100. K.K.C, Riga (Latvia) 🇱🇻
Live Music / Art Space / Courtyard Bar / Community Venue
Read our full write-up!
Or… Go to our 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇻 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.6/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
After being exposed to the height of the ruin bar scene in Budapest, any other venue that aims to achieve a similar thing becomes immediately of interest.
Riga’s basket case old town makes for an uneven and quite hollow night out, as the centre is so overpriced and full of stag tourism as to virtually evict any local interest from the centre. This is not to say there are no bars worthy of note, but after a while it becomes interesting to look at where Rigans are actually hanging out.
K.K.C is one of the answers to that question, set in a large building which looks somewhere between a mansion house or an old municipal building. It is located north of the old town in a fascinating area ‘Centrs’ full of tall pre-war modernist buildings, a hodgepodge of interesting styles, and yet all rather old, sad and neglected. The area feels like it has a lot of potential nonetheless, but whether there is enough money to bring that about is another matter.
K.K.C has an attractive courtyard area which the building wraps around, and lots of people are happy sitting around with a beer and socialising. Indoors there is a mixture of art space and more obvious bar-like areas, with friendly service, cheap decent beers and a refreshing DIY approach. The good reviews of the place are well deserved as it provides a much needed break from the norm, and in the summer especially it would be the ideal spot to hang out outside of the old town.
It has even more potential than they seem to realise, and it will be interesting to see whether they ever truly utilise the space, but for the time being you can come along for its exhibitions, concerts, or more likely just for a beer and a chat.
“Kaņepes Culture Centre is a bottom-up cultural, social and political platform that engages with local & international communities, activists, and subcultures for a better, more equal, and diverse world. We strongly stand for every individual’s right to express themselves, create, and enjoy freedom. Kaņepes Culture Centre house is over 100 years old. It was a venue for social events organized by Baltic-German and Russian aristocrats, and a bohemian place during the darkest times of Soviet-occupation when it was a dormitory for students of the Art Academy. After that, it became a place for Jāzepa Mediņa music school. Since September 2020, Kaņepes Culture Center officially gained the status of social entrepreneurship.”
From Kaņepes Kultūras centrs
99. Oldenburg, Madrid (Spain) 🇪🇸
Beer Specialists / Local Bar
Go to our 🇪🇸 Spain 🇪🇸 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
German and Belgian beers abound with a changing selection of special beer on tap as well. This Madrid corner pub out in the districts is well designed with dark wood and already gaining character. The neighbourhood life is worth joining here with its busy, friendly hubbub, a local crowd supplemented with some international flavour.
98. Beer Kolobars, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) 🇧🇬 (New Entry)
Beer Specialists / Local Life / Amenities
Go to our 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇧🇬 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
A true diamond in the rough, in a provincial town that has an obscure European reputation at best, finding anything like this place is a huge – and welcome – surprise. A beer lover’s paradise with shop, brewery and bar which has been tastefully set up in such a way that the obsessive beeriness doesn’t dominate – it serves just as well as a local pub, as confirmed by a mixed crowd. Harmony is achieved, sport on TV doesn’t dominate, nor does the row of beer shelves at the other end of the room. Friends can be made and lost, snacks consumed and lovely high quality beer in abundance. Fantastic place.
97. U Zlatého tygra, Prague (Czechia) 🇨🇿
Traditional Pivnice / Beer Hall / Famous Venue
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Anyone with a mild interest in the European bar scene or the city of Prague will no doubt have heard about the institution U Zlateho Tygra, a traditional preserved Czech pub slap-bang in the old town, famous for welcoming political dignitaries, scholars and celebrities over the years.
Reading about the pub’s stories and seeing Bill Clinton and the like tucking into goulash and dumplings may generate a degree of excitement.
The design and layout is an archetypal Czech pub with wooden tables and panels along the wall, curved cream-coloured walls and the odd framed photograph touching on most of the key themes of the pub – tigers, literary figures and Pilsner Urquell. You’ll find a tapster working the taps almost non-stop. At some quieter places the tapster can be at a loose end but this is one of those places that is so busy it looks like extremely hard work.
The beer itself is a standard, non-mickey taking price when you consider the old town mean average and beer arrives without your say so, as does a second and a third (unless you make a point of putting the mat over your drink). If you turn up thirsty you could easily find yourself processing several Pilsners in short order.
There’s a gregarious excitable atmosphere inside, and it really does feel like the place to be.
Now a word of caution.You may or may not be aware that Czech pubs allow reservations, meaning turning up at some places on spec can result in disappointment. At U Zlateho Tygra you may as well forget even trying to turn up in the evening unless you have reserved your spot in advance. When you get in it will feel like a private member’s club where you need to stay all evening to get full value for the exclusivity. Don’t despair though, as there is a way in. Turn up at 2.50pm, join the queue, and if you’re in the front 30 or so you should be assured of a seat unless you’re in a large group. If you see people pushing in at the front then choose whatever retribution you see fit.
This may not be a concern for you, but we feel a duty to point out that U Zlateho Tygra’s main appeal is that of a minimalist down-to-earth Czech pub.
In order to have the best time at U Zlateho Tygra, work out when you’d prefer to go, and if that’s after 3.15pm book a table in advance. Come for a flavour of Czech drinking at its best, and try not to focus too much on the externalities. You’re here for a good time, and everyone else is. Don’t expect much from the server other than a conveyor belt of Pilsner Urquell and a food order.
As hackneyed as it is to say, you can’t really miss out this pub.
96. A Baiuca – Fado Vadio, Lisbon (Portugal) 🇵🇹
Live Folk Music / Pantry-Kitchen / Authentic
Go to our 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇵🇹 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Although you may see reviews of this place as a restaurant, the homely open-kitchen style and the late night atmosphere make this place definitely worth of the name pub – indeed the doors themselves describe the place as a ‘Taberna’.
That said, there is an entrance fee which covers the flow of wine and shots and the musical main event, fado, dramatically mournful Portuguese folk music. At the time of the visit this fee was 10 euros which at the time seemed very reasonable considering the wine and music were both very good.
This may seem a bit off-piste so far considering the beer halls and pubs covered on the blog, but be aware I have offered a degree of latitude to this venue on account of the authenticity and character.
Lisbon’s traditional working class neighbourhood the Alfama is the perfect setting for the place, and it can be difficult to track down while wandering up and down the maze of winding streets on the hillside. I remember we ended up locating it by deduction alone, and peering through a metal garage door. The front door itself was shut, but after a couple of knocks the owner met us at the door and arranged our seating after payment was made.
We gathered on a communal table in a small room, with most places taken, and were made to feel welcome with a couple of glasses of wine. There is no stage, and the musicians simply perform in the corner of the room. Each song is dramatic and passionate and the performers looked extremely well practised at the style. An overkill of maudlin music doesn’t seem like the basis for a night out, but the songs are short, melodic and received enthusiastically.
There are a great many corporate joints in the city centre offering fado performances with the meal, and while there is always a place for that, this is where to go for the real McCoy, stripped back, homely and raw in an unbroken folk tradition.
After considering the experience overall, I think aside of the entrance fee, it occupied a very similar social space as going to a pub, both in terms of the homely working class surroundings and manner of drinking.
Our visit extended long into the early hours of the morning leading to a very uncomfortable wakeup call the following morning to the airport!
There are a few other traditional fado venues in the Alfama, which we are sure warrant exploration, but we can strongly advocate visiting here if you like your experiences real and rustic. Finding this place on our final night in Lisbon more or less made the trip.
95. Könich Heinz, Leipzig (Germany) 🇩🇪 (New Entry)
Late Bar / Kneipe / Alternative
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
It’s great visiting a pub that immediately feels like you’ve stumbled on the place to be. Hugely popular and for good reason, as this bar provides a good deal of space for the largely younger crowd to socialise. The district of Connewitz’s scene leans strongly left-wing, though this one feels one of the more liberal and welcoming with it. Crimson paint, retro signage and a double sided bar completes what is a terrific must-visit late night venue in Leipzig. Smoking allowed, and as an alternative venue this is clearly love-it or hate-it. Choose wisely according to your own needs.
94. George Inn, Hubberholme (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Historic Country Inn / Gastropub / Real Ales
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A spectacularly good pub that has managed to tread the fine line of serving food to pay the bills while also retaining a social pub character to its core. In a relatively remote hamlet with a very infrequent bus service about 40 minutes walk away, there is no great community of locals here, as such it inevitably relies on hikers and diners to pay the bills. Family run, there is a real die hard enthusiasm and care, with Ed serving and taking time to get to know you. Bookings are recommended for for lunch or evening service, while if you want a drink or light meal, the bar area and outdoor patio tables may be available. With award winning pies and fresh fish delivered daily, you can’t go wrong with the delicious meals here, nor indeed with the range of local ales from Wensleydale brewery, or Pilsner Urquell lager hauled all the way from Czechia, a rare find out here in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Intimate and characterful, your needs will be met and then some. Sit by the fire, enjoy the pub dog George tottering about and design your next hike that coincides with this place. A classic.
93. Salionas, Vilnius (Lithuania) 🇱🇹
Late Bar / Historic Venue / Cocktails / Courtyard
Go to our 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇹 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Destination cocktail bar in central Vilnius making use of a beautiful historic building and courtyard. With a small range of decent local beer and boozy cocktails, the core enjoyment comes from the fantastic atmosphere and décor. An outstanding venue.
92. Damenhof, Augsburg (Germany) 🇩🇪 (New Entry)
Courtyard Bar / Cocktails / Historic Venue
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A cocktail bar in a truly unique venue built by the Fugger’s as part of a social program, the Damenhof was at one point a bathhouse, and this makes use of its opulent and frankly spectacular courtyard, which even now features a central pool. The place is stylishly lit, and the cocktails are of high quality (and price). Beer is available too. Whatever your poison is, it’s worth coming to see and enjoy the surroundings.
91. Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, Munich (Germany) 🇩🇪 (New Entry)
Beer Hall / Schwemme / Historic Venue
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
The archetypal German beer hall on steroids. This may have been Hitler’s piss palace, it may be a touristy venue but there’s a reason it remains so popular. High ceilings, and oversized everything – from tables, lanterns, even to giant pretzels, the scale of the place makes you feel in the midst of something grand. State financed, this is because it represents a cultural icon. Enjoy the traditional music and kind service, with only the occasional overspills of boisterousness, slow service and tourist deluge in the Schwemme taking the edge of what would otherwise be a 10/10 experience.
90. The Nag’s Head, London (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Irish Pub / Antiquey Bar / Music Venue / Cash-Only
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
A true throwback and one of the most characterful pubs in all of London, this is a living museum from floor to ceiling. Compact, worn out and oozing character, you will not run out of things to look at and ponder. A husband and wife team run the show, with their own slightly outdated rules (no phones, minimum £15 card spend) and an uncompromising attitude that has earned them some low ratings online. However, if you bear those in mind to avoid disappointment, there is much to love. Surrounded by gleaming mansions and sports cars, this is a survivor and worthy of not just attention and patronage but loyalty.
89. Lórien, Palma di Mallorca (Spain) 🇪🇸
Taverna / Theme Pub / Craft Beer Venue
Go to our 🇪🇸 Spain 🇪🇸 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.7/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
In a city geared up for café culture, wine drinking, tapas and pintxos, the likes of craft beer and cosy pub going plays a definite bit part role. Going for a night out in Palma generally revolves around tapas bars, often lively and buzzing but lacking any really loveable venues. Indeed, the noise, constant eating and paucity of good beer becomes a drawback after a time.
Thankfully Lorien has stepped into the breach, a superb genuine beer pub with a thankfully loose Lord of The Rings theme (think tastefully framed artwork rather than costumes). The pub tailors for an audience starved of choice and quality, with a range of Spanish and Mallorcan craft ales on tap. This will come as a refreshing change of speed from the relentlessly uniform options of Estrella or Mahou everywhere else in the city.
There is a corresponding uptick in price which is hardly surprising given the sheer lack of competition, but given the alternative option is standing around food-munching Mallorcans in corporate tapas bars, or drinking wine in inappropriately intimate cellar bars, it’s worth it.
Furthermore, Lorien succeeds by being a real pub. There is bench seating and a square communally facing main room, and unsurprisingly a rather different crowd of young people dressed informally in a cosy and informal setting.
The bar staff are almost textbook beer monsters, bald, big beards and big beer guts, and are more than happy to chew over your drinking options. Thankfully Lorien strikes the balance right between the studious beer contemplation and a friendly communal feel.
Anyone dying for a good beer and a communal pub in Palma should come here.
88. Whitelock’s, Leeds (England) 🏴
City Tavern / Historic Venue / Real Ales / Courtyard Drinking
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Amid a shower of mediocrity, Whitelock’s is a beacon for the values of preservation and tradition in creating a characterful pub.
Whitelock’s itself was first founded in 1715, although you’ll find the current state more akin to late Victorian in style, with mirrored panelling, stained glass and tarred black wood. The pub was a ‘Luncheon Bar’, and during the day has much the same feel as it would have had back in the day, with a bustling busy atmosphere with food service and drinking intermingling. There is a stolid feeling of grandeur and it always feel like you are partaking in the upkeep of a fine tradition.
Situated down of one of Leeds many arcades, the pub used to stretch along the length of the arcade, a narrow snaking venue with effectively two bars (one of which is now a modernised cocktail bar called The Turk’s Head). The pub can be approached from either entrance, although I recommend the entrance nearest Trinity centre which provides the most rabbit hole like escape from the modern world and really makes you feel like you’ve been transported back in time. There are benches outside which can be nice on a humid day but are not the reason for venturing down here. Head inside and chance your arm at finding a seat – not an easy task sometimes.
The crowd at Whitelock’s rises and falls in swells. In the space of half an hour the scene at bar can change from a breathless tangle vying for space to calm and sedate, with a regular slowly enjoying a sup of cask ale perched by the brass serving area
The bar area itself is a little unusual and old-fashioned, as despite the bar having a low ceiling, the staff seem raised above the level of the pub and after serving your pint, will deliver it down to you. The toilets are also odd, with a tiny staircase at the end of the bar which is almost like being on a ship rather than in a pub.
The best beers by far in Whitelock’s are the cask ales, as the lager options are still behind the times. You’ll find some of the best classic real ales, along with some interesting local options. They have some forays into craft styles with a mixture of cask and keg.
