The Best Bars in Rhodes, Greece

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Bar, Snacks, Greek, $The island’s sleekest speakeasy feels like wandering off into 1920s New York. Leather sofas, moody lighting, bar stools and background jazz bring a vintage feel. Head bartender, Yiannis Morfopos and team, shake and stir creative liquid mixes that resemble works of art. On the seasonally changing menu of crafted cocktails, try a cosmopolitan-style cherry-infused Silent Brook or a fabulously floral Mesmerized, inspired by the Mediterranean’s ancient rose-growing history and with a splash of Rhodian honey.

Restaurant, Bar, Cocktails, $
From May to September, outrageously popular restaurant-and-club Alter Ego decamps to a beautiful open-air courtyard in Rhodes’ Old Town. Filled with stone arches, swirling bougainvillea and low-lit corners, the revamped historical building makes a stylish setting for sipping martinis. Elsewhere, the creative Mediterranean-Asian kitchen rolls out fresh sushi, shrimp risotto, grilled octopus and more. The same team is also behind the go-to Old Town cocktail spot Mozaik, just around the corner on Plateia Arionos.

Bar, Snacks, Greek, $
DJ-spun night parties, candle-lit decor and fabulous home-conjured cocktails keep things busy at this ultra-chic alfresco bar buried in the thick of Rhodes’ Old Town, just off Plateia Arionos. It occupies what was once a medieval water mill, now reimagined with dangling greenery, tall tables and a lively late-night vibe. The highly original summery cocktails pair perfectly with elegant sushi platters.

Boutique Hotel Restaurant, Wine Bar, Wine, $
The romantic wine bar at the adults-only 10GR boutique hotel in Rhodes Old Town stocks over 250 labels from across Greece, including the mainland. Each of Rhodes’ own wineries makes an appearance, from a Tsoukalas sauvignon blanc to a Koukanis assyrtiko. There are old vintages, orange wines and expertly mixed cocktails, too. The elegant setup – in a sensitively converted centuries-old granary – is a delight, as are the small plates showcasing Greek produce. Weekly wine-tasting sessions happen outside the high season, as do visits to veteran Rhodian vineyards.

Bar, Beer, Wine, Cocktails, Pub Grub, Greek, $

This popular beach bar is built into a series of caves overlooking lovely little rocky Kallithea beach, in northeast Rhodes. Barrels double as tables, sunbeds sit out on the sand under cane umbrellas and jumping-off jetties jut out into the teal bay. It’s loved for its all-night DJ parties and gets lively as the afternoons roll on. Temptations on the cocktail menu include just-mixed mojitos and fruity piña coladas or grab a chilled frappé coffee for something more sedate.

Bar, Cocktails, $
Down by the water on Elli Beach, bordering Rhodes’ New Town, a protected 1930s bathhouse now hosts easy breezy beach bar, Ronda. Candle-lit lanterns, macramé umbrellas and driftwood decor create a glam tiki-bar vibe and sun loungers trickle out onto the silvery sand. Kick back with a bottle of white Hatzimichalis malagousia wine from central Greece and, if you fancy, settle in for a seafood lunch showcasing the day’s catch (from grilled fish to fresh sushi). Stylish Old Town cocktail bar Soho is from the same switched-on team.

Wine Bar, Cocktail Bar, Wine, $
A taste of France comes to Rhodes Town at this ultra-chic wine-and-cocktail bar styled with whitewashed walls, swing chairs and original artwork. Innovative cocktails such as the signature Noemie – a blend of vodka, apricot liqueur, pineapple and cranberry – are served on the roof terrace overlooking the Old Town, or out in the hidden courtyard. Or pick from the exclusively French and Greek wine labels (perhaps a Bordeaux, or a Peloponnese moschofilero white), paired with local cheeses.

Bar, Snacks, Greek, $
There’s a refreshing splash of tropical Hawaii-inspired fun at this beloved Old Town bar-cum-club, where palms dot the terrace and the punchy cocktails burst with fresh fruit. Among the industrial-chic backdrop, order up a signature She Salt (a lemongrass-infused rum number, with pineapple and coconut) or a strawberry and thyme negroni. There are also iced coffees and just-squeezed juices earlier on, along with home-baked pizzas, artisan burgers, light-as-a-feather Vietnamese rolls and other street food-style bites.
If you want to see and do more in Rhodes, you can book a hotel through Culture Trip and check out some of the best restaurants. Alternatively, head to Athens and visit the local beaches before spending the night at a boutique hotel.

This is a rewrite of an article originally written by Evangelos Tsirmpas.