Nightlife

Thessaloniki is well known for its bustling nightlife - both among Greek and international visitors. Its huge student population creates a certain vibe, so much different to Athens. Greeks themselves claim that Thessaloniki is much more relaxed. After a few days spent in the city you will agree on their statement - bistros and coffee shops are never empty, you get the feeling that the citizens of Thessaloniki do nothing but drink coffee and play tavli outside. 

It is really hard, even impossible, to describe each and every club/bar in the city. Therefore, I will mention places which attract foreign students or places that are worth visiting for other reasons.

Let's start from the seaside. During the day it's a place where you can relax with a cup of coffee or eat a quick light meal. But when the night falls it turns into a busy road of exclusive bars which are usually occupied by young Greeks. I wouldn't say it's a place good for student budget but it may be worth visiting, especially if you are tired of all stricte Erasmus parties, or if you simply want to see what locals do on their nights out. Kiss Fish Bar, on the far end of the promenade, close to the seaport, is a nice place to be. It may get quite crowded on weekends (like almost every single bar in Thessaloniki), but the prices are reasonable. A little bit further down the road you'll find the city's famous and exclusive Club Vogue. Ticket costs €10 including free drink of your choice. It is a place to be if you like classy, elegant places with music from the charts. 

Further north lies the area called Ladadika. It is home to lots of pubs and clubs. One of the places you will surely visit there as an Erasmus student is Eightball. Eightball is a rock/metal club, but every week it hosts Erasmus party. Tickets are €5 + free beer. Drinks at Eightball are inexpensive, €3 for a beer, a little more for a cocktail or tequila. On Erasmus parties, the place is crowded, usually with Erasmus students, but also with Greek guys standing against the walls and trying to pick up girls who have drunk a litle bit too much (of course, not every Greek man is like that). If you want to go somewhere more Greek and more fancy in Ladadika, I recommend Club Piccadilly. It's packed every weekend and it's predominantly Greek. There are times where you literally can't get through the crowd to the bar. Piccadilly plays contemporary music from Greek and international charts. 

On the outskirts of the city centre, close to the White Tower, is located a very cool bar called Silver Dollar. It's very popular among international students, drinks are cheap and it offers a friendly atmosphere. The area around White Tower is worth mentioning too. It is where hundreds of young people come to chat and have a drink every evening. Even at 1-2 am the area is still crowded, there are people sitting on the grass, people protesting against everything, people selling hot-dogs and corn. It is popular among both Greek and Erasmus students and it has a really unique atmosphere so I fully recommend visiting it as often as you can afford. 

Figaro Disco is a disco club located outside of the city centre. Like Eightball, it hosts Erasmus parties every week. Tickets: €5 + free drink, music is rather contemporary pop, the dancefloor is quite big and most of the time, every Erasmus party attracts many foreign students. The easiest way to get there is taking a cab which shouldn't cost a lot. 

I suggest you follow your favourite bar's fanpage on Facebook so you never miss an interesting event. Also, ESN Thessaloniki announces every Erasmus party on their Facebook page as well as on their official website.