Six Underground
Six Underground operates as a speakeasy-format cocktail bar hidden behind an unmarked door on a side street near Metaxourgeio metro station. The entrance gives no signage; visitors find it through word of mouth, Google reviews, or by spotting the building address and trying the door. Inside, the room is intimate, seating roughly 30 people across a small bar, high tables, and a handful of low lounge chairs in the back corner. The bar program commits seriously to Greek spirits and Mediterranean botanicals, with a seasonally changing menu that puts tsipouro, mastika, ouzo, raki, and lesser-known Greek distillates at the center of the drinks rather than treating them as secondary ingredients in international classics. The bartenders work deliberately, building drinks over several minutes with fresh-expressed juices, house-made syrups, and garnishes prepared to order. The sound system runs jazz and downtempo at quiet volume that permits conversation throughout, and the lighting is dimmed enough to feel intimate without making menus unreadable. The crowd skews 30 to 50, with a strong contingent of serious cocktail drinkers who treat the venue as a destination for craft rather than social atmosphere. Prices run on the higher end for Athens, reflecting the technique and the ingredient quality.
What to Expect
A quiet, intimate room where drinks are built slowly and conversation is the default mode. Expect to sit for two or three hours rather than order and move on. The experience rewards attention.
Intimate, slow-paced, and seriously crafted. A bar where the drinks lead and the room follows.
Jazz, downtempo, ambient at low volume; conversation runs as the dominant sonic layer
Smart-casual to smart. Athenians dress up slightly for cocktail-destination bars.
Couples, cocktail enthusiasts, travelers on a dedicated drinks night who want craft and quiet
Cards accepted and preferred, cash also accepted
Price Range
Signature cocktails 13-17 EUR, classic cocktails 11-13 EUR, Greek spirit flights 15-20 EUR, small plates 8-14 EUR
Signature cocktails ~$14-19, classic cocktails ~$12-14, flights ~$16-22
Hours
Tuesday-Sunday 20:00-02:30, closed Monday
Insider Tip
Book ahead by phone or Instagram message; walk-in seating on weekends is rarely available. Ask for the off-menu Greek spirits recommendations, the staff can build something based on your preference profile. Order a flight of Greek distillates alongside a cocktail to understand the base spirits the menu draws from.
Full Review
Finding Six Underground takes effort. I walked past the building twice before realizing the unmarked black door at the street number was the entrance. Inside, the room unfolds down a short hallway into a space that feels deliberately removed from the outside world, with minimal ambient light, a bar counter of dark wood, and the sound of bottle pours and shaken tins replacing the traffic noise of the street.
On a Thursday night visit, the bar was about two-thirds full with a mix of couples in low booths and serious drinkers occupying bar stools. I sat at the counter and watched the senior bartender build a drink for the person next to me over four minutes, starting with a bespoke infusion of tsipouro with fennel, moving through a fresh citrus expression, and finishing with a spray of bitters and a carefully chosen garnish. The commitment to process is genuine rather than performative; every step has purpose.
The menu opens with an explanatory section on Greek spirits which reads like a primer on the national distillation tradition. Drinks fall into three categories: Greek-forward signatures, international classics, and seasonal experiments. I ordered a signature built around mastika (the Chios-native gum resin spirit) with local honey and bergamot, and a classic Old Fashioned done properly with Greek oak-aged tsipouro in place of American whiskey. Both arrived with clear reasoning behind the ingredient choices and balanced execution.
Compared to the other Athens cocktail institutions like Baba Au Rum, The Clumsies, and Noel, Six Underground takes the most narrow and deliberate approach. Baba Au Rum has broader rum depth, Clumsies has more ambition and variety, Noel runs theatrical. Six Underground commits to Greek craft in a way none of the others match, which makes it the best destination specifically for travelers wanting to understand Greek spirits in a serious cocktail context.
The pricing reflects the technique and the ingredient cost, with cocktails running 15 to 20 percent above neighborhood average. For a drinks-focused night, the premium is justified.
The Neighborhood
Six Underground sits on a side street near Metaxourgeio metro station, in a quiet residential-commercial block that contrasts sharply with the louder surrounding nightlife zones. The building is unmarked and blends into the street frontage.
Getting There
Metro Line 2 (red) to Metaxourgeio station, then a three to five minute walk. The venue is close to both Omonia and Kerameikos, making it a reasonable stop on a longer Metaxourgeio-Gazi evening route.
Where to stay in Athens
Compare hotels near the nightlife districts. Free cancellation on most properties.
Other Venues in Metaxourgeio
Bios
Multi-level cultural center and bar in a converted industrial building on Pireos Street. The rooftop terrace draws a mixed crowd of artists and students, and the basement hosts DJ sets and live performances on weekends.
Romantso
Creative hub inside a former printing house that combines a bar, event space, and co-working area. Live music nights feature Greek indie and electronic acts, while the courtyard fills up on warm evenings with locals drinking craft beer.
Odd Apothecary
Cocktail bar styled after a vintage pharmacy with dim lighting, exposed brick, and a menu built around house-made tinctures and bitters. The bartenders take their craft seriously, and the space stays quieter than the street-level bars nearby.
Oinopoleion
Traditional Greek ouzeri and wine bar tucked into a side street near Kerameikos. The menu focuses on meze plates paired with regional wines and ouzo. Locals treat it as a neighborhood spot, and the atmosphere is relaxed compared to the club-heavy streets nearby.
Sin Athina
One of the more established gentlemen's clubs in the Omonia area, operating as a licensed venue under Greek law. Two floors with stage shows and private seating areas. The clientele is a mix of Greek businessmen and visiting tourists.
Cantina Social
Neighborhood bar on Leonidou Street with a street art exterior and mismatched furniture inside. Cheap beer, a rotating selection of Greek craft brews, and a crowd split between art students and local workers. The kitchen serves tacos until midnight.