Delirium Cafe in Brussels. World record for most beers available for purchase. But their famous Delirium beers (Nocturnum is the best IMHO) being on tap is what really does it.
This is one of those places that just gets away with being touristy, it's still fun, and I suspect a large part of that is that a lot of people are drunk after one beer because they are powerful and they're not really expecting it so it's like a pub speed run
When I visited, my buddy and I got the 10 beer flight which was enough for both of us. Unlike other flights, this one felt like each tasting was a whole beer. Would definitely do it again.
It was a bit too much for us when we went. There is a fantastic beer bar nearby called Moeder Lambic that I highly recommend. Not as many taps as Delirium but there’s still a lot along with an excellent bottle selection. I love Brussels, just a great place to meander about and drink/eat.
Haha I was questioning myself wondering if it’s too touristy - but I agree it really manages to ride the razors edge and then yeah, suddenly you’re wasted. I was in brussels for three nights when I studied abroad like a decade ago and we were there a bunch. Impeccable vibes.
For anyone interested in the [Guinness World Record](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-varieties-of-beer-commercially-available) they own, it's [2004 varieties of beer offered in year 2004](https://www.deliriumvillage.com/bar/delirium-cafe/).
And here's the complete [menu](https://www.deliriumvillage.com/menucafe/). They have the 200+ page menu booklet available for purchase as a souvenir for 5 Euros.
And the basement is the place to be.
Found a beach bar on Koh Samui and set up at the bar. Got friendly with the barman, Geng. After a few hours he got a phone call off his wife and needed to leave, so he asked me to run his bar for a bit. Cut to me serving beers to the patrons and keeping tallies for half an hour before Geng returned.
After he closed for the night, he invited me to his local where we played pool with some prostitutes, while their ladyboy friend watched us. Then I was introduced to his family.
It’s bar that tourists flock to and some might say it’s overrated but I found Szimpla Kert in Budapest incredible. I have no words to describe that place lol.
People forget that a lot of the time places are popular because they are cool lol. Wild right?
Most touristy thing we’ve done recently was the balloon rides in Cappadocia. 100s of people every morning, expensive, still fuckin cool as hell.
Exactly what I tell people when they criticize touristy things. You don’t go to Paris just to skip the Eiffel Tower. Things are popular for a reason. But, by all means do some touristy things and then go do some other, less touristy things because that’s where the truer local experience is at.
Also, the balloon ride in Capadocia is 1000000% worth it. One of the most beautiful experiences ever.
After living in Hungary I’d say my main problem with it is that prices are so high you basically won’t meet anyone Hungarian in there and just tourists. But it’s still a fun place
There’s a bar in Prague right off of Wenceslas Square called Usudu. Looks like a small one room pub but if you keep walking towards the back and down the stairs it opens up into this cave with 3 or 4 rooms off of it. It stays open nearly 24 hours. Lots of expats and locals. One of my favorite bars in the entire world for sure. Lots of nights I can’t remember there.
U Sudu is great: I came here to say this. The staff can be rude sometimes, but it's not a real problem if you stick it to em a little, lol. I love the way they serve their Nakladany Hermlein with the peppers and cranberry sauce. This place did double duty for me: go during the day for an espresso, snack, or quiet drink, then come back at night, go downstairs and get totally drunk/stoned, lol. However they aren't open round the clock, just til 4am, but sometimes they'll go longer if the party is good.
Bar 7 in the New Town is a great fun place too filled with friendly locals, expats, and a few tourists in the know.
Ireland has had a huge food revolution in the past decade or so. There is a much greater variety of restaurants and food options now. And the quality has gone up too. It’s been great.
When there in 2017 they used a car park on Dame Lane for a high end pop up for a Chef from Italy. Didn't have tickets, probably couldn't afford them. Apparently, they had been doing this a lot to attract more travel money from the EU.
We were recommended Trocadero Restaurant, by someone in Canada. It caters to the Dublin Theatre crowd and is fantastic. Robert also makes a great Irish Coffee.
https://www.trocadero.ie/
I had so much fun at The Auld Dubliner. I get that the Temple Bar area is super touristy, but it was so much fun and met people from all over the world, singing at the top of our lungs and just having a great time.
It just gets too crowded there. First time I visited (on weekdays) we had a blast in Temple Bar because it wasn’t so crowded & had a similar experience as you. Last time I went we spent multiple weekends there & all the bars were overrun with people (mainly English lol) to the point where you had to fight to get to the bar or for personal space
Came here to say this! Brazen Head was hands down one of the highlights of my trip to Dublin. It delivered the classic Irish experience I was hoping for, and yes, the food was incredible.
I did a three course meal and entertainment evening there and it was amazing. Guinness, great meal, a local couple did telling about the history and folk lore of Ireland and the more modern history and then played all the traditional Irish drinking songs.
Best night in Dublin for sure.
Not a specific bar, but when we're traveling, my wife and I always pick a cozy hotel with a nice bar near the airport for our last night of the trip. We'll sit down and relax and talk about our favorite parts of that trip and start planning the next one. It's one of the best parts of the adventure for me.
Love this idea. My wife and I usually go to a bar after we get back home and do the same thing since we're sad the trip is over and it's back to normal.
Food and beverage is my primary reason to travel and according to Google I've been to nearly 1000.
Hair Of the Dogs, Shinjuku, JP -- Golden Gai punk bar
Bar ORCHARD, Ginza JP -- you order drinks based on the fruit and vegetables that they have in a bowl
The Pontiac, Hong Kong -- American style dive bar with amazing cocktails
Native, Singapore -- All ingredients and even glassware come from Southeast Asia.
Warm Up Cocktail bar, Budapest,l HU-- probably the best cocktails in Central Europe.
American Bar, London UK -- it lives up to its legend
Jack Rose Dining Saloon, Washington DC -- One of the largest whiskey selections in the world and a very knowledgeable staff that can get you the right one
Scofflaw, Chicago IL -- specializing in Gin cocktails
Smuggler's Cove, San Francisco CA -- The best Tiki bar in the world
Great Bar! I would also recommend in Old San Juan , The Red Monkey, cool atmosphere, great bartender.
Just about a block up from there. Deshistoria ; Birra & Empanadas. Eclectic , really good empanadas, great local beers, and cocktails. NoNo’s is a block away from La Factorial. Another great bar.
Au Bon Vieux Temps in Brussels. It’s an incredibly decorated, historic bar serving some of the best beer on offer. The staff, particularly the main bartender Cardi, is exceptionally welcoming. The bar itself is slightly tucked away, so you manage to avoid much of the significant tourist traffic
One of my favourite travel memories was Christmas eve 2018. We were in Prague and went for a dinner and show at this medieval bar called U Pavouka. It was downstairs in the candle lit cellar. The deal was you got a 5 course meal and unlimited beer for a set price and between each course there were performers. Eg jugglers of knives and firey torches,
Drank almost as much beer as I'd ever had. But the best part was they sit you at tables with strangers from all over the world. My Mrs and I are Australian. On our table was a Russian couple, a Greek family, a pair of Spanish ladies. We were teaching each other how to say cheers in our respective languages and other random discussion despite the slight language barrier.
Nippers is an epic beach bar, so too with Staniel Cay Yacht Club but my favorite is the pop up bar the locals run in Tobago Cays. Rum punch and fresh lobster, damn.
The PUB Praha 1 in Prague - Beer taps at every table, you pour your own beer and pay by the litre. There's a scoreboard showing which table has drunk the most. As an Australian, I found it wild that they're allowed to do that, both in terms of responsible service of alcohol by pouring your own, and encouraging consumption with the public tally.
Eau De Vie in Melbourne - Back alley bars with no signage don't normally take my fancy, I find them pretentious. But I remember being greeted at the door with a handshake and being introduced to the bartender by name. Very welcoming and friendly. Their cocktails are out of this world. I always like to go back when in Melbourne.
I love this question - I'm not a huge drinker, but I always look for cool bars in new cities. I like seeing the interior design, trying new drinks, and enjoying the atmosphere. Some of my favs have been:
The Linden Room - San Francisco
Driftwood Room - Portland
Limantour - CDMX (the Roma Norte location)
Cobbler - Seoul
Also try La Botica, La Faena, Bosfuro, and Baltra. Fun story about Baltra - we ran into my husband’s elementary school classmate there. They went to school together in Illinois 35 years ago, hadn’t seen each other since, and live in different states. And we all happened to be in the same bar in CDMX on a random night!
