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The Bar in Front of the Bar

Athens

• Accolades
• Nikka Highest Climber Award 2026

Congenial street-side drinking with a zero-waste focus

Embracing the vibrant outdoor drinking culture of Athens, The Bar in Front of the Bar offers an energetic, zero-waste cocktail experience right on the bustling sidewalk of Monistraki, the geographical heart of Greek cocktail culture. The concept was born as a playful pop-up created by Alexandros Tselepis, Konstantinos Theodorakopoulos and Simeon Papanikolaou to cover construction work on their indoor bar space. What began as a temporary set-up behind scaffolding quickly evolved into one of the city's most beloved street bars, operating with no indoor seating and a lively, open-air crowd that spills out on to the cobbles.

The bar is instantly recognisable by its stripped-back, minimalist exterior and a large, ever-changing digital neon sign that broadcasts cheeky, light-hearted messages to passersby – most famously "We serve humans too". Beneath this irreverent exterior lies a deeply serious cocktail programme centred around absolute zero-waste principles and daily menu reinvention. Every day, the team crafts a fresh line-up of eight signature drinks, creatively repurposing fruit peels, herb stems and prep leftovers from Rumble in the Jungle located directly behind them.

The drinks feature classic cocktail templates infused with seasonal Greek produce, herbal infusions and house-made cordials, ensuring that no two visits offer the exact same menu choices. Guests can sip these inventive concoctions while standing on the pedestrian street, soaked in the energetic Athenian night air and eclectic music soundscape. By combining high-level eco-conscious mixology with casual, accessible street culture, The Bar in Front of the Bar has created a unique model for modern city drinking.

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