Greek drinking culture is older than any other in Europe; wine in Greece has been continuously produced for at least 6,500 years, and modern Greek distillates (ouzo, tsipouro, masticha) are among the most distinctive in the Mediterranean. The good news for Athens visitors: the city has the country’s best concentration of wine bars, ouzeries, tsipouradika, and dedicated spirits shops, plus a dynamic new-wave Greek wine scene with 300+ indigenous grape varieties to discover. This is the complete Greek wine, ouzo, and Athens drinking guide for 2026, with what to drink, where to drink it, how to order, and the best wine bars, ouzeries, and bottle shops in central Athens.
All information was verified against the official This Is Athens drinking guide, the Discover Greece spirits guide, Wine Spectator, and the current Athens wine bar scene.
The Greek Drinking Trinity: Wine, Ouzo, Tsipouro
Three categories dominate. Greek wine: an emerging international force with 300+ indigenous grape varieties and serious modern winemaking since the 1990s. Ouzo: the anise-flavoured aperitif everyone knows, drunk cold with water and seafood mezedes. Tsipouro: the grape-pomace spirit (similar to Italian grappa) that locals in Thessaly and Northern Greece often prefer to ouzo. Add masticha (the Chios resin liqueur), raki (the Cretan distillate), and Greek craft beer for the full panorama.
For broader food and drink context, see our Athens Food Guide pillar, our traditional Greek dishes guide, and our Athens at night guide.
The Greek Wines You Should Know
1. Assyrtiko (Santorini)
The flagship Greek white wine: bone-dry, mineral-driven, with high acidity and saline citrus notes. Made on the volcanic soils of Santorini. €15-45 per bottle in Athens wine bars; up to €100+ for top single-vineyard examples.
2. Agiorgitiko (Nemea, Peloponnese)
Greece’s most-planted red grape. Soft, fruity, plum-and-cherry-driven; the friendliest entry-point Greek red. €12-30 per bottle.
3. Xinomavro (Naoussa, Macedonia)
The “Greek Nebbiolo”: tannic, age-worthy, with notes of dried tomato, sun-dried fruit, and Mediterranean herbs. €18-50 per bottle; serious wine for serious drinkers.
4. Moschofilero (Mantineia, Peloponnese)
Aromatic white grape with rose-petal and citrus notes. Excellent summer wine. €12-25.
5. Malagouzia (Macedonia)
Modern aromatic white grape revived from near-extinction in the 1970s. Tropical fruit, peach, jasmine. €14-30.
6. Mavrodaphne (Patras)
Sweet red dessert wine, fortified, with dried fig and chocolate notes. €15-40 per bottle.
7. Vinsanto (Santorini)
Sweet white from sun-dried Assyrtiko grapes. Among the world’s great dessert wines; comparable to Vin Santo or Tokaji. €40-100 per 500ml bottle.
How to Drink Ouzo
The ouzo ritual: pour 2-3 cm of ouzo into a small straight glass, add cold water (usually 1:1 to 1:2 ratio), and watch the clear liquid turn milky white (the “louche” effect from anise oils). Add ice if desired (some traditionalists object). Drink slowly with mezedes; ouzo is never for shots and never drunk alone. Pair with: octopus, sardines, anchovies, fava, taramasalata, grilled cheese (saganaki), olives.
Best Ouzo Brands
Plomari (the most popular nationally, from Lesbos), Barbayanni (the connoisseur’s choice, also Lesbos), Mavri Mira (premium Lesbos), Sans Rival (medium-quality good for beginners), Pitsiladi (small-batch Lesbos). €5-12 per glass at an Athens ouzeri; €15-35 per 700ml bottle in shops.
How to Drink Tsipouro
Tsipouro can be drunk straight (no water, served chilled) or with water (1:1 ratio, similar to ouzo). The non-anise-flavoured version is the more common in Athens; the aniseed version exists. Tsipouradika (tsipouro tavernas) serve small glasses of tsipouro (typically 50-100ml) with rounds of mezedes. The classic order: one glass tsipouro = one round of mezedes. Pair with: grilled meats, mezedes, cheese platters.
Best Tsipouro Brands
Tsililis (the most popular), Idoniko, Apostolakis, Babatzim. €4-9 per glass at a tsipouradiko; €18-35 per 700ml bottle.
Other Greek Spirits You Should Try
8. Masticha (Chios)
Sweet liqueur made from the resin of mastiha trees on Chios island. Subtle pine-and-vanilla flavour; drunk as a digestif. Best at: Brettos in Plaka. €5-9 per glass.
9. Tsikoudia (Raki, Crete)
Cretan version of tsipouro, often served as a complimentary digestif after meals at Cretan tavernas. €4-7 per glass.
10. Greek Craft Beer
The Greek microbrewery scene exploded after 2015. Top breweries: Septem, Volkan, Strange Brew, Vergina. Most Athens craft beer bars stock 8-15 Greek labels. €4-7 per pint.
11. Greek Craft Gin
Newer category. Top labels: Skinos, Veto, Greek Gin Eight. €8-14 per cocktail.
The Best Wine Bars in Athens
12. Heteroclito
The benchmark Greek-wine wine bar in central Athens, on Plateia Agia Eirini. 200+ Greek wines by the glass, excellent small plates, knowledgeable staff. €6-15 per glass; €30-80 per bottle. Address: 2 Fokionos Street.
13. By the Glass
Sister property to Heteroclito (sort of), with a deeper focus on rare and aged Greek wines. €8-18 per glass. Address: 7 Souidias Street.
14. Materia Prima
Natural-wine focus, with Greek biodynamic producers heavily represented. Excellent food menu. €6-14 per glass. Address: 68 Falirou Street, Koukaki.
