The Best Bars in Patmos, Greece

Purple-pink bougainvillaea, soft turquoise windows and beamed ceilings adorn this wonderfully atmospheric, reimagined 17th-century home in Unesco-listed Chora. Going strong for three decades, it’s now a glamorous bar-restaurant and a Patmos hotspot, where you can settle in with a passionfruit martini or a bottle of wine on the romantic roof terrace. Astivi’s Mediterranean-Asian fusion menu wanders from salmon spaghetti to beef tartare – and its former patrons are said to have once included David Bowie.

Drink in the knockout views across Skala’s pretty ferry port at this seductive roof-terrace cocktail lounge with salt-white cushioned benches, deck chairs and candle-lit tables. Sunset is the perfect time to swing by, ideally with an Aperol spritz or a mojito in hand. You might catch a live music session in the rustic-modern indoor bar space – which also has a small library and light snacks.

Wedged among Chora’s sparkling white 17th and 18th-century mansions, Stoa brings a boho-chic feel to a converted medieval cellar – with an arch-filled interior and tempting tables on lively Agia Lesvia square. It’s a fashion-forward, good-vibes sort of place for watching the evening melt away over an expertly mixed negroni, gin-basil smash or strawberry fields – and the on-the-ball team also organises live music and DJ events.

An arty Skala address with a bohemian spirit, KouKou serves well-mixed cocktails and strong espresso on a hidden-away terrace with rainbow-painted furniture, just back from the ferry dock. Pieces by local artists hang on the open-stone walls – and regular DJ nights, live music and other events liven things up on the weekends. You can also pop in for brunch bites.

Housed in a historical, whitewashed building in the thick of hilltop Chora, Thalami is another cocktail bar charmer offering an ever-changing line-up of liquid mixes. Rustle up an Aperol spritz on the unbelievably pretty and intimate plaza and watch the Patmos evening scene swing into action. The framed shirt on the wall inside was apparently worn on the island by David Bowie in the 1980s.

Some of the island’s most creative cocktails – both classic and with-a-twist – are mixed up at this buzzy Chora hangout, which is tucked into a centuries-old lane just off the main village square. It’s an idyllic Greek summer setting, with courtyard tables and benches in the shadow of an ancient bell tower. The whole place gets packed as the night goes on.

Fabulous farm-to-fork restaurant Benetos delivers killer cocktails and a strong selection of Greek wines – including Patmos-grown labels – alongside its creative yet unpretentious fusion cooking. It’s surrounded by the Greek-American owners’ vegetable gardens and the romantic terrace has views across Sapsila bay. Pair a bottle of Patmian assyrtiko wine with one of the island’s most memorable meals – stuffed courgette blossoms – along with the squid-ink risotto and various home-baked desserts.

Overlooking the harbourfront in Skala, laid-back Arion has been a favourite Patmos meeting point among both islanders and visitors for decades. With its wood ceilings, exposed stone walls and panelled bar, it has an old-school charm that lends itself perfectly to live guitar and other music nights. Or just grab a roadside terrace perch and a chilled beer and spot the ferries rolling in from across the Aegean.