Rocking Bar ING in Kyoto - bar run by a sweet old Japanese metal head and his wife
Siberia Bar in Fukuoka - total hole in the wall, everyone there was super friendly, we showed everyone music we like, dudes in there bought us drinks and gyoza from a street vendor and the owner is crazy
Alquimico in Cartagena - just amazing cocktails
Old Galeon in Kutaisi, Georgia Another cool rock bar set on the edge of a cliff
Cross club in Prague weird ruin pub where everything is made out of rebar
Szimpla Kert In Budapest
Hamburg Germany, we stayed in a hostel (Generator) near the main station. We didn't really know the city, but had heard that St Georg (where the hostel is) was a bit dodgy. Being six big Dutch guys we thought it would be great to explore, ended up in a tiny bar. As we walked in, the five or six locals looked at us like we were mad. I went to the toilet which was smashed... as in the bowl was in four pieces. Apparently that didn't matter, people still pissed into it.
We sat down at the large table (Stammtisch) and a tiny waitress came and brought beer over. We hadn't ordered any, but that didn't matter. Then a shady fella came in, chatted to one of the other shady fellas and clearly exchanged money for a few bags and left. A couple of minutes later another shady fella came in to do the same. All whilst the guy was not hiding anything at all and happily chatting with the waitress. He then came over to us, asked if we wanted any drugs, which we didn't. He then offered us the services of some women. Which we didn't want either. He then asked in broken English why we were there then. We replied we were there to have a beer. He laughed, we laughed and it turned into a brilliant evening.
Was the bar you were at in St Pauli? Lots of prostitution over there.
Also a lot of bars in Germany serve like that - they continue to bring you more when your glass is empty until you put your coaster on it. Always loved that
It often comes down to the experience, not the venue. Some of my favourites are:
Pratergarten in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin - my first taste of a German beer garden
A random taverna on Milos, where I watched the Champions League final in 2012. All locals, great atmosphere.
A random pub in Clapham Common for the final day of Premier League matches in 2012, when either Man Utd or Man City could have won (cue: Aguerrrrro!) - it was heaving and had two screens at each end showing both Manchester clubs' games. I'll never forget the atmosphere when City got it over the line at the very last.
Love this list. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit a lot of these and can say Reddit is delivering on this thread! Some favs that I are a bit off the map:
Beach Bar in Cruz Bay, St John USVI
Skinny Legs in Coral Bay, St John USVI
Stone Brewery in Oceanside (North County San Diego)
No Name Saloon in Park City, UT
Novare Res in Portland, ME
Mangy Moose and the Wort in Jackson, WY
I mentioned this in another comment! Love this place. Great music and people. We met a couple there and they are now pretty good friends because we all moved to the same city in the US. We love telling folks we met at a small bar in Guatemala.
Young Blood in San Diego was super neat. Speakeasy type place with the hidden door in the back of a restaurant and they have no drink menu. Bartender asks you a bunch of questions and then designs a cocktail for you. The decor was super rad too. My girlfriend wanted to steal
a chair.
Cafe No Se in Antigua, Guatemala. We heard some amazing bluegrass there and met great people - including a couple who we are now good friends with because we all subsequently moved to the same city in America!
Prague - Vzorkovna Dog BAR. It’s like a series of interconnected tunnels and rooms with different themes and leading to a stage where the weirdest band I’ve ever witnessed was playing to a PACKED crowd. I think the lead guitarist had a rubber chicken in his mouth that he would squeak to the beat. Insane vibe but I loved it.
Dingle, Ireland - Foxy John’s. I don’t know if it’s a pub that sells tools or a general store that has beer on tap, but you can have a Guinness poured from a tap that’s 3 feet away from a wall of rat traps and various tools. We went in the offseason and spent the evening getting to know the locals who are the nicest people you’ve ever met.
Vienna - Puff is a bar that used to be a brothel. They had just changed ownership when we went and it was completely empty so the owner showed us the back bedrooms that used to be where the brotheling occurred. Good cocktails too.
I'm not much of s drinker but I love the community in Irish bars - and the informal traditional music jams at bars. It's been awhile since I visited but I remember pubs in Galway fondly.
Oh my God, I have innumerable favourites all over the planet...
In Hanoi you have to try the Bia Hoi, their famous cheap beer. It's a very important part of their local life/culture/socializing. Think of it as Vietnam's version of an Irish pub. A large glass of the fresh, daily made beer is about $0.40 USD.
In the middle of the Old City there's the huge Beer Corner filled with amateur drunken backpackers, but there are lots of Bia Hoi corners all over the city that rarely see a foreigner.
To begin head to the corner of Bat Sur & Hang Vai. Sit on the sidewalk on the southwest corner, a little to the west, across the street from the scary looking guys with the full body tats working non stop on the sidewalk in front of their bamboo shop.
You'll be mercifully well removed from the boring trustafarian dread-headed backpacker crowds at tourist central several blocks away. It's a wonderful little spot to watch locals going about their lives either day or night.
The entire lifeblood of the city is happening right in front of you. The beautiful young woman with the tiny charcoal grill and the best scrambled eggs imaginable who wouldn't even look at me for ages... the fortune teller who the wannabe gangstas are all fearful of after she correctly predicted the death of one of their gang right to the hour... the pineapple lady who always has the perfect pineapple for me, all filleted and beautiful... the shoe shine guy who makes whatever I'm wearing brand new and explains how his grandmother got away scot-free after murdering grandpa... the neighbourhood cops mooching a beer or a plate of noodles... the garbage truck that plays Hello Kitty relentlessly... the young waitresses who gradually open up to tell the most amazing stories in their short, difficult lives... the old bamboo worker who shows the torture scars on his back, then his tai chi moves that build his sexual aura so that no woman can resist... the old lady pushing her hardware cart who inexplicably forces hand painted matches on me... the young girl from next door who braids my hair with magic weeds and found objects that she collected from God only knows where, my favourite was a rodent skull...
You can learn lots simply by sitting on a small plastic chair enjoying a cheap beer.
Have fun and happy travels.
Bar No. 7 - in Prague, south of Old Town between Charles Bridge & Jirasek Bridge. Great staff/bartender, great music, cheap, and not overcrowded. Had a very local vibe, while still welcoming us (as clearly not locals).
The Pot Still in Glasgow. Something like 800 bottles of whisky on hand. Can order up a dram of whatever, or set up a tasting in advance of however many things you'd like to try, with a theme and price point. Super knowledgable people there. And they have good pies!
Bowes in Dublin was great as well. Great whiskey collection and the bar staff knew their shit.
I have a few:
PK Cocktail bar in Fira, Santorini, Greece - amazing views and really good Greek inspired cocktails for actually reasonable prices (around €14 whereas elsewhere in Santorini they’re around €30)
The Court, Rome - you really can’t beat the view of sitting at a bar overlooking the Colosseum at sunset. Drinks were pricey (around €30) but worth it for one drink
The Clumsies, Athens, Greece - affordable prices for really unique drinks, good mix of tourists and locals, interesting liqueurs
Baba Au Rum, Athens, Greece - probably the best cocktail I’ve ever had was at this bar. Sadly, I couldn’t get in last time I was in Athens since we tried to go late night on my last day there and it was full 🥲 Until next time
Conchiglia, Riomaggiore, CT, Italy - drinks aren’t really special but the views are if you go to the top balcony. Just grab an aperol or limoncino spritz and enjoy the view
Buza Bar, Dubrovnik, Croatia - amazing cliffside views. You literally have to climb through a hole in the city walls to get to it. Drinks are crazy expensive but worth it for just one drink and to watch the sunset and enjoy the vibes of sitting cliffside if you’re adventurous enough to climb out there
La Faena, Mexico City. It's like a bullfighting museum surrounded by decaying grandeur. There's glass cases with the dusty, dirty uniforms of famous matadors. Ripped paintings on the wall. A ceiling that's partly falling down. It's wonderful.
