Fun and entertainment Dodecanese

This snack-bar-café has been run by two Britons for over 20 years. It's a place where you can drink tea with milk and eat an English breakfast in the morning, unless you prefer a good cold coffee and a vegan menu. Above all, it's a popular place for climbers to meet up after a day's climbing to debrief and decide on the day ahead. You'll find all kinds of weather and other information useful for planning your climbs. The heart of the Kalymnos climbing community. Enjoy the pleasant terrace.

This terrace in Skala's main square is the café where people have always come to drink a frappé during the day or an aperitif in the evening. We watch people pass by, we talk about current events, we remake the world, we meet again from summer to summer and from day to day... It is one of the most important places of local sociability: in 2020, the Plaza café celebrated its 100th anniversary. We like to spend hours there, watching time pass. The service is still as adorable as ever, over the years. In short: it is a must for Patmos, in all simplicity.

The "bakery" is the nerve centre of Lipsi. Open 24 hours a day, it serves as a bakery, ice-cream parlour, tobacco shop, coffee shop, bar, meeting place for friends or lovers, office for Internet addicts, information centre for all the island's gossip.... In short, you will have understood that this is an essential part of any stay in Lipsi. We start there as well during the day as we finish there at night... The ice cream and desserts are quite successful. You can also buy puff pastries for your picnics on the beach.

This café on the main square of Skala is the oldest kafeneio in Patmos: opened at the end of the 19th century, it passed from hand to hand within the Karali family. Its name comes from the city of Texas where one of the owners, Andreas, emigrated in the 1930s. Since then, coffee has remained an essential meeting place on the island. The place has been taken over by the younger generation: it is always very pleasant to settle there to take a break or to have an aperitif and watch the world go by.

This is Astypalaia's most famous night bar, and it's easy to see why: situated just outside the fortress walls, it enjoys an ideal location. You can enjoy an exceptional view of the horizon from these heights, where you can meet up all night long to share a well-balanced cocktail with friends. The music is top-notch and we love the friendly atmosphere that reigns here every summer. Live music concerts and DJ sets follow one another on certain evenings, so you can opt for the pretty, cool terrace or the indoor dance hall.

This coffee bar on the seafront and the port of Agia Marina is particularly pleasant to have an aperitif at the end of the day, facing the sea and in the beautiful sunny light. The sun then gets colder and we are delighted to practically laze with our feet in the water, on the tables installed along the quayside. You will also come there to have your coffee in the morning and see the village wake up slowly, opting for the tables on the large terrace: comfortably installed, you will then have a view of all the comings and goings of the port.

This very pleasant beach bar is located at the northern end of Alinta Bay, at the very end of the road, on the small beach of Dio Liskaria. Here, a young and trendy clientele gather to drink fresh fruit cocktails during the day, to eat a good salad or a selection of mezzedes and to have a drink. Vegans and vegetarians will be delighted with the options adapted to their diet and caffeine lovers will be delighted to enjoy the homemade coffee, skilfully prepared. Music and DJ some nights

This bar-restaurant is perched high above Panteli, on the Apitiki hill overlooking the bay. Situated at the windmills on the road leading to the castle, it enjoys a unique location... which you'll have to earn if you're on foot, but which will reward all your efforts! In fact, the panoramic views from every vantage point are well worth the trip. One of Leros' many worthwhile establishments, it opened its doors in summer 2021. Don't miss the in-house pastries or a delicious evening cocktail: the view will never cease to amaze you.

This beach bar is one of the most pleasant on Leros. At the entrance to Merikia Bay, you can enjoy a drink overlooking the sea, comfortably seated, in a friendly, slightly trendy and contemporary setting. Good snacks are also available during the day, including vegan options or something to accompany a drink. A few deckchairs and umbrellas are set up for customers below. The setting and location are extremely quiet and pleasant. Ideal for a stopover before or after visiting the War Museum.

