Baba Au Rum Heads to Santorini for Summer 

Athens’ award-winning Baba Au Rum bar will be opening its doors at the Grace Hotel in Santorini on April 15, marking the beginning of a unique and exciting summer season.

Thanos Prunarus and the team of Baba Au Rum, a leading multi awarded Rum & Cocktail bar in downtown Athens, are getting ready to introduce local and international visitors to 363 Bar by Baba Au Rum- redefining the fine drinking scene in the Cycladic islands, by creating an exclusive range of cocktails for their guests to enjoy while overlooking the famous Caldera. 

“One of the best bars in the world travels to the Cycladic island overlooking the Caldera to elevate evenings with premium cocktails, curated by the spirit connoisseur himself and offering a fantastic experience in the Cyclades’ most beloved Grace Hotel Auberge Collection,” announced management at the Grace Hotel. 

Along with the opening of 363 Bar, Grace Santorini also welcomes the exciting launch of Varoulko Santorini, with Michelin star chef Lefteris Lazarou getting set to serve his famous dishes including the exquisite squid with pesto Genovese, an emblem of Lazarou’s creativity, as well as the humble monkfish. 

Grace Hotel is an exclusive boutique hotel in Santorini, perched above the world-famous Caldera with breathtaking views and breathtaking sunsets. Innovatively refurbished rooms and suites showcase a contemporary style, combining cutting edge, bespoke design alongside traditional handcrafted pieces whilst the luxurious bathrooms offer double vanity units with marble carved basins and spacious rain showers with mosaic feature walls. 

A: Imerovigli, Santorini 

8 Best Spots for Christmas Drinks in Athens

In Athens, there are many beautiful places to cure your winter blues while surrounded by stunning decorations and lush cocktails.

From Christmas classics like the Noel and Grande Bretagne to award-winning spots such as Baba Au Rum and the Clumsies, there is no shortage of stylish festive bars to make the season even more merry and bright!

Noel

This all-day café and bar features vintage décor, baroque dining spaces, and a grand arcade with inviting tables and stools in the centre. Here you’ll find stylish bartenders serving some of the most creative cocktails that can be paired with some Parisian-inspired dishes. With a mix of 1980s, ’90s and jazz music, this is by far one of Athens’ best places to visit during the festive season.

A: Kolokotroni 59B, Athens 

Alexander’s Bar

Located at the famous Grande Bretagne Hotel, Alexander’s (named Best Hotel Bar in the World by Forbes magazine) features a dark wood and marble bar that’s surrounded by tapestries and comfy leather stools where you can sit back and sip on one of the staggering selection of premium spirits. Many of the bottles are exclusive to Athens’ famous hotel and here you can order a classic cocktail or a premium whiskey, brandy, and cognac. 

A: Hotel Grande Bretagne | 1 Vasileos Georgiou A, Syntagma Square St, Athens

Insights Greece - 8 Best Spots for Christmas Drinks in Athens

Delta Bar

Located on the fifth floor of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC), the newly opened Delta features a sculpted bar- one of the largest in the world that can sit up to 50 guests who are able to enjoy unique cocktails and spirits created by Baba Au Rum.  Cocktails are inspired by new Greek brandies, liqueurs, and aged tsipouro accompanying top international distillates (whiskey, rum, tequila, vodka, gin, etc). This is completed by gastro pairing suggestions from the bar lounge menu.

A: Syggrou Avenue 364, Kalithea, Athens

Avra Bar 

Avra located within Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens in Vouliagmeni has become a feel-good gathering spot on the Athens Riviera. The talented team behind the stylish bar serves delicious cocktails, tailor-made mocktails, and amazing appetizers that can be enjoyed while admiring the breathtaking Aegean Sea. 

A:  Four Seasons Athens Astir Palace | Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni. 

Insights Greece - 8 Best Spots for Christmas Drinks in Athens

Athénée

Athénée has become a local favourite, especially on Fridays when this place is known for its “early drinks.” A famous spot on Voukourestiou and Panepistimiou, it boasts a European atmosphere where locals and international visitors are able to enjoy something to eat or drink at the bar. The cocktails menu features classics with a modern twist and everything looks and feels even more glamorous this time of year! 