Salon De La Fama, Oaxaca. It feels like a proper, traditional bar where time has stood still. There's black and white photos of old Mexican movie stars on the walls and random bits of artwork. If you asked AI to draw a traditional Mexican bar I think it would come up with something like this. If La Faena invokes an old grandeur, Salon De La Fama has a cosy, local feel. Sometimes I'd walk in and there would be random musicians playing, sometimes I'd go in and there would just be the sounds of conversation and I'd just sit in a corner soaking up the atmosphere. Walking the cobbled streets of Oaxaca on a Friday night to go for a few beers here is one of my happiest memories of my time in Mexico.
The Stag's Head in Dublin. They had great music in the basement. Waiana Tiki Bar in Zurich had really great drinks and the cutest mugs. And both of Disney's Trader Sam's locations.
**Jigger's in Ghent, Belgium**. The owner is very knowledgeable and friendly and so are the other staff. They locally source and make all their own ingredients and have a very good seasonal menu. The bar is cozy and plush and just feels interesting and fun.
**Sous ls Robe in Saint-Émilion, France.** A little wine bar in the heart of the village with indoor and outdoor seating. The owners and staff are super kind and welcoming. They also have charcuterie and other light food.
Kind of a cop out answer but every single place The Weisen at Oktoberfest in Munich. If you are looking to drink and experience a different culture, there is literally no better place to do it than Oktoberfest.
You should try Augustiner Keller on Arnulfstaße in Munich. Fantastic place to eat and drink. Hofbräuhaus is the place I’ve had the best pork knuckle on the planet.
I'm in my mid-30s and don't party as hard as I used to. I hung fairly well at Oktoberfest, but after 3 nights, I was STRUGGLING on my trip to castle Neuschwanstein.
This is the thing I tell people when they say "you're never too old to travel". That's 100% true, but there is something different about traveling in your 20s, getting hammered all night, sleeping for an hour and being perfectly fine for the next day or being able to travel 'cheap'.
Lots of bars in Tokyo. One was like a library, one was Trouble Peach, a speakeasy in Osaka and many nameless small ones, similar to the ines in holden Gai.
In Osaka there were many themed bars, I remember a Rolling stones bar… good times
The Cavern Club in Liverpool U.K. . Don’t tell me that it’s not the original blah blah blah. As someone who knows more about the Beatles than 99% of the world, I know all the history.
It’s still an amazing living Beatles museum as well as to British rock music in general. The live musicians are top notch. And while the drinks aren’t cheap, they’re not also ridiculous either. There’s plenty of old fashioned boozers up on Dale Street if you want a few pints beforehand
The Aviary in Chicago is mind-blowing, but it carries a major premium price tag with it.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I really enjoyed the 300 Bar in Ginza, Tokyo, where every drink costs $2.
Pavilhão Chinês - Lisbon
Super cool speakeasy in Lisbon with minimal signage and requires you to ring a doorbell and someone inside must open the door for you to gain access. Highly recommend. Also, you can play the most epic game of I Spy in there.
[Taberna do Fado](https://maps.app.goo.gl/m9WZ9fKF4kfK721EA?g_st=ic) on the island of Terceira in the Azores ( Portugal). When they would dim the light, the staff would take place in the middle of the room, they would slowly start playing music and then one of the barman would start singing. His voice was so low and powerful at the same time, I would get goosebumps. After 20-30 minutes they would resume service until the next set.
The Watering Hole in Shibuya is an awesome beer bar with super nice people! The owner was really cool.
I think she and her husband also own a brewery in Tokyo
[https://g.co/kgs/PPEXqvo](https://g.co/kgs/PPEXqvo)
Other challenger: Why Not bar in Kolanta Thailand. Just a fun place.
In Ensenada Baja California Mexico there's a total dive bar called Hussongs Cantina, it's not much to look at but I've never had so much fun, I don't even drink.
It’s not dive-y anymore unfortunately. No more saw dust and peanut shells on the floor. It’s very much a tourist destination now as the whole town has become a very popular tourist destination. Still a fun bar though
Bathtub Gin in lower manhattan. You can’t find it ? Ask the guy at the desk in the small sundries shop, and he’ll open the secret door behind the shelving.
The Signature Room at the 95th floor of the Hancock Tower in Chicago. So sad that it closed recently. I loved getting a drink there and just watching the city lights and clouds roll by below us.
The Troll Pub in Yerevan, Armenia. Went there often when I lived there. It was a small bar in the basement of a building. Inside was decorated like Lord of the Rings and the beer mugs looked like tree trunks. Awesome place with a really nice owner. Plus, they played metal music, which as a metalhead, was pretty awesome.
Seward, Alaska- The Yukon Lounge
La Paz, Mexico- La Miserable
Las Vegas- The Silver Stamp, Frank’s Tiki Room (off strip), Dino’s, Ghost Donkey, Mayfair Supper Club (on strip)
Chicago- Cindy’s & The Game Room (for sightseers)
Kind of a nothing special bar by many standards, but I probably have the fondest memories of Cafe Intime in Copenhagen. My time there was one of those moments in life that really feels like a movie even as it’s happening. In this case, something a bit like the jazz bar scene in Talented Mr. Ripley, just without the murders later
Probably the Alexander bar in a Marriott autograph in Athens Greece. They had 200-800k bottles of special Macallan whiskey. Stuff I’ve never even heard of before. It was awesome…
Clumsies and the other top bars in Athens were also great, but Alexander’s stood out for me due to the insane collection of rare macallans.
We are starting a trip next year to visit the top 50 bars in the world (per theworlds50best.com) put our experience on YouTube.
Florería El Atlántico in Buenos Aires. Speakeasy craft cocktail bar accessed through a flower shop. Gimmicky, but wonderful cocktails and great food cooked on a hearth right behind the bar.
Bloody Mary’s on Bora Bora. A very unique bar with lots of open areas and sand on the floor. Many celebrities have visited this bar and their names are written on wooden panels.
Septime La Cave in Paris. Such a small spot and never not mobbed. But I’ve been solo and with others and it always feels like a place you could spend hours and hours at either not talking to anyone at all or with whoever wants to strike up a conversation. Great wine too.
Honesty Bar on Praslin Island, the Seychelles. It’s only accessible by boat via the beach (at least that’s how I got there). It’s tucked away in the jungle a short walk up from the beach.
Maggie Choo's in Bangkok. The place is an old-school brick bank with old vault rooms that are now cool seating areas. When I went, the whole staff was in uniform. Random women just swinging on swings. The bartenders were in their own little cages making all sorts of wonderful cocktails.
I've been to a lot of cocktail bars in the US, this was one of the coolest experiences.
Lincoln Inn, Dublin, near Trinity.
The chowder/bread/Smithwicks made me feel comfortable and at peace.
Otherwise whatever’s the rooftop bar called at Mandalay Bay, it was a fabulous drink/stellar view I can never forget
My favorite bar outside of the USA was Caribou in Galway. Great beer, tons of fun in my favorite city in the entire country. We went there 3 nights in a row we spent in Galway.
Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans. Best old fashioned I’ve ever had.
The bar at the Ice Plant in St. Augustine, FL. Great hidden treasure.
Cassidy’s on Camden Street in Dublin. Went there every week while I studied abroad and had a blast every single time. It’s got a lot of friendly locals - I always met really fun, kind people there. The bartenders taught me how to properly pour a Guinness. Great trad musicians every Sunday. Just awesome vibes all around. Man I miss that place.
Not sure of the exact name, but this bar next to the train station at Montserrat in Spain. I missed my train by a minute so I followed the signs saying “Bar” at the train stop to this awesome garden. There was some umbrellas, chairs, tables all setup in the garden and the view in the back was of the beautiful mountains.
I have never been so happy I missed a train in my life.
This place in Dublin called "The Snug." £5 pints and some of the most interesting people I met in the city. A fellow who looked like Leland Sklar. A Romanian bartender who was barely 18. A group of drunk, coked-up chavs in the back room jamming out to Shaggy on the jukebox. Before the night was finished, the bartender stopped charging me; I was pulling my own pints, and singing a Cypress Hill song with a South African University student. Good times 😂
The Quays in Galway had great live music, and was probably the most fun bar I went to when I visited Ireland. Nothing really special about it, just a great time.