This café-ouzerie is located halfway between the port of Pera Gialos and the heights of Chora, next to a pharmacy. All the local youth flock there in the evening to share some delicious mezzedes and something to quench their thirst, often with a lot of raki or ouzo. Try marinated mushrooms or succulent courgette fritters. Live music and rebetiko are organized regularly and sometimes dance takes over. The ideal opportunity to discover the classics of this Greek folk music. An old-fashioned place

This pleasant waterfront establishment is perfect for a coffee break during the day, or an aperitif or drink in the evening. Away from the nightlife crowds but right in the center of Kos-ville, you'll be both quiet and in the heart of the action. You can spend hours here during the day, under the refreshing shade of the terrace's beautiful trees: a few brunch and breakfast options will satisfy even the hungriest of appetites. In the evening, the lounge atmosphere takes over, with live music concerts regularly organized.

This traditional kafeneio is the oldest in the village of Panteli: it's had a bit of a facelift in recent years, but still retains its old-world charm. Situated directly on Panteli's small beach, you can sit with your feet in the sand, facing the sea, or around the large tamarisk tree that provides welcome shade in summer. Here, you can spend long hours drinking a cold coffee or a cold beer, with mezzedes to share. A few deckchairs and parasols are also available for sunbathing.

This is the harbor café proper. Set right on the landing stage, it's the ideal place to wait for boats to arrive and depart. People come here for coffee and breakfast, and to drink ouzo in the evening. Livadia locals gather here on match nights. Internet access is good and free, so it's always busy during the day. Before a ferry arrives, the place is packed, saturated with goodbyes and wishes for a safe journey. A joyful hubbub that contrasts with the calm that reigns the rest of the time.

This open-air bar is perhaps one of the most surprising and exceptional nightclubs in the whole of the Dodecanese. In the abandoned village of Mikro Horio, Yannis renovated the family home and transformed it into a splendid bar. In the dark night and the magical setting of a ruined village, we celebrate under the stars until the early hours of the morning. You can never predict too much when the party will end. A free shuttle bus is planned from Livadia from midnight to late at night to drink serenely without having to drive.

Located on the beachfront promenade, Mikro Café is an institution in Livadia and one of the most pleasant places to spend a few hours sipping a frappé while playing tavli. You can also eat a few snacks during the day or have a good breakfast. But it is especially in the evening that the places come alive. Go up to the roof terrace to see the day end with a good glass of ouzo and then look at the stars in the sky of an ink black on this small lost island. The owner also manages Mikro Horio's bar.

In the central square of Livadia, perfectly located on the main crossroads where all the life of the village converges, you will spend hours watching life evolve from this small traditional café. Always open or almost open (it closes a few hours for a nap), it is run by Yorgos, the brother of Nikos the fisherman. You will drink coffee in the morning with the island's workers, during the day with the tourists on break and in the evening with everyone. Sometimes the music takes off and a few people start dancing. A must.

This café-bar is located in an alleyway in Lindos, opposite the Ambrosia restaurant. Locals come here in the evening for a drink or two (good cocktails), but also during the day, just to have a coffee and breathe for a few minutes before returning to worry about the passing tourist crowds. The welcome is warm and the atmosphere relaxed. You'll also find a small menu offering a few brunch options, including a vegan breakfast, for those who have made a clean break from meat and animal products.

This adorable café was opened several years ago by Polina, who wanted to create a warm, friendly place where people could sit and talk for hours, over a real espresso freddo or homemade lemonade, and share a light breakfast, a full brunch or a gourmet snack. The results live up to expectations, with a menu limited by local and seasonal produce wherever possible. You'll enjoy both sweet and savoury dishes, and appreciate the dynamic, fresh atmosphere.

There are two addresses for this mythical cinema in Kos-ville: the address on Elefterias Square is a classic cinema, as we know it here, while the address on Fenaretis is what we call a summer cinema in Greece. It is an open-air cinema that plays all the international films of the moment in the original version with subtitles (in Greek of course). You can have a drink at the small bar to quietly sip wine or a beer under the stars, enjoying the big screen and the freshness of a summer night.

Le Ronda overlooks Elli Beach and offers two areas: the beach bar itself, and the large modern interior, all in curves. The latter is organized under the large dome of a historic and protected building, a unique testimony of fascist architecture in Rhodes. It offers beautiful views of the sea and the port of Mandraki. In summer, the elegant beach bar spreads its deckchairs and parasols on the sand and offers some shaded tables. A very chic establishment to start an evening or to relax in style during the day on the beach.

