The Clumsies

The Clumsies is the bar that put Athens on the international cocktail map. It was created by two of the country's best-known bartenders, Nikos Bakoulis and Vasilis Kyritsis, whose story together began in 2012, and it has been a regular presence on the World's 50 Best Bars list. In 2026 it was ranked number 30 in Europe's 50 Best Bars. The official city guide calls it one of the world's best cocktail bars.

Both founders built their reputations in competition before opening the bar. Bakoulis won World Class Greece in 2011 and later the Angostura Global Challenge, while Kyritsis was named Greece's best bartender in 2012 and competed at the World Class world final that year. Their idea for The Clumsies, summed up in the phrase perfect imperfection, was a warm, unpretentious place with serious drinks and friendly service, and they secured the investment to open it during Greece's economic crisis.

The bar is set across several floors of a townhouse on Praxitelous Street. The main bar is naturally lit and open all day, so its mood shifts through the day into a busy cocktail bar at night. Upstairs, reached by an internal staircase, The Room is a private space for up to ten people, with a fireplace, bookcase, billiard table and vinyl records, which can be booked through the website or by phone. Modern Greek plates are served to go with the drinks.

The cocktail list changes, but a good example of the house style is the Mediterranean Gimlet, which mixes gin with a Greek salad cordial made from slow-cooked tomato water with cucumber, red pepper, olives and oregano. If you are unsure what to order, tell the bartenders which spirits and flavours you like. Prices are typical for a top cocktail bar, higher than an ordinary café-bar but fair for the quality.

The Clumsies suits cocktail enthusiasts, couples and groups of friends, and it is easy to drop in during the day as well as at night. It gets very busy late in the evening and at weekends, so arrive early for a seat at the bar. It is a few minutes' walk from Syntagma and Monastiraki metro stations, and the surrounding streets are full of other bars for continuing the evening.