For a change, we would like to enthuse about the food. They have put a lot of thought into how to bring the idea of Luncheon menu into the 21st century, and have managed it, with most dishes having an English pub heritage, and using very fresh ingredients. You pay for it, but it’s pretty good. It isn’t just a generic pub grub place.
Once you’re inside and sat down, with only the dappled light coming through the frosted glass, you can really soak up your extraordinary environment and with it being a typically cosy old pub, it won’t feel like there’s any reason to move. Whole afternoons and evenings can come and go here supping quality pints of ales swaddled by comfortable surroundings.
By far the best traditional pub in Leeds and due to its very particular features it could stake a fair claim to being one of the very best in the United Kingdom.
87. Opus Pistorum, Bari (Italy) 🇮🇹 (New Entry)
Cocktails / Converted Venue / Atmosphere
Go to our 🇮🇹 Italy 🇮🇹 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
The best bar in Bari? We think so. Amazing artwork and decor compliments a building with an enormous curved ceiling pointing at its former use. Very high quality cocktails and brooding atmosphere make this the place to go. Slightly more vital-feeling than the similar and still enjoyable Chat Noir a short walk away.
86. Foxy John’s, Dingle (Republic of Ireland) 🇮🇪 (New Entry)
Traditional Pub / Hardware Store / Local Life
Go to our 🇮🇪 Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A local institution run with an iron fist. Just as its notoriety has gained, the locals have dug in. You’ll be promised and perhaps served up ‘ruthless craic’ (although if you understand it quickly enough give a bit back – they do genuinely enjoy it). Both Hardware store and pub, this is an oddity, and there is a degree of self-awareness too. Locals prop themselves up by the shop counter and in the snug, but you may find room at quieter times. A truly special pub that has kept the best through the years..
85. E&M Leydicke, Berlin (Germany) 🇩🇪 (New Entry)
Historic Venue / Rauchkneipe / Liqueurs / Live Music
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
One of Berlin’s special venues and institutions that it would be a shame to miss out on visited. Historic preserved venue with decorative wooden bar, tinted windows and parquet floor. An excellent example of faded grandeur leaning towards the classic Berlin roaring 20s era sleaze.Beer is not the main event here (although you will see most people with a glass on their table) but the range of liqueurs provided by the proprietor, all stacked behind the bar. A friendly, locally famous guy runs the show and was very welcoming to us on both occasions. Smoking is allowed which will deter some but ultimately completes the sense of atmosphere and place as you are transported back through history, none more so than during one of their cabaret shows. The glamour and a hint of sleaze provides a ghost of the city’s past.
84. Konoba Avlija, Podgorica (Montenegro) 🇲🇪 (New Entry)
Konoba / Live Music / Late Bar / Interesting Decor
Go to our 🇲🇪 Montenegro 🇲🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
A local institution, the neon signage draws you into a dramatic corridor filled with personal effects and Montenegrin heritage before opening out into a wide, but still personalised and characterful courtyard with a stage at the end. While the place offers food, it is known as a bar and drinking venue in the evening, with an environment that comes alive the noisier and busier it gets, much like a ruin pub. A standout venue anywhere, but especially somewhere like Podgorica.
83. Keimling, Fürth (Germany) 🇩🇪
Neighbourhood Pub / Social Atmosphere / Local Life
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
In clarty weather there’s nothing more enjoyable than diving into a warm cozy pub. Franconia is no stranger to such climatic conditions and the pub offerings are generally designed with that in mind.It is January after all, so when we emerged from the U-Bahn station at Rathaus (from our weekend stay in Nuremberg) we were faced with a deluge arriving from above. Fürth old town is a pretty one, with a classic Bavarian/Franconian appearance, clock tower, steep tiled roofs and timber-houses, enough for an hour or two pleasant wandering, but it took us only ten minutes stroll around getting soaked through before resolving that we needed to get to a pub – and quick.After researching in advance I had one pub in mind as an outstanding potential venue – Keimling.It’s a short walk from the stop and a pleasant one, along one of the main streets and then down a steep lane. A charming and enticing little lane spurs up to your left but carry on down until you see a small beer garden – you have arrived.Keimling (translated as Seedling) is so named after a seed-trade facility which formerly existed on the premises. Evidence of this remains apparent as you walk in, with the drawers and cupboards re-purposed into the new pub structure, most notably to the left of the bar as a corner-bar top. The bar’s logo and mascot is a seedling emerging from a wooden house, which can be seen in wood carving in the corner to the left of the bar.I really like the use of space in Keimling. You’ll enter to find a small bar directly facing the entrance and inviting partitioned benches to your right. The alley leading to the toilets also manages to find space for a dartboard (N.B – careful not to leave the gents toilet without checking if a dart is headed towards your face!) There is a small standing area to the left of the bar with ledges and corner area with stools, which has been constructed from the cupboards and drawers I mentioned above.Carrying on past behind the bar leads you to a subterranean cellar ‘snug’, a very characterful little quirk of the pub which I can imagine being handy for gambling and plotting – among other things. The rest of the pub space is a large, more communal back-room area akin to a quaint pub restaurant, with windows looking out over the street.The style is rustic, a quintessential traditional pub of a kind you’d hope to see everywhere in Northern Europe, especially on a rainy day. Apparently the owner Wenzel has not altered this appearance since the 1980s; hopefully it will remain intact for another 40 years to come.The rock soundtrack is a clever touch as it brings in a younger crowd and prevents the risk of the pub becoming too genteel and middle-aged. Staff also vary between young and middle aged so there is a nice communal mix, and it feels like the community are coming together, in that great way a pub should do. The music is also a throwback to the pubs long-standing connection with live acts.It’s a typically Germanic thing to combine the quaint with the visceral – in this case the almost twee decoration that you’d expect to find in your Grandma’s living room with hard rock music.Adding further to an impressive list of positives is the selection of beer. Not only do they offer the Franconian speciality Rotbier (red beer) on tap, but they offer their own label beer, Keimling Dunkel, a rich, thick and dark beer that was at once flavourful as it was easy to drink. You’ll note a host of other local ales, which are about quality over quantity.Don’t sweat about the prices either. As with most places in Franconia a half-litre of beer rarely exceeds 3 euros 5 cents, considerably lower than in the West.Service is assured and courteous, and despite being English ausländers they were kind to us – it’s a friendly place.Keimling also offers food, a handy thing for any pub, though I cannot comment on that so much as my real interest is in the pub and the experience.The optimum time to arrive in my opinion is between 7pm-9pm where you can watch the pub transform from sleepy (albeit with a rock soundtrack) to a bustling neighbourhood venue, with every bit of seating space occupied.It’s always a great sign of a pub when it makes you feel like you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.If there was any room for improvement I would suggest keeping the volume of music down in quieter times. Many pubs believe loud music compensates when it is quiet, but I believe the opposite, it simply emphasises the absence of people while making it more difficult to speak. This is not a big problem with Keimling, but a little recommendation nonetheless.Fortunately Keimling is very easy to reach, even if you are staying in Nuremberg, because the U-Bahn links to Fürth in a simple 10 minute journey, and Keimling is only 5 minutes up the road from there. There are pubs in the city I live in, sitting at work right now, that would take me longer to get to.For my money it’s worth doing. Perhaps only WeissbierHex in Nuremberg old-town directly competes to a similar standard, so I’d say Keimling is the best pub in the Nuremberg/Fürth area.As their website states, quoting Terry Pratchett:“If you don’t turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else’s story.“Now there’s a romantic philosophy to justify pubgoing, if ever there was one.
82. Geea Caffe, Sibiu (Romania) 🇷🇴 (New Entry)
Late Bar / Cocktails / Art Space / Down To Earth / Local Life / Great Value
Go to our 🇷🇴 Romania 🇷🇴 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Upstairs in a side-alley building not far from Sibiu’s main square is the centrepiece of its nightlife, standing head and shoulders above the rest, not only due to the 1st floor location. A macabre boudoir with paintings ranging from classic, to grotesque to downright tasteless, and a core audience that know this is by far the best place to be. Limited draft drinks are compensated for by the bottle range and very good value cocktails, which while not exquisitely prepared, are at least functional and light on the wallet. Great fun at night, going on until the early hours, you simply can’t look past this place while in town.
81. Lommerzheim, Cologne (Germany) 🇩🇪 (New Entry)
Gaststätte / Pub Restaurant / Historic Venue
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Superb old school Gaststätte with humongous portions of food and endless glasses of Päffgen Kölsch. A local institution, there is often a queue even before opening time. A characterfully worn-in interior with a twee and surprisingly pleasant beer garden.
80. Café Bendl, Vienna (Austria) 🇦🇹 (New Entry)
Down n’ dirty hangout / Historic Café / Antiquey Decor
Go to our 🇦🇹 Austria 🇦🇹 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Well, well…just when you thought Vienna was a tough nut to crack, along comes this bar hiding in plain sight in one of the most fancy and upmarket areas of the city. It’s a true dive that has seemingly turned an elegant café into a late night bar. The elderly fixtures and fittings crackle and peel but that just adds to the character, along with a lively audience of youngster rubbing shoulders with the older regulars, all of whom are served by and show appreciation for the lady behind the bar who operates in a warm, kindly way. Whether you’re by the bar or in the lounge, there is plenty of atmosphere and a lot to look at. The drinks may be perfunctory but that’s hardly the reason to come here. A superb frozen in time café oozing with character (and god knows what else). The lady of a certain age running the place is well-loved by a young crowd who share space with the remaining old fogeys.
79. Ye Olde Black Boy, Hull (England) 🏴
Historic Tavern / Atmosphere / Real Ales / Famous Pies
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Historic 18th century tavern, formerly a sailor’s hangout, now very much on the heritage trail in Hull’s old town, packed with good pubs. Both rooms downstairs are full of character with black tarred walls, interesting décor and that sense of gloom and calm that accompanies a venue of such age. You can explore the snug and the upstairs to get a hint of character, or enjoy the range of cask ales in the main bar room by candlelight. Historically known for good quality local pies too.
78. Speakeasy, Skopje (North Macedonia) 🇲🇰 (New Entry)
Cocktails / Secret Bar / Local Life
Go to our 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 🇲🇰 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Skopje’s best bar, this one really does deserve the title ‘hidden’, with no obvious signs outside as to its location. In the end, you may find yourself following a group ahead of you into an apartment and hoping for the best. On the 2nd floor, there it is! Enter to find a long bar across the left of the room with two side rooms for further seating. The style is deliberately underplayed and bohemian, making good use of the residential space in an unpretentious way, with a few retro touches redolent of the 70s. The cocktail maker produces superb drinks from an imaginative menu of well-thought out twists on modern classics. The atmosphere is alive with local conversation in a clandestine but welcoming, intimate space. An unforgettable experience.
77. Eko Club, Shkodër (Albania) 🇦🇱 (New Entry)
Café Bar / Community Venue
Go to our 🇦🇱 Albania 🇦🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
At first glance the place may seem dressy and pretentious but that is hardly the case. The mission is more wholesome with an ecological interest and community café vibe that becomes more bar like as the evening progresses. Lush and verdant with traditional Albanian weaving, enjoyed alongside interesting types of raki or a local beer. 100% local life too. An excellent place. There’s a swing too!
76. Oud Arsenaal, Antwerp (Belgium) 🇧🇪 (New Entry)
Brown Café / Historic Venue / Preserved Decor / Atmosphere / Beer Specialists
Go to our 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
One of Antwerp’s jewels, a preserved little brown café with all the cosy/gezellig qualities you’d hope to find from such a venue. The patina of character only grows with the years, and the location of the bar is so out of keeping it looks like it has beamed down from space. Hugely popular with a wide range of people across classes and backgrounds, with locals jealously guarding it, while never making you feel unwelcome. Pub cats roam around adding to its sense of identity. Beer selection is good with a little range of sours and gueuzes for specialist drinkers, and as the sense of institution pervades almost everything about the place, ordering a Bolleke of De Koninck feels appropriate, where it is often said to be among the freshest and best poured in the city.
75. In’t Aepjen, Amsterdam (Netherlands) 🇳🇱 (New Entry)
Beer Café / Central Pub / Theme Pub / Historic Building
Go to our 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
A pub that has become a city institution, if largely for tourists rather than locals. That has not hindered its appeal overly however, with the fabulous oil paintings, taxidermy and primate theme combining to great effect with the typical high ceilinged brown café skeleton adding plenty of character with it. Service is typically friendly and the venue always seems to have the buzz behind it of people having a great time. Something about it seems to keep a lid on excess, which is extra impressive given the place is at the heart of the action. An essential visit.
74. Jazz Kocsma, Szeged (Hungary) 🇭🇺
Jazz Club / Basement Bar / Longstanding Venue / Backstreet Venue
Read our full Write-up!
Go to our 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇭🇺 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.8/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
One of the pleasures of travelling is the inevitability after a while of unearthing a gem, and even more rewarding when it involves some level of adventure. That was certainly the case when discovering Jazz Kocsma in Szeged.
There are a number of bars in Szeged city centre, although fairly few for a city of its size. The central pub scene seems to divide itself between student drinking and old man drinking, without too many crossover places – which were tacky and corporate in any event.
Jazz Kocsma is set on an unlit back street 20 minutes out of the centre, in an area that is spookily quiet to the point of abandoned. When we approached the bar, its old wooden doors were shut and it seemed impossible to think the place had been open for years.
Desperate to find somewhere before heading back to our awful hotel, we tried the doors nevertheless and to our amazement found light downstairs, the place alive and accepting guests. There was a short break of silence as we walked in, our entrance most likely unexpected, and surveying the scene discovered a very ramshackle, ancient jazz club, with a corner bar area on the right and small stage on the left.
The beer options are perfunctory Hungarian stuff, unspectacular, but the primary quality of the pub was its atmosphere. Being very late at night things were slowing in pace, with groups huddling quietly around their tables in the candlelight. The mood lighting and gentle murmur of the crowd
Yes, the Jazz part of the title does actually mean something, and although there was no music playing at our late time of arrival, their calendar shows their live music events remain in full swing. It was easy to see from the interior how a Jazz band would elevate the experience even further.
This venue is a historical slice of local life that seems determined never to redecorate or change. Impossible to tell whether it was always this ad hoc, old and crusty or it has been happy to become so dilapidated. Regardless, the end effect is a powerful and distinct experience that will elevate your trip to Szeged.