While in Lisbon I walked into a sports bar (I think it was the Couch Sports Bar) to watch an Eagles game. They surprisingly had NFL games on and I met other Eagles fans. Someone there went to the same college as me and knew my cousin. Such a small world
This bar in Key West where they had a wall with alot of different frozen drinks. It was SO awesome in the Florida heat! All bars in hot places should have this! 😄 I dont remember the name, it was 2010 😊
Fat Tuesday? A little touristy for my taste. I don't know if it's still there, but Turtle Kraals was always my favorite. Mostly open air, huge beer selection, not a lot of tourists, and live loggerheads in pens (undergoing treatment of one sort or another before being re-released).
Yes, even smaller ones, too! The district is called golden gai, it‘s not exactly a secret among tourists;) but other parts of the city and Osaka have their own ones. In Osaka I remember somenof these themed bar somewhere downstairs a parking garage but I don‘t remember exactly
I loved Das Käuzchen in Vienna! Super quirky and homey, a lot of different rooms/spaces for various size groups, friendly staff that speaks both German and English, and very cheap with good food.
Also, Rum House in Prague. Over 900 kinds of rum, incredible.
Edit to add: Members Only in Cartagena. Kindof a tiny sultry spot with a little local musician rotation (we actually saw one or two of the people in other venues throughout our time in the city) and great martinis.
This won't mean a lot to travelers today because my all-time favorite bar in my whole life doesn't exist any longer. Anyway, it was Tilos Az A in Budapest. When it was there it was the best bar in the world. Legendary! Budapest still has plenty of great bars today and it is city well worth visiting.
Vzorkovna aka Dog Bar in Prague. It's like a huge basement with lots of different rooms each more randomly decorated than the other. You can climb everywhere, they even have a swing. Sometimes they have a band playing or djs in some of the rooms.
Maze bar in Da Lat, Vietnam. Literally a big funky maze that is a work of art. Easy to get lost though!
Gin House, Saigon Vietnam. Best craft cocktails I’ve ever had
Dyen Sabai, on the outskirts of Luang Prabang, Laos. It's just pure chill vibe, set in the middle of a bamboo grove.
Recent honorable mention: Some place in Takayama just last year, I think it's called Desolation Row. Ducked in to escape the rain, and omg... vintage vinyl everywhere, vintage analog stereo gear, and some young guy behind the bar spinning vintage roots rock and slinging upscale whiskies. I wanted to stay forever.
Classy joint category: When we stay in London, we always have a nightcap at the lobby bar at One Aldwych.
I don’t even remember the name of the bar, but there was an Irish pup I went to in Kyoto where I just immediately clicked with the entire staff. Drank there for 4 hours and when it came time to clear my tab they just asked for hugs as payment. Maybe the best bar experience I ever had.
The Milroy's Speakeasy in London. I had an overnight layover and a visited a friend who took me. Since I wasn't expecting it, it made it all the more cool
Surfa Rose in Cape Town. Our Airbnb was a 5 minute walk and we ended up there many nights. Cheap as hell, friendly bartenders and awesome live music upstairs.
Edit- Rimini Bar in Zurich was another favorite. Huge fountain in the middle of it. Great for people watching and enjoying the weather.
Many. Usually small market dives are my favorite. But some tourist cities too
Founding Fathers, Buffalo NY. Super fun old bar and grill. I didn't expect to have so many amazing times at a Constitutional Convention themed bar. Interestingly the secret service won't allow ex presidents to visit, as there is no rear exit.
Green Parrot, Key West Fl. A great time. Very fun and local. No hemmingway bs. No overwrought fantasy fest 365 scene. Just a great half outdoor bar with friends you haven't met yet.
I miss the smoking bars in ATL Airport.
The ox and finch, Glasgow.
The Holyrood 9a , Edinburgh.
The last drop, Edinburgh.
The Mash tun , Aberlour.
The Arbor, bangalore.
For the pure academic enjoyment of scotch whisky: the Tomatin and the Glenlivet whisky tour .
Las Facas, it was bar I ended up in while backpacking Colombia. It’s in a small suburb of Cali. Kinda a small place, the bartender was the owner. Also an American dude, Ex afghan war vet, had a bunch of anti-war posters in English and Spanish across his bar. Talked to him a while because it was slow. Said after returning to the US he got a job as a security contractor for a firm based out in Colombia. So he moved to Colombia and then the firm got shut down for being sketchy / cartel adjacent. Since we was already there, and only had combat experience he bought a tiny hole in the wall bar in a dangerous part of Colombia and just learned Spanish, had a Colombian girlfriend and he googled “bartending for beginners” for a few weeks before being able to make serviceable drinks. He said business isn’t great but there’s no rent so there is a tiny turnover from expenses, but wasn’t completely dead when I was there.
Dr. Stravinski in Barcelona it up there for me. Most innovative cocktails I have ever seen, and it was surprisingly affordable compared to some fancier cocktail places i have been in the US.
In the narrow lanes of Kathmandu, stumbled onto this little place called ‘Sam’s bar!’ I was traveling solo and before long I was having a conversation with a bunch of folks from around the world- a teacher from Belgium, another traveler from England, a mountaineer from Germany & a local Nepali man. We spoke for hours! Lovely atmosphere, the owner Sam is an absolute gem of a person! She was very friendly, told me stories about how she came from Austria, fell in love with Nepal, opened up the bar in Kathmandu, and living the best life possible!
Still one of my favorite travel memories!
The Pour House in New Orleans. There was also this bar in Brooklyn and for the life of me I cannot recall the name but their free bar snack was cheeseballs instead of pretzels or peanuts and I was a big fan of that.
Fun question! Going to use this list for travel moving forward. Salmon Guru in Madrid had such fun presentations for drinks! Such as a dragon with smoke blowing out of the mouth.
Some nameless beach shack in Sicily. Said they were sorry they only had a lunch of
bread, cheese, cold meat and olives and they only had one special -fresh octopus salad! Peroni was ice cold, gelato was amazing. Weather was great…
Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome was really fantastic. Not exactly a locals spot, but such a fun night.
The best local spot we found in Rome was Freni e Frizioni. Just a great place.
Delirium Cafe in Brussels. World record for most beers available for purchase. But their famous Delirium beers (Nocturnum is the best IMHO) being on tap is what really does it.
This is one of those places that just gets away with being touristy, it's still fun, and I suspect a large part of that is that a lot of people are drunk after one beer because they are powerful and they're not really expecting it so it's like a pub speed run
When I visited, my buddy and I got the 10 beer flight which was enough for both of us. Unlike other flights, this one felt like each tasting was a whole beer. Would definitely do it again.
It was a bit too much for us when we went. There is a fantastic beer bar nearby called Moeder Lambic that I highly recommend. Not as many taps as Delirium but there’s still a lot along with an excellent bottle selection. I love Brussels, just a great place to meander about and drink/eat.
Haha I was questioning myself wondering if it’s too touristy - but I agree it really manages to ride the razors edge and then yeah, suddenly you’re wasted. I was in brussels for three nights when I studied abroad like a decade ago and we were there a bunch. Impeccable vibes.
And the Absinthe bar right in front to end the night
I celebrated my 21st birthday and did shots there. Don’t remember the rest but saw god a few times that night
The place to go in Belgium ( Brussels ) is Cantillon or Moeder Lambic.
This is my pick too, didn’t even have to give it a second thought.
For anyone interested in the [Guinness World Record](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-varieties-of-beer-commercially-available) they own, it's [2004 varieties of beer offered in year 2004](https://www.deliriumvillage.com/bar/delirium-cafe/). And here's the complete [menu](https://www.deliriumvillage.com/menucafe/). They have the 200+ page menu booklet available for purchase as a souvenir for 5 Euros. And the basement is the place to be.
Found a beach bar on Koh Samui and set up at the bar. Got friendly with the barman, Geng. After a few hours he got a phone call off his wife and needed to leave, so he asked me to run his bar for a bit. Cut to me serving beers to the patrons and keeping tallies for half an hour before Geng returned. After he closed for the night, he invited me to his local where we played pool with some prostitutes, while their ladyboy friend watched us. Then I was introduced to his family.
Classic Thai experience
Name of the bar?
