Greece Travel Guide logo

Nightlife in Sifnos

The Old Captain in Kamares

Sifnos nightlife, Greek island nightlife, Greek island clubs, nightlife in the Cyclades

 Whether you want to sit in the courtyard watching the lights of the harbor and the incoming ferry, or you want to sit inside and be entertained by Captain Lefteris and his partner Tony, the Old Captain is the happening place on the island. (Both of them played a role in the legend of the Sifnos Monster .) While some bars in Apollonia charge as much as 14 euros for a mixed drink the prices at the Old Captain are very reasonable.
Sifnos nightlife, Greek island nightlife, Greek island clubs, nightlife in the Cyclades The old Captain is where I began my career as a folk singer in 1984 when I shared the stage with the famous Greek-American superstar Dorian Kokas. Every night there was a line of people waiting to get in while all the other bars were empty. The only problem was that people would sit through the entire show nursing one drink and the bar was losing money so eventually they discontinued the live music. Too bad for me but lucky for you because otherwise I would have never become a travel writer. But sometimes when the moon is full and the crowd is right I have been known to do a surprise special performance. Come to think of it, if you go there why don't you 'suggest' they bring back the live music. I think it was the best job I ever had.

Sifnos nightlife, Greek island nightlife, Greek island clubs, nightlife in the Cyclades Profile of Kelly, Tony and Lefteris of the Old Captain Bar
 Tony is a Greek born in Cairo and educated in America who speaks perfect English, in fact I forget that he is Greek sometimes. He currently splits his time between Sifnos and Tulsa, Oklahoma and Thailand. He is crazy about country music and if you have any cassttes or CD's with you he will gladly play them though you may have to wait until the wee hours of the morning when most of the customers have left. If you end up at one of their after-hours parties be prepared to listen to the likes of Junior Brown and Willie Nelson until the sun comes up and the smell of warm bread from the bakery fills the streets of Kamares.

Lefteris is a total basketball fanatic and is willing to talk about the subject for hours. He can tell you every American who is playing in the Greek leagues, his stats and what he makes a year. The Old Captain is where most of the yacht people go, in fact most everybody comes here at one point or another during the night.

Acting hostess and den-mother, Kelly Thayer is a professional jazz singer from Oklahoma who gave up her marketing career to live in Greece and spend her summers in Sifnos. Kelly manages the Old Captain and makes people feel right at home, giving plenty of  helpful advice about what to see on the island. Mention this website and drink free. (maybe). If you come here for a before dinner drink they will give you a discount coupon for Claudio's Italian Restaurant across the way. Then when you eat at Claudios they give you a free drink coupon for the Old Captain. You can save a small fortune with this formula. Looking for a summer job? Have waitressing experience? E-mail Tony at manolatostony@yahoo.com

If you come in July of 2010 my daughter Amarandi is the cocktail waitress here so please tip her well so she can go to college.

Folie
A touch of Jamaica in Greece, this colorful bar on the far end of the beach is also a snackbar-restaurant with a beautiful view of the lights of Kamares at night.

Apollonia Nightlife

The scene in Apollonia (on the main footpath with the pubs) during July and August is a miniature of Mykonos. People stay up until 5 o'clock in the morning going from one pub to another. It's a very happy environment (no rowdiness) and lots of fun. During the month of August there is no place better to be than Apollonia is nightime is the right time for you.

A listing of clubs and what kind of music they play.

Aloni - live Greek music renown for its rebetika musicians - very good (until 5 am) - great interior and  terraces.
 Emmetrou - live Greek music
Camel Club - all kinds of music mostly the "top of the chart" stuff
Isidora pub - 90's music and rock and roll - nice place
 Volto - current hits - small place
 Argo - the classic place - has been there since 1980 - classic rock tunes, current hits, top of the chart, some Greek (taped) music. Nice interior and terraces.
 Doloma - another classic although not so old - small in size, beautiful interior - proposed for real music listeners - jazz, blues, rock, ethnic music - great drinks, very friendly.
 Bodgi -Music bar plays relaxing music at a tolerable volume

If you ask me, the best way to enoy the nightlife of Sifnos is to find a restaurant or ouzerie in the harbor and sit as close to the water as you can get. Order your favorite drink and enjoy the view, whether it is the boats and the lights in the harbor or the people passing by. If you look around and you see others doing the same thing then don't be shy about going over and saying hello and joining them for a drink. Maybe they have read this guidebook too. If you are on a budget keep in mind that the bars charge more for drinks than the restaurants and cafes. You can enjoy the pleasures of the port and then continue in the bars when you get tired of the tranquility.

Want to know more?
Return to Matt's Sifnos Page Index