73. The Beacon Hotel, Sedgeley (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Traditional Pub / Brew Pub / Real Ales / Preserved Venue
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
This is a gem that sums up the ethos of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. A wonderfully unspoilt pre-war pub with fixtures and fittings complimented by sympathetic decor that is transporting. However, that is only the start, as the general atmosphere of the place is the real reason to come. Several side rooms offer slightly different feels, each intimate and social. A couple of these have connection to the bar via a hatch, so it always feels like there’s activity and buzz. In case that wasn’t enough, there is a small brewery on site which makes a couple of lovely ales. There are fireplaces, a piano and this is just an all-round amazing pub.
72. Brandner Kaspar, Munich (Germany) 🇩🇪 (New Entry)
Club / Boazn / Interesting Decor / Local Life
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Named after a famous fictional character, expect a Midsummer Night’s Dream in bar form. Fairytale decor and hugely distinctive. Due to the format, reservation is required first, seemingly only by phone, however when there are events on it is easy to slip in with the overall crowd. Don’t let that put you off. Wonderful decor, a one-off place.
71. Jalla Jalla AKC Metlekova, Ljubljana (Slovenia) 🇸🇮
Kiosk / Ruin Pub / Artspace
Go to our 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇸🇮 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Metelkova, Ljubljana’s own pocket sized version of Christiania in Copenhagen, effectively a hippy commune with aspirations to statelessness and hands-off policing when it comes to the auld drug-taking. You have to remind yourself it used to be a military barracks for the Yugoslavian army, because given what’s happened to it since the early 90s, it’s close to unrecognisable. Along with the less salubrious aspects (the ones usually pushed by the media to alienate them), it’s worth pointing out the community work, the championing of liberal values and the commitment to peace and freedom that Metelkova represents and lives by.
The whole complex is taken up by clubs and bars alongside a hostel. Don’t expect any home comforts or fancy ales here. You’ll be lucky to get a can of Union, while the bar specialises in their moonshine, ‘Bear’s Blood’, a cherry liqueur. You can bring your own drinks into the grounds anyway (though not the clubs), so it’s hardly a problem.
How busy this all is depends on the season and day of the week. It was reasonably quiet when we visited but the place would be quite a sight in the height of summer. Take a drink and hang around the climbing frames with the local dropouts discussing politics and having a laugh.
I’d recommend dropping by during the day to get your best look at the amazing and bizarre pieces of art around the place, and visiting on Fridays and Saturday nights if you’re up for a drink and a hang out. It’s unmissable on any visit to Ljubljana and a huge change of speed from the mainstream nightlife in the pretty, baroque centre.
70. Taverne St Paul, Liège (Belgium) 🇧🇪
Brown Café / City Tavern / Local Life / Beer Specialists
Go to our 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A legitimate brown café with bags of character. Chunky seats, roaring fire, locals hanging out at the bar, and some well-placed, mercifully low key sports screens to broaden the appeal. Excellent beers at fair, if not amazing prices. An essential pub to visit in Liege.
69. O’Donoghue’s, Dublin (Republic Of Ireland) 🇮🇪 (New Entry)
Irish Pub / Famous Venue / Preserved Interior / Atmosphere / Live Music
Go to our 🇮🇪 Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
While not in the Temple Bar area of pure tourism, this is a very well-known South side pub with a mixture of locals and tourists and gets very busy on weekends and evenings. It’s easy to see why, with a beautifully preserved traditional interior, a narrow bar leading to a very snug backroom with framed photographs and history almost sweating off the walls. Being in amongst the live folk performances is a special Dublin experience for any newcomer and plenty of oftcomers too.
68. In De Wildeman, Amsterdam (Netherlands) 🇳🇱
Proeflokaal / Beer Specialists / Café Bar / City Tavern
Go to our 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
A smashing all-round pub, 2 rooms, each characterful in its own way, a parlour and a pantry, the bar offers a large tap range of Dutch, Belgian and German beer, friendly service and cosy bench seating. The clientele is international but the general sense of social collegiate atmosphere means that isn’t at all a downside. A famous place, but one trying to retain its character and tradition. Fill your boots.
67. Nightjar, London (England) 🏴
Basement Club / Cocktails / Live Music
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
A basement speakeasy with Victoriana cocktails and live jazz. Super atmosphere and despite the exclusive feel, the place sucks you into its charms. Has been around enough time to legitimately call itself an Old Street institution.
66. Känguruh, Vienna (Austria) 🇦🇹
Beer Specialists / Atmospheric Interior / Beisl
Read our Full Write-Up!
Go to our 🇦🇹 Austria 🇦🇹 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
It’s a slightly off-kilter situation for Vienna’s best bar to specialise in Belgian beer, but at a loss of any compelling alternatives, it does seem to be the truth.
Kanguruh offers a large menu of bottled Belgian beer which they have to dive into their cellars to retrieve for you. Many are good value, meaning you can try rare small batch beers, quadrupel strength beers, lambic etc for less than you would pay in Brussels city centre. As you can expect, the quality is terrific. The bar also have 6 taps on rotation, largely German and Czech beer if you require lighter high-volume refreshment.
Aside from the beers being exceptionally good, the venue itself is cracking. Although the pub is street-facing, they have made a conscious choice to cut off the outside world (there isn’t much of a view anyway), so it is one of those places where the transition from outside to inside and vice versa is quite dramatic.
There is a rounded bar area and the main room is largely stool seating, however the room in the back offers a little more lounge comfort. The atmosphere is shady, candlelit and dramatic, the crowd a mixture of ruminating solo drinkers (referred to as “einslers” in German), couples and friendly youngsters enjoying the close feel and the gloom.
Such a place is very appropriate for knocking back Belgian ale, and before long all the outlines of your sight will start to become a little fuzzy. There is a reasonable turnover of patrons so if you don’t strike up a conversation at first, hang around and see what happens.
Kanguruh is a well-known about local legend, not likely to change in any way any time soon, and essential visiting while in Vienna.
65. U Jelinku, Prague (Czechia) 🇨🇿
Authentic Hospoda / Local Life / Knajpa
Read our Full Write-Up!
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Even those of us committed to pubgoing find it daunting (though exciting) to explore Prague’s enormous pub scene. Tearing oneself away from the high quality known favourites (see our suggested crawl, for example) is difficult enough in itself, and given a holiday may last only a few days, you could be forgiven for sticking to the known favourites.However, several visits in, I am starting to chip away at the hundreds of available drinking holes and can strongly recommend doing so for the many gems that exist outside of the most touristic areas.Jelinkova Plzenska Pivnice was a bit of a blot on my copybook, a pub I had known about since 2007 recommended in Prague Pubs as being an authentic Pilsner Urquell pub in the heart of the old town. By rights I ought to have paid a visit in the early days, but for one reason or another, things got in the way. This is partly down to the unconventional opening hours, being open only until 6pm on a Saturday and being closed altogether on a Sunday! Though inconvenient, it gives you a flavour already that this is a pub doing whatever the hell it wants, and sod the consequences.Finally, after multiple occasions I had the opportunity to visit and did not pass this up. As with all the best Pilsner Urquell pubs, it is virtually impossible to leave after a single pint, with the devil on your shoulder telling you to go for one more, and the Czech traditional of inviting you for another the moment they spy you getting to the end of your glass.Jelinkova Pivnice is a tiny pub and so when you visit don’t be surprised to find standing room only, if that. As you walk in you’ll find a square wood panelled bar area and walls adorned with some classic Pilsner Urquell ephemera. There is an old fashioned open bar area with a sink where the tapster does his work. The tapster Bohous Kundert’s appearance is appropriately caricature, a rotund, smartly dressed fellow with white hair and a majestic and comically-curled moustache, helping transport you back in time to the good old days of interwar Bohemia, which is very much where this pub would rather exist.One of the recurring features of these throwback places is treating tourists with a tolerance rather than an open arms embrace. If you can stand some good natured jesting and accept you are in the domain of the tapster and his stamgasty, perched by the bar having a chat, you’re assured of a good time nevertheless. Many of the regulars use their visit for conversation, so you may find one or two chirping up in English to get a conversation going. This is one of the hallmarks of a great pub and it is this unique environment, almost forcing people together at the bar to drink and talk which acts as the ice-breaker, so vital for a sole travellers in a foreign country.The Pilsner Urquell is as good as you’ll find it anywhere, and you may find the format of standing results in you drinking more than usual! There is a room around the back which receives table service (it will either be the rakishly thin lady or the preening lady of the house who serves you). Access to these tables can depend on reservations and at a loss of that, good luck. It’s a truly pleasant place to be with seating facing in around the room and creating that feel of conviviality you’re searching for when you try pubs like this. The format is simple and yet for other places make creating such genius loci seem like alchemy.Though Prague is currently experiencing a wave of modern, and has an almost bottomless trunk full of cheap but featureless macro-brewery branded drinking holes, you can’t walk far before a true pub hoves into view. The real job, as I’ve been finding, is being able to sort the wheat from the chaff, and knowing when is the best time to be there. U Jelinku deserves a high score because it is so different from the usual, it rewards perseverance and the best time to be there is simple: when it’s open.
64. Kurnik Šopa Hospoda², Ostrava (Czechia) 🇨🇿 (New Entry)
Neighbourhood Hospoda / Beer Specialists / Local Life
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Bringing together simple things to produce an effect more than the sum of its parts deserves the label brilliant. This is a brilliant pub that in its execution comes across as effortless what so many find almost impossible. Based a little outside the centre, but accessible via bus/tram. There is no alchemy here, just good decisions made by wise people. The format is familiar, a hospoda with mid-brown furniture, one room stretched around a bar and homely, understated feel. The offerings are a series of great beers from small breweries, in fact that is the core of its wares, though there are also bottles available and a decent back bar too. Something about the place drags you into its movements and dynamic, keeps you pinned to your seat and makes you long for a home from home that wasn’t thousands of miles away. Put simply, if you lived here, you would make this place your local, if not your 2nd home. Go at once.
63. Trelkovsky Café, Kraków (Poland) 🇵🇱 (New Entry)
Antiquey Decor / Live Music / Cocktails / Atmosphere
Go to our 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
It should be in Kazimierz, but instead Trelkovsky is plonked in a neither here nor there location, which actually helps render it a little off the tourist trail. A typically Jewish Quarter style brooding antiquey bar with a slight hint towards the macabre…potentially even sadomasochistic in its artworks. That aside, you may find it functions as an intimate romantic venue or a late night spot for boozing that is quite superb. Piano, lamplight, candles and vintage furniture set an enchanting scene.
62. La Casa Invisible, Malaga (Spain) 🇪🇸 (New Entry)
Courtyard Bar / Commune / Community Venue
Go to our 🇪🇸 Spain 🇪🇸 page
| EBG Rating: | 8.9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
La Casa Invisible is a cultural centre and commune in dispute with the city administration, and assisting others fighting eviction. The bar is set in its courtyard, a green and tastefully decorated natural crucible with colourful artwork and a fountain. The nuts and bolts are as basic as they come. Grab a couple of plastic chairs from the stack, buy some bottled beer or box vermouth from the kiosk and sit around and chat. Stripped back to its very core, this is socialising at its heart. The venue runs community events, art space and live performances too. It’s a gem in the heart of the city, with an alternative feel tempered by the fact it has achieved mainstream popularity.
61. De Druif, Amsterdam (Netherlands) 🇳🇱 (New Entry)
Brown Café / Neighbourhood Pub / Preserved Decor / Beer / Jenever
Go to our 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
One of Amsterdam’s core bruin kroege/brown cafés, this century-old tasting house stands on a corner by the canal leading to the docks, and has seen many good times and bad come and go. A real survivor and institution with brandy barrels behind the bar, ageing proprietors and cute, quirky, distinctive and unique appearance. You can trace the city’s history, its rhythms and its traditions from this bar alone. A must visit in the city.
60. Victoria Inn, Durham (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Neighbourhood Tavern / Local Pub / Preserved Interior / Real Ales / Bed & Breakfast
Read our full Write-Up!
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Wonderful slice of old England both in its aged splendour and social rhythms. Very warm welcome and friendly banter from a crowd of regulars. Charismatic, cosy and charming environment, decor getting ever more quaint as the years roll by. Nibbles are supplied at the bar which adequately compensate for fairly high prices for drinks. Cask ales are the order of the day, mostly from local brewers. The Inn remains with guests treated to a legendary fried breakfast. A special place, when the cold and rain are besieging you couldn’t dream of a safer haven.
59. Bohemia Jazz Café, Granada (Spain) 🇪🇸
Jazz Bar / Neighbourhood Pub / Late Bar / Atmosphere
Go to our 🇪🇸 Spain 🇪🇸 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
One of Europe’s great Jazz Bars, this neighbourhood joint dips into golden age ephemera as a decoration, along with a collection of books and niknaks lining the walls. Bunker-like layout without windows adds to the intimacy of the experience, along with the booze which is largely centred around sweet-edged cocktails. A male duo arrange the service in a personal, kind and attentive manner. Once seated the experience is woozy good fun surrounded by things to look at and music to experience. It really is bohemian too, rather than any pretensions at cut-and-paste modernity. A highlight of Granada, a city more known for its tapas.
58. Art Café Kalambur, Wrocław (Poland) 🇵🇱
Café Bar / Late Bar / Event Space
Go to our 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Excellent funky/alternative café with unique Art Nouveau inspired interior décor, sweeping brass fittings, mirror panels, pastel greens and inspiration from nature, as can be seen from the crocodile and dragonfly out front. Versatile and adaptable, stays open until the early hours, but can also act as a café, dance hall or even cinema. One of the city’s highlights.
57. U Zrzave Mary, Ostrava (Czechia) 🇨🇿 (New Entry)
Pajzl / Late Bar / Scuzz / Local Beer
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
You walk towards the place, grim looking entrance, punters kicking about outside with fags, and already get the sense you’re onto a winner. How so? Well, maybe that’s a study all by itself worth having. Dive inside (and we do put the emphasis on dive) to find a true cult pub with dark red walls, brooding lighting and recovered old wireless radios stacked high along the walls. It gets better still with a modest range of independent brewed beer from small breweries and decent selection from the back bar too. You can feel the warm and buzz radiating back from the people inside. While it’s far too casual, dark and dog-eared to appeal to everyone this is a sterling example of what it is: Pure, down-to-earth atmosphere.