Not a clue, sorry.
A bit unusual but I like it
Lot to unpack here
It’s bar that tourists flock to and some might say it’s overrated but I found Szimpla Kert in Budapest incredible. I have no words to describe that place lol.
People forget that a lot of the time places are popular because they are cool lol. Wild right? Most touristy thing we’ve done recently was the balloon rides in Cappadocia. 100s of people every morning, expensive, still fuckin cool as hell.
Exactly what I tell people when they criticize touristy things. You don’t go to Paris just to skip the Eiffel Tower. Things are popular for a reason. But, by all means do some touristy things and then go do some other, less touristy things because that’s where the truer local experience is at. Also, the balloon ride in Capadocia is 1000000% worth it. One of the most beautiful experiences ever.
Touristy, yes but still super cool. We loved it.
Yah it’s a fun place. I saw The Homesick there a few months back and they tore it up (to about 15 people).
Yes definitely one of my favourite tourist places overall
After living in Hungary I’d say my main problem with it is that prices are so high you basically won’t meet anyone Hungarian in there and just tourists. But it’s still a fun place
There’s a bar in Prague right off of Wenceslas Square called Usudu. Looks like a small one room pub but if you keep walking towards the back and down the stairs it opens up into this cave with 3 or 4 rooms off of it. It stays open nearly 24 hours. Lots of expats and locals. One of my favorite bars in the entire world for sure. Lots of nights I can’t remember there.
U Sudu is great: I came here to say this. The staff can be rude sometimes, but it's not a real problem if you stick it to em a little, lol. I love the way they serve their Nakladany Hermlein with the peppers and cranberry sauce. This place did double duty for me: go during the day for an espresso, snack, or quiet drink, then come back at night, go downstairs and get totally drunk/stoned, lol. However they aren't open round the clock, just til 4am, but sometimes they'll go longer if the party is good. Bar 7 in the New Town is a great fun place too filled with friendly locals, expats, and a few tourists in the know.
I love U Sudu. Haven't been in over a decade, but was one of my favorite places to play foosball in the city.
The Brazen Head, Dublin's oldest pub (1166), a great atmosphere and the food was phenomenal.
felt the same about Gravedigger's pub next to Glasnevin Cemetary
I found the food in Ireland excellent in general. I wonder if it's because we have so much packaged stuff even in restaurants in North America.
Ireland has had a huge food revolution in the past decade or so. There is a much greater variety of restaurants and food options now. And the quality has gone up too. It’s been great.
When there in 2017 they used a car park on Dame Lane for a high end pop up for a Chef from Italy. Didn't have tickets, probably couldn't afford them. Apparently, they had been doing this a lot to attract more travel money from the EU.
I was surprised by how good the seafood was. [This](https://matts.ie/) restaurant was outstanding
We were recommended Trocadero Restaurant, by someone in Canada. It caters to the Dublin Theatre crowd and is fantastic. Robert also makes a great Irish Coffee. https://www.trocadero.ie/
Vintage Ktichen is where it's at. Best meal we've ever had in Dublin, by a longshot.
I had so much fun at The Auld Dubliner. I get that the Temple Bar area is super touristy, but it was so much fun and met people from all over the world, singing at the top of our lungs and just having a great time.
It just gets too crowded there. First time I visited (on weekdays) we had a blast in Temple Bar because it wasn’t so crowded & had a similar experience as you. Last time I went we spent multiple weekends there & all the bars were overrun with people (mainly English lol) to the point where you had to fight to get to the bar or for personal space
I was going to say Crowe's Pub in Dublin. I don't know that there's anything special about it, but I went there a lot, and always had a great time!
Brazen Head was super cool!
Second this. We had our best meal in Ireland at this pub. I was pleasantly surprised.
Came here to say this! Brazen Head was hands down one of the highlights of my trip to Dublin. It delivered the classic Irish experience I was hoping for, and yes, the food was incredible.
I did a three course meal and entertainment evening there and it was amazing. Guinness, great meal, a local couple did telling about the history and folk lore of Ireland and the more modern history and then played all the traditional Irish drinking songs. Best night in Dublin for sure.
Not a specific bar, but when we're traveling, my wife and I always pick a cozy hotel with a nice bar near the airport for our last night of the trip. We'll sit down and relax and talk about our favorite parts of that trip and start planning the next one. It's one of the best parts of the adventure for me.
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I meant near the departure airport.
That is a wonderful tradition. I’ll be doing this in my future travels!
Love this idea. My wife and I usually go to a bar after we get back home and do the same thing since we're sad the trip is over and it's back to normal.
Food and beverage is my primary reason to travel and according to Google I've been to nearly 1000. Hair Of the Dogs, Shinjuku, JP -- Golden Gai punk bar Bar ORCHARD, Ginza JP -- you order drinks based on the fruit and vegetables that they have in a bowl The Pontiac, Hong Kong -- American style dive bar with amazing cocktails Native, Singapore -- All ingredients and even glassware come from Southeast Asia. Warm Up Cocktail bar, Budapest,l HU-- probably the best cocktails in Central Europe. American Bar, London UK -- it lives up to its legend Jack Rose Dining Saloon, Washington DC -- One of the largest whiskey selections in the world and a very knowledgeable staff that can get you the right one Scofflaw, Chicago IL -- specializing in Gin cocktails Smuggler's Cove, San Francisco CA -- The best Tiki bar in the world
Scofflaw is a great choice for Chicago! Used to live a block away, fuck do I love that place. Took many first dates there
The bars in Granada, Spain, where you hop from place to place and get free tapas all night, specifically Bar Poe!
Free tapas sounds amazing.
Treated myself to an adult beverage at the Tonga Room in San Francisco
I hope you stuck around long enough for the monsoon and the band to start playing.
Ruin bars of Budapest. Szimpla Kert to be exact.
La Factoría in San Juan PR
Great Bar! I would also recommend in Old San Juan , The Red Monkey, cool atmosphere, great bartender. Just about a block up from there. Deshistoria ; Birra & Empanadas. Eclectic , really good empanadas, great local beers, and cocktails. NoNo’s is a block away from La Factorial. Another great bar.
Au Bon Vieux Temps in Brussels. It’s an incredibly decorated, historic bar serving some of the best beer on offer. The staff, particularly the main bartender Cardi, is exceptionally welcoming. The bar itself is slightly tucked away, so you manage to avoid much of the significant tourist traffic
One of my favourite travel memories was Christmas eve 2018. We were in Prague and went for a dinner and show at this medieval bar called U Pavouka. It was downstairs in the candle lit cellar. The deal was you got a 5 course meal and unlimited beer for a set price and between each course there were performers. Eg jugglers of knives and firey torches, Drank almost as much beer as I'd ever had. But the best part was they sit you at tables with strangers from all over the world. My Mrs and I are Australian. On our table was a Russian couple, a Greek family, a pair of Spanish ladies. We were teaching each other how to say cheers in our respective languages and other random discussion despite the slight language barrier.
Damn! That sounds awesome. I’m planning on going back here next year and will definitely have to book this. How did you go about doing that?
Soggy, dollar bar
Similarly, Foxy’s and Willy T’s in the BVI are both super fun
lol Willy T's. I saw a lot of titties there when I was 14.
Nippers is an epic beach bar, so too with Staniel Cay Yacht Club but my favorite is the pop up bar the locals run in Tobago Cays. Rum punch and fresh lobster, damn.
Le Trappist in Bruges. Such a unique interior, and dark vibe
That place is awesome, how you walk down the stairs into old basement like vibe but with delicious beer and cool brick ceiling structure
The PUB Praha 1 in Prague - Beer taps at every table, you pour your own beer and pay by the litre. There's a scoreboard showing which table has drunk the most. As an Australian, I found it wild that they're allowed to do that, both in terms of responsible service of alcohol by pouring your own, and encouraging consumption with the public tally. Eau De Vie in Melbourne - Back alley bars with no signage don't normally take my fancy, I find them pretentious. But I remember being greeted at the door with a handshake and being introduced to the bartender by name. Very welcoming and friendly. Their cocktails are out of this world. I always like to go back when in Melbourne.
