, the box office is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm, Saturday from 10am to 2pm, and Sunday from 6 to 10:30pm. Tickets are also sold Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm in the Megaron’s convenient downtown kiosk in the Spiromillios Arcade, 4 Stadiou. Ticket prices run from 5€ to as much as 100€, depending on the performance. The Megaron has a limited summer season but is in full swing the rest of the year.

The Greek National Opera performs at Olympia Theater. The indoor opera season runs from November to May. During the summer months the company plays at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and occasionally tours the country and/or abroad.

Since 1953, Dora Stratou Folk Dance Theater has been giving performances of traditional Greek folk dances on Filopappos Hill. At present, performances take place May through September, Tuesday through Sunday at 9:30pm, with additional performances at 8:15pm on Wednesday and Sunday. You can buy tickets at the box office, 8 Scholio, Plaka, from 8am to 2pm

Clubs

Given the vicissitudes of Athens nightlife, your best bet is to have a local friend; failing that, you have this guide and you can always ask someone at your hotel for a recommendation. The listings in the weekly Athinorama (Greek) or in publications such as the English-language Athens News, the Kathimerini insert in the Herald Tribune, and hotel handouts such as Best of Athens and Welcome to Athens, can be very helpful. If you head to a large club, you’re likely to face a cover charge of at least 10€ to 20€, which will likely include a drink. Thereafter, each drink will probably cost over 10€. It’s best to go only to clubs with or recommended by someone trustworthy who knows the scene or that have come recommended from reliable sources (such as this guide). In large clubs, don’t sit at a table unless you want to purchase a bottle of alcohol (100€), whether you want it or not. If you hear music you simply must have, Metropolis in Omonia Square has a wide choice of CDs of Greek music.

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