56. Rasputin, Florence (Italy) 🇮🇹
Hidden Bar / Cocktails / Basement Venue / Atmosphere
Go to our 🇮🇹 Italy 🇮🇹 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐ |
It isn’t your usual bar experience. Stumble around backstreets only to discover the bar is deliberately not located correctly on Google. Google research the actual address, and find it’s different on six separate links. Ask locals living 100 metres away for directions to be greeted with shrugs of shoulders and blank expressions at worst, and vague arm waiving at best. Find the address then realise the street has two sets of numbers going in opposite directions (as many Florentine streets are wont to do). Find an archway with a courtyard that looks like a small shrine, with artwork and religious symbols hung on the wall in gilded frames.You’ve found it. Find the bell. Ring the bell. 20 seconds later, an otherwise imperceptible hatch will slide open, and you will be greeted by a member of the team. You will walk down a ramp into a crimson carpeted lair. This is Rasputin, and you have arrived.As you enter the cellar space you will notice the closeness of the air, but also just that vague hint of cellar dampness and coolness, the sort that years of DIY and damp-proofing can never really remove. This isn’t such a bad thing on a sweltering Tuscan evening. The waitress shows you to an intimate couple of seats. You look around the room to survey the scene. It’s like an ornate Tsarist crypt, trapped in time. What reinforces this the most is the children’s furniture in the centre of the room, which really lays on an element of the macabre. It’s so stylish it doesn’t even seem silly.Far down the cellar you can see the bar in the distance, a bald, bearded rake of a man creating his delicious lethal cocktails, which are I’m afraid your only option in the joint. The waitress hands you the menu. 12 euros. 15 euros. 17 euros. Yes, this isn’t cheap, this is the bar where your bank balance falls off a cliff. In an obnoxious modern cocktail bar I would baulk at the thought of paying this much, and yet, on holiday, down in this delicious secret layer, you know what, just this once, just this once. And that’s how this bar operates really. The law of Just This Once.The cocktails are lethal, whichever you choose. Looking around the room at the other guests in this alternate reality, and you can see everyone taking their time to savour every mouthful. It’s intoxicating in more ways that one.This isn’t a place to go with ‘ver lads’, nor is it your mid-afternoon book reading destination. You come here in the late hours, when all civilized society is tucked up in bed, with a partner or a good friend or two and you get smashed, the crimson and otherworldly ephemera swirling in your head. As you sit there, you temporarily become actors, or objects in the scene. There aren’t many places like this.The main downside is that everything feels very tightly controlled. Whether it’s taking pictures, or getting up to use the lavatory, right down to the last remants of your drink, there is an authoritarian grip to the whole proceedings, which I didn’t quite like.However, while drink is in your glass and the company is good, there is no need to get caught up in things like that.Some of you may think that paying 12 euros for a drink is unthinkable. Not this time. Not visiting Rasputin on your visit to Florence is unthinkable. You’ll pay more for worse experiences that don’t come with a lovely drink attached.
55. The Cambridge Blue, Cambridge (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Beer Specialists / Neighbourhood Pub / Beer Garden
Read our Full Write-Up
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Fabulous free-house with distinctive barn-like interior strewn with beer ephemera. Characterful and cosy, with a community feel. A list of beers longer than your arm, array of ciders and whiskies too. The benefit of a free house that can choose rather than the prescribed lists used by pubcos with the tenant model. A pleasant garden out back leads to a quaint cemetery through a gap in a stone wall, overall this is the stuff of dreams for any pub-goer.
54. Julijan’s Garden, Varaždin (Croatia) 🇭🇷
Interesting Decor / Courtyard / Local Life
Go to our 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇭🇷 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | N/A (You get what you’re given) |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | N/A (See below) |
The anticipation of visiting somewhere with a good reputation can be exciting but also loaded with expectations, sets of pitfalls that can make the eventual experience not live up to them. This is no reason to not get excited, it’s just a fact of life.
What you can’t bottle are surprises, events and chance discoveries outside of any planning or research that fit the bill and transform your evening.
Discovering Julijan’s in the picturesque town of Varaždin in Northern Croatia was one of those moments. Earlier in the evening we had been wandering around an open air folk festival ‘Špancirfest ’, which again we had known little about in advance. The centre was buzzing with stalls, street theatre and music, which alone gave a pleasant lift to our stay there. After doing the circuit of the town and around the castle we double backed onto ourselves hoping to find a bar in the vicinity to drop into. Most of these were busy but we stayed for a couple. On our way home I noticed a courtyard on our left and feeling curious ventured further in and hey presto.
This venue is mainly open air, a terrace for cycling enthusiasts to congregate and drink a coffee. Varaždin was also hosting a protest against city plans to ban cyclists from the pedestrianised old town, which on balance seems completely unnecessary, but typical of the vagaries and petty feuds associated with town management.
This place was essentially their plotting spot, and they were selling tshirts and other merchandise in support of their cause. It was not apparent whether there was a bar or anywhere to get drinks, but we were approached by a gentleman who seemed to be co-ordinating some of the get together, and had a couple of cans thrust in our general direction.
The atmosphere was terrific as you could probably expect, a combination of the local buzz from the evening and really stylish design, upturned umbrellas, old cycles pinned to the walls and antique furniture in the courtyard. It’s the kind of place you would want to hang out in the summer pretty much anywhere.
53. U Lva, Tábor (Czechia) 🇨🇿
Pajzl / Scuzz / Local Life
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Set just off the central square underneath an arch. True character, local life, and authentic atmosphere. Down to earth and fantastic. Fish tank, life ring. Cards and smokes. Dirt cheap. The real deal where you can enter as strangers and leave as friends. The ultimate Czech pajzl. Don’t confuse this with a modern Budvar restaurant U Zlateho Lva which is close by.
52. Ye Olde Vic, Stockport (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Neighbourhood Pub / Community Pub / Local Life / Real Ales
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
A wonderful pub inside and out, the sort that gives off good vibes even from the street. This small pub opens at 5pm and focuses on drinking and socialising. It isn’t a crusty male-centric drinking den either, the place has an offbeat feel that attracts a range of people, with amenities such as books and board games and friendly service seeing to that. You’ll find an excellent range of ales and walk out satisfied,wanting to return as soon as possible.
51. Mleczarnia, Kraków (Poland) 🇵🇱
Antique Bar / Café Bar / Garden
Go to our 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
One of the frightening number of atmospheric Kazimierz bars, you can choose either the beautiful beer garden opposite, or the cosy surroundings of the pub itself, decorated in faithful fashion, with antiques and various ephemera from times past. Candlelit in the evenings, and further proof of a successful template.
50. The Strugglers, Lincoln (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Real Ales / Local Life / Preserved Interior
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
Classic community pub, patterned beer emblems lining the ceiling and walls, traditional real ale sidestreet boozer. Distinctive snug and bar room. Locally well-known, run like a tight ship. A special atmosphere and cosiness combines with a decent range of real ales.
49. The Alexandra, Derby (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Beer Specialists / Local Pub / Cosy Interior
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A fantastic pub and candidate for one of the better traditional taverns in England. The two room setup provides both social informality and comfort depending on your mood. There is a nice mixture of locals and passing trade, partly on account of the proximity to the train station but also its pull as a reputed beer house, demonstrated by its CAMRA awards, not to mention new keg lines of craft beers. Service is friendly and the overall impression is extremely good. There was a rabbit in the front room when we visited. Quirky. Worth going to Derby for on its own.
48. Domkeller, Aachen (Germany) 🇩🇪
Central Pub / Kneipe / Beers / Live Music / Patio / Atmospheric Interior
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
The geographic and cultural epicentre of Aachen’s nightlife. Cosy kneipe with plenty of seating. You can bring food in, and there’s a friendly local atmosphere. Several Belgian beers available in addition to a handsome range of trad German styles on tap. Easy to make friends, and comfortable enough that it doesn’t matter if you don’t. A true pub in that sense. An upstairs plays host to live music. In Spring & Summer the courtyard is buzzing situated on one of Aachen’s most handsome old squares.
47. Gordon’s Wine Bar, London (England) 🏴
Port Wine / Basement Bar / Historic Venue
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
A one-off, historic port wine bar set close to the tracks of Embankment. You can hear the trains rumbling past while sat the vaults. Cosy candlelit interior with cracked aged paintings and news clippings. One of London’s finest. An institution for a reason.
46. Café De Rat, Utrecht (Netherlands) 🇳🇱 (New Entry)
Beer Specialists / Community Pub / Café Bar
Go to our 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
One of the Netherlands classic café bars, a corner pub that makes everything that other bars make look difficult feel so simple. Typical trad corner neighbourhood location with some preserved interior features with wooden cabinets and a cellar accessed underneath one of the very pub tables which requires moving each time. An annoyance for the staff no doubt – a charming feature for everybody else. Characterful and quirky without being off-putting in any way. Friendly service and customers that are both cosmopolitan, international and relaxed, unpretentious and welcoming. The beers are superb covering local breweries, contemporary craft and classic Belgian/Dutch favourites. There’s plenty to do whether you’re stroking the cat, chatting to the bar staff or playing board games. It’s simply a brilliant social pub that should be on the corner of every street.
45. The Fat Cat, Norwich (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Neighbourhood Pub / Real Ales / Interesting Decor
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A truly outstanding English pub that aims high and hits the right notes on song. From entering is near immediately apparent why this pub has won many awards both local and national. Beer options are not the be all and end all, but they are nevertheless excellent with a tied microbrewery and many alternative options from smaller independent breweries. The place itself is a rather studied effort with each room and each corner carefully put together piece by piece. A long narrow bar is a natural congregation area, with pleasant niches around it which generate the hubbub and energy that make the pub really shine. Even TV with sport can’t really split opinion as the venue does so well balancing that with each need. Covered outdoor seating and food help to supply further reasons for coming. Simply put, a classic pub.
44. Bar Pastis, Barcelona (Spain) 🇪🇸
Pastis / Live Music / Preserved Decor / Longstanding Venue
Read our full Write-Up!
Go to our 🇪🇸 Spain 🇪🇸 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Any cursory research into Barcelona’s bar scene will lead you to the venerable and incredibly dinky-sized Bar Pastis, with very good reason.
Don’t worry about the place becoming overly touristy – it doesn’t contain very many people for a start – secondly, the format of the place seems to be a natural filter. Once you’ve managed to secure a comfortable standing or leaning spot you can enjoy the shocked and intimidated looks on people’s faces as though they’ve opened the wrong door into something truly disturbing.
The guy running the bar wouldn’t want it any other way, indeed you’ll notice many stickers around the bar area directing Erasmus students to an eff marked off. So what’s this all about then?
Well, Bar Pastis could mostly call itself something of a music venue. It seems silly considering the place most likely fits 20 people in at a push, but as true as day, there’s a small stage at the back of the bar that might allow 3 musicians at most, a table by the door that seems to become ever more useless and in the way as the night progresses (you can’t see the stage properly) and a few bar stools. If you’re desperate to sit down then prepare to be patient.
The music seems to vary between folk and jazz, the last visit involved a french folk duo which seemed perfectly appropriate for the location. Rather than recoiling in disappointment, the sound of live music was just the ticket as we joined the throng, and leaned over a few bodies to order some drinks.
Although it is a pastis bar, you’ll find a beer/wine easily enough. These are perfunctory efforts, really but show there are at least some concessions. Expect to pay a little surcharge for when there’s music on, though this doesn’t run to much more than a few euro.
The owner has a typical Rene type look, slick back balding hair, roman nose and paunch, and is very much master of his domain.
While the music is playing you’ll find yourself drifting off into the surroundings which are some of the most crusty, ramshackle and amazing I’ve ever visited. The crimson painted walls don’t have much space left on them, taken up with gothic smoke damaged paintings, newspaper clippings and various cultural ephemera from decades past. There is a slight bordello theme with some vaguely erotic stockings gestures and the centre piece on the ceiling, almost certainly a remnant from a Mardi Gras type festival is a macabre mascot for a Bar of unflinching, uncompromising character.
No matter how many tourists attempt a pilgrimage to Bar Pastis, there is always a core group , while the transient custom of couples and folk music aficionados is only fitting for a bar of its kind.
Although I could suggest a few changes, it seems almost rude in the circumstances when so much of the place lavishes you with new things to look at, new music and revelry to enjoy, or that bleary eyed soulful haze at the end of a night. Rejoining the street and heading down La Rambla afterwards feels like you just stepped back from a window into another universe, both real and yet unreal.
43. The White Horse (aka Nellie’s), Beverley (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Historic Market Town Tavern / Preserved Interior / Atmospheric
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Bittersweet that this pub is owned by Sam Smiths, though the benefit is the pub remains in superb preserved condition, worn and characterful, museum-like but still relevant with the cast of regulars in the main room, cosy with log fires burning. Known as ‘Nellies’ locally after the landlord that used to run the place for a long time. Essentially unique, a true gem worth seeking out even from far away.
42. De Pilsener Club, Amsterdam (Netherlands) 🇳🇱
Brown Café / Historic Venue / Beer Specialists / Atmospheric
Read our full Write-Up!
