Reviews

Visiting two of the world’s best bars in Athens Greece

a group of people sitting at a bar

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Say hello to The Clumsies and Baba Au Rum!

My buddy Dave and I started a tradition several years ago that if we happened to be in a city that had a 50 Best bar…we’d try it out. Lucky for us…Athens has 2 in the top 20 and they were within a few minutes walk to our hotel The Grande Bretagne. There is another one called The Line that we didn’t make it to, but would certainly visit upon another trip to Athens. You can go here to read about the 50 best bars in the world.

The Clumsies –

We hit up the Clumsies our first night in Athens and lemme tell you…you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t have your radar tuned, you’ll walk right by the entrance. It’s a bit hidden, and the actual bar is down a discreet walkway.

a glass door with red light

I thought we were going to get turned away, but without reservations, we walked right up, even got a seat at a corner table, and enjoyed incredible cocktails that didn’t break the bank. Cocktails at one of the best bars in the world for 10 to 12 Euros – ummm when can we come back? Funny enough, we came back after going to Baba Au Rum.

I tried The Conch and their signature Aegean Negroni. Both were very good; however, I must admit I’m not a massive negroni fan so I didn’t order it again when we returned later that night for food. The mezcal based drinks were way, way too good, and I could have easily sipped them all night. The vibe is seen to be seen in the bar area, and casual cool in the back which is inside/outside.

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Baba Au Rum

I was a bit disappointed with Baba Au Rum if I’m being honest. The vibe was disjointed – I couldn’t tell exactly what they were going for? Mayan? Mexican? 60s US Diner?

We had an avocado tequila based drink that just didn’t hit the mark. Perhaps we ordered wrong, came on the wrong night, but shortly after arriving we settled up and headed back to Clumsies.

two glasses of liquid on coasters

Overall

Both bars are within a few minutes walk of eachother. I’d certainly give Baba another go, and undoubtedly if I returned to Athens I’d go back to Clumsies. Excellent drinks and a cool, local, energy.

a screenshot of a bar

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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1 Comment

  • Adam May 15, 2023

    My wife and are not big all inclusive resort types, but we stayed at Daois Cove in Crete in ’22 and their cocktail program is curated by The Clumsies. If you are part of the “Residents Club” (full board) you receive unlimited cocktails/drinks at the various restaurants/bars which were all delicious and very well crafted. Cool partnership for sure.

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