Line was recently named the Best Bar in Europe at the Europe’s 50 Best Bars awards. To mark the occasion, we sat down with its co founder, Vasilis Kyritsis, to talk not only about awards and rankings, but about what truly shapes modern bartending.
By Eleni Nikoloulia
I honestly don’t know how many years I’ve known Vasilis Kyritsis. Thirteen for sure. Maybe even more.
Together with that magical generation of extraordinary bartenders, he was one of the reasons I decided to follow this career path.
Their passion was simply contagious.
They would present you with a signature cocktail and watch you take that first sip with such pride and anticipation, genuinely eager to hear your opinion, no matter who you were. It was impossible not to get caught up in that passion yourself.
And somehow, that’s how Athens learned to drink. It learned to experiment, to explore, and to trust its nights to a generation of bartenders who were deeply knowledgeable, effortlessly cool, incredibly welcoming behind the bar and, above all, dreamers.
That’s who Vasilis was then. And that’s who he still is today, only with much more experience behind him.
The bartender who went on to co own one of the most successful and groundbreaking bar concepts of its time, The Clumsies, before co founding Line, which only a few weeks ago was crowned the Best Bar in Europe at the Europe’s 50 Best Bars awards.
With that remarkable achievement as the perfect excuse, I decided it was time for a conversation. Not only about reaching the top, but about what it really takes to get there and, more importantly, what it takes to stay there.
We spoke about rankings, the economics of running a modern bar, the new generation of bartenders, artificial intelligence, the realities of hospitality and some of the biggest myths surrounding our industry.
Most importantly, I had the chance to confirm something I had believed for years: behind one of the world’s great bartenders now stands an even more accomplished entrepreneur. Someone who, together with his team, continues to help put Greece firmly on the global bartending map.
A bar needs luck to reach the top.
V.K.: It definitely does. The right timing, the right concept and the right team, combined with a bit of luck, can make a huge difference.
To make it onto the World’s 50 Best list, you need money or a strong PR agency.
V.K.: You do need to invest in events and in inviting the right people. But above all, when those people visit your bar, they need to experience a strong concept and be welcomed by genuinely great hospitality behind the bar.
Awards genuinely change the course of a business.
V.K.: In Greece, they absolutely do. They act as a guide for both local guests and international visitors, regardless of whether they fully understand what a particular international award actually represents.
Cocktails have become more expensive than people can afford.
V.K.: Cocktails have become more expensive because ingredients are more expensive, taxes for hospitality businesses are enormous and the environment we operate in has become extremely demanding. Even so, prices in Greece remain much more reasonable compared to many other European countries.
It’s harder for a bar to be profitable today than it was ten years ago.
V.K.: Absolutely. The rules of running a hospitality business have changed dramatically over the last decade. Even people’s disposable income when they go out has changed.
Young bartenders are less passionate than previous generations.
V.K.: Everything is faster and more accessible for today’s generation compared to ours. Information, cocktail tools and working conditions are all better than they used to be.
Unfortunately, instead of working in their favour, this often makes young bartenders more comfortable and, in many cases, less driven to keep improving.
Greece is the best bartending country in the world.
V.K.: Greece is certainly one of the best bartending countries in the world right now. Considering tourism is our biggest industry, we could build an even stronger ecosystem that could eventually make us the number one country. Unfortunately, I don’t see the level of cooperation between the industry and the government that would make this possible.
Rankings matter more to industry professionals than to consumers.
V.K.: Consumers are influenced simply by knowing they’re visiting an award winning venue, and honestly, that’s all they need to know. Bars are places to relax. For us, though, rankings mean much more because we understand everything that goes into these awards.
The biggest challenge bars face today is recruiting and retaining staff.
V.K.: To a certain extent, yes. But it also depends on the business itself. Your goal should be to set the standards your team is expected to work by, so you’re not relying on each person’s mood every time they come to work.
Artificial intelligence will fundamentally change bartending over the next decade.
V.K.: I’m not entirely convinced. It may improve certain aspects, smarter menus, better operations and greater accessibility, but fundamentally changing bartending? I don’t think so. This is a profession built on human interaction. At the end of the day, nobody wants a robot serving them drinks. People go to bars because of the people behind them.
If you were opening your first bar today, would you do it the same way you did back then?
V.K.: Yes. I wouldn’t change a thing. Every stage of your life shapes you, both as a person and as a professional, through the good moments and the bad. It’s important never to forget where you started and where you’re trying to go.
Reaching the top is enough to keep a team motivated and creative.
V.K.: Absolutely not. You can reach the top through passion and hard work. Staying there is a completely different challenge. What really matters is consistency in your team’s day to day work, and that’s incredibly difficult.
Most bar owners don’t really understand their own business finances.
V.K.: Honestly, before I met Dimitris Dafofoulos, my business partner at Line, I wasn’t consistent about it either. That was a huge mistake. Understanding your finances is everything. We shouldn’t forget that bars are businesses, and very demanding ones financially.
Today it’s easier to become a famous bartender than a good bartender.
V.K.: Absolutely. It’s one of the biggest problems in our industry. And when I say education, I don’t mean academic education. I mean having the mentality to deal with the exposure that can suddenly and very easily come your way.
Filling a bar on a Monday or Tuesday is almost impossible nowadays.
V.K.: It’s definitely much harder, no matter how many awards you’ve won. People simply don’t have the same financial freedom or the same willingness to go out as often as they used to.
One bartender everyone should know?
Nikos Bakoulis.
One bar everyone should visit at least once?
Schumann’s Bar, Munich.
One industry trend you’d happily see disappear tomorrow?
The idea that being rude is somehow “cool” or trendy.
One piece of advice for someone opening their first bar today?
Make sure everyone on the team, especially your business partners if you have them, has clearly defined roles and leaves their ego at the door.
Who will always be your mentor?
Theo Terzopoulos. One of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met in this industry.