Go to our 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Brown cafés warrant the name because of their shared characteristics, but the term is best served as a general guide to indicate a few of their recurring themes rather prescribing a precise template. Exploration of these pubs across Belgium and Netherlands will reveal a surprising diversity in décor and atmosphere.Some emerged from a jazz/blues tradition and are decorated accordingly, even hosting live acts as a revival or preservation of that. There are some upscale brown cafes which take their cues from the roaring twenties: high society, art nouveau and all that. There are English/French style taverns which blend vaulted beams and thick wood with the bric-a-brac décor and beer ephemera you’d expect in a brown café. There there are working class venues with a simple format: rickety furniture, dusty floors, yellowed walls and good booze.It seems though, whichever angle the owner deigns to take, the fundamental basics of what constitute a great pub are inherent in the DNA of a brown café which put them at a distinct advantage. Whether it’s the fantastic Belgian beer, their aforementioned styling choices, their character and atmosphere that evolves over the course of a day and remains as appealing whether you’re sat there on your own or among a tangle of people, you have to go pretty far to mess this concept up.The rather blandly-named De Pilsener Club goes by another far better name ‘De Engelse Reet’, or ‘English Arse’. This place is one of Amsterdam’s core historic brown cafes dating back to 1893, and is content to be down-to-earth and working class.There is a no-bullshit attitude to the entire arrangement: it’s brown alright, from the walls to the tables and chairs, and the floor has that aged spit-and-sawdust type look to it that probably has been cleaned daily but has been around so long it has received stains and wear that won’t rub out. Characterful, basically. A notable quirk is that there is no bar at all, all drinks are prepared in a backroom and then brought out.Drinking is done across a set of communal tables along a small rectangular room with a fairly high ceiling, so you get a cosy surrounding but a woozy sense of space if you look up. The lighting and ambience gives that sense that it could be virtually any time of day and feel the same.Drinking pilsener isn’t even half of the point of being here. The purpose of your visit is to drink some high quality, and invariably strong Belgian and specialist Dutch ale in these surroundings. Trappiste, abbey, lambics, micro-brewery stuff. These are proudly displayed above the head of the bar. Alternatively (or potentially in addition to) you can try their decent enough range of jenevers or order a cocktail.There is a nice range of clientele in the place that give it a nice community feel. Old men sipping their beer over a newspaper, groups of youngster sharing conversation, couples diving in from the bad weather (in our case), business folk holding-forth over the worn-through tables. It is the kind of place which manages to be inclusive without turning itself into a safety first bland chain pub, and maintains what it wants to be without discriminating in the ageist and stylist fashion many craft beer pubs do. Of course, being in central Amsterdam will help, but natural advantages still count.Beer isn’t cheap in Western Europe these days, and it’s no exception in here. Expect to pay 5 euros and upwards for a 0.25l pouring or a 0.33l bottle, although keep content in the knowledge the quality is among the best you’re likely to get. Given the savings to be made elsewhere in the city centre are 20 cents here and there at most, and that a pint of Heineken regularly clocks in at 6.50+ these days, it seems churlish to complain about paying 6 euros for a Rochefort 8. You certainly pay more in England.As the evening progresses and the alcohol takes effect, the browns and off-whites of the room form a rather comforting hue, and the hubbub of conversation adds to that great calming melange where you really wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. And that’s great because it stays open until 2am.In most towns and cities this place would be the best pub by a country mile. Up against seriously stiff competition in Amsterdam, De Pilsener Club eschews all gimmickry, sell-out concessions, and, if you excuse the waiter’s rather formal attire, modernisation of any kind. It does a good trade being what it is, a thoroughly likable, characterful place for a drink and a good time. Google reviews are almost uniformly positive about the place and after a visit it’s easy to see why. Mark my words, their words and place it firmly on your hitlist.
41. Holly Bush Inn, Makeney (England) (New Entry) 🏴
Country Inn
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.2/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Simply the most magnificent cosy, ungentrified freehold pub. The ‘Moon Under Water’ idyll really does exist and it is here in the Amber Valley in Derbyshire. An atmosphere of warmth and contentment through its rhythm and ritual, warm natural fittings, social setup which naturally encourages conversation between strangers and neighbouring groups. A stone cottage set off from a country lane, quiet and in a scene that is almost farcically quintessentially English from the manicured village scenes right down to the cars blocking the view. Inside you’ll find exposed beams from low ceilings, a small bar room with bar facing a large fireplace and bench seating around the sides. To the rear of the bar is a tiny snug with an excellent fireplace and settles. Down the corridor is a larger pub room with a further fire that is in itself a very nice place to sit. An extension has been made to the rear of the building for further overflow which is tastefully done and in keeping with the overall pub. All 3 fires are roaring in the colder months even on quieter Mondays. The place is dry, warm and cosy. But there’s more to it still. Customer-focused food, not corporate profiteering, meaning you can get portions to suit your needs. Several main dishes are served as small portions, there are pub snacks like pies and rolls and they deal with any gradient of hunger. The food isn’t dominant as you typically find in rural pubs these days. Tables aren’t set, there is no background clutter of cutlery or catering smell. They aren’t religious about final lunch orders at 2.30pm (even though it is best not to take the mickey). The list of its notable qualities keeps going. The ales for a rural pub are impressive. Typical classics complimented by several local and regional cask ales, craft keg with one or two raising an eyebrow – not craft beer bar standard perhaps, but would shame many city pubs. Prices are all fair given the location and fame for the place. After all this it seems a pointless addendum to mention Dick Turpin, and the association of the highwayman to this place, but if you want to find out more, they’ll tell you. Such tales are far from essential to enjoy a pub of this quality. One of the best in England. Visit at once.
40. The Blue Bell, York (England) 🏴
Historic Tavern / Intimate / Preserved Decor / Real Ales
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.1/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Grade II listed Edwardian ale house. Cosy wood-panelled historic pub with characterful clutter and a drinking den feel. So small it is effectively two snugs (very good ones). One of the most distinctive pubs in England with it’s crimson painted wood, lamp light and brooding clandestine atmosphere which initiates socialising between groups. When the door closes it feels like time is standing still. Specialises in cask ale. Always a great time spent here.
39. Yorckschlösschen, Berlin (Germany) 🇩🇪 (New Entry)
Live Music / Historic Venue / Dramatic Interior & Exterior / Beer Garden
Read our Full Write-up!
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.2/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Dramatic jazz/theatre frontage leads to an eclectic performance room strewn with antiques and posters from time past. Incredibly characterful, it has an atmosphere you can’t easily bottle. With local beers, live performances, food, a beer garden, this is surprisingly versatile too – all-round one of Berlin’s finest options.
38. Birch Hall Inn, Beck Hole (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Historic Tavern / Preserved Interior / Atmospheric
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.2/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
One of England’s one-offs, a surviving country Inn still running a sweet shop as well as a pub. Three little rooms each accessible from individual doorways, this charming and unique family-run cottage serves local ales, very basic butties, pork pies, snacks, sweets and occasionally locally made produce like juices. Inside the pub it is very cosy and intimate, a social space that’s exciting, out of time and an instant conversation starter. The antidote to every chain eatery and dining room that has swallowed up England’s rural pubs. As the proprietor says himself, on average 3 times a day he’ll hear someone say the words ‘ Never change’. Three cheers to that!
37. U Blahovky, Brno (Czechia) 🇨🇿 (New Entry)
Neighbourhood Hospoda / City Institution / Charismatic Service / Local Life
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.2/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Adored neighbourhood pub with a layout and dynamic every bit akin to classic Prague pubs like U Hrocha. Tapster and server duo operate from a small old bar, in a main room which has space for seating and leaning, old brown wooden tables and one of course reserved for their core patrons, the stamgasty. Backroom is still pretty good actually though try to get a seat in the main room to enjoy the comings and goings. Renowned for human head sized pork joints (not an understatement) as well as the Pilsner Urquell which they are so famous for they appear on national adverts and due to appear on Czech television in 2023 in new series Příběhy starých hospod focusing on the stories of the nation’s old pubs. Busy even in Covid times, so we recommend having a backup venue in the area ready in case there’s no space. A must in Brno. A truly wonderful pub.
36. The Big 6, Halifax (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Backstreet Pub / Preserved Interior / Cosy and Atmospheric / Real Ales
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.2/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
An absolutely fantastic neighbourhood pub matching any comparable traditional pub in England. On a row of terraces this stone pub is accessible from both sides, including, oddly, a walk through what appears to be someone’s back yard. Inside a multi-roomed pub has preserved its layout and tastefully retained a traditional, cosy social space that feels warm and welcoming. This is supplemented by a cross section of local support of different ages and interests. Regional ales both traditional and modern, a games room at the back and two fires complete what is a frankly outstanding set. Oh, if you like dogs, you’ll find plenty at the bar. If you are anywhere near Halifax and fancy a pint, go here.
35. Mýdlo, Brno (Czechia) 🇨🇿 (New Entry)
Basement Bar / Pajzl / Scuzz / Local Beer / Local Life / Alternative
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.2/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
This basement bar is truly a cult classic for Brno, around for donkey’s years and since becoming a bar no-one can remember it ever being anything other than a scuzzy drop-out joint, but in the best possible way. A former laundry, the signage and original doorways remain in place, for a while it still offered to carry out laundry services while you waited for a beer. Why you would do that in such a smokey room is anyone’s guess – but this is Moravia. The yellow walls are a true throwback to the smoking joints of pre-ban days and a young crowd of anyone from bohemians to borderline vagrants makes a beeline for this place. There is much to love, from the steam heater kicking out warm into the main room, the fuzzy surroundings, haze of smoke and surprising unfiltered beer on offer from independent, small brewers rather than the cheapo crap beloved of such places. Come home reeking but having had a cracking night out.
34. Fagans, Sheffield (England) 🏴
Backstreet Pub / Family-Run / Live Music / Hearty Meals
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.2/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
One of the true survivors – a long-standing husband and wife combo run this stalwart backstreet pub with real belly-busting home cooking bent over the stove, live music in the backroom area and a thoroughly no-nonsense approach while retaining a friendly welcome. 2023 represents a period of uncertainty for the pub as they hang up their boots and call it a day. With a notorious pubco freeholder and the area being swamped by newbuild student blocks, will Fagans survive as we know it? A cult pub in the city that isn’t mentioned much by beer monsters but for its contribution to Sheffield’s pub culture and music scene, it is legendary for all the other reasons that make a pub special.
33. U Sadu, Prague (Czechia) 🇨🇿
Neighbourhood Pub / Beer Specialists / Quirky / Interesting Decor / Longstanding
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.3/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/ Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Bars that become ‘institutions’ tend to embark on a familiar lifecycle involving a rapid takeoff, a peak period where the enthusiasm of the patrons and the staff coalesce, then a slow downward curve as the wear and tear sets into the décor, new and exciting destinations appear close by, and the bar fails to keep pace with new trends, whether that’s drinks, décor or whatever gimmickry is in fashion.However, U Sadu is a Žižkov institution which hasn’t yet jumped the shark. This pub looks unassuming from the outside, set in a fairly quiet corner of the neighbourhood and underneath the looming presence of the TV Tower. However the pub is a bit of a behemoth with a large beer garden in summer, ground level pub room decorated all over with tons of bric-a-brac and things hanging from the ceiling that could take you all night to inspect. Downstairs, there are further rooms offering a series of amenities, table football, pool, darts, TV, jukebox, much more set up for a young crowd than some of the almost pointedly spartan old man pubs in Prague. The downstairs space isn’t anything special in terms of décor, but it is a really nice place to be. There are a mix of locals and tourists and the size of the place gives you enough space to move about in while still actually feeling quite homely.
There are house beers (brewed elsewhere and relabelled) and classic Belgian bottles for a reasonable price. That’s before you get to some reasonably priced Czech beers from small and medium sized breweries. In terms of raw materials U Sadu packs a punch – and get this – stays open til 4am – which is crucial in a country still getting used to the idea of serving beer after 11 o clock (probably because all the natives have drunk themselves unconscious by 10pm).
U Sadu itself reminded me quite a bit of going out in England in the early 00s, but with the benefits of contemporary pub going (late night food and drink facilities in particular) added on.
You need to know about this place because it scores highly on most of the indicators you could think of for pub going – this is a pub straining every sinew to provide choice, comfort, atmosphere and remain open for people serious about making a night of it. These kind of places are more often than not the answer to the place ‘where next?’ – U Sadu is the archetype of that in Prague.
32. Blues Bar Traubka, Brno (Czechia) 🇨🇿 (New Entry)
Late Bar / Low-lit & Atmospheric / Local Life
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.3/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A down and dirty late night scuzz bar par excellence. Battered antique furniture dimly lit in reds and yellows. Exposed brickwork and very intimate surroundings. Probably the most atmospheric venue in Brno or around Czechia, with an almost dreamlike inertia as the night slides away under you. From the outside all looks closed but give that door another try, and you’ll be welcomed into this private little den. Fantastic hang out spot that along with Mydlo opposite makes this street somewhat notorious. Check out the little thrift shop they have by the entrance, the decrepit toilet facilities and be prepared for a late, late end to the evening.
31. Scârț Loc Lejer, Timișoara (Romania) 🇷🇴 (New Entry)
Neighbourhood Hangout / Museum / Café Bar / Art Space
Read our full Write-up!
Go to our 🇷🇴 Romania 🇷🇴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.3/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
A unique little gem situated in a sleepy, ramshackle neighbourhood, a nostalgia museum/bar with a homespun charm, certainly not a corporate venture. Popular with students, with plenty of amenities – board games, music and local events from a connected theatre group. Superb meadowy beer garden. There’s a bathtub in the toilets. One of the very best bars in Europe. A feeling you’ll sense near instantly.
30. The Hat’s Club/Клуб Шапките, Sofia (Bulgaria) 🇧🇬 (New Entry)
Backstreet Pipe Smoking Club / Friendly Local Life / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇧🇬 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.3/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
A special little hideout for pipe enthusiasts with a core crowd of friendly regulars there for conversation and relaxation. At first you may seem like an interloper but don’t be put off, before long someone will make conversation – they are friendly and internationally minded so you will be fine. Drinks are basic and do the job, but the core quality is the tremendous social value. Before long you’ll notice hours have flown by as the next person introduces themselves and so on. Really a diamond down an unlit backstreet, but special for in Sofia in general.
29. The Sair Inn, Linthwaite (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Village Pub / Brewpub / Live Music / Preserved Interior / Local Life
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.3/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Rub your eyes and then rub them again, these pubs still do exist. A superb unspoilt social local Yorkshire pub that’s all part of a brewing operation, Linfitt Ales. Unfortunately that has been suspended due to difficult trading conditions for 2023. However, you’ll find a large range of local ales, a step-back-in-time stone Inn with flagstone floor, old fireplace and low-slung exposed beams across several cosy rooms with bench seating. Good when quiet, exceptionally good when busy, with plenty on offer to keep it that way. Along with the local ales you’ll find musical instruments and music nights, a pizza oven firing up later in the week, community events, and outdoor seating. It’s good value too for the ales. The sort of pub you dream about finding. The owners feel it is a bit of a love-or-hate place, but in our view that sells it extremely short…and is remarkably modest. Learn to love it because you’ll be sorry when it’s gone. One of the best pubs – perhaps the best pub – in Yorkshire.