A: Voukourestiou 9, Athens 

The Clumsies

The ultimate all-day cocktail bar in the city, Clumsies, which was just named 4th on the list of the World’s 50 Best Bars, is the place to head to for creative cocktails that change on a seasonal basis. One of our favourite parts during this time of year is the private room that features a fireplace, a bookcase, a billiard table, and vinyl LPs- the perfect spot to catch up with friends before or during the Christmas break. 

A: Praxitelous 30, Athens

Insights Greece - 8 Best Spots for Christmas Drinks in Athens

Baba Au Rum

Making delectable cocktails with spirits, herbs, and spices from around the world as well as homemade Greek liqueurs, syrups and bitters artfully created using local ingredients, the Baba Au Rum menu offers something for everyone. The décor is a mix of old-fashioned accessories, vintage eye candy, and antique furnishings, a mix reflected in the drinks menu, which features 19th-century classics like juleps and crusts as well as American-style Tiki drinks like the Guadalupe Punch.

A: Klitiou 6, Athens

King’s Theater Wine Bar

Created by the owners of Athens’ famous Little Kook, King’s Theater is an excellent bistro and wine bar in the heart of Athens, festively decorated year-round. Serving Christmas cocktails- at the moment we can’t get enough of the Gin, basil, strawberry, mastic and lime mixed with edible gold dust and magic- the most addictive Christmas beverage! 

A: Karaiskaki 26, Athens

Main Image: Noel Bar 

Two Athens Bars on World’s 50 Best Bars List 2021

Raise a glass, the World’s 50 Best Bars for 2021 have just been announced with Athens’ “The Clumsies” taking 4th place and “Baba au Rum” named 14th best venue on the highly coveted list!

The 2021 edition of the annual ranking features bars from 17 countries, with the top five bars in the world revealed to be London’s Connaught Bar followed by Tayēr + Elementary in London, Paradiso in Barcelona, The Clumsies in Athens, and Floreria Atlantico in Buenos Aires.

Insights Greece - Two Athens Bars on World’s 50 Best Bars List 2021
Award-winning The Clumsies

“Another year running! We’re so happy to announce that the Clumsies family has been voted number 4 among the world’s best 50 bars. Thank you to all for this great honour. We’ll keep doing what we do best, blending the number four bar experience in the world. Congratulations to all the winners. It’s been an honour sharing with you this experience!” announced the Clumsies team.

Located right in the heart of Athens, “Part of The Clumsies’ undeniable charm is the ease with which it can do so many things so well. It’s just as comfortable as a spot for a morning coffee and breakfast as a place in the evening to drink some of the most inventive cocktails that can be found anywhere, or for dancing on the bar at 2 am,” announced the judges.

“This is thanks to co-owners Vasilis Kyritsis and Nikos Bakoulis’ commitment to hospitality. They’ve managed to create a space as impressive to the international bartending community as it is homely to locals, and this approach has made The Clumsies a stalwart of the 50 Best list,” they added.

Insights Greece - Two Athens Bars on World’s 50 Best Bars List 2021
Baba Au Rum

Βaba Au Rum is a leading multi awarded Rum & Cocktail bar in downtown Athens, with judges announcing, “Baba au Rum brought a revolutionary admiration of cocktails to the Greek capital when it opened 13 years ago, and to this day it remains the bar in Athens’ now thriving hospitality scene, held in the highest regard,” said the judges. 

“Its power comes from owner and manager Thanos Prunarus, a man who straddles the old school and modernity. Here, things aren’t overhauled but instead attentively developed, moving with the times while maintaining warmth and familiarity.”