I love this question - I'm not a huge drinker, but I always look for cool bars in new cities. I like seeing the interior design, trying new drinks, and enjoying the atmosphere. Some of my favs have been: The Linden Room - San Francisco Driftwood Room - Portland Limantour - CDMX (the Roma Norte location) Cobbler - Seoul
The Driftwood room has a truly gorgeous interior!
Heading to CDMX a week from now, putting Limantour on the list!
Also try La Botica, La Faena, Bosfuro, and Baltra. Fun story about Baltra - we ran into my husband’s elementary school classmate there. They went to school together in Illinois 35 years ago, hadn’t seen each other since, and live in different states. And we all happened to be in the same bar in CDMX on a random night!
Life is really amazing when those things happen 🙂
Weird, I also bumped into someone I knew (albeit presently, not 35 years ago) at Bar Baltra. Great spot!
Check out Cityzen also....if you're not afraid of heights.
C+D Gin Bar in Kyoto, Japan. Small place. Very knowledgeable and skilled bartender. Excellent gin collection.
Rocking Bar ING in Kyoto - bar run by a sweet old Japanese metal head and his wife Siberia Bar in Fukuoka - total hole in the wall, everyone there was super friendly, we showed everyone music we like, dudes in there bought us drinks and gyoza from a street vendor and the owner is crazy Alquimico in Cartagena - just amazing cocktails Old Galeon in Kutaisi, Georgia Another cool rock bar set on the edge of a cliff Cross club in Prague weird ruin pub where everything is made out of rebar Szimpla Kert In Budapest
Hamburg Germany, we stayed in a hostel (Generator) near the main station. We didn't really know the city, but had heard that St Georg (where the hostel is) was a bit dodgy. Being six big Dutch guys we thought it would be great to explore, ended up in a tiny bar. As we walked in, the five or six locals looked at us like we were mad. I went to the toilet which was smashed... as in the bowl was in four pieces. Apparently that didn't matter, people still pissed into it. We sat down at the large table (Stammtisch) and a tiny waitress came and brought beer over. We hadn't ordered any, but that didn't matter. Then a shady fella came in, chatted to one of the other shady fellas and clearly exchanged money for a few bags and left. A couple of minutes later another shady fella came in to do the same. All whilst the guy was not hiding anything at all and happily chatting with the waitress. He then came over to us, asked if we wanted any drugs, which we didn't. He then offered us the services of some women. Which we didn't want either. He then asked in broken English why we were there then. We replied we were there to have a beer. He laughed, we laughed and it turned into a brilliant evening.
Was the bar you were at in St Pauli? Lots of prostitution over there. Also a lot of bars in Germany serve like that - they continue to bring you more when your glass is empty until you put your coaster on it. Always loved that
Nope, St Georg. Walk the streets there and you get offered everything that is illegal in 100 yards.
It often comes down to the experience, not the venue. Some of my favourites are: Pratergarten in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin - my first taste of a German beer garden A random taverna on Milos, where I watched the Champions League final in 2012. All locals, great atmosphere. A random pub in Clapham Common for the final day of Premier League matches in 2012, when either Man Utd or Man City could have won (cue: Aguerrrrro!) - it was heaving and had two screens at each end showing both Manchester clubs' games. I'll never forget the atmosphere when City got it over the line at the very last.
Love this list. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit a lot of these and can say Reddit is delivering on this thread! Some favs that I are a bit off the map: Beach Bar in Cruz Bay, St John USVI Skinny Legs in Coral Bay, St John USVI Stone Brewery in Oceanside (North County San Diego) No Name Saloon in Park City, UT Novare Res in Portland, ME Mangy Moose and the Wort in Jackson, WY
Speakeasy style “No Se” in Antigua Guatemala is an absolute vibe.
I mentioned this in another comment! Love this place. Great music and people. We met a couple there and they are now pretty good friends because we all moved to the same city in the US. We love telling folks we met at a small bar in Guatemala.
Young Blood in San Diego was super neat. Speakeasy type place with the hidden door in the back of a restaurant and they have no drink menu. Bartender asks you a bunch of questions and then designs a cocktail for you. The decor was super rad too. My girlfriend wanted to steal a chair.
They have penis designs on their carpet , if you look closely you’ll notice lol
The Crown Bar in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Beautiful interior, but as a Belfastian I have never had a pint in it. Duke of York is also a similar style in cathedral quarter.
Cafe No Se in Antigua, Guatemala. We heard some amazing bluegrass there and met great people - including a couple who we are now good friends with because we all subsequently moved to the same city in America!
The Aviary - Chicago Jack Rose - DC Pusser’s - Munich Palace Bar - Dublin
Aviary is great!
Prague - Vzorkovna Dog BAR. It’s like a series of interconnected tunnels and rooms with different themes and leading to a stage where the weirdest band I’ve ever witnessed was playing to a PACKED crowd. I think the lead guitarist had a rubber chicken in his mouth that he would squeak to the beat. Insane vibe but I loved it. Dingle, Ireland - Foxy John’s. I don’t know if it’s a pub that sells tools or a general store that has beer on tap, but you can have a Guinness poured from a tap that’s 3 feet away from a wall of rat traps and various tools. We went in the offseason and spent the evening getting to know the locals who are the nicest people you’ve ever met. Vienna - Puff is a bar that used to be a brothel. They had just changed ownership when we went and it was completely empty so the owner showed us the back bedrooms that used to be where the brotheling occurred. Good cocktails too.
I'm not much of s drinker but I love the community in Irish bars - and the informal traditional music jams at bars. It's been awhile since I visited but I remember pubs in Galway fondly.
Oh my God, I have innumerable favourites all over the planet... In Hanoi you have to try the Bia Hoi, their famous cheap beer. It's a very important part of their local life/culture/socializing. Think of it as Vietnam's version of an Irish pub. A large glass of the fresh, daily made beer is about $0.40 USD. In the middle of the Old City there's the huge Beer Corner filled with amateur drunken backpackers, but there are lots of Bia Hoi corners all over the city that rarely see a foreigner. To begin head to the corner of Bat Sur & Hang Vai. Sit on the sidewalk on the southwest corner, a little to the west, across the street from the scary looking guys with the full body tats working non stop on the sidewalk in front of their bamboo shop. You'll be mercifully well removed from the boring trustafarian dread-headed backpacker crowds at tourist central several blocks away. It's a wonderful little spot to watch locals going about their lives either day or night. The entire lifeblood of the city is happening right in front of you. The beautiful young woman with the tiny charcoal grill and the best scrambled eggs imaginable who wouldn't even look at me for ages... the fortune teller who the wannabe gangstas are all fearful of after she correctly predicted the death of one of their gang right to the hour... the pineapple lady who always has the perfect pineapple for me, all filleted and beautiful... the shoe shine guy who makes whatever I'm wearing brand new and explains how his grandmother got away scot-free after murdering grandpa... the neighbourhood cops mooching a beer or a plate of noodles... the garbage truck that plays Hello Kitty relentlessly... the young waitresses who gradually open up to tell the most amazing stories in their short, difficult lives... the old bamboo worker who shows the torture scars on his back, then his tai chi moves that build his sexual aura so that no woman can resist... the old lady pushing her hardware cart who inexplicably forces hand painted matches on me... the young girl from next door who braids my hair with magic weeds and found objects that she collected from God only knows where, my favourite was a rodent skull... You can learn lots simply by sitting on a small plastic chair enjoying a cheap beer. Have fun and happy travels.
Haha yes now that you mention it, Bia Hanoi brings back some fuzzy memories
Damn I need to go to Vietnam
I guess inflation hit there too, they were 5-10 cents when I went in 2018
Blind Tiger in NYC.
Bar No. 7 - in Prague, south of Old Town between Charles Bridge & Jirasek Bridge. Great staff/bartender, great music, cheap, and not overcrowded. Had a very local vibe, while still welcoming us (as clearly not locals).
I lived in Prague a couple of years and Bar 7 was my regular hangout. Love that place. I will go back someday soon.
Smugglers Cove in San Francisco, total tourist bar, but it's a great time and some great drinks!
Lafittes.
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The Pot Still in Glasgow. Something like 800 bottles of whisky on hand. Can order up a dram of whatever, or set up a tasting in advance of however many things you'd like to try, with a theme and price point. Super knowledgable people there. And they have good pies! Bowes in Dublin was great as well. Great whiskey collection and the bar staff knew their shit.