28. Eszeweria, Kraków (Poland) 🇵🇱
Antique Decor / Garden / Atmospheric Interior / Late Bar
Go to our 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.4/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Being a standout bar in Kazimierz is going some, but Eszeweria (pronounced something like Esh-evver-eee-aah) goes even further, by nailing the district’s established style – antiquey furnishings and crumbling edifices – as well.
Throw in a summer garden (albeit a very busy one), and there’s enough here to make you fall in love with Kazimierz all on its own.
Eszeweria opens very late as well. If it’s dark they will seemingly keep on serving. I couldn’t imagine visiting the bar any other time than very late in the evening, as walking in past the rows of couples dripping sweet nothings by murky candle light and the smell of incense, and groups of young folk plotting in the nooks and crannies of the bar is never better than at some unholy late time of night. Every visit seems to end with the bar being at least as busy as when you entered, it seems like it will never really close.
Unfortunately the pub only offers slightly last-gen beer offerings, with the Zywiec range on tap, and middlebrow bottles at best, a missed opportunity given the craft scene in the country, but that weakness aside, there’s very little else to mark the bar down for. The range of rooms and seating allow groups to have the kind of evening they want. There are intimate tables for two, communal pub type seating, sofas and of course the garden space.
Every city needs a go-to place for a late drink and for sheer atmosphere this is definitely one of the greatest.
27. Papa Joe’s Biersalon, Cologne (Germany) 🇩🇪
Live Music / Quirky / Historic
Read our Full Write-Up!
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.4/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
Some forms of pub going occur entirely outside of the confines of familiar culture, and one of these is to be found in Cologne, where Papa Joe’s Biersalon has become a local institution.
The traditional of socialising with strangers and even group singing is much more common in Germany.
To make matters weirder, the songs are ‘performed’ by a mechanical marionette by the bar, the range of tunes being a remorseless cast list of traditional German favourites with the typical organ, harpsichord and accordion ensemble.
Sitting among the locals, even if you aren’t joining in the singing (there is no obligation to) is a heady experience of local life, even national expression if you want to take it further. The venue itself is traditional in style, and theatrical in shape with raised seating around the perimeter of the ‘pit’ area in front of the bar. There are vending machines, lampposts, pianos and golden era Jazz ephemera pulling you in one way and another.
Drinks are best procured from the bar area as table service can be a little slow at peak times. The local beer Gaffel Kölsch is on tap at a standard price for the city centre.
The traditional seating and cosy interior is about the only aspect of the experience I can think of that was akin to English pub going. Everything else is rather quaint, quirky and shameless, gloriously kitsch. Expect to see a huddle of young folk bombastically belting out the standards, while the middle aged folk sit further back, rocking their heads and crooning along.
It’s an essential place to drop by in Cologne, particularly as some of the beer halls melt into one, it offers something utterly different, strange, and yet pitted in the local tradition. Throw down a far jars of Gaffel, gawp at the spectacle in front of you, then head around the corner to a kebab shop for a Turkisch pizza (making care to consume it before the alcohol wears off).
26. Komiteti, Tirana (Albania) 🇦🇱 (New Entry)
Courtyard Bar / Museum / Folk Pub / Local Life / Cocktails
Go to our 🇦🇱 Albania 🇦🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.4/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
One of the Balkans’ best bars, Komiteti is a labour of love, and work of art that transmogrifies Albanian folk heritage into a ruin bar type setting, a large venue with courtyard as well as cosy ethnographic interior with kitchen and living room atmosphere. Both relevant with a young crowd and an adoration of the past. Yet we are told repeatedly by bean counters that will never work? Well, what do they know? Worth a visit for the environment alone, but there are plenty of amenities and events to enjoy along with it. One to come back to again and again, and close to being a single reason to visit Tirana, high praise given the city is hardly an uneventful or uninteresting place.
25. Piwna Stopa, Poznań (Poland) 🇵🇱
Craft Beer Venue / Neighbourhood Pub / Local Life / Friendly Atmosphere
Go to our 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Some pubs give a clue to their quality just by the sounds you can hear from outside the door. The hubbub of lively conversation, laughter and friendly voices are an encouraging invitation to join in.
Walking inside swiftly confirms those sounds of encouragement were well founded, revealing a homely down to earth venue akin to an English pub in style and feel. There is a real fire near the bar, the walls are plastered in old beer labels and bar mats, and there are lots of comfortable dark wooden furniture, bookshelves and board games, and a small TV mounted near the ceiling, a slight concession to sports fans perhaps? Yes, but also as likely, for the staff to watch TV during quiet times. As with all great pubs it feels like your temporary home for the afternoon/evening.
Don’t worry about any excess of tourists, the venue is just far enough outside the old town. The reason Piwna Stopa is busy and popular is all down to word of mouth – which exists because this pub is really damn good.
The reasons already stated would be enough on their own to class it as a venue of real merit, but pleasingly enough, there are other aspects which all contribute to its special feel. The staff are friendly, enthusiastic and helpful. Indeed one staff member noticed we had returned the following day despite being two of a hundred people and they were very welcoming.
With a name like ‘Beer Foot’ you wouldn’t be mistaken to think this was another pub wedded to Poland’s burgeoning craft beer scene. A dozen keg options, specialist bottles, most at the cutting edge.
In addition to the beer they also do some basic food, usually one-pot type cooking, the smells of which waft through the room and looked heart enough to help line your stomach for the drinking ahead. The prices in here are fair considering the higher strength and overheads associated with craft brewing, and in a wider sense, it must be conceded Poland offers some of the cheapest high quality craft beer you can buy in Europe. The Pub actively market themselves and put on events, clearly trying to foster a community spirit, which on the evidence at my disposal has been very successful.
Just think how many mediocre pubs there are that miss the tricks that places like Piwna Stopa seems to know intrinsically and maintain. It’s constantly frustrating that because the bar is low people refuse to aim high.
This place clearly had ambitions to run a pub worthy of shouting about and we are pleased to say their ambitions have been realised. It is a classic example of how to open and run a good pub. The excellent beer is simply a bonus.
24. Tig Bhric, Ballyferriter (Republic Of Ireland) 🇮🇪 (New Entry)
Brewpub / Local Life / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇮🇪 Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
A true standout, both for the fact it is an independent small-batch brewery in Ireland, more so that it is based near the middle of nowhere, more still that it has a pub that on its own would be worth visiting even if it only served macro-brew beer. A family operation and labour of love, the beers are true standouts, a way above the norm available in the country, while the pub itself is the epitome of homeliness, with wood strip ceiling giving it a cosy Gasthof feel, with a large custom fireplace and smell of incense in the air. Original artworks by the owner Adrienne personalise the place. One of the true wonders of the pubgoing world, a reminder of the meaning of hospitality. Unfortunately, early closing means you must plan for a day visit unless you are staying over at their Inn.
23. Chata pod Rysmi, Mount Rysy (Slovakia) 🇸🇰 (New Entry)
Mountain Refuge / Atmospheric
Read our full Write-Up!
Go to our 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇸🇰 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
A unique experience – hike to 2250m to this refuge hut near the summit of Mount Rysy, Slovakia and Poland’s highest peak, which becomes – to all intents and purposes – a pub. Sup draft beer delivered to the hut by volunteers on foot up chains and ladders by oil lamp and the light of the night sky. Simple wooden benches, a guitar and piano, and plenty of booze, this is an experience that cannot be easily repeated. Perhaps even a once in a lifetime experience. We encourage you to read our full write-up, above.
22. U Kuděje, Olomouc (Czechia) 🇨🇿
Neighbourhood Hospoda / Local Beers / Live Music
Read our Full Write-up!
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Evenings in Olomouc are a tough time to get seated. Wherever you turn, each hostinec, hospoda, pajzl, minipivovar or výčep seems to be full. It is no exception when it comes to U Kuděje. Yet, frustrating though that is, there is all justification to persevere as you are searching for a drink in one of the best pubs in the city, if not in the whole country. At first appearances Hospůdka U Kuděje may seem unremarkable. A Czech pub in a half-step basement of a very Czech city building? – seen plenty of those before. Wooden furniture from the Austria-Hungary era, with traditional ruralist décor? A well-trodden choice, too but the true quality of U Kuděje is the combination of a number of smaller things contributing to a greater whole, known as genius loci, or spirit of a place. Which we will now come to. U Kuděje is not based slap bang in the centre (it could potentially lose a fraction of its charm if it were) but a short walk west on the fringes between Olomouc’s old town and a residential neighbourhood west of Čechovy sady.U Kuděje is named after the writer Zdenek Kuděj, the closest and perhaps long-suffering friend of Jaroslav Hašek, who were both part of an anarchist/bohemian literary scene in the early 20th century, so is a fitting tribute to someone who spent huge amounts of time in pubs. You will find theirs and others’ works available to read (in Czech, of course) within the pub. Here is a short explanation of the pub and connection to the writer: http://www.memorialmatejekudeje.cz/?cat=14
Drop down a short set of stairs outside to the basement level and enter, where the bar area greets you immediately, with a list of beers attached above the bar. The place feels warm and bunker-like and you will almost certainly find people sat at stools around the bar, and a cast of regulars sat on tables to your right. To your left is a small lounge area with people deep in conversation and set into the ritual of the place itself. The pub has the atmosphere you’d expect from a neighbourhood dive and you’ll quickly notice from the interactions there are folk sat around who know each other well. This in my opinion is the core of the pub’s appeal, the warmth and simplicity of a social scene that people invariably seek out when given the choice.A busy pub full of locals can be intimidating at first, and if you can’t see anywhere to sit you may be forced to hang at the bar (also awkward if there is no leaning room). Take a full look into the pub and if there is a spare seat ask “je tu volny”, and hopefully someone will yield. If you arrive as a group in the evening without a reservation, then all I can say is: Good luck. Yep, unfortunately Czechia does not by default use a system of first-come-first served in pubs and will reserve tables for loyal locals at the expense of fly-by-night tourists and turf you out of your seat when the time comes.n U Kuděje’s big thing – atmosphere aside – is a focus on regional Czech beer, which is very good news for any fans of unfiltered and/or unpasteurised lagers. Offering 5 or so on tap at any one time, this is a sensible number that helps ensure freshness, and a little rotation for new and recurring brands. The beers are also served on porcelain plates built with recesses to collect spillage – this is very old fashioned but seems to be making a comeback of late. They may try to suggest that these beers are good for your health but quite frankly, who cares? If it makes you feel better then yes, yeast can in theory help repopulate your stomach with good bacteria. However if you need it repopulating because of an excess of beer the previous night then that rather negates the point, doesn’t it? Prices are reasonable, perhaps on the high side for Olomouc, which isn’t a problem given Olomouc is an extremely affordable city. The pub snacks at U Kuděje are typical for Czech pubs – expect the usual cheese, ham, pickles but keep a look out for Moravian cheese if that’s your thing, as that’s quite the regional speciality. Lastly, take a look at the opening hours – few places open later on a Saturday than they do during the week, but U Kuděje is one of them. This place is does a short 5 hours service on weekends, and opens at 3 during the week. This makes it doubly difficult to try and get into.Although U Kuděje may be a tough nut to crack as an outsider, we personally couldn’t think of too many better pubs to make the effort to ingratiate yourself in. You’ll find the true atmosphere and camaraderie of a mixed crowd partaking in a time-honoured tradition with authenticity, not to mention enjoying some of the freshest, well-kept and well-poured lager available.
21. Alchemia, Kraków (Poland) 🇵🇱
Late Bar / Antiquey Bar / Live Music / Multipurpose Venue / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
The Jewish Quarter in Krakow, Kazimierz has one of the most densely concentrated and highest quality offerings of quirky, alternative and atmospheric pubs and bars in the whole of Europe. The choice for a pub crawl is bountiful and very difficult to cover every bar of merit in one trip.
Alchemia is the beating heart of Kazimierz, based directly on Plac Nowy. On a warm summer night there are seemingly no real joins between the limits of the bar and the Zapiekankie stalls on the square itself, with groups congregating, milling about, enjoying a drink and the buzz of the social scene, sometimes even with street music as the often well marked boundaries pub going are ripped up in favour of an almost Latin American/bohemian feel.
It isn’t all about the al fresco socialising though, that is merely a happy consequence of its popularity and position. The pub itself is superb, and the intimate atmosphere in certain nooks and crannies is almost a contradiction from the vibrancy on the street.
You couldn’t visit a more archetypal antiquey-themed place. Tables and chairs are set to candle light while vintage furniture is spread across the rooms. The rabbit hole feel is continued even further by having to climb through a wardrobe into the back room.
The colours are red, velvet and the woozy glow of candlelight. The bar is usually busy enough that most seats are taken but not so busy that you can’t swoop on a vacant table a few minutes later, and spend an hour or two luxuriating in the faded cracked grandeur and the collective feel that seems to permeate through the venue that this is the place to be.
The bar serves tank Tyskie for pennies and the range of Książęce beers which are a step up from the normal range of Polish lager, especially the wheat beer, but at the time of writing the Polish craft beer scene hasn’t yet arrived here. There are plenty of places nearby for that in any event.
Alchemia may be somewhat of an institution, and I expect some locals may feel it is passe, but there is no denying its intrinsic quality and the essential journey you must make to Alchemia upon your visit to Krakow.
20. Altstadtkneipe Noah, Erfurt (Germany) 🇩🇪 (New Entry)
City Centre Pub / Old World Decor / Beer Specialists / Garden / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A bolt from the blue. This place stands out not only among its Erfurt contemporaries but in Germany as a whole. The time and effort to assemble the fixtures, fittings and decor, and the skill in producing one of the most cosy pubs you’re likely to visit anywhere, is striking. Recovered, antiquey hoardings and ephemera is nothing new of course, but the curation here is a step above. This isn’t all about the decor either, by far. Along with a couple of unusual tap options, the bottle range is extensive, covering Franconia, Belgium, and craft options. Food is precisely the kind of salty hearty cooking to soak up the beer. There’s a very nice garden out of the back too. Indoors, a wonderfully cosy, clandestine atmosphere pervades. Sublime, almost worth visiting Erfurt alone to find.
19. Grogan’s, Dublin (Republic of Ireland) 🇮🇪
City Centre Pub / Irish Pub / Historic Tavern / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇮🇪 Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Exceptional atmosphere in what is a local institution. A cult pub with a heritage, unvarnished and characterful while in the middle of a hip district. Very popular so be patient for a seat. Still alright prices considering. Both relevant and in the heart of the action while redolent of the times past. Local artwork on the walls and the old partitions still in place. Famous for its toasties.
