Nightlife in Kos? For sure. Kos is one of the most off-the-hook, good-time-living party islands in the eastern Mediterranean. It can give places like Malia, on Crete, and even the party meccas of Mykonos and Ios a run for their money. But don’t take our word for it…take the word of the hundreds of thousands of revelers who descend on the isle every year!
It’s no secret that much of the hedonism on Kos happens down in fun-loving Kos Town. Yes, it’s the main port of the island, but it’s much, much more than just a ferry stop. It’s also rich in history (be sure to visit the Roman theater and the ancient Agora of Kos if the hangover allows!) and has oodles of tavernas. But that’s not what you came here for. You came for nightlife in Kos…
Cue this guide. It delves into the thumping, buzzy district of Kos Town to list the top spots to let loose and party in these streets. There are places to suit all sorts of travelers, but they all guarantee a time you’ll never forget (or might forget, depending on how much ouzo you manage!).
Sitar Cocktail Bar
Sitar Cocktail Bar isn’t the place to go for rowdy all-night boogying. Nope, it’s a more refined and relaxed drinkery for the island’s more discerning patrons. There’s still a buzz, but the order of the day is mixed high-balls and local craft beers from Greece, not shot trays and whatnot.
The location is what really makes it stand out from the crowd. You’ll be tucked at the end of a charming, cobbled alley on one of the main squares along the Kos Town marina. That means drinks set to the sound of the creaking sailboats and the lap of the Aegean Sea.
Sitar Cocktail Bar will close a little earlier than its compadres down Bar Street. Typical summer finishing times are around the 3am mark.
Wild Bull Club
The Wild Bull Club sits smack dab in the center of the Kos Bar Street. It’s a veritable pumping party palace that’s often leading the way by midnight. The entrance is flanked by a few clusters of high-rise tables that will typically pack out with cocktail drinkers by the late evening. After that, the crowds start coming in earnest…
That’s when the action moves inside, which boasts a sprawling dance floor with some of the most awesome light shows and EDM sounds on the island. You’re talking heavy drops and big beats with loads of bass. Ibiza style.
It’s hardly a surprise that Wild Bull has established itself as the go-to place for all-nighters on Kos. It might not open until 7pm but it will keep going until 6am. Yep – you could stumble out to be greeted by the first rays of morning light beaming over the town. Just in time for a Greek coffee, perhaps?
West Bar
West Bar brings a bit of the Scandi pizzazz to Kos Town. It’s been going since way back when the Spice Girls were in the charts (ah, the heady days of 1997) and is firmly established as one of the most happening venues on the island.
You can’t miss it – just look for the huge Norwegian flag strewn across the frontage on Plotarchou Blesa, a single lane over from the main Bar Street of Nafklirou. You can also often tag along with the impromptu West Bar pub crawls that seem to trudge between the Kos Town beachfronts and the venue every day.
Don’t expect an early night. The evenings go off here with smoke plumes, pyrotechnics, strobes and endless EDM playlists. It’s likely to be another early-hours finish if you choose to join.
Mylos Beach Bar & Restaurant
The Mylos Beach Bar & Restaurant is one of our undisputed favorites on the island. It’s not in the center of Kos Town at all. In fact, it sits a couple of clicks (1.5km to be exact) north of the harbor area on the lovely beachfront of Lambi – one of the top stretches of sand within reach of the ferry jetties.
Because it resides outside of the hubbub of the main center, closer to the lapping waves of the Aegean Sea, you can look forward to a seriously fantastic setting. Take the main drinking and dining terrace, which spills out onto an area that’s half sand, half wooden boardwalks. The water will be sloshing just a few meters away and there’s an age-old windmill crowning the hill behind.
Unlike some of the out-and-out clubs on this list of the best nightlife in Kos Town, Mylos Beach Bar & Restaurant gets busy around lunchtime. Folk come to enjoy the menu of light snacks but stick around for the enticing happy hour deals. We’d say it’s a fantastic starting point for a party, but there are also certain nights in the midsummer that get positively wild with Greek DJs and light shows. They won’t end until well past 4am.
Camel Bar
Camel Bar is another establishment whose reputation precedes itself among the Kos Town locals and the regular returnee partiers. It’s billed as a self-proclaimed Hollandse Feestcafe. We’ll let you figure out what that means – our Dutch is a little rusty. But suffice to say that the vibe is Amsterdam meets the Greek islands. Sounds fun, eh?
