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Restaurants and Nightlife in Thessaloniki



Where to eat and play in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki Nightlife Apart from the many elegant restaurants in the city and the suburbs, there are also numerous "ouzeries" and taverns. Excellent grilled meat and chicken are served at the popular shops along the coast on the outskirts of town Check out the newly renovated Ladadikia district near Aristolelous square where there are a number of traditional restaurants and ouzeries on Odos Katouni. This is a working class area similar to Psiri in Athens which has been developed into an area of eating and entertainment. Frommers and Lonely Planet raved about Zythos, Frommers about the food and LP because you can get a pint of Murphy's for not much more than the price of an Amstel. This was one of the first restaurants to open in Ladadikia, way back in 1990. They have another restaurant by the White Tower. I ate at Foul Tou Meze which had a Greek grocery store motif and a large menu, good service, great food and a nice selection of ouzo and tsipuro. Palati has live Greek music as does Vyzantino II. Try also Ta Spata on Aristoleous square, Ta Nicia at 13 Koromila for seafood, Stratis on Nikis street and Rogotis on Venizelou street. Lonely Planet likes O Loutros Fish Taverna on Kominon street and Aderfia tis Pyxarias at 9 Platia Navarino. But of all the recommendations the one that looks most enticing to me is the Aristotelous Ouzerie in an arcade off the left of Aristotelous a block from the waterfront. I ate here with my cousin George, a monk on Mount Athos, many years ago and apparently it has only gotten better. LP also recommends Kokoretsina in Ladadikia, which combines two of my favorite Greek words, Retsina (resinated Greek wine) and Kokoretsi (livers, spleens, hearts and whatever else comes out of a sheep, stuffed into a large intestine and grilled). Check out a restaurant called The Kitchen Bar in the port in one of the old customs buildings for its indoor decor or to sit by the sea. Its similar to TGI Fridays or one of those mainstream shopping center bistros though in a much more dramatic setting and better food. Or take a taxi to Kalamaria and try To Taxidi which we just stumbled upon and loved. Its a clean, upscale-looking fish taverna with a large and interesting menu which also features some beautiful salads. The prices are reasonable too.

Music Halls, night clubs, discotheques are open till late at night, whereas those who prefer the bouzouki music can choose from a range of special tavernas in the area near the Airport. There are a number of bars and clubs near the White Tower. Discos are generally on the outskirts of town near the airport where the noise is less likely to bother people. Traffic on 3rd of September street and L 'Apogee are in town but probably not open in the summer. Avantaz is a Greek Music club at 156 Agia Demitriou. Mylos is a large entertainment complex in the warehouse district of the port. There you will find bars, galleries, restaurants, cafes, theatres and plenty of  varieties of live music but difficult to get to without a taxi.  Lido has its winter club in the Fix area, but the summer club is near the Macedonia airport. Also, Colonial is located on Aristotelous square in downtown, and the summer club is also near the airport. Art-House is a club-gallery that has exhibitions and parties as well as dance nights by known DJs including tribute nights to bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode. Look for their posters around town to see whats going on. Its at Boyatzikou #4 just off Leofors Nikis between Aristotelous Square and the White Tower. The Fix Community has clubs with live shows by known Greek artists like Glykeria and Giannis Kotsiras as well as DJs.

Many people do the Volta(evening stroll) along the harbor from Aristotelis Square all the way beyond the White Tower where it gets quieter and more romantic. You will certainly find somewhere to sit that interests you on the way there or back.

There are a number of movie theatres almost all showing English language films with Greek subtitles. Some are indoor and some are outdoor which are generally open only in the summer. 

But like anywhere in Greece sometimes the best idea is to wander around and peer into the various ouzeries, cafeneons and restaurants until you find something special.

Want to know where to eat in Thessaloniki?  Where to go dancing or hear the best Rembetika music? Ask a taxi driver. See the restaurant , cafes and nightlife reviews of Grigoris Moisiadis



Hi Matt. My name is Kathleen I've been living in Thessaloníki all my life, and I would like to suggest some more bar-restaurants to add to your wonderful Greek Travel Guide!:)
  • Valaoritou Street: Is the new Greenwich Village of Thessaloníki. In the past 2 years several beer houses, bar, tavernas  have opened in the area. Its the hot spot for young people, especially students. The Street of Valaoritou has a long history. It used to be a merchants paradise since you could find all sorts of things especially fabrics, traditional embroideries, anything a bride needs to make her "proika" which is the greek word for dowry. For the past 10 years the area had been dying...a lot of new classical buildings were abandoned and of course closed since the embroidery business wasn't going that well and shop owners decided to invest in others types of business away from Valaoritou Street. Some years ago though a bar-restaurant called "Paparouna" opened at the area in the Arcade of Malakopi which used to be the home of the famous "Alattini Family" in 1906. Since then several bars started dwelling in the area giving it life again. Every night the street is full of little tables and they are always full of people drinking beer and having a good time! There is no way you won't see someone you know since everyone is there.
         The best bars to visit are:
  • "Paparouna": Established at 2004. The bar is divided in  four different devisions. It functions a restaurant and a bar which aspires your senses. The four devisions communicate via the gallery in which you can enjoy the food and your drink listening to jazz melodies. The menu includes a wide variety of flavours. The menu is renewed twice a year, in Spring and in Autumn so that the flavours you enjoy harmonise with each season. The wine-cellar includes a large variety of wines (220) which come from different prefectures of Greece and from European countries like Spain, Italy and France
    Address: Syggrou 7 & Vilara 2, 54625 Thessaloníki/Center Phone number: 2310-510-852
  • "Gambrinus":Established at 2006. One of the best Czech- beer houses of the city. Generally it serves Czech beers, draft or bottled,  but you can also combine your beer with some of the delicatessens it offers. Such as its famous sausages. It is the bar where most people go since the prices are lower compared to other nearby bars. The music is usually classic rock or alternative rock. The atmosphere is very warm and laid back and it is definitely a bar you should go while visiting Thessaloníki.Address: Syggrou 9 ,54625 Thessaloniki/Center. Phone number: 6955-166-821
  • " 4 Epoxes" ( 4 Seasons): Established at 2004. It is located in a little paved narrow where no cars go by. It gives the feeling of going back to another period of time...4 Seasons is not the average bar it is more like a "kafeneio" (traditional greek cafe) but mixed up with a modern touch. It has small tables inside and outside and you can drink your ouzo or tsipouro combined with a lot of special appetizers (meze). The decoration is simple but color full and warm. It usually plays ethnic type of music like French,Spanish etc. Address: Paikou 2, 54625 Thessaloniki/Center. Phone number: 2310 540-913


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