18. Roncsbár, Debrecen (Hungary) 🇭🇺
Ruin Pub / Courtyard Complex / Party Venue / Amenities
Read our full Write-up!
Go to our 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇭🇺 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
While ruin bars may be synonymous with Budapest, other cities in Hungary quickly taken inspiration from the design and ethos – it was inevitable they would create their own version. Gázfröccs in Sopron and Csillag EzPresszó in Győr both prove that the bar has been raised. Roncsbár in Hungary’s 2nd city Debrecen, is the most convincing example yet that it’s worth leaving Hungary’s megacity to explore the nightlife in the provinces.While I love an old boozer, such as the now defunct Wichmann’s in Budapest, it must be said the standards of décor, atmosphere and amenities in Hungarian pubs have shot up dramatically since Szimpla et al arrived on the scene. Roncsbár (Roncs, meaning Wreck) immediately showed that its up to the task. Established 2013, Roncs is both a cosy pub, a concert hall, a garden terrace and a arty streetfood courtyard, delivering the alluring appeal we love about ruin bars – a combination of rooms to explore as well as cosy areas to congregate. Unlike unsuccessful attempts to export these to the West, it doesn’t feel the least bit corporate, even when you add bouncers and plastic cups (we’ll get to that in a minute).
There is no shortage of ways to spend your evening here, whether that be for a quiet drink, for food, for music and partying, or games. What’s better, the bar is designed in such a way that it never feels like those people are clashing with each other. While not as enormous as the likes of the Fogas Ház ‘party complex’ or the ruined mansion of Szimpla, there is a fair expanse of space, and just like those it’s exciting to walk through it all for the first time. Entering via the front door of the pub, you could be fooled for thinking that’s all there is. It is very pleasant – nothing negative to report – the area is focused on drinks and socialising rather than food – fine by me. You’ll find exposed brick and slightly ramshackle wooden tables. The ceiling appears to be studded with cymbals from drum kits (or was I wrong?). There’s a lively atmosphere and if that was it, then Roncsbár would probably warrant inclusion on our website as an 8/10 pub. But after you’ve taken in the indoors, have a wander around and look for a side door – this will take you into the entrance way for the ruin-pub aspect proper. The design suddenly explodes into an eclectic whirlwind of bric-a-brac and, if you pay attention, some finely-crafted artwork. The cherry on top of the cake is, in this case, a wrecked (get it?!) aeroplane which looks like it has been hung, fuselage and all to the inside of the roof. What’s better, is the complex is heated in the icy winter and well-ventilated, keeping the place comfortable at all times. Carry on past the stalls to find a courtyard seating area which will appeal to anyone wanting to watch some sport (big screen, of course) and a terrace garden area – closed on my visit due to the snowy weather – but definitely a further area to spread out in spring and summer. Barbecue? Yes please. Drinks are about on standard with most Hungarian bars, however their website boasts they have their own-label beer from Rendelkezik (Reindeer?) which I must admit I didn’t see. It’s still possible to get a standard lager for a fair price and nothing here, be it beer, wine or spirits will offend most local or foreign wallets. If you’re outside you will be made to drink it in a plastic cup – on the upside no-one has to worry about broken glass. Service can be a bit rushed and impersonal in that way all popular places end up being, but that isn’t a reason to mark this place down. Unlike Budapest, there really is only one place like this in Debrecen, certainly making it stand out. There will always be one or two people of a contrary or conservative nature who take a dislike to these bars. You can’t please all of the people all of the time, but Roncsbár comes pretty damn close. I love being able to dip in and out of events that are happening, be able to get some fresh air, or have a sit down, and still be in the same place, and still have something interesting to look at. There are only a few bars that have scored more highly, and so congratulations goes to Roncsbár. Long live the Wreck!
17. Goupil Le Fol, Brussels (Belgium) 🇧🇪
Pastis / Quirky Venue / Antiquey / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
There are so many extraordinarily good bars in Brussels that you could spend many visits revisiting them and exhausting them. A lot of these bars are visible, centrally located and on the tourist trail, and with only a few exceptions offer enticing bottle selections of gorgeous Belgian ale.
It took me 4 visits before we found the bar Goupil Le Fol, but one visit was enough to propel it to the top of the charts.
A quick map reference confirms Goupil Le Fol is situated very close to the Grand Platz, yet never really feels like it. The bar does not look extravagant in any way from the outside, and I got the impression before visiting that this remains a bar for locals rather than tourists. In fact the answer is more complex, as you’d expect from such a cosmopolitan city.
Opening the door instantly feels like the entering of a bunker or tunnel, a long windowless and low-ceilinged, and studded with adornments on any bare surface.
which doesn’t work well with the atypical menu. They answer you as if you’ve asked them the same question a million times. The bar is right next to the door, and with no menu and no beers visible behind them you have to ask for their selection, which is a modest but reasonably well chosen range of 7-8 bottles. Alternatively we recommend their sweet, boozy pastis.
You then begin the walk along the passage, deeper and deeper into the bowels of the bar, past an original Wurlitzer jukebox and much jazz and 1950s memorabilia. Carrying on further until finding upholstered bench seating in a very cosy, slightly wider room. There are entire books nailed to the wall and vinyl records on the ceiling. This is where we sit.
The crowd are a typically Belgian blend of cultures, all of which sit together in an extraordinarily atmospheric environment. The Belgian beer is working its magic and the coloured lights in the bar are glimmering off the records and any other surface with shine on it. There is much to look at and talk about in true comfort, exchanging glances across the other side of the room, everyone happy and resolved they have made the right choice of venue for the evening.
16. Schlenkerla, Bamberg (Germany) 🇩🇪
Brewpub / Beer Hall / Historic Venue / Preserved Features
Read our full Write-Up!
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
The number one purveyor of ‘rauchbier’ (an extremely acquired taste) are a big brand and export their strange smokey ale across the world. The stuff is nationally famous, as is Bamberg’s tradition for beer brewing.
One thing therefore you wouldn’t expect from their brewery would be a small-medium sized pub area, but that is precisely what you get. That’s not a criticism though, the pub is absolutely fantastic, in comparison to many other breweries who go in for cavernous beer halls and at times a far more corporate business-like approach to style and service.
There is a luxury to be had bathing in stereotypes from time to time, and the medieval charms of Schlenkerla’s tap house are so distinct and powerful as to make a lasting impression.
The exterior of the pub is a traditional Fachwerk house, as could be expected, with the classic Scherlenka motif on the lantern outside. Turn left as you walk in to enter the pub, with Schlenkerla beer served gravity pulled from the barrel. The interior is black beamed with medium sized communal seating, and is so appealing on a winter’s day no British qualms about finding your own table come into play. Find a space and place yourself there – perhaps be polite to ask first, but it’s unlikely anyone will decline. The serving wench is stodgy and middle aged, which suits the place perfectly, and your beer will arrive in short order. Keep the bar mat handy as she will be keeping tabs via pencil marks on that.
The Rauchbier fills your mouth at first with smoke and bacon flavour, nearly overwhelming, but once it has laid the flavour there, the drinking becomes ever milder, with the Marzen being a sweetish nut brown brew, with that background smoke and a refreshing hoppy finish. An acquired taste, they recommend persevering. by your third, they believe you will be won over.
The pub area is very cosy and friendly, with many traditional pub staples, even a serving hatch with a stained glass window, and a door leading to a courtyard of high medieval design where one can get fresh air and nosey around at the terrific venue.
Although they serve food in the pub area, there is also a cloistered beer hall and restaurant for slightly more formal dining. The styling inches even further towards medievalism without going over the top as with some themed-restaurants.
Schlenkerla serve food built to withstand the power of a smoked beer, and the offerings are intensely flavoured and agricultural. The Bamberger sausage is charred black, comes on a spartan metal plate and will make your breath stink for weeks. It’s delicious. The Bamberg Zwiebel is a giant onion stuffed with mince. You get the idea. You can even push the boat out and order Schlenkerla’s doppelbock beer, the combination of complex strong beer and smoked effect pushing the boundaries of what a tongue can cope with.
All venues that see a high volume of traffic can result in the service being a little jaded and that also applies to Schlenkerla. I got the impression the majority are well meaning but they certainly seem to tire as the day goes along.
As a pub we would recommend Schlenkerla most highly – it is one of the finest we’ve ever been to.
15. Calgary Antik Drinkbar, Budapest (Hungary) 🇭🇺 (New Entry)
Munich-style Boazn / Quirky / Eccentric
Go to our 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇭🇺 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
For the mystique alone, its macabre, unique experience this is a true one-off and outstanding bar in Europe, to the point where such concerns as drink or food are irrelevant. The owner, Auntie Viki welcomes you into a small drinkbar around the size of a Munich Boazn that has become someone’s living room, stuffed with her life’s possessions, along with her brain-damaged dog and fluffy white cat that bumble about. Viki is elderly and worthy of time and care, a local living legend as reviews will attest to. Cans of beer or palinka are the regular offer with a stock of spirits at the back of the bar. It even seems impossible to know where to sit, but you should be guided to the seat if you’re deemed welcome. Inside an old TV set plays, gowns and dresses are hung-up in the back, and you wonder how the hell life took you to this place. This is going to be a very strongly love or hate venue for those reading, but we loved it and wish there were more places like it. Go while it’s still open.
14. Café Vlissinghe, Brugge (Belgium) 🇧🇪
Historic Tavern / Preserved Interior / Beer Specialists
Read our Full Write-up!
Go to our 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Every town deserves at least one pub in which nothing ever seems to change. Emotionally, being able to track certain parts of our lives to the past, as fundamentally futile as that endeavour may seem, helps to provide us with a sense of dignity, in the knowledge that we have retained and respected things of value along the way.
Café Vlissinghe is Brugge’s link to the past, a pub traceable for centuries as one of the oldest continually operating businesses in Europe and very much keen on changing as little as humanly possible. Once you have a good thing you don’t let that go.
Nevertheless, there are other things going on here than a pocket sized ethnographic museum, Café Vlissinghe stocks a new beer Fort Lapin brewed in a garage five minutes up the road by a new brewer, but even with this choice, you get the sense of sentimentality and heritage at wanting to promote a city project, even with the hundreds of other Belgian beers they could have chosen to sell.
Vlissinghe is located down a typical backstreet. Cobbled, white painted walls, ancient brickwork, and even older bicycle propped up outside. The 50 metre walk off the street to the pub is now somewhat of a ritual, just long enough to build the sense of anticipation.
The pub itself is really just one central room, creaking with old but sturdy furniture and warped floorboards, with faded oil paintings on the wall and an impressive cast iron steam heater in the centre of the room kicking out terrific heat. There is a pub dog who is happy pottering around, giving things a sniff before having naps here there and everywhere.
The main room overlooks a garden and terrace area used as a bowling green in the summer and has outhouse toilets (which are thankfully not hanseatic league era, unlike the rest). The kitchen is in an adjoining building and focuses on winter fuel and bar snacks, which are all Belgian style and tasty. Service is friendly but occasionally disorganised and slow (forgivably), and the prices are par for the course.
The main appeal is the sheer sense of relaxation. Whether it is 11.30 in the morning or last thing at night, I doubt anything about the feel of the pub would change hugely. Hunker down for an afternoon of supremely enjoyable beer drinking and hearty soups and breads among an environment of true character.
13. U Černého vola, Prague (Czechia) 🇨🇿
Pivnice / Local Life / No-nonsense / Social
Read our Full Write-up!
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.6/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Another gem of a pub, U Černého vola (the Black Ox) becomes increasingly isolated as it shares streets with touristy, overpriced restaurants and souvenir shops close to Prague’s castle,
Walking through the door offers you immediate refuge from the hustle and bustle and you are greeted by the kind of down to earth, no-nonsense pub you wouldn’t think would have survived here.
You could always spend your time in a bland place with a style not particular to anywhere, but why bother when you can still have a great time and go to a true Czech pub, which is what this.
The pub operates a similar tapster/server duo to U Hrocha, a reliable system involving in this case a mute, middle-aged bearded man silently dispensing light and dark Kozel lager (and Pilsner Urquell, but this place feels more like a Kozel place in our opinion), while an amiable enough server trots around doing the necessary interaction. The understated pride with which they carry out their jobs is sometimes overlooked but it is worth acknowledging and all adds to the overall feel of the place.
The venue is largely set up for communal bench seating, which fills up quite quickly around lunch hours, and bar a lull in the afternoon, becomes fairly busy from early evening onwards. The only sounds to enjoy are that of the conversation and surrounding pub noises, the clink of glasses, the occasional plate of pub grub (fried cheese, smoked sausage etc) emerging from the kitchen.
There are some stained glass windows and medieval insignia above the dark wooden bench seats, but otherwise it’s the usual gently aging surroundings and curved pivnice type walls inside. This is pub going stripped back to its core and none the poorer for it. Even the wine has been known to be served in beer glasses.
When the tourists disappear from Hradčany, Prague’s Castle Hill, the locals emerge and seek out U Černého vola for a few jars of Kozel, transforming the venue’s atmosphere into a vibrant destination. Getting a seat is an essential task but be aware they are in high demand as the day progresses. Don’t be shy – if it means sitting shoulder to shoulder with a stranger, so be it. You never know what might be in store.
Additionally, Max Bahnson (Pivni Filosof) has advised that U Černého vola a huge portion of the money they make goes towards social projects. While this might not be foremost in your mind as to where to go, it’s good to know in the background a pub has its heart in the right place, especially if the gruff Czech service ever puts your nose out of joint! Visiting this pub is like taking a deep dive into the heart of Czech culture. Learn a few phrases and be prepared to mix in.
12. Le Pot Au Lait, Liège (Belgium) 🇧🇪
Avant-garde / Courtyard Bar / Beer Specialists / Late Bar / Live Music
Read our Full Write-up!
Go to our 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.6/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Wonderful ruin-bar a-like concept. Outdoors, part-indoors and indoors, unfurling like layers. Fabulous no-expense spared décor you will never tire of looking at with an animist, surrealist theme. Superior tap range of Belgian classics and the odd modern option thrown inn. Decent value considering the statement location. Friendly young atmosphere. Live events and music, a cultural and community hub. One of the best bars on Earth.
