Jazz Upstairs at Bar Guru

When Bar Guru Bar brought its sultry swing to Theatrou Square in central Athens seven years ago, there was nothing in the neighbourhood but a tumbledown taverna, a stinking onion warehouse, and a handful of deadbeats. This didn’t stop the Mykonos set from descending in force. But with its Chinese lanterns and vintage pin-ups, fairy lights and fake flowers, a night at Guru felt more like a holiday in Thailand than a Greek island. And the cast of characters was always as eclectic as the infectious soundtrack - the crumpled barman, elegantly wasted as Keith Richards, whipping up a blur of mint daiquiris; glamour queens grazing on spring rolls; clandestine couples smooching on low sofas on the smoky mezzanine like extras in an opium den.

Guru broke new ground with its sounds as well its surroundings (now flooded with copycat bars and clubs). Disco anthems, rare groove, cheesy jive, jittery jazz, classic reggae, dirty funk, mellow skank, heck even Vanilla Ice gets them grinding on the dance floor. But a common riff runs through the soundtrack - it’s music to make you smile, music that melts pretence. As the smooth grooves get going, the toe-tapping crowd slides into fully-fledged hip wiggling, fuelled by the best-frozen margaritas in the western world. Upstairs - once a sweaty little disco-house club, now an intimate venue that has plugged a hole for local jazz lovers called “Jazz Upstairs” - an exciting line-up of jazz bands show off their stuff.

It has evolved with the times - always fresh yet somehow reassuringly familiar. Turning the corner into the square and seeing the red glow from the steamy windows still feels like coming home. Hours later, as night bleeds into dawn and you stumble out past Nigerian hookers who hustle hopefully and grouchy market traders setting up shop, you know you can sleep easy, because the Buddhist pagoda behind the bar will always shine bright in this temple to good times.

Click here to see whats going on upstairs

14.11.2008