Athens Named Cocktail Culture City of the Year 2026, Beating Paris and New York

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Athens has been named “Cocktail Culture City of the Year” at the 2026 Travel & Taste Awards, beating major global destinations including Paris, New York and Mexico City.

The award puts Athens cocktail culture and the Greek capital’s rapidly evolving food and drink scene in the international spotlight, strengthening the city’s reputation as one of Europe’s leading destinations for gastronomy, nightlife and city breaks.

The 2026 Travel & Taste Awards were organised by British food and travel magazine Olive, which recognises destinations and travel experiences with distinctive culinary identities.

According to the organisers, Athens stood out for the development of its cocktail scene over the past decade, with bars increasingly incorporating Greek ingredients, local flavours and modern interpretations of Greek hospitality.

Athens cocktail culture earns international recognition

Athens has undergone a major transformation in its food and drink scene in recent years.

The city’s cocktail bars have increasingly embraced locally sourced ingredients and Greek flavours, combining traditional products with modern mixology.

This evolution has helped establish Athens as more than a destination known primarily for the Acropolis and ancient monuments.

For international visitors, Athens nightlife, Greek gastronomy and cocktail culture are becoming an increasingly important part of the city break experience.

The 2026 award recognises that transformation and places Athens alongside some of the world’s best known food and drink destinations.

Athens beats Paris, New York and Mexico City

Athens faced strong international competition for the Cocktail Culture City of the Year 2026 title.

The Greek capital ultimately came out ahead of major global destinations including Paris, New York and Mexico City.

The recognition is particularly significant for Greece because the Travel & Taste Awards focus on destinations with a strong and distinctive gastronomic identity.

The award therefore provides Athens with additional international exposure at a time when the city is seeking to strengthen its position as a year round tourism destination.

Greece also receives recognition at Travel & Taste Awards

Athens was not the only Greek destination to feature prominently at the 2026 Travel & Taste Awards.

Greece was nominated for Food Destination of the Year, competing against Japan, Spain and Slovenia. Spain won the award.

The Greek island of Tinos was also nominated in the Gourmet Island Escape of the Year category.

Tinos competed against Menorca, Sicily and the Isle of Skye, with Sicily taking the award.

The multiple Greek nominations highlight the growing international profile of Greek cuisine, gastronomy and culinary tourism.

UK travellers remain important for Athens tourism

The Athens award also comes as the Greek capital continues to attract large numbers of British visitors.

Figures cited by the Greek National Tourism Organisation and Athens International Airport show that the United Kingdom was Athens’ second largest foreign visitor market in 2025, behind the United States.

Approximately 775,000 UK visitors travelled to Athens in 2025, representing a 5 percent increase compared with the previous year.

Overall, Athens welcomed approximately 8.7 million foreign visitors in 2025, up 10 percent year-on-year.

The figures underline the importance of Athens as a standalone city break destination for international travellers.

Athens promotes food, cocktails, nightlife and culture

The latest international award is expected to further support efforts to promote Athens in the British tourism market.

Eleni Skarveli, Head of the Greek National Tourism Organisation’s UK and Ireland Service, said the distinction strengthens Athens’ image as a modern and authentic city break destination.

The recognition also highlights how Greek food, Athens nightlife, cocktails and contemporary culture are increasingly becoming part of the overall tourism experience.

For visitors, Athens now offers a combination of ancient history and a rapidly developing modern scene, from traditional Greek restaurants and neighbourhood tavernas to award winning cocktail bars and innovative culinary venues.

The 2026 Travel & Taste Awards recognition adds another international accolade to Athens’ growing list of tourism and gastronomy achievements, further establishing the Greek capital as a major European destination for food, drink and city breaks.

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