11. The Gravediggers, Dublin (Republic Of Ireland) 🇮🇪 (New Entry)
Irish Pub / Historic Pub / Preserved Interior / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇮🇪 Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.6/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
A masterpiece of historical, weathered beauty. Aged wood that has absorbed a patina of years past, shades of brown and a space that is both intimate, private and yet social with it. Interesting throwback features like wooden screens and partitions, leaning posts. Guinness that on its day is like liquid Dairy Milk, and a wee bit cheaper than central prices too. Adored by the locals who know they live near one of the best pubs in Dublin, therefore Europe. Named so as to reference the Glasnevin Cemetery next door, there is a claim the local phrase “going for a few jars” originated from here. A visit feels like writing a personal chapter in its history, like you’ve been part of something bigger. This is close to the biggest compliment you can make of any pub.
10. The Trumpet, Bilston (England) 🏴 (New Entry)
Jazz Bar / Suburban Pub / Memorabilia / Atmospheric
Go to our 🏴 England 🏴 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.6/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A one-off and certainly close to being the finest pub in England, this jazz bar combines amazing decor, with jazz antiques and memorabilia perfectly complimenting a beautifully ageing wood fit pub with low ceiling, bench seating and carpets. Local ales and classics feature which, while not its strongest suit is still somewhat of a surprise for a music venue. Live performances feature almost daily, with tips + raffle surcharge to pay for those. (N.B: Bring hard cash as they don’t accept cards.) Sitting comfortably with the likes of Yorckschlösschen, Papa Joe’s, Kontrabas and Bohemia Jazz Bar, England has a Jazz venue worthy of renown anywhere in Europe. Part Spanish-owned, there are occasional tapas nights too Visit at once.
9. Café Kulminator, Antwerp (Belgium) 🇧🇪 (New Entry)
Beer Specialists / Family Run / Cluttered / Cosy
Go to our 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.6/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
One of the best beer venues in Europe, and also notable for its special qualities aside of that. Dirk & Leen run the place, now an elderly couple, and have decades of experience cellaring Belgian ale of all kinds. These stay in the cellar for years maturing and taking on different qualities. This is the core appeal from a drinking perspective. From a pub going perspective it hardly gets homelier with surroundings that put you at ease, like being in someone’s living room rather than a pub. The strains of classical music lilt across the place. Cluttered and personalised with books, games, comfy seating and made welcome by Leen’s kindly service. Dirk is a bit more of a loose cannon, sometimes grumpy, sometimes in a stupor, tolerating what’s happening but no more than that. This culminates (get it) into a really special, intimate and lovely experience. Those who don’t care for clutter or idiosyncratic service are advised to steer clear. Check opening times carefully which reduce as the years go by, and on entering do confirm that you are there to ‘taste’ rather than drink a nice beer. If you answer incorrectly you won’t get in. Go now before they retire, because this will soon enough disappear forever.
8. U Hrocha, Prague (Czechia) 🇨🇿
Pivnice / Local Life / No-nonsense / Social / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇨🇿 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Few pubs inspire such affection from me as U Hrocha (The Hippo), a long standing drinking hole in Mala Strana, Prague’s ‘little quarter’, first visited by EBG way back in 2007.
The interior is the same as always, a very cosy bar room offset at the angle of the hill running up towards the castle, the walls slightly yellowed. A few little Hippo decorations. There is a second room across the hall which I have never ventured into but appears to be an extension of the pub as a whole.
The staff, (a venerable duo) are still in attendance, growing increasingly grey and rotund. The tapster that we christened Wolfman is a local legend still churning out glasses of pristine Pilsner Urquell with his enigmatic expression that conveys a dozen emotions at once.
U Hrocha is the kind of pub where a slight wrist movement or wiggle of your dying glass of beer, or even just a nod will be enough to secure your next drink. The beauty here is all in the simplicity, cutting back the B.S and letting the true purpose of your visit, socialising and drinking take its course.
There is a true vibrancy to the place and securing a seat itself is satisfying enough before the beer arrives. Part of the reason for this is that the locals will not relinquish it to tourists, and make a point of turning up early and indeed reserving seats at the bar. This may seem impudent and petty but it serves a core purpose. The pub wants to keep a crowd of locals in there and they have all right to. Don’t be afraid however, a polite few words in Czech will keep the duo on your good side, and they seem just as happy to serve all-comers who want a drink and a chat.
The Pilsner Urquell is served kept exceptionally well (vitally important for a temperamental beer varying in quality), served in the Czech style with three fingers of foam, obliging you to dive in nose first. The ‘mother’s milk’ is really Prague’s stock beer, despite Staropramen being Prague’s largest brewery.
The pub is propelled to the point of distinction because it genuinely feels like a Prague institution, while its position and its experience is as close to heavenly as you can get for any beer lover or pub lover. The prices are unquestionably fair given the location. Place it as high as possible on your list of Prague pubs to visit, and turn up at opening time to get a seat! The only times of year where the pub ever really gets quiet is on snowy evenings in February and March. If it’s possible to be in love with a place rather than a person, this pub comes pretty damn close.
7. Dick Mack’s, Dingle (Republic Of Ireland) 🇮🇪 (New Entry)
Brewpub / Local Pub / Irish Pub / Live Music / Whisky / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇮🇪 Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
A true classic, Dick Mack’s would already be the best pub in town for its preserved decor and genius loci, that’s before you get into the evening singalongs, snugs and on site brewery that provides sweet relief from the incessant hegemony that is the Irish pub scene. Wonderful craic from bar staff and quirks everywhere from the snugs facing each other opposite two sides of the bar with hatches for service to the habadashery shop counter and original shelves. Shelves which contain many bottles of Irish whisky to choose from. One of the best pubs you’re ever likely to go to. “Where’s the church? – Opposite Dick Mack’s. Where’s Dick Mack’s? Opposite the church”. Enquire for opening times during Covid.
6. ‘t Brugs Beertje, Brugge (Belgium) 🇧🇪
Brown Café / Beer Specialists / Atmospheric
Read our Full Write-Up!
Go to our 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
The alchemy of what constitutes a good pub is worthy of considerable study, and partly why this site was created. The Little Bruges Bear is an excellent place to begin.While there are so very many hundreds of bars and pubs across Europe missing essential ingredients, scrambling in the dark in their search to attract patrons, despite having a reliable formula almost laid out for them, this pub serves to illustrate how simple the task is – or appears. t’Brugse Beertje is a cosy communal venue with the dimensions and confines of a snug brown café/pub decorated with wood panelled walls and adorned well selected and stylish bar ephemera. There is a choice of simple wooden seating or slightly more comfortable bench seating if you’re lucky enough to swoop in and claim it. Ask to peruse their enormous menu of Belgian beer, presented in the form of an almanac that takes a good 20 minutes to look through properly and consider a selection of typical Belgian snack options (gouda, biscuits, meat platters, croque monsieur etc) to go with. Just thinking about this while writing is salivating. Hanging above the bar is a gleaming selection of the various beer glasses each tailored to their specific beer, every single flavour journey mapped out by their brewers right down to the way the beer sits in a glass, tempered to the point of maximising every single potential for an improvement of the experience, telling of a country utterly obsessed with the art of brewing and the pleasure of drinking. There will be a beer for you in this pub, or I’m afraid there is no beer for you. Service is efficient and attentive, their prices are 20-30 cents higher than other nearby places, but not punishingly so. The enormous popularity of the place has unfortunately driven locals away during peak season and evenings. The ideal would be for it to contain a healthy mixture of both locals and a few tourists, but the world has taken over Brugge in the last 15 years and is only just starting to ease .The pub opens at 5pm and in December, you’ll find by 5.30 nearly every seat is taken. After that it’s a case of waiting politely at the door and taking your chance to swoop to a seat. Once seated, it’s unlikely you’ll see a reason to leave any time soon. It’s a rare example of a place where I would actually queue to enter. The main room has a terrific atmosphere, watching folk come and go, but if that’s not available, the backroom has a lovely down-to-earth feel, like a rambler’s pub full of strangers thrown together in the tangle of a boozy evening. Only the matter of being on holiday, in Brugge of all places could distract a visitor from staying there all night, returning at opening time the next day and doing the same. There’s no doubt that this is pub going at its very best.
5. Café De Dokter, Amsterdam (Netherlands) 🇳🇱
Late Bar / Family-Run / Intimate / Atmospheric
Go to our 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇱 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Amsterdam performs yet another star turn. Named after its historic clientele, arrive on time to get a seat from the very few available, or be content joining an excitable throng. Tiny yet hugely characterful bar, one of the ultimate historic cafés. Jazz music on an old record player, a barrel-chested old master in command, cobwebs and candlelight. A first impression that will stay with you forever, and an experience unmissable in Europe.
4. Papa Joe’s Jazz Lokal, Cologne (Germany) 🇩🇪 (2021 Winner)
Live Music / Quirky / Cocktails / Late Bar
Go to our 🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.7/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐ |
One of the ultimate Jazz bars on the globe, friendly, gregarious and brilliant. Animated heads on the wall, a theatre type stage opposite the bar, Roman ruins under glass at the entrance. A cocktail making machine and live acts every night, the overall total displayed on a digital reader at the front. Gloriously indulgent, kitsch and hedonistic in that way only Germany can manage. It doesn’t know whether it’s fashionable or not, as it’s simply too comfortable in its own shoes to care. Impossible not to be swept up in the action. Editors Note: Please do not confuse this with Number #27: Papa Joe’s Biersalon up the road. There are two!
3. Zlatna Ribica, Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina) 🇧🇦 (2020 Winner)
Atmospheric / Theme Bar / Quirky / Eccentric
Go to our 🇧🇦 Bosnia 🇧🇦 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.8/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Zlatna Ribica (Gold Fish) is a place of exotic eccentricity, stuffed with antiques and features that could keep your eyes occupied for hours. The sheer volume of it exceeds even the bar’s internal surroundings and even spills out onto the street, with one of their eccentric gadgets and bits of furniture occupying the street front. Yes, you will find some gold fish, bowls stacked over piles of books, ornate antique lampshades and waxed sideboards and rails studded with crenulations and detailing. The bar may be ornamental but it is also extremely quirky, with objects positioned where they shouldn’t be, and the oddest objects rearing their heads. Don’t be alarmed by the portable black and white TV in the toilets resting on a toilet roll showing lions mating in the Savannah or some such other eccentricity. Recline in a truly unusual and richly atmospheric pub, which feels like being in a mad professor’s study. Cocktails and mixers are the general order of the day with the local beer Sarajevsko a stock alternative. Overall, the most atmospheric and wonderfully cosy place for a drink that you will need to be prised out of. |
2. Szimpla Kert, Budapest (Hungary) 🇭🇺 (2019 Winner)
Ruin Pub / Complex / Beer + Cocktails / Live Music / Community Events
Read our Full Write-Up!
Go to our 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇭🇺 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.8/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Szimpla Kert has a lot written about it already, indeed anyone with a vague interest in Europe’s bar scene has probably heard of the concept of a ‘ruin bar’ already, if not the fact that it was Szimpla Kert’s own pioneering and innovation that brought the scene about.
A first visit to Szimpla is rather like entering a portal into another dimension, such is the jump-shift in atmosphere and style of anything you’re likely to have previously encountered. The venue is large enough to be classed as a club and there are certain similarities, but it feels far more relaxed than that. Indeed, they open during the afternoon where there is a sleepy, bohemian vibe with people relaxing among ruined, squatter type surroundings, however decorated, scrawled on, layers upon layers of ephemera to a hyperreal extent.
There have been attempts to transplant elements of the style which have all been only partially successful, because Szimpla’s style is so heavily ‘user-generated’ and doesn’t feel conceited.
‘Kert’ meaning garden, there is a large atrium area, peaceful and verdant in the day, then lively and buzzing at night. There are usually films and art pieces shown, occasionally live music, and one of the most spectacular sights at night as a huge chimney stack towers above, one of the most dramatic and chance additions to an already impressive ensemble. Sit in a converted car, smoke shisha, move upstairs to the craft beer bar and hang out among the vintage furniture and enjoy the view below. Someone might even walk around selling carrots for you to eat.
Due to the size, the sheer extent of the amenities never feels crammed in or spilling over each other. You can wander around, dipping in and out of the attractions at your leisure. Each visit is ever so slightly different as the place transforms so much at different times of day and conditions, morphing into a new experience. The great feeling it manages to put across is a sense of detachment from the outside world, this strange oasis where many of the rules and worries no longer apply.
You’ll be pleased to know it’s free to enter, indeed part of the appeal is the laissez-faire nature of it all, and the prices are very fair considering its position at the cultural and geographic epicentre of Budapest’s bar scene and nightlife.
The range of drinks were always reasonably good, with some unusual choices (dark Slovenian lager, Kriek, Schneider Weisse) thrown in. It comes across a little bit unplanned but in reality you get a good range at corresponding prices. There is also a new upstairs craft beer area not such a bad thing in a country starved of venues selling anything except Hungary’s dreadful Euro Lager.
On just about every measurable and immeasurable score, Szimpla excels, and the universally friendly feel the place exudes seems to rub off on those who enter. Szimpla is a cornerstone of a great night out and deserves its plaudits as one of the greatest bars in Europe.
1. Retsins Lucifernum, Brugge (Belgium) 🇧🇪 (New Entry) (2023 WINNER)
Theme Bar / Eccentric / Dramatic Decor / Art Exhibition / Macabre / Cocktails
Go to our 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇪 page
| EBG Rating: | 9.9/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Style/Décor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Amenities/Events | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value For Money | ⭐⭐⭐ |
We declare Retsins Lucifernum Europe’s Best Bar for 2023! A labour of love, something totally macabre, off-the-wall and out-there in concept, a life experience as well as a place for a drink. At an unassuming, suspicious looking entrance, Dracula’s Butler, with his Brylcreemed hair invites you to explore a mansion of gothic art, antiques and ephemera which eventually leads to a downstairs bar and garden courtyard. That isn’t even the half of it. Too much effort and eccentricity has gone into this Belgian curio to ever be able to be called tacky. Mad antics and superb cocktails along with social conversation with the other guests in a private setting limited to only 20 people at any one time. Limited opening hours also, so plan in advance! Charming, absurd, even at times alarming, beautiful and fascinating. Simply unmissable.