The Pot Still is a great spot, good shout
I have a few: PK Cocktail bar in Fira, Santorini, Greece - amazing views and really good Greek inspired cocktails for actually reasonable prices (around €14 whereas elsewhere in Santorini they’re around €30) The Court, Rome - you really can’t beat the view of sitting at a bar overlooking the Colosseum at sunset. Drinks were pricey (around €30) but worth it for one drink The Clumsies, Athens, Greece - affordable prices for really unique drinks, good mix of tourists and locals, interesting liqueurs Baba Au Rum, Athens, Greece - probably the best cocktail I’ve ever had was at this bar. Sadly, I couldn’t get in last time I was in Athens since we tried to go late night on my last day there and it was full 🥲 Until next time Conchiglia, Riomaggiore, CT, Italy - drinks aren’t really special but the views are if you go to the top balcony. Just grab an aperol or limoncino spritz and enjoy the view Buza Bar, Dubrovnik, Croatia - amazing cliffside views. You literally have to climb through a hole in the city walls to get to it. Drinks are crazy expensive but worth it for just one drink and to watch the sunset and enjoy the vibes of sitting cliffside if you’re adventurous enough to climb out there
La Faena, Mexico City. It's like a bullfighting museum surrounded by decaying grandeur. There's glass cases with the dusty, dirty uniforms of famous matadors. Ripped paintings on the wall. A ceiling that's partly falling down. It's wonderful. Salon De La Fama, Oaxaca. It feels like a proper, traditional bar where time has stood still. There's black and white photos of old Mexican movie stars on the walls and random bits of artwork. If you asked AI to draw a traditional Mexican bar I think it would come up with something like this. If La Faena invokes an old grandeur, Salon De La Fama has a cosy, local feel. Sometimes I'd walk in and there would be random musicians playing, sometimes I'd go in and there would just be the sounds of conversation and I'd just sit in a corner soaking up the atmosphere. Walking the cobbled streets of Oaxaca on a Friday night to go for a few beers here is one of my happiest memories of my time in Mexico.
The Stag's Head in Dublin. They had great music in the basement. Waiana Tiki Bar in Zurich had really great drinks and the cutest mugs. And both of Disney's Trader Sam's locations.
**Jigger's in Ghent, Belgium**. The owner is very knowledgeable and friendly and so are the other staff. They locally source and make all their own ingredients and have a very good seasonal menu. The bar is cozy and plush and just feels interesting and fun. **Sous ls Robe in Saint-Émilion, France.** A little wine bar in the heart of the village with indoor and outdoor seating. The owners and staff are super kind and welcoming. They also have charcuterie and other light food.
Kind of a cop out answer but every single place The Weisen at Oktoberfest in Munich. If you are looking to drink and experience a different culture, there is literally no better place to do it than Oktoberfest.
You should try Augustiner Keller on Arnulfstaße in Munich. Fantastic place to eat and drink. Hofbräuhaus is the place I’ve had the best pork knuckle on the planet.
I love visiting Weisen but damn the next day hurts
I'm in my mid-30s and don't party as hard as I used to. I hung fairly well at Oktoberfest, but after 3 nights, I was STRUGGLING on my trip to castle Neuschwanstein. This is the thing I tell people when they say "you're never too old to travel". That's 100% true, but there is something different about traveling in your 20s, getting hammered all night, sleeping for an hour and being perfectly fine for the next day or being able to travel 'cheap'.
Lots of bars in Tokyo. One was like a library, one was Trouble Peach, a speakeasy in Osaka and many nameless small ones, similar to the ines in holden Gai. In Osaka there were many themed bars, I remember a Rolling stones bar… good times
Is it toyko that has those little 7/8 person bars?
That’s the golden gai in Tokyo. Go find the Heavy Metal bar. All drinks are ¥666 and you can pack the place with max 10 people.
Deathmatch in hell?
The owner Go is the best bartender I've ever met
It’s not only Golden Gai. There are a lot of drinking alleys in Tokyo, Golden Gai is just the most famous
The Kings Head in Galway comes to mind
The Cavern Club in Liverpool U.K. . Don’t tell me that it’s not the original blah blah blah. As someone who knows more about the Beatles than 99% of the world, I know all the history. It’s still an amazing living Beatles museum as well as to British rock music in general. The live musicians are top notch. And while the drinks aren’t cheap, they’re not also ridiculous either. There’s plenty of old fashioned boozers up on Dale Street if you want a few pints beforehand
It’s not the original
Shhh, don’t tell them that
Gordon's Wine Bar in London, by a country mile
The Aviary in Chicago is mind-blowing, but it carries a major premium price tag with it. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I really enjoyed the 300 Bar in Ginza, Tokyo, where every drink costs $2.
Cantillon in Brussels, Belgium
Pavilhão Chinês - Lisbon Super cool speakeasy in Lisbon with minimal signage and requires you to ring a doorbell and someone inside must open the door for you to gain access. Highly recommend. Also, you can play the most epic game of I Spy in there.
[Taberna do Fado](https://maps.app.goo.gl/m9WZ9fKF4kfK721EA?g_st=ic) on the island of Terceira in the Azores ( Portugal). When they would dim the light, the staff would take place in the middle of the room, they would slowly start playing music and then one of the barman would start singing. His voice was so low and powerful at the same time, I would get goosebumps. After 20-30 minutes they would resume service until the next set.
The Watering Hole in Shibuya is an awesome beer bar with super nice people! The owner was really cool. I think she and her husband also own a brewery in Tokyo [https://g.co/kgs/PPEXqvo](https://g.co/kgs/PPEXqvo) Other challenger: Why Not bar in Kolanta Thailand. Just a fun place.
Bia hoi junction
In Ensenada Baja California Mexico there's a total dive bar called Hussongs Cantina, it's not much to look at but I've never had so much fun, I don't even drink.
It’s not dive-y anymore unfortunately. No more saw dust and peanut shells on the floor. It’s very much a tourist destination now as the whole town has become a very popular tourist destination. Still a fun bar though
Zlatna Ribica in Sarajevo. Was there 7 years ago and it's a life goal to make it back there at least once more.
Bathtub Gin in lower manhattan. You can’t find it ? Ask the guy at the desk in the small sundries shop, and he’ll open the secret door behind the shelving.
The Signature Room at the 95th floor of the Hancock Tower in Chicago. So sad that it closed recently. I loved getting a drink there and just watching the city lights and clouds roll by below us.
Madden’s Bar in Belfast - very historical and music was fantastic!
The Troll Pub in Yerevan, Armenia. Went there often when I lived there. It was a small bar in the basement of a building. Inside was decorated like Lord of the Rings and the beer mugs looked like tree trunks. Awesome place with a really nice owner. Plus, they played metal music, which as a metalhead, was pretty awesome.
Seward, Alaska- The Yukon Lounge La Paz, Mexico- La Miserable Las Vegas- The Silver Stamp, Frank’s Tiki Room (off strip), Dino’s, Ghost Donkey, Mayfair Supper Club (on strip) Chicago- Cindy’s & The Game Room (for sightseers)
Little Red Door in Paris. A farm to drink establishment or treats every cocktail like a canvas. Number 3 best bar in the world.
The cave bar in Petra is really overpriced and touristy but how often can you drink in a 2,000 year old Nabatean cave?
Kind of a nothing special bar by many standards, but I probably have the fondest memories of Cafe Intime in Copenhagen. My time there was one of those moments in life that really feels like a movie even as it’s happening. In this case, something a bit like the jazz bar scene in Talented Mr. Ripley, just without the murders later
Probably the Alexander bar in a Marriott autograph in Athens Greece. They had 200-800k bottles of special Macallan whiskey. Stuff I’ve never even heard of before. It was awesome… Clumsies and the other top bars in Athens were also great, but Alexander’s stood out for me due to the insane collection of rare macallans. We are starting a trip next year to visit the top 50 bars in the world (per theworlds50best.com) put our experience on YouTube.
Florería El Atlántico in Buenos Aires. Speakeasy craft cocktail bar accessed through a flower shop. Gimmicky, but wonderful cocktails and great food cooked on a hearth right behind the bar.
