Greek nightlife comes to Symi, Kyma, The Cove and more Long Island restaurants

As the orange glow of the summer sunset fades, people congregate along the open-air deck of The Cove, a Mediterranean-inspired waterfront restaurant in Glen Cove. Tables are filled with sushi orders and Greek dishes such as keftedes and halloumi. Diners mingle while beats are mixed by a DJ. Others order cocktails and dance under a disco ball as boats pull up and dock.

"I’m not a big dancer but the DJ is fantastic," says Andreas Giacoumis, 57, of Manhasset, who works in real estate development. He is one of the patrons who arrived by boat with friends. His weekends often consist of "coming here Friday night, going home, sleeping then changing clothes and coming back Saturday night," he adds.

The atmosphere, food and music may have some attendees feeling like they're vacationing in Mykonos or Santorini, without the flight to Greece. The Cove is one of several  Long Island Greek restaurants offering a nightlife component with a meal while a DJ plays popular electronic dance music. At The Cove, DJ night parties are  on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 7:30 p.m. year-round, plus Thursdays and Sundays in the summer.

Other Greek and Mediterranean restaurants — like Kyma in Roslyn, Symi in Northport, Calissa in Water Mill and Noema in Huntington — land their parties on Thursdays only, giving a weekday option to patrons as well. 

Although the owners consider their establishments to be restaurants first, they have been hosting the nightlife events since they opened as an added amenity to the dining experience. The music sets are drawing crowds and bringing new life to the business, restaurant owners agree. 

COLLIDING CULTURE AND CUISINE 

"If you think about how people go to Greece and the islands near there — Mykonos, Baros, Santorini — they all have that kind of vibe where it’s about dinner and dancing, and the Greek hospitality," explains The Cove co-owner Philip Iordanou .

Iordanou, who is of Greek descent, wants to make the restaurant feel a little bit like home. Iordanou's eatery features elements of the Greek islands with décor including iconic white and blue deco buildings and the bright, pink bougainvillea flowers.

"Greek culture is all about food and drink and dancing, and it’s all so connected," says Irena Angeliades, a co-owner of Symi. At Symi, there is no dance floor but guests can enjoy music at their seats or at the bar. As the evening progresses sparklers may be given out to guests and many twirl their napkins in the air while sitting at their tables. The chef may come out when Greek music plays to show off some solo dance skills. 

Symi opened its doors in May and already has a group of regulars, like Andrea Marciano, 54, who enjoys Greek food and music but is not of Greek heritage. "That’s not important, it’s the kind of fun that’s good for anyone," says Marciano, a hospital administrator from Huntington. She once danced the night away at area nightclubs "and I would still go" if they existed, but "once I start dancing here, it’s the same feeling. It brings me back."

Some patrons enjoy the atmosphere of eating dinner and listening to the music, such as Donny Chiarel, 24, and his fiancee, Emily Dimitriou, 26, both of Northport, who attend the event regularly. "I like that this is a chilled place," Chiarel says. Dimitriou agrees."I like that it’s relaxed, but we have the option to dance if we feel like it."

If you're looking for more of a party scene, Noema and Calissa offer more energized scenes with bottle service and dancing areas. It's a similar scene at Kyma, which features a drummer who moves through the crowd.

AN ELEMENT OF HOME WITHOUT THE FLIGHT 

"This is close to a Greek vacation," says Martinos Kyprianou, 54, a civil engineer from Queens who moved to the United States in the '90s from Cyprus. He now prefers the opportunity to dine, drink and dance with Hellenic essence.

"Places like these, I was missing them," says Kyprianou. He says he visits The Cove three times a week during the summer and at least once a week during the winter when the restaurant has DJ nights indoors on Fridays and Saturdays. 

"I would take this over any nightclub," he says.