Updated October 2026
The best places to meet singles in Thessaloniki are Salsa & Bachata at YMCA Thessaloniki (XANTH), Tango Thessaloniki open classes, and Thessaloniki Improv Meetup Wednesdays. Go on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening, when they are at their liveliest and it is easiest to start a conversation.
Thessaloniki is a student city with a famously relaxed pace: people linger over coffee, walk the seafront every evening and go out late. Most of them go out with their own group, so the easiest way in is a class, a meetup or a bar where talking to strangers is normal.
These ten places are real and open, checked in October 2026, from the YMCA dance floor and the university campus to Ano Ladadika, the port and the waterfront. Every one of them works if you go alone.
See who nearby is free this evening and send one message. No swiping. Free, 18+.
Dance classCity centre (XANTH Square)€All ages
Partner dance classes for adults every Tuesday and Thursday in the central YMCA building: a beginners' salsa and bachata hour from 19:30 and an intermediate salsa class from 21:00. It costs €45 a month, you can book a free trial class, and partners rotate, so you meet the whole group.
Plateia XANTH, 546 21 Thessaloniki · Takes bookings
Tango classAristotle University campus€All ages
Argentine tango classes at the university gym, with a new season that started on 29 September 2026 and classes open to complete beginners. The same teachers run milonga nights in the city, the natural next step once you know a few steps.
University Gymnasium, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki campus, Thessaloniki · Takes bookings
Improv classAno Ladadika€€All ages
A weekly improv session on Wednesdays from 20:30 to 22:30 in a creative hub near the port, open to complete beginners. Improv games make you laugh with strangers within minutes; a drop-in costs €25.
Craftopia Creative Hub, Ptolemeon 39, 546 30 Thessaloniki · Takes bookings
Networking meetupAristotle University campus€30s
The city's startup community has met here since 2007, with more than 90 free evenings of short talks followed by plenty of time to chat. Meetups are open to everyone and run mostly in Greek, and they draw founders, developers and curious people in their twenties to forties.
KEDEA building, 3is Septemvriou, Aristotle University campus, Thessaloniki · Takes bookings
Craft beer pubWhite Tower€€All ages
A craft beer pub a few steps from the White Tower, open from 18:00 every day except Monday, and the co-founder of the city's beer festival. Talking about what is on tap is an easy opener with the person next to you at the bar.
Nikiforou Foka 6, 546 21 Thessaloniki · Walk-in
Food marketCity centre (Aristotelous)€All ages
A restored 1920s covered market by Aristotelous Square, with produce and cheese stalls outside and traditional tavernas, new restaurants and bars inside. Lunch here is busy and relaxed, and small tables put you close to your neighbours.
Between Vasileos Irakliou and Ermou streets, Thessaloniki · Walk-in
Film festivalAristotelous Square and the port€All ages
For ten days in November (5 to 15 November 2026) the whole centre turns into one big cinema, with queues, talks and late screenings full of people happy to discuss what they just saw. A documentary festival follows each March.
Olympion, Plateia Aristotelous 10, 546 23 Thessaloniki (plus the port warehouses) · Takes bookings
Seafront promenadeSeafront€All ages
About five kilometres of promenade along the bay with 13 themed gardens, where half the city walks, runs, cycles and meets friends for coffee, especially at sunset. Joining the evening walk is the most local thing you can do.
Waterfront promenade from the port to the Concert Hall, Thessaloniki · Walk-in
Cocktail barAno Ladadika€€30s
An award-winning cocktail bar in Ano Ladadika, listed among Europe's 50 Best Bars in 2026, with a fun, busy atmosphere rather than a hushed one. Open Wednesday to Sunday, until 03:30 on Fridays and Saturdays; grab a seat at the bar and talk to whoever is next to you.
Veroias 3, 546 25 Thessaloniki · Takes bookings
Rooftop barVardaris (near the railway station)€€30s
A rooftop bar on top of a design hotel at the west end of the centre, near the railway station. A relaxed place for an evening drink above the city, and easy to combine with the bars of nearby Ladadika.
Monastiriou 24, 546 29 Thessaloniki · Takes bookings
Popular places to meet people in Thessaloniki include Salsa & Bachata at YMCA Thessaloniki (XANTH), Tango Thessaloniki open classes (tango class), and Thessaloniki Improv Meetup Wednesdays (improv class). All of them are easy to visit alone or with friends.
Pick an indoor spot such as Olympion Cinema or Museum of Byzantine Culture. Both work well for a first date in any weather.
Open YesTonite and see who in Thessaloniki is going out tonight. Say hi, agree on a time and meet at one of the places on this page.
Checked October 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so call or check the website before you go.
· 6 min read
Why speed dating is back, 20 speed dating questions that start real conversations, how to find events near you, and how to host your own mini speed-dating night.
Read the full guide· 4 min read
How speed dating works in Milan and Rome, who it suits, and real places to meet people instead: an international aperitivo, a pub quiz, salsa and a Sunday run.
Read the full guide· 4 min read
How speed dating works in Madrid and Barcelona, who it suits, and real places to meet people instead: language exchanges, board game nights and swing dancing.
Read the full guideOn YesTonite you see who nearby is going out tonight, say hi and meet the same evening. Free and 18+.
Join free18+