Theodoraki Dimitriou Street has been a favorite spot for young Rhodians for a few years now, where they meet at any time of the day or night. Just outside the walls of the old town and behind the New Market, cafes and bars change their atmosphere as the hours go by. This is the case of Barra Tres, a bar with a nice design, where you can have coffee in the morning, a snack during the day and drinks in the evening. At night, the young and festive atmosphere is ensured by very knowledgeable DJs.

You can't escape it: it's displayed everywhere! Not surprising when you consider that each Greek region is entitled to only one casino. Thus, in the Dodecanese, it is in Rhodes that you have to come and play with your money: the islanders of the archipelago come to spend a few hours of leisure there during their stay on the capital island. Slot machines and gaming tables are spread over two floors in the historic building of the Grand Hôtel des Roses. Opened in 1927, it features the pump of architecture in vogue in Rhodes during the fascist period.

It's in the very heart of what was once the Auberge d'Auvergne, in a courtyard shaded by a gigantic plane tree, that you can enjoy the atmosphere of Café Auvergne. The food on offer is not necessarily very interesting: people come here rather to take a break, to drink a coffee during the day between two visits, or to taste a selection of local wines, at aperitif time or in the evening. If you add to this the calm of the place, despite its central location, it's a real meeting place in the heart of the medieval city.

This pleasant establishment located in a street parallel to the port is known for its love of coffee: here, caffeine and the different ways of making coffee are taken very seriously. It serves Mrs Rose blends, a roaster renowned throughout Greece. If you dream of a freddo espresso but are at the beach, don't worry! Coffee delivers coffee to me all over the island. On site, you can settle comfortably for breakfast, with a Viennese pastry or a Greek toast in the morning. Some snacks are also available.

This friendly café-bar and mezzedopoleio has become an institution in Emborios in recent years. The young, dynamic team has created an open, modern place where you can meet at the end of the day or in the evening, in the shade of the terrace, or on the high stools with a magnificent view of the sea. Good cocktails are served, as well as freddo coffees worthy of the name and fresh, tasty mezzedes to share. In the evenings, concerts are sometimes organized. Some parties go on late into the night, especially when the moon is full.

Mylos is a business that runs all day and almost all night on Lambi beach. During the day, it is a classic beach bar where you will find deckchairs and parasols, food, coffee or a drink with your feet in the sand. On weekends, and more regularly in high season, events are organised, including concerts, with heads in the stars. In summer, the second part of the evening is mainly reserved for great DJ sets that last until the end of the night and gather hundreds of party people.

Alternative atmosphere and decoration for this pleasant café-bar whose name means "La Mouche", represented from right to left on the walls and logos of the place. In an old Italian warehouse in the port of Mandraki, you are here near the ramparts of the old town. The coffee is very good (which is not given everywhere!) and some cocktails are a little more interesting than elsewhere. Special mention also goes to the musical selection, which is of high quality. The space is intimate in the evening and friendly during the day, a perfect balance!

We love this bar with its elegant yet relaxed lounge atmosphere, which opens onto the beautiful Arionos square. Ideal for enjoying a balmy summer's night, sharing a cocktail with Rhodes' beau monde. We come here to see and be seen, but in a relaxed, elegant sobriety that has been the hallmark of the place for many years. The cocktails are pleasant and tastefully presented. However, given the unique location, it's hardly surprising that prices are a little inflated...

This friendly cocktail bar is located not far from Agia Lesvia square, in a small medieval alleyway that quickly fills up with all the trendy Patmos revelers once night falls. In high season, we recommend that you come for an aperitif in the early evening, if you want to enjoy a quiet little table. Otherwise, you'll be playing elbow-to-elbow, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the island! The cocktails are some of the best on Patmos (and also some of the most expensive): you'll never tire of discovering the bartender's menu.

Located in the main square, between the bougainvillea and the newsstand, Petrino is the meeting point to start the evening quietly around a small aperitif. We look at the people who go out and meet before or after dinner, in the calm of summer evenings. Quite simply. Nothing special to note, it is the life of Tilos and Livadia that flows peacefully, between the children who play below, the old people who meet at Yorgos. Tourists also come for coffee and breakfast.