15. Warehouse
Exarchia natural wine bar with a young, bohemian crowd and an interesting Greek-orange-wine selection. €5-12 per glass. Address: 8 Gladstonos Street.
16. Cinque Wine Bar
Modern wine bar in Psyri with strong Italian and Greek mix. €7-16 per glass. Address: 15 Agatharchou Street.
The Best Ouzeries in Athens
17. To Tzaki
Traditional ouzeri in Pangrati with the classic ouzo-and-mezedes experience. €15-25 per person. Address: 5 Iliodorou Street.
18. Klimataria (Psyri)
Excellent traditional taverna and ouzeri with live rebetiko music on weekends. €22-30 per person. Address: 5 Theatrou Square.
19. Kafeneio Avissinias
Hidden in Plateia Avissinias (Sunday flea-market square). Traditional ouzo, retsina, and meze. The most atmospheric old-Athens drinking experience. €15-25. Address: 7 Avissinias Square.
20. Diporto Agoras
The 1887 underground taverna near the central market. Cheap house wine and tsipouro with simple, traditional mezedes. €12-15 per person. Address: 9 Sokratous & Theatrou.
Best Spirits & Bottle Shops in Athens
21. Brettos (1909 distillery and bar)
The blue-tile-fronted distillery on Kydathineon Street in Plaka. Makes 60+ liqueurs in-house; the backlit glass-bottle wall is one of the most photographed bar interiors in Greece. €5-7 per glass. Bottles to take home €15-35. Address: 41 Kydathineon Street.
22. Greek Wine Cellar
The biggest dedicated Greek-wine shop in central Athens with 600+ labels from every region. Tastings available by appointment. Address: 27 Filellinon Street.
23. Cellier Le Caveau
Upscale wine merchant with both Greek and international selections. €10-100+ per bottle. Address: 8 Petraki Street.
24. Wine Garage
Modern Greek wine shop with strong focus on small-producer biodynamic wines. €15-50 per bottle. Address: 14 Pittaki Street.
How to Order Wine at a Greek Taverna
Most traditional tavernas have a simple wine list: house wine (krasi tou spitiou) by carafe (half-litre or litre), bottled Greek wine selection (10-30 labels), and sometimes a sparkling option. House wine is typically €8-15 per half-litre and almost always drinkable, often very good. Order red (kokkino), white (lefko), or rosé (rozé). The waiter will bring a small tasting; one sniff is sufficient before nodding approval. Tipping practice is to round the wine bill up rather than tip a percentage.
Restaurant Wine Glass & Bottle Prices in Athens (2026)
House wine carafe (500ml): €8-15. Glass of decent Greek wine: €5-10. Glass of premium Greek wine: €10-20. Bottle of mid-range Greek wine (€20-40 RRP): €30-55 at restaurants. Bottle of premium Greek wine (€40-80 RRP): €60-120 at restaurants. Ouzo glass: €5-9. Tsipouro glass: €4-7. Cocktail at a hotel rooftop or design bar: €12-18.
Wine Tours from Athens
Several Greek wine regions are reachable as day trips. Nemea (1.5 hours west of Athens) is the centre of Agiorgitiko production with 30+ wineries open for tastings. Attica wine region (Mesogeia plain east of Athens) has 15+ smaller producers within 30 minutes of the city. Santorini wineries (1 hour by plane) require an overnight but reward with the country’s most distinctive wines. Several Athens-based tour operators (Wines Walk, Cultural Wine Tours, Big Olive) run regular Nemea and Attica day trips. €80-150 per person including transport and tastings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the national drink of Greece?
Ouzo is the most internationally famous Greek drink and the unofficial national drink. However, Greeks drink more wine, tsipouro, and craft beer day-to-day than ouzo. Tsipouro outsells ouzo in northern Greece.
What is the difference between ouzo and tsipouro?
Both are clear distilled spirits, both around 40% ABV. Ouzo is flavoured with anise and other herbs and is the more international, summer-aperitif drink. Tsipouro is distilled from grape pomace (similar to Italian grappa); the non-anise version is the more common, more grape-driven, and more often drunk in Northern Greece.
What is the best Greek wine?
For whites, Assyrtiko from Santorini is the international flagship. For reds, Agiorgitiko from Nemea is the most popular; Xinomavro from Naoussa is the most age-worthy and complex. For dessert wines, Vinsanto from Santorini is among the world’s great sweet wines.
How do you drink ouzo properly?
Pour 2-3 cm into a small straight glass, add cold water (1:1 to 1:2 ratio), and watch the louche effect turn it milky white. Sip slowly with mezedes (octopus, sardines, fava, taramasalata). Never drink it as a shot; never drink it alone.
How much does Greek wine cost in Athens?
Glass of mid-range Greek wine at a wine bar: €6-15. Glass of house wine at a taverna: €4-7. Bottle of Greek wine in a restaurant: €30-80 typical, €100+ for top bottles. Retail bottle in a wine shop: €10-50 for most quality Greek wines.
Where is the best wine bar in Athens?
Heteroclito on Plateia Agia Eirini is the benchmark Greek-wine wine bar with 200+ wines by the glass. By the Glass in Kolonaki is the more upscale alternative with rare and aged wines. Materia Prima in Koukaki is the leading natural-wine bar.
Can I take Greek wine and ouzo home from Athens?
Yes, in checked baggage. Greek wine and spirits are popular souvenirs. Wine shops in central Athens (Greek Wine Cellar, Wine Garage) and the airport duty-free both sell. Quality Greek wines start at €10 per bottle and can run to €100+ for top single-vineyard examples.
Plan the Rest of Your Athens Trip
For more food and drink content, see our pillar guide to Athens food and dining, our traditional Greek dishes guide, our Plaka restaurants guide, our cafes guide, our Athens at night guide, and our rooftop restaurants guide.