by Away from the three kilometer long stretch of Laganas, Zante’s nightlife scene is much more relaxed. Cafes and bars leading off Solomas square in Zante town attract locals who sit out in lively clusters greeting friends, eating traditional honey and almond mandoles and playing tavli backgammon. A string of chic bars on the Venetian hill crowned Bochali castle just outside the town attracts a hip crowd who come here to sip cocktails and admire panoramic views. This Ionian island also has a traditional music scene and it is well worth seeking out the local bars where they hold atmospheric and traditional nights.
For more Zante inspiration, check out our guides to the islands’ best hotels, restaurants and things to do. Plan an extended visit with our ultimate guide to planning a Greek island walking holiday.
Paradise Cocktail Bar
There’s always something going on at this funky little bar in the low-key resort of Tsilivi. Away from the frenzied crowds of Laganas, this family venue, which has been running for over 23 years, proudly promotes itself as a place to have a ‘good old fashioned night out’ in plenty fun and odd games, between reggae nights. and quiz times, to Plate breaking and drag nights. With banners on street lamps proclaiming it to be ‘the best bar in Greece’ and a ruined pink motorbike parked outside with a sign reading ‘Elvis’ mothers car’, this one is easy to spot.
Contact: Paradise cocktail.gr
Price: ££
Entry: Dress code is casual; Seating is hard to come by on theme nights, so get there early.
Bar Jungle
Named for its salt flats, abandoned in the 1980s and now a magnet for migratory birds, the seaside resort of Alykes has one of the best nightlife scenes on the island – and the Jungle Bar, which is run by families, located on a busy trip. road in the center of town, one of the best places to enjoy it. Children are welcome at this bar’s saloon-like terrace (great for people watching) where they serve a wide range of (competitively priced) cocktails and nibbles – along with Guinness and beers on tap – such as together with the hits of the Eighties and Nineties.
Contact: junglebaralykes.com
Price: £
Entry: Casual wear; no booking required.
Varkarola
This local family establishment, with its whitewashed walls lined with traditional instruments and photos of popular Greek musicians, is the best place in town to grab some of Zante’s traditional candies. Traditional folk songs with a strong Italian influence said to have originated on the nearby island of Kefalonia, usually performed by two or three male singers, who play the mandolin or acoustic guitar and sing (manly or mournfully ) improvised arekia verses. The food here is as hearty as the music: try the kouneli stifado rabbit stew in garlicky tomatoes and wine sauce.
Contact: varkarola.gr
Price: ££
Entry: There is a casual dress code, but it is best to reserve.
Club Movida
Moonlight works magic on this sky bar located on top of the sweet-smelling Bochali hill, pine-studded, close to the crumbled walls of the Venetian castle, where the hip crowd of the city comes to sip handmade cocktails. Trees with twinkling lights surround a wooden-decked terrace with amphitheater-like views of the pitch-black Ionian sea below and the sparkling Zante beyond. In the summer, drinkers (sitting on high-backed wooden chairs) are enthralled by the loud hooting of Scops owls, and local and international DJs playing mostly laid-back hits. There is also a limited menu: try the handmade burgers with skinny fries.
Contact: video.gr
Price: ££
Entry: The dress code is hip/casual.
Club Cebu
Although it is just down the road from Laganas, the nightlife in Argassi, just a few kilometers from the town of Zante, is much cooler. The early evening is the time to hangout with the locals – who flock here to eat in a series of pubs and fast food joints – before heading to one of the laidback clubs. Cebu’s palm tree-shaded garden behind high walls is a great place to gaze at the stars through palm fronds, while cocktails flow. There’s also a football pitch-sized dance space inside where local DJs and guest artists perform their sets.
Contact: cebuzakynthos.gr
Price: ££
Entry: No shorts or flip-flops.
Zakanthi Bar Restaurant
Located in a tall ocher building with olive green shutters along a quiet street in Kalamaki’s chilled-out seaside resort, the laidback bar is surrounded by a pretty garden – trimmed lawns, palm trees and potted plants – that feels very private. The interior is rustic-chic – flagged stone floors, chunky wooden tables and candles – but the best seats are outdoors, where friendly waiters serve up cocktails made by a resident mixer, as the sweet sounds of the classical and jazz music from hidden speakers among the speakers. tree. In the summer they also have regular live music nights.
Contact: 00 30 26950 43586; facebook.com/Zakanthi
Price: ££
Entry: Dress code is elegant and casual; it is better to book it on the weekend.
Cotton Club Zakynthos
When Christian Marstrander and his wife Merete, the Norwegian owners of Ibiza’s beloved Club Cotton, first landed in Zakynthos they were overwhelmed by the pristine seascapes and lush greenery of the Ionian island, and promised they created the second Cotton Club here. An ideal place to escape the coastal crowds, this sophisticated lifestyle club sits on a pine-clad hill with stunning views over Laganas bay. Come here during the day to sip cocktails and chill by the pool, or stay later to enjoy live DJs and plant-based menus in the club’s al fresco restaurant – for those who choose to stay, they Villas also for rent, as well as narrow menus. a line of luxury yachts.
Contact: cottonlifestyle.com
Price: £££
Entry: No reservation is required, but you will probably look out of place if you don’t wear white.
Porto Azzurro
Vasilikos beach resort has ten-penny beach bars, but Porto Azurro’s location – just steps from the warm shallow waters and soft sand of its namesake beach – is paired with an imaginative range of cocktails (try the Greek Collins made with grappa-like tsipouro , instead of gin) is a popular choice at lunchtime. Drinks can be ordered on the bar’s shaded bamboo terrace, or from the comfort of a sunbed that you don’t want to leave. They also serve Mediterranean snacks: choriatik salads drizzled with olive oil, fresh grilled meat souvlaki and seafood.
Contact: portoazzuro.gr
Price: £££
Entry: Stylish beachwear is usually de rigueur here.
Villa Rossa wine bar
Although the best grapes were once exported as curries, Zante produces excellent wines from a wide range of local varieties – and not just the ubiquitous Verdea white wine, either. Located on the Vassilikos peninsula in an atmospheric villa, with creaking wooden floors and ornate antique furnishings – and which once belonged to the powerful Roma family (who also owned Archontiko Roma in Zante town) – Villa Rossa has plenty to choose from. Sit at picnic tables (with plenty of cushions) under the citrus-scented cypress trees and choose from an extensive list served with spicy ladotyri cheese and other snacks.
Contact: belvederezante.com
Price: £££
Entry: Dress code is a casual country.
Portugal
Across the street from the popular seaside resort of Argassi, Portokali (Greek for ‘orange’) really rocks in vibrant amber with carrot colored deco from lampshades to seats. Surprisingly, though, the orange-with-everything theme isn’t oppressive because this quirky live music bar restaurant is set in beautiful, precious gardens: giant palm trees spin velvety palm fronds, a star-spangled sky and olive trees ancient hit with (orange) hammocks where you can be lazy and listen to live music that is on most nights here and can be anything from laidback jazz to lively rock’n’roll. There is also a restaurant that serves traditional local delicacies, including – you guessed it – portokalopita (orange cake).
Contact: 00 30 26950 45730; facebook.com/portokalirestaurant
Price: ££
Entry: Odd, but get there early – this place is popular.
