Going for a drink is so much more than just what you’re drinking. That’s why it’s good to know which bars are top shelf and which ones aren’t, and the European Bar Guide is here to help.
The platform ranks bars from across Europe on five main criteria: the quality and choice of drinks; the style and décor; the character, atmosphere and local life; the amenities and events on offer and value for money, which it then combines into an overall score, or ‘pub going factor’.
So, where is the best bar in Europe? Apparently it’s La Fleur En Papier Doré, a bar tucked away in Brussels that brags an arty mediaeval décor, which the European Bar Guide describes as ‘characterful and distinctive’.
In second place is Szimpla Kert, the oldest and most famous of Budapest’s incredible ruin bars which sprawls across multiple nooks, crannies, and levels, with graffiti, fairy lights, plants, disco balls and neon signs illuminating the crumbling building.
But there are plenty more cool and quirky places to drink all over the continent, so read on for the full top 20, or check out the top 100 here.
These are Europe’s 20 best bars
- La Fleur En Papier Doré, Brussels
- Szimpla Kert, Budapest
- Retsins Lucifernum, Bruges
- t’Brugs Beertje, Bruges
- Zlatna Ribica, Sarajevo
- Papa Joe’s Jazzlokal, Cologne
- U Hrocha, Prague
- Le Pot Au Lait, Liège
- Goupil Le Fol, Brussels
- Kulminator, Antwerp
- Vlissinghe, Bruges
- Schlenkerla, Bamberg
- Bar Marsella, Barcelona
- The Gravediggers, Dublin
- Pavilhão Chinês, Lisbon
- Café De Dokter, Amsterdam
- Dick Mack’s, Dingle
- U Černého vola, Prague
- Papa Joe’s Biersalon, Cologne
- Dead Soldier Speakeasy, Iași
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