The latest establishment on Skala's main square opened its doors for the 2021 season. The historic building has been beautifully renovated, with all the materials and volumes that make up the architectural beauty of the city. This café-bar is pleasant during the day, to drink coffee or have a good brunch, but one comes here especially in the evening to taste the cocktails that make the place famous. The team - younger than its neighbours at the Plaza or Petrino - sometimes struggles to respond quickly to customers, but there's no rush!

For a drink in the pretty port of Mandraki, you'll be spoilt for choice on the waterfront: ideal for a break in front of the waves, whether over a coffee during the day or an aperitif in the evening. You'll find the inevitable Liotridia, the friendly Proveza and Rythmos Cafés, the relaxed Enallax Bar, renowned for its cocktails in particular (and open only after 6 p.m. in the evening), not forgetting the traditional ouzerie in the main square, Adrikos Café, the beating heart of Mandraki for decades.

This straw hut is located on the small pebble beach of Giala, before you reach the bay of Nimborios proper. We appreciate the shade of the canisses and the music, which is not too intrusive: ideal for a break between two swims in the sun. In addition to cold drinks and coffees, the bar serves a number of quality snacks. These include souvlaki, a delicious way to quench your hunger without breaking the bank. The whole place is attractive, better integrated into the space than many beach bars on the islands. A friendly, quiet atmosphere.

Located at the southern end of Pedi Bay, not far from the start of the path leading to Agios Nikolaos beach, this cozy café is particularly pleasant. You can stop here to get your strength back before the walk to the beach, or to recharge on the way back... In fact, you don't need to have a good excuse before or after your walk: you can come here at any time for a delicious breakfast, a coffee, a light lunch, a slice of cake for an afternoon snack or an aperitif in the evening, all with a calm sea view. A lovely address.

This bar with its industrial look attracts young Rhodians to the heart of Rhodes' new town. The large terrace is always busy in season, when locals and tourists happily cross paths on the tables and high stools of this relaxed, friendly establishment. It's not just for the well-crafted cocktails, but also for the DJ evenings that punctuate the summer (and the rest of the year too!). The cocktail menu features classics, but the bartenders are also happy to concoct a house specialty.

At the very end of the Agia Marina pier, north of the landing stage and level with the lighthouse that closes off the bay, you'll find these two establishments side by side, in a magnificent setting. Café Alevromylos is the ideal place to enjoy a freddo or a Greek coffee while watching the boats arrive and depart, in a quiet setting away from the cars and scooters that usually ply Agia Marina. The Faros bar takes over once night falls, for drinks until late, sheltered from the waves that break on the lighthouse breakwater just there.

This trendy beach bar spreads out its tables and deckchairs at the southern end of Elli beach, next to the yacht club. In addition to the beach facilities, there's a restaurant offering a blend of Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine with a sea view, a bar open all day long and resident DJs in the evening. Enjoy tasty cocktails, or take advantage of the daytime setting to cool down with an espresso freddo. But the best time to come here is when the sun goes down: it's the perfect time to enjoy an aperitif with your feet up in the water.

This trendy bar in the heart of the village has taken up the challenge of offering a cutting-edge cocktail menu, to be accompanied by a selection of sushi for a pleasant aperitif. The formula is a big hit, and evenings in season are packed. Come early to secure a table on the rooftop terrace: the view of the Lindos acropolis is always a plus for sipping a drink as night falls. As the night progresses, the atmosphere becomes more festive (and noisy!): ideal for those who want to party in style.

This pleasant café is located overlooking the small marina of Pera Gialos: you can enjoy the shaded terrace to watch the sun rise through the masts or to protect yourself from the rays when it is already high, after a lie-in. A meeting place for yachting crews, it has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. People come here for breakfast or for cakes during the day (special mention for the cheesecakes), to be accompanied by a proper freddo in the harbour. Out of season, the young parents of Astipalaia like to meet here.

