Thessaloniki is famous for its intense nightlife and the countless entertainment choices it offers for every taste and at all hours and days of the week. In fact, the city is alive almost every night! The evening starts early with a drink at one of the bars located in the city centre, or by the sea or in the different areas of Thessaloniki. Cafés, bars, clubs, live music pubs and alternative clubs – you name it! Below, we mention some of the most famous entertainment places in Thessaloniki and what you will find there:
Valaioritou - Syngrou
This is the region which once constituted the industrial zone in Thessaloniki. Some would compare it to the region of Ladadika in Thessaloniki, and some to Gazi in Athens. Although up until a few years ago, this hang-out area constituted an alternative form of entertainment with very few shops such as cafés, now it has turned into a hang-out area for entertainment in all categories. You will come across bars with jazz, rock and mainstream music and you will have a great time in the winter, as you will in the summer with the innumerable tables on the streets that make it difficult to distinguish the boundaries of each shop. Lately, new shops have opened, such as the “ Partisan”, “Hide n’ Seek” and “Rock n Rolla” on Valaoritou St, “My House” on Leontos Sofou, the “Submarine”, and “Elvis” which has moved its location, along with its customers, from Nikis Ave. to this region, as well as many more.
Coast
Alongside the coast, on Nikis Avenue, you will find many shops, cafés, bars and restaurants in Thessaloniki, from the White Tower all the way to the port. It is ideal for all hours of the day, since you can start out in the morning drinking your coffee, relaxing in the afternoon or evening after work, shopping, or start your night outing going out for your first drink. There are many bars along the coast of Thessaloniki that stay open until the early morning hours, while it is suitable for all. As you stroll down alongside Nikis Ave, you will come across some restaurant-bars that are open from morning ‘till night. There are some shops along the New Coast, right where the Concert Hall (Megaron) is located.
Ladadika
The once disreputable region near the port now constitutes one of the most popular hangouts for night entertainment in the city for many years now, hosting some of Thessaloniki’s restaurants, bars, cafés and clubs. The old warehouses and brothels one situated here have been replaced by bars, taverns and ouzeries. The graphic area of the Ladadika with its sidewalks and low, at most, 3-level buildings, once constituted the historic centre of Thessaloniki. It is now a fact that this region is not at the same peak as it was once, and fewer and fewer residents of Thessaloniki prefer this particular area for their night out in the city. Nevertheless, Ladadika is located very close to the port and the coast of Thessaloniki, therefore, you can begin your night outing from there.
Downtown - Rest of Thessaloniki
Anything we say about the nightlife in Thessaloniki would still not do it justice. Thessaloniki is known for its liveliness, entertainment, great mood and nightlife. In the city itself you will come across thousands of cafés, bars, restaurants, entertainment centres, clubs, “bouzoukia”, Greek music clubs and you’ll find your own hang-out spot whatever your preferences may be. Besides the coastline, the Valaioritou area and Ladadika, you will find many worthwhile shops in nearly all the areas of Thessaloniki and downtown. Don’t miss out on visiting Mylo, Vilka, the beach of Aretsous in Kalamaria, the new beach near the Megaron, the bars on Iktinou St, those beneath Agia Sophia, the various cafés and bars on Aristotelous Square and the various shops on the little narrow streets in the centre, for those who prefer a more alternative form of entertainment. |