The place is usually illuminated by stark red neon signage and there are often a couple of uber-friendly servers outside to reel you in as you stroll by. The proximity to the mega clubs of Bar Street means this is a regular pitstop in the middle of the night. That said, the indoor parties can also run on until the sun starts a-rising once again.
Omega Sky Bar
Start your night on the town in style by booking into Omega Sky Bar. It’s a rooftop spot with unrivaled views across the cinnamon-tinged sands of Paralia Kos, the main beach that stretches northwards from the marina.
Cocktails are the name of the game, and we’d say they are among the best-mixed on the whole island. You’ll get all the usuals – martinis, G&Ts, Long Island iced teas, mojitos – along with a few creative concoctions thought up by the bar staff.
The setting at Omega is less Greek, more Chicago circa 1926. There’s a speakeasy vibe in the retro furnishings and the noir bar fittings that’ll have you channeling your inner Al Capone as you gaze at the sunset over the Aegean.
Zero Cafe
We thought we’d cap off our selection of the best nightlife in Kos Town with something a little different. Enter Zero Café. A relaxed garden bar with oodles of al fresco seating deep in the old town center, it’s a bit more chilled than many of the options on this list. In fact, we’d go one step further – it looks positively like your home patio set up!
The drinks selection is also something alternative. The main focus is on Greek-made and global craft beers. Be sure to ask behind the bar if you’re unsure which one to go for. There’s food too, in the form of casual and hearty pub grub – the perfect stomach liner for the night ahead.
A couple of the town’s most notable statues and landmarks are located just outside, so you can mingle a tipple with a bit of sightseeing. Be sure to check out the Statue of Hippocrates, which honors the ancient father of medicine, and also drop into Dolphin Square a few steps to the north, for a vision of a unique roundabout statue.
Avra Loungebar Kos
Tucked onto the shoreline just about where the town leaves off, right by the bus station and the port, Avra Loungebar Kos is one of the first proper beach bars within reach of Kos Town. We love the wooden deck area where drinkers can sit and glug away their beers. With the shimmering turquoise sea right out front, it gives the feel that you’re sitting on the banks of Lake Garda or something.
The spot opens nice and early – at least early for post-hangover sessions! – at 9am. You can come then to sober up with the help of frothy Greek coffees and plates of club sarnies. Later on, the place converts into a lively cocktail venue with chart and chillhop on the changer.
Occasionally throughout the summer months, Avra Loungebar Kos is used as a venue for weddings and whatnot. When that happens, the place will be packed to the rafters. No biggie: There are other places to grab a drink just one or two steps further along the beach.
MASCOTTE Bar & Nightclub
MASCOTTE Bar & Nightclub has a reputation for fun-filled nights up in the nearby resort of Tigaki Beach, just along the north coast from Kos Town. It’s part chic cocktail drinkery, part live music space, but with an ever-smiling owner and front of house that ensure there are good vibes flowing from start to finish.
Design wise, you’re looking at a noir area that’s dimly lit in pinks and purples. That spills into a wider dance and drinking section where paintings of toucan birds mingle with elephant carvings to give a touch of eccentric exoticism.
There is food in the offing, but it’s casual pub grub in the form of pizzas and poutines, grilled chicken and chips. The drinks are what most come for, running the gamut from bulbous gin goblets to zingy citrus highballs. We’d say it’s the top option if you’re looking to venture away from the tried-and-tested nightlife of Kos Town proper.
Is Kos good for nightlife?
Kos is fantastic for nightlife. The island is up there with Mykonos, Rhodes, and Zante as the best party islands in Greece. That’s mainly down to the raucous summer nights that unfold in Kos Town, courtesy of pumping venues like the Wild Bull Club and the West Bar.
Is there a strip in Kos?
Yep. The strip in Kos Town extends down Nafklirou street in a sort of squiggly S-shape as it curls around the harbor just one block back from the water’s edge. You’ll find loads of the best nightlife in Kos there, but not all of it – some places prefer locations on the surrounding beaches (Mylos Bar, we’re looking at you!).
Where is the party place in Kos?
There are two main party destinations on the island of Kos. The first is Kos Town, where you should head straight for Lambi Beach or Nafklirou Street (also known as Bar Street). There’s also a lively after-dark scene in the resort of Kardamena on the south coast.
