The Gay & Lesbian Scene

You will not find a shortage of gay bars, cafes, and clubs in Athens even though the gay male venues by far outnumber the lesbian ones. The scene used to be in Makrigianni and Kolonaki but Gazi has taken over here as well with the hippest gay or gay-friendly establishments within walking distance from one another. The legendary gay bars and clubs of the past still remain in Makrigianni and are still popular, but the real scene has moved to Gazi. The weekly publications Athinorama and Time Out often list gay bars, discos, and special events in the nightlife section. Get-togethers are sometimes advertised in the English-language press, such as the weekly Athens News. Information is also available from the Greek National Gay & Lesbian Organization, or EOK (tel. 210/253-7333; www.eok.gr). You can also look for the Greek publication Deon Magazine (tel. 210/953-6479; www.deon.gr) or surf the web at www.gaygreece.gr. Gay Travel Greece, at 377 Syngrou Ave. in central Athens (tel. 210/948-4385), specializes, as its name proclaims, in travel for gay and lesbian visitors.

Gay and lesbian travelers will not encounter difficulties at any Athenian hotel, but one with a largely gay and lesbian clientele is 41-room Hotel Rio Athens (www.hotel-rio.gr), at 13 Odysseos off Karaiskaki Square in a nicely restored neoclassical building. Below are some selections we have made of the city's more fun gay bars/clubs. For a complete listing of all the gay fun the metropolis has to offer, check out www.athensinfoguide.com and www.gaytravel-greece.com.

Gay & Lesbian Bars/Clubs

Blue Train, 84 Konstantinoupoleos, Gazi (tel. 210/346-0677; www.bluetrain.gr), is right by the railway tracks on the edge of Gazi. The friendly scene here is a great place to begin the evening, preferably in the sidewalk seating where you can watch the trains and the boys go by. Daily 8pm to 4am. Eyeland, 24 Ikarion, Gazi (tel. 694615-0196), is a large industrial space converted to a club for women, with wall projections, techno, house, and R&B all night long. The girls here range from butch dykes to lipstick chicks, but they are all friendly and fun to be around and there is no attitude. Once a month it hosts gay film screenings and other special events so be sure to call ahead for the schedule of the particular night you're planning to visit. Tuesday through Sunday 10pm to 4am. Kazarma, 1st floor, 84 Konstantinoupoleos, Gazi (tel. 210/346-0667), is above Blue Train, one of the best gay clubs in the city. During summer the fun moves to the terrace. Wednesday though Sunday midnight to 5am. Lamda, 15 Lembessi and 9 Syngrou, Makrigianni (tel. 210/922-4202; www.lamdaclub.gr) has been popular for so long, it has become an Athenian institution. The energy on the ground floor is mostly laid-back while things in the basement get far rowdier. Perhaps the cave-like dark room (the only one in town) is to blame. Daily 11pm to 5am. Mayo, 33 Persefonis, Gazi (tel. 210/342-3066) is a quiet bar with a great inner courtyard and a rooftop terrace with a killer view. An excellent place to begin your evening with a couple of drinks on the balcony before hitting the more rowdy places. Daily 8pm to 4am. Micraasia, 70 Konstantinopoleos, Gazi (tel. 210/346-4851), whose name means "Asia Minor" and the decor has something of the Middle Eastern vibe of the old Greek world in that region (now Turkey). Red lighting, colored tiles, chaises, and belly dancers all contribute to making this a unique, atmospheric, and interesting venue (mostly for girls). There is also seating on its "secret" rooftop. Open daily 7:30pm to 4am. Moe, 1-5 Keleou, Gazi is open from midnight to 6am daily. The small after-hours bar gets busy after 4am just when most of the other gay bars in the city have given up. It's the place to go when the drinks, loud music, and flirting refuse to call it a night. Noiz, 41 Evmolpidon and Konstantinoupoleos, Gazi (tel. 210/342-4771; www.noizclub.gr). With its good music and dynamic scene, the girls have made Noiz into the most popular lesbian bar/club in town. The ultimate lesbian party. Weeknights 10:30pm to 4am; weekends 10:30pm to 6am. So Bar So Food, 23 Persefonis, Gazi (tel. 210/341-7774), is a popular lesbian bar with a great garden for the girls that want to chill out with their friends before hitting the clubs. Nice soundtrack, chill-out ambience, lesbian has rarely been so chic (sorry, couldn't resist). Open Tuesday though Sunday 10pm to 4am. Sodade, 10 Triptopolemou, Gazi (tel. 210/346-8657; www.sodade.gr), Much like Lamda, Sodade has also become an institution in Athenian gay nightlife. Owned by two lesbians who had the foresight over a decade ago to take a chance in a forgotten part of the city with a gay bar. Sodade was that unique place where gay boys and girls and their straight friends partied and fell in love together. It remains extremely popular every day of the week but is unbearably packed on weekends. Weeknights 10:30pm to 4am; weekends 10:30pm to 6am. S'Cape, Iera Odos and 139 Meg. Alexandrou, Gazi (tel. 210/345-2751), is a large club housed in the space formerly occupied by one of the city's best straight summer clubs. With army bunks, military-style motif, and a very sexy crowd, the place is fun and very cruisy but never takes itself too seriously. Monday is Karaoke night, Thursday is Greek night. Weeknights 10:30pm to 4am; weekends 10:30pm to 6am.

Restaurants

Myrovolos, 12 Giatrakou, Metaxourgeio (tel. 210/522-8806). This popular gay restaurant is a wonderful venue in a large piazza that opens at 11am every day as a cafe. It then becomes a very good restaurant before morphing into a very busy bar for girls who love other girls and their guy friends. Sapho, 35 Megalou Alexandrou, Metaxourgeio (tel. 210/523-6447), is owned by two lesbians from the island of Lesbos. They serve traditional and delicious dishes from their island at very reasonable prices. Also, don't forget to check out the very popular restaurants Mamakas and Prosopa, both mainstream but still very gay-friendly.

Beach

Not a typical beach as there is no sand, Limanakia B is a series of beautiful rocky coves. Nearby Limanakia A is far more popular, with a cafe/bar built right inside the rock and a rowdy, party crowd of teenagers and 20-somethings. Limanakia B is more forlorn and has no such features. If you take the tram to Glyfada then bus no. E22 to Limanakia (third stop), once you get off the bus you will see a roadside canteen with outdoor seating on a wooden deck. This is where you can stock up on snacks and water before descending down to the water and where, after sunning and swimming, you can linger for the sunset. Visitors follow the steep trail down to the water and claim their own rock. The water is beautiful and so are some of the other visitors. Nudity and public sex are common, especially late in the day when men get to know each other in private caves.

Bookstore

Even though Colorful Planet, 6 Antoniadou, Plateia Victoria (tel. 210/882-6600; www.colourfulplanet.gr; Metro: Victoria), caters mostly to a Greek gay and lesbian clientele with many Greek and international (translated) works of gay literature, there is still enough here to browse through such as DVDs, calendars, gay foreign press, gay guides to Greece, and many other goodies.