World’s 50 Best Bars list for 2021

  1. Connaught Bar (London)
  2. Tayēr + Elementary (London)
  3. Paradiso (Barcelona)
  4. The Clumsies (Athens)
  5. Florería Atlántico (Buenos Aires)
  6. Licorería Limantour (Mexico City)
  7. Coa (Hong Kong)
  8. El Copitas (St Petersburg)
  9. Jigger & Pony (Singapore)
  10. Katana Kitten (New York)
  11. Two Schmucks (Barcelona)
  12. Hanky Panky (Mexico City)
  13. Insider Bar (Moscow)
  14. Baba au Rum (Athens)
  15. Manhattan (Singapore)
  16. Atlas (Singapore)
  17. Zuma (Dubai)
  18. The SG Club (Tokyo)
  19. Drink Kong (Rome)
  20. 1930 (Milan)
  21. Presidente (Buenos Aires)
  22. Maybe Sammy (Sydney)
  23. Cantina OK! (Sydney)
  24. Salmon Guru (Madrid)
  25. Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City)
  26. No Sleep Club (Singapore)
  27. Camparino in Galleria (Milan)
  28. Café La Trova (Miami)
  29. Little Red Door (Paris)
  30. Dante (New York)
  31. Kwānt (London)
  32. Bar Benfiddich (Tokyo)
  33. Tres Monos (Buenos Aires)
  34. Attaboy (New York)
  35. Lucy’s Flower Shop (Stockholm)
  36. MO Bar (Singapore)
  37. Sips (Barcelona)
  38. Baltra Bar (Mexico City)
  39. Sober Company (Shanghai)
  40. Tjoget (Stockholm)
  41. Epic (Shanghai)
  42. Charles H (Seoul)
  43. Tippling Club (Singapore)
  44. Above Board (Melbourne)
  45. Galaxy Bar (Dubai)
  46. Re (Sydney)
  47. Sidecar (India)
  48. Union Trading Company (China)
  49. DarkSide (China)
  50. Quinary (China)

Main Images: The Clumsies 

Delta Restaurant and Bar Opens at SNFCC

Located on the fifth floor of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC), the newly opened Delta has set its sights on becoming a world-class culinary destination.

With a stunning dining room, wine cellar and a bar run by the famous Baba au Rum team- Delta is definitely a place to add to your list if you are looking for a fine-dining experience in Athens. 

Delta Restaurant 

The dining room, with a floating garden, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Bay of Faliro, is modern and sleek; blue velvet chairs and round tables give guests an intimate feel in what is in fact a large, open space. Behind the impressive menu are two talented chefs- Thanos Feskos and George Papazacharias- who have worked at award-winning international restaurants. Using raw ingredients from their own farm in Attica and working with different fermentation techniques, the team at Delta create dishes with a Scandinavian and Japanese influence. The end result is a 17-course tasting menu boasting a mysterious haute cuisine narrative that gradually unfolds through the three different menus: Omnivore, Vegetarian, and Vegan. 

Delta Bar 

Delta’s sculpted bar is one of the largest in the world and can sit up to 50 guests who are able to enjoy unique cocktails and spirits created by Baba Au Rum. Thanos Prunarus, a world-renowned and absolute spokesperson of fine drinking, is behind the mixology that has a focus on the contemporary local distillery, with new Greek brandies, liqueurs, and aged tsipouro accompanying top international distillates (whiskey, rum, tequila, vodka, gin, etc). This is completed by gastro pairing suggestions from the bar lounge menu that includes Grilled wings filled with aged hazelnuts and mushrooms seasoned with salted plums served with a sauce of smoked egg yolk, or Grilled lobster with fermented ramson and plums served with a sauce of whipped salted strawberries. 

Delta Wine Cellar 

For an enchanting wine tasting experience, Delta’s two wine cellars are available for private booking, where guests can enjoy unique wine labels while tasting one of the three available menus. The impressive list contains some 800 labels selected by Aris Sklavenitis and Fedon Dernikos- both award-winning and top of their class sommeliers, who have curated an integrated list that will enhance the gastronomic experience. The cellars are filled with local and international varieties, with hundreds of labels covering the entire wine universe spectrum – old and new.

A: 364 Syngrou Avenue, Athens 

Photography by Jerome Galland