Nottingham
Carved into the cliff below the castle, this atmospheric alehouse claims to be England's oldest pub. Founded in 1189, it supposedly slaked the thirst of…
Must-see nightlife in Western Europe
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Groningen
Drinking spaces don't get cooler than Mr Mofongo. Think student-hip cafe with buzzing pavement terrace on the ground floor, and cocktail bar with…
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Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Sunset is the best time to hit this iconic, 7th-floor bar for drinks overlooking Paris' rooftops and – on Saturday night – on-trend DJ sets. Greenery…
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Galway City
Painted a bright cornflower blue, this 19th-century corner pub – known simply as Neáchtain's (nock-tans) or Naughtons – has a wraparound terrace for…
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Anglesey & the North Coast
Born out of a collaboration between four Welsh craft breweries (Purple Moose, Conwy, Nant and Great Orme), this heritage-listed 1920s boozer is a serious…
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Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Candles burn even during the day in this 15th-century building – one of two remaining wooden buildings in the city – which has been a tavern since 1519…
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Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
If only all multistorey car parks were like this… Take the lift to the 5th floor, and head up and around to the top, which has been transformed into one…
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The Algarve
Descend 33 shallow steps, then take a lift through the sandstone and walk through an underground tunnel to reach this hidden bar opening onto a little…
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Paris
Black-and-white photos and memorabilia (hunting trophies, old typewriters and framed handwritten letters by the great writer) fill this snug bar inside…
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Ribeira
Diogo, the passionate owner, explains the finer nuances of Portuguese wine at this chic, stone-walled bar, where relaxed jazz plays. Stop by for a two…
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Alfama, Castelo & Graça
Wow, what a view! Alfama unfolds like origami from the stylishly decked roof terrace of the Memmo Alfama hotel. It's a perfect sundowner place, with…
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Épernay
The downstairs cellar has a stash of 400 different varieties of Champagne; sample them in the softly lit bar-bistro upstairs. Accompany with a tasting…
Rotterdam
Sustainable, innovative and funky as anything, this bar-cafe in the former Tropicana baths has a large terrace boasting views across the Nieuwe Maas river…
Dublin
Toner’s, with its stone floors and antique snugs, has changed little over the years and is the closest thing you’ll get to a country pub in the heart of…
Belfast
In a cobbled alleyway off buzzing Hill St, the snug, traditional Duke feels like a living museum. There's regular live music; local band Snow Patrol…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
The monarch of London's after-hours scene, Fabric is a huge subterranean rave cave housed in a converted meat cold store. Each room has its own sound…
Kensington & Hyde Park
Seasoned with age and decades of ale-quaffing patrons (including Charles Dickens, who lived on the same road, and DH Lawrence), this old-school pub boasts…
Amsterdam Noord
Uber-cool Pllek is a Noord magnet, with hip things of all ages streaming over to hang out in its interior made of old shipping containers and, when the…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
If ever there was a cafe that summed up St-Germain des Prés’ early-20th-century literary scene, it’s this former hang-out of anyone who was anyone. You'll…
Amsterdam Noord
Tucked in a former shipyard and designed by architect Wouter Valkenier, built from recycled materials and with a focus on sustainability, this waterside…
Leeds
So successful has this craft brewery become that its beers are now stocked in UK supermarkets. But it's best drunk at the source, in the brewery's Grade…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
An Amsterdam institution, Hoppe has been filling glasses since 1670. Barflies and raconteurs toss back brews amid the ancient wood panelling of the bruin…
Leeds
A former textile mill and one-time grotty dive pub, the historic building that now houses Headrow House was given a hefty makeover to transform it into…
North Star Coffee Shop & General Store
Leeds
This minimalist cafe and coffee emporium is attached to the production facility of Leeds' first independent roastery, near the Royal Armouries. Watch the…
Oxford
Squeezed down an alleyway and subdivided into endless nooks and crannies, this medieval rabbit warren dates from around 1381. The definitive Oxford pub,…
Rotterdam
Rotterdam's first artisanal coffee roastery (there are now 12), Man Met Bril sources direct-trade, 90% organic beans from across the globe and then roasts…
Leeds
Locals have Laynes to thank for the complete reinvention of the Leeds coffee scene; when it opened in 2011 there was nothing else like it in the city. Now…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
In an area famous for its edgy, don't-give-a-damn attitude, this exquisite cocktail bar stands out for its classiness and cocktail confidence. The drinks…
County Mayo
Matt Malloy, the fife player from the Chieftains, runs this old-school pub where Mayo's musical heritage comes vividly to life. Head to the back room most…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Behind the Fox & Anchor's wonderful 1898 art-nouveau facade is a stunning traditional Victorian boozer, one of the last remaining market pubs in London…
Porto
Totally relaxed and boho-cool without trying, Terraplana is the bar of the moment in this neck of Porto. Murals adorn the artsy, stone-walled interior,…
Amsterdam
Out on a limb by the canal and listing like a ship in high winds, this tiny black building dating to 1695 was once a lock-keeper's house on the Oude…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Pull up a stool at the carved wooden bar and choose from the glinting brass taps. It's all about Belgian beers here: eight flow from the spouts, and…
Dublin
This brilliant old boozer is a cultural institution, established in 1782 and in this location since 1854. A drink (or more) here is like attending liquid…
Brussels
This grand café has a single, high-ceilinged room whose walls sport a ludicrously ornate load of gilt stucco tracery. Despite the grandeur, drinks are…
Brussels
This sumptuous 1886 grand café dazzles with polished brasswork and aproned waiters, yet prices aren’t exorbitant and coiffured mesdames with small dogs…
Dublin
The pub where traditional music stalwarts The Dubliners made their name in the 1960s still hosts live music nightly, but the crowds would gather anyway –…
Brussels
An institution. Behind windows plastered with beer stickers, this tattered, quirky old café is the ultimate beer spot in Brussels. Sample some of its…
Brussels
Overwhelming weirdness hits you as you acid-trip your way through this sensory overload of rambling passageways, ragged old sofas and inexplicable…
Brussels
Down a tiny hidden alley from Rue du Marché aux Herbes 5, Nostre-Dame has an almost medieval feel but retains a genuine local vibe. A magical old café…
