The best wine bars in Athens
By the Agoroam team · Published 20 August 2026
Quick answer
- Greek wine has been transformed in twenty years and Athens is the cheapest place in Europe to drink it well.
- Order Assyrtiko from Santorini, Xinomavro from Naoussa, Malagousia, and Agiorgitiko from Nemea.
- A glass runs EUR 4 to EUR 8, a good bottle EUR 22 to EUR 40. This is very cheap for the quality.
- Koukaki, Pangrati, Exarchia, and Psyrri are the neighbourhoods. Plaka and Monastiraki are for the view.
- Modern retsina from a serious producer is a real wine, not the industrial version people remember.
Why Greek wine is the value play in Europe
Greece has over 300 indigenous grape varieties and a winemaking history measured in millennia, and for most of the twentieth century it exported almost nothing of quality. That changed from the late 1990s onward as a generation of producers trained abroad and came back.
The result is that Greek wine is currently underpriced relative to its quality, because the international market has not fully caught up. In Athens you are drinking it at domestic prices, which makes a serious bottle cost what a mediocre one costs in Paris or London.
The grapes to know
Assyrtiko from Santorini is the flagship: bone dry, high acid, saline, grown on volcanic soil with vines trained into basket shapes to survive the wind. It is one of the great white wines of the world and it costs EUR 5 to EUR 9 a glass in Athens.
Xinomavro from Naoussa in the north is the serious red: high tannin, high acid, tomato and olive notes, and frequently compared to Nebbiolo. It ages for decades.
Agiorgitiko from Nemea in the Peloponnese is softer, darker, and more approachable, the everyday red. Malagousia is an aromatic white rescued from near-extinction in the 1970s. Moschofilero is floral and light. Vidiano from Crete is the one insiders are excited about.
- Assyrtiko, Santorini: dry, saline, world-class white
- Xinomavro, Naoussa: structured, ageworthy red, the Greek Nebbiolo
- Agiorgitiko, Nemea: soft, dark, everyday red
- Malagousia: aromatic white, peach and herbs
- Vidiano, Crete: textured white, the current insider pick
The neighbourhoods
Koukaki, below the Acropolis on the south side, is the most pleasant wine neighbourhood for a visitor: walkable, residential, and full of small bars that take wine seriously.
Pangrati, east of the centre near the old Olympic stadium, is where Athenians go. Exarchia is younger, cheaper, more political, and has excellent small rooms. Psyrri is the busy going-out district with a wide quality range.
Plaka and Monastiraki have the views and the tourists. The wine is fine and the prices are higher.
Retsina, seriously
Retsina is white wine flavoured with Aleppo pine resin, a practice going back to when wine was sealed in amphorae with resin. The industrial version exported in the 1970s gave it a reputation as undrinkable.
Several serious producers now make retsina properly, with good base wine and restrained resin, and it is genuinely excellent with fried fish, taramasalata, and grilled octopus. Ask for a producer retsina rather than a supermarket brand and give it one honest try.
What to eat with it
Athens wine bars serve mezedes: small plates designed for sharing over several hours. Grilled octopus, fava from Santorini, saganaki, marinated anchovies, wild greens, and whatever cheese the region of the day produces.
The rhythm is slow. Order four or five plates for a table of four, then order more when they run out. Greek dinner does not front-load.
Prices and timing
By the glass: EUR 4 to EUR 8. By the bottle in a wine bar: EUR 22 to EUR 40 for something very good, EUR 45 and up for a top Xinomavro or aged Assyrtiko. Mezedes at EUR 6 to EUR 14 a plate.
Athens eats late, particularly in summer. Wine bars fill from 21:00 and stay busy past midnight. In July and August nothing happens outdoors before 21:00 because it is too hot, and the city stays up correspondingly later.
Frequently asked
What Greek wine should I order in Athens?
Assyrtiko from Santorini for a world-class dry white, Xinomavro from Naoussa for a structured ageworthy red often compared to Nebbiolo, Agiorgitiko from Nemea for an easy everyday red, and Malagousia or Vidiano for aromatic whites. All are cheap in Athens relative to their quality.
How much does wine cost in Athens?
EUR 4 to EUR 8 a glass and EUR 22 to EUR 40 for a very good bottle in a wine bar. Greek wine is currently underpriced internationally, so in Athens you get quality that would cost two to three times as much in Paris or London.
Where are the best wine bars in Athens?
Koukaki below the Acropolis for the most pleasant visitor-friendly cluster, Pangrati for where Athenians actually go, Exarchia for younger and cheaper rooms, and Psyrri for the busy going-out district. Plaka and Monastiraki charge for the view.
Is retsina actually good?
Modern retsina from a serious producer is a real wine: restrained pine resin over good base wine, excellent with fried fish, taramasalata, and grilled octopus. The undrinkable reputation comes from industrial export bottles decades ago. Ask for a producer bottling rather than a supermarket brand.
What time do Athens wine bars get busy?
From around 21:00, later in summer when nothing happens outdoors before then because of the heat. Bars stay busy past midnight. Arriving at 19:00 means an empty room, particularly in July and August.
Plan it with your crew.
Free for the first trip. Everyone votes. The AI does the boring half.