This café and beach bar is located at the end of Livadia Bay, just outside the village. In a modern and lounge atmosphere, you can drink good freddosduring the day and some cocktails in the evening. All this with a view of the whole beach and the Kastro above. The bar also offers deckchairs and umbrellas for rent to relax on the beach. There are also some snacks, not necessarily great food but enough to satisfy a small hunger during the day.

Michalis and Vassiliki opened this small café-bar on a small square in Megalo Horio in the summer of 2023. A few tables spread out quietly, dominated by the imposing silhouette of the overhanging kastro: it's particularly beautiful at night, when the medieval castle is illuminated. In the mornings, you'll come here for breakfast and coffee, before the midday sun beats down too hard, and in the evenings for aperitifs and mezzedes. The rest of the time, you'll be warmly welcomed by the adorable young owners.

Le Petalo opened on the quays at the western tip of Gialos harbor a few years ago. Part café-bar, part quayside beach and part restaurant, it's a trendy (and therefore expensive) spot that offers superb views over the harbor and brings a touch of modernity to Gialos. You can spend the whole day here, between breakfast, a sunbathing session on the deckchairs set up for coffee (beware, they're expensive!), a swim, a neat cocktail as an aperitif or dinner in the restaurant proper.

A new arrival at the start of the 2023 summer season, this wine cellar has been set up on the port, next to the pharmacy. An interesting initiative, particularly for discovering and tasting wines from Lipsi, but also from the rest of Greece. Lovers of cocktails at aperitif time will not be outdone, as a number of mixed options are also available à la carte. A few cheeses and charcuterie are also welcome to liven things up. Ideal for lounging at the end of the day, on the high stools set up in front of the boutique.

This cocktail bar recaptures the aesthetic of speakeasy bars, which proliferated in Prohibition-era New York in the 1920s. Dark colors, subdued lighting, jazz in the background and high stools along the solid wood bar... everything you need to immerse yourself in a vintage, intimate atmosphere! The bartenders concoct creative blends, adding to all the classics of the genre, here perfectly executed. The menu of tasty elixirs changes regularly, sometimes incorporating typically local ingredients.

This new café opened in the pretty inner courtyard of the Hotel Anastasia, in a quiet alleyway not far from the Gialos campanile. Since its opening in 2022, the café has become a port staple for sipping coffee and relaxing over a treat during the day, or brunching on a hearty and tasty breakfast in the morning. Whether you prefer sweet or savoury, you'll find what you're looking for here, in this little haven of peace where the warm welcome adds to the experience. We wish long life to Pavone Café!

Overlooking Kantouni beach, this bar has long been a nighttime headquarters for Kalymnos party-goers: Domus has undergone a bit of a transformation since the 1980s, but the party's still going strong! Today, the establishment is open for coffee first thing in the morning and serves a variety of cuisine all day long. In the evenings, the place regains its festive touch, with seasonal DJ sets. Come for a cocktail or aperitif, enjoy it as the sun sets over the Aegean Sea, and then stay to party to the music.

This café-bar, open late in the day and into the night, is located at the entrance to Alinta Bay, when arriving from the port of Agia Marina. You come here to enjoy an aperitif in a setting barely disturbed by the main road that runs along the seafront and past this establishment with its friendly, cosy atmosphere. In the dark of night, the sea lingers right there, and we linger too. The music doesn't steal the show, and is discreetly played in the background. In winter, locals gather by the fireplace. A simple but successful address.

On the edge of the harbor, on the small Panteli marina, this bar with its warm, relaxed atmosphere is one of Leros' nightlife institutions. People come here to sip a drink late into the night, listen to the occasional live music concert, play a game of tavli or catch up on old times in the calm of the harbour. A cosy atmosphere, friendly cocktails, good music and a slow pace are the main ingredients of this successful bar, which is maintained year after year. Nothing more in particular, yet it's all there.

The Kalymnos Experience is both an alternative travel agency in the slow tourism tradition, organizing cruises, yoga workshops and retreats, climbing courses, and a café serving vegan and vegetarian cuisine, with occasional evening concerts. The ideal place to discover Kalymnos in a different way, taking the time to rejuvenate body and mind. Kaly's Vegan & Vegetarian Food Bar offers healthy, tasty dishes and home-pressed juices: ideal for a serious brunch or a light lunch. All in good spirits.