The Kraken

The Kraken is a cocktail bar set inside the whitewashed lanes of Kythnos Chora, the island's main village. It operates out of a compact space that spills outward — an exterior bar, seating on cushioned church steps, and an indoor room for when the night air gets cooler. With over 1,000 Google reviews and a 4.2 rating, it has a clear claim to being the most consistently visited bar on the island.

The bar takes its name from the mythical sea creature and leans into that identity with its signature house rum cocktail. The setting, though, is thoroughly Greek island: stone underfoot, low lighting, and the sound of music threading through narrow streets that were built long before any nightlife existed in them. It opens at 8 PM every night of the week and runs until 4 AM, which makes it one of the few places on Kythnos where the evening genuinely extends past midnight.

For an island as small and unhurried as Kythnos — which has no airport and draws visitors who specifically want to avoid the Mykonos crowd — having a proper cocktail bar in the village centre is worth knowing about before you arrive.

What to Expect

The layout is split across three zones. The indoor section is compact and atmospheric, with the kind of dim lighting that suits late-night conversation. The exterior bar faces onto one of Chora's pedestrian alleys. The third and most distinctive element is the seating arranged on the broad stone steps of a nearby church, cushioned for comfort and elevated enough to give a view down the lane — an unusual arrangement that has become the bar's most recognisable feature.

The cocktail menu is structured into two tiers: afternoon drinks and full cocktails, which signals that the bar expects a range of pacing from guests. The afternoon section features lighter aperitif-style options using Aperol, Campari, mastic liqueur, and local tentura, all priced at €8. The Chora cocktail combines mastic with Aperol and grapefruit soda; the Simousi uses tentura, lime, and ginger beer — both reflect a deliberate effort to reference the local geography through the drink names.

The main cocktail list centres on rum. The house cocktail, Kraken Kythnos, uses Kraken rum with lime, vanilla syrup, and pineapple (€10). Kanala goes in a different direction with Angostura Reserva rum, passion fruit, simple syrup, and bitters (€9). Wine by the glass starts at €5, and bottles range from €20 to €30. Beers include Stella, Estrella, and Corona, plus Kopparberg cider. Soft drinks use Three Cents mixers, a Greek producer known for quality sodas.

Music is part of the offering — the bar's own description notes it runs until sunrise when the season is right, and the crowd tends to be a mix of younger Greek visitors and international travellers who have found their way to one of the Cyclades' quieter islands.

How to Get There

The Kraken is in Kythnos Chora (also called Hora or Messaria), the main inland village of the island. The address is listed under Agios Savvas, 840 06, which places it near the central church of that name in the upper part of the village.

From Merichas, the main port, Chora is roughly 7–8 km by road. There is a regular bus service connecting Merichas to Chora, though schedules are limited in shoulder season — check locally on arrival. Taxis are available from the port. The drive takes around 10–15 minutes. If you are staying in Chora itself, the bar is walkable from anywhere in the village.

Parking is available on the outskirts of Chora; vehicles cannot enter the pedestrian lanes of the old village. Once parked, the walk into the bar area is short. The stone-paved paths are uneven in places, which is worth noting if mobility is a concern.

Best Time to Visit

The Kraken operates year-round in theory, but Kythnos itself has a concentrated visitor season from late June through early September. During July and August, the bar will be at its busiest, particularly on weekends when Athenians arrive by ferry for short stays — Kythnos is only about two hours from Piraeus, making it a popular weekend destination for the capital.

Arriving earlier in the evening (around 8–9 PM) gives you the pick of seating, including the church steps, before they fill. The bar runs until 4 AM, so there is no pressure to arrive at opening; the atmosphere typically builds through the middle of the night. For a quieter drink, weeknights in June or early September offer the same menu with significantly fewer people.

Kythnos evenings in summer are warm and dry. By late August, the meltemi wind that sweeps the Cyclades can make outdoor seating feel cool after midnight — a light layer is worth having.

Tips for Visiting

• Reservations are not typically taken at bars like this — arrive early if you want the cushioned church-step seating, which is the most photographed spot and fills quickly on busy nights.
• The afternoon cocktail menu (Kouri, Chora, Leukes, Simousi) is priced at €8 and designed as lighter aperitif drinks — a good choice if you are heading out for dinner afterward.
• The house cocktail, Kraken Kythnos, combines Kraken rum, lime, vanilla syrup, and pineapple for €10 — the logical starting point for a first visit.
• Cash is useful on Kythnos generally, as smaller establishments across the island sometimes prefer it; bring euros in case card payment is unavailable, though the bar does have a website suggesting it operates professionally.
• The bar is inside a pedestrian-only lane, so drop your car or scooter at the edge of Chora before heading in. The walk from the main square is short.
• Combine with dinner nearby: Kythnos Chora has a small cluster of tavernas and restaurants in the village. A meal before 8 PM sets you up well for an evening that ends at The Kraken.
• Contact ahead for seasonal closure dates — Kythnos businesses sometimes reduce hours or close briefly in October and spring. The phone number is +30 2281 031779 and email is [email protected].
• The Instagram account (@the_krakenbar) and Facebook page (krakenkythnos) give the most current sense of whether the bar is open and what events or music nights are scheduled.

What to Order

The menu divides logically based on when you arrive and what you want.

For an earlier, lighter drink, the afternoon section is worth exploring. The Chora (mastic liqueur, Aperol, grapefruit soda, €8) is the most Cycladic-feeling option on the list — mastic is produced nearby on Chios and shows up in Greek drinks regularly, but it is not standard cocktail bar fare. The Simousi uses tentura, a Patras-originated cinnamon and clove liqueur, with lime and ginger beer — an unusual combination that works well as a warm-weather drink.

For a full cocktail, the Kraken Kythnos (rum, lime, vanilla syrup, pineapple, €10) is the bar's signature and the obvious choice on a first visit. If you prefer something more bitter and complex, Kanala (Angostura Reserva rum, passion fruit, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, €9) is the alternative rum option and noticeably drier.

Wine drinkers have several by-the-glass options from €5, with Βίβλια Χώρα Assyrtiko-Sauvignon blanc available by the bottle at €30 — a well-regarded northern Greek white that holds up well on a warm evening. The Prosecco (€7 by the glass) is the most straightforward option if you want something simple and cold.

Three Cents sodas — grapefruit, cherry, ginger, and gentleman (tonic) — are available as standalone drinks at €4.50 for those not drinking alcohol.