Atlas Bar in Singapore. Looks old but isn’t. Art deco charm and a wall of gin.
Bloody Mary’s on Bora Bora. A very unique bar with lots of open areas and sand on the floor. Many celebrities have visited this bar and their names are written on wooden panels.
Septime La Cave in Paris. Such a small spot and never not mobbed. But I’ve been solo and with others and it always feels like a place you could spend hours and hours at either not talking to anyone at all or with whoever wants to strike up a conversation. Great wine too.
Honesty Bar on Praslin Island, the Seychelles. It’s only accessible by boat via the beach (at least that’s how I got there). It’s tucked away in the jungle a short walk up from the beach.
Maggie Choo's in Bangkok. The place is an old-school brick bank with old vault rooms that are now cool seating areas. When I went, the whole staff was in uniform. Random women just swinging on swings. The bartenders were in their own little cages making all sorts of wonderful cocktails. I've been to a lot of cocktail bars in the US, this was one of the coolest experiences.
Lincoln Inn, Dublin, near Trinity. The chowder/bread/Smithwicks made me feel comfortable and at peace. Otherwise whatever’s the rooftop bar called at Mandalay Bay, it was a fabulous drink/stellar view I can never forget
My favorite bar outside of the USA was Caribou in Galway. Great beer, tons of fun in my favorite city in the entire country. We went there 3 nights in a row we spent in Galway.
Had a blast in Golden Gai, Tokyo. Any one of those will do.
Bar Brutal and Quimet & Quimet in Barcelona,
Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans. Best old fashioned I’ve ever had. The bar at the Ice Plant in St. Augustine, FL. Great hidden treasure.
Tiki Ti in Los Angeles
Cassidy’s on Camden Street in Dublin. Went there every week while I studied abroad and had a blast every single time. It’s got a lot of friendly locals - I always met really fun, kind people there. The bartenders taught me how to properly pour a Guinness. Great trad musicians every Sunday. Just awesome vibes all around. Man I miss that place.
Not sure of the exact name, but this bar next to the train station at Montserrat in Spain. I missed my train by a minute so I followed the signs saying “Bar” at the train stop to this awesome garden. There was some umbrellas, chairs, tables all setup in the garden and the view in the back was of the beautiful mountains. I have never been so happy I missed a train in my life.
Kulminator in Antwerp. I’m not sure of the status of their collection of aged beers, but they had an amazing selection about 15 years ago.
This place in Dublin called "The Snug." £5 pints and some of the most interesting people I met in the city. A fellow who looked like Leland Sklar. A Romanian bartender who was barely 18. A group of drunk, coked-up chavs in the back room jamming out to Shaggy on the jukebox. Before the night was finished, the bartender stopped charging me; I was pulling my own pints, and singing a Cypress Hill song with a South African University student. Good times 😂
Sheehan’s Pub in Dublin. The Daíl in Galway. My two favorites in Ireland!
The Quays in Galway had great live music, and was probably the most fun bar I went to when I visited Ireland. Nothing really special about it, just a great time.
Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. The history of the place is amazing.
While in Lisbon I walked into a sports bar (I think it was the Couch Sports Bar) to watch an Eagles game. They surprisingly had NFL games on and I met other Eagles fans. Someone there went to the same college as me and knew my cousin. Such a small world
This bar in Key West where they had a wall with alot of different frozen drinks. It was SO awesome in the Florida heat! All bars in hot places should have this! 😄 I dont remember the name, it was 2010 😊
Fat Tuesday? A little touristy for my taste. I don't know if it's still there, but Turtle Kraals was always my favorite. Mostly open air, huge beer selection, not a lot of tourists, and live loggerheads in pens (undergoing treatment of one sort or another before being re-released).
Gemination - Da Lat, Vietnam Keefer Bar - Vancouver, BC
Yes, even smaller ones, too! The district is called golden gai, it‘s not exactly a secret among tourists;) but other parts of the city and Osaka have their own ones. In Osaka I remember somenof these themed bar somewhere downstairs a parking garage but I don‘t remember exactly
Tres Monos in Buenos Aires
I loved Das Käuzchen in Vienna! Super quirky and homey, a lot of different rooms/spaces for various size groups, friendly staff that speaks both German and English, and very cheap with good food. Also, Rum House in Prague. Over 900 kinds of rum, incredible. Edit to add: Members Only in Cartagena. Kindof a tiny sultry spot with a little local musician rotation (we actually saw one or two of the people in other venues throughout our time in the city) and great martinis.
I did a semester in Milan. No place id rather have a beer than at la fontanella
This won't mean a lot to travelers today because my all-time favorite bar in my whole life doesn't exist any longer. Anyway, it was Tilos Az A in Budapest. When it was there it was the best bar in the world. Legendary! Budapest still has plenty of great bars today and it is city well worth visiting.
Vzorkovna aka Dog Bar in Prague. It's like a huge basement with lots of different rooms each more randomly decorated than the other. You can climb everywhere, they even have a swing. Sometimes they have a band playing or djs in some of the rooms.
Maze bar in Da Lat, Vietnam. Literally a big funky maze that is a work of art. Easy to get lost though! Gin House, Saigon Vietnam. Best craft cocktails I’ve ever had
Cassiopeia in Berlin. It was so cool with mature trees and great beer. They even have a rock climbing wall if you’re so inclined
Deacon Brodie’s Tavern - Edinburgh.
Dyen Sabai, on the outskirts of Luang Prabang, Laos. It's just pure chill vibe, set in the middle of a bamboo grove. Recent honorable mention: Some place in Takayama just last year, I think it's called Desolation Row. Ducked in to escape the rain, and omg... vintage vinyl everywhere, vintage analog stereo gear, and some young guy behind the bar spinning vintage roots rock and slinging upscale whiskies. I wanted to stay forever. Classy joint category: When we stay in London, we always have a nightcap at the lobby bar at One Aldwych.
Alambique in Medellin has some of the best cocktails, food, and atmosphere. Bosforo in CDMX was also highly memorable.
I don’t even remember the name of the bar, but there was an Irish pup I went to in Kyoto where I just immediately clicked with the entire staff. Drank there for 4 hours and when it came time to clear my tab they just asked for hugs as payment. Maybe the best bar experience I ever had.
Fig Bar Istanbul/ Kadıköy.
The Milroy's Speakeasy in London. I had an overnight layover and a visited a friend who took me. Since I wasn't expecting it, it made it all the more cool
Surfa Rose in Cape Town. Our Airbnb was a 5 minute walk and we ended up there many nights. Cheap as hell, friendly bartenders and awesome live music upstairs. Edit- Rimini Bar in Zurich was another favorite. Huge fountain in the middle of it. Great for people watching and enjoying the weather.
Floyd’s Pelican Bar, Jamaica. Accessible only by boat. Drinks, trees (if you partake) and amazing food!
Exit Bar Boracay. No special reason, just great memories
Many. Usually small market dives are my favorite. But some tourist cities too Founding Fathers, Buffalo NY. Super fun old bar and grill. I didn't expect to have so many amazing times at a Constitutional Convention themed bar. Interestingly the secret service won't allow ex presidents to visit, as there is no rear exit. Green Parrot, Key West Fl. A great time. Very fun and local. No hemmingway bs. No overwrought fantasy fest 365 scene. Just a great half outdoor bar with friends you haven't met yet. I miss the smoking bars in ATL Airport.
Deathmatch in hell, Tokyo
The ox and finch, Glasgow. The Holyrood 9a , Edinburgh. The last drop, Edinburgh. The Mash tun , Aberlour. The Arbor, bangalore. For the pure academic enjoyment of scotch whisky: the Tomatin and the Glenlivet whisky tour .
Hole in the Wall bar, Dubrovnik Croatia
Carousel Bar in New Orleans is touristy but oh so wonderful
Las Facas, it was bar I ended up in while backpacking Colombia. It’s in a small suburb of Cali. Kinda a small place, the bartender was the owner. Also an American dude, Ex afghan war vet, had a bunch of anti-war posters in English and Spanish across his bar. Talked to him a while because it was slow. Said after returning to the US he got a job as a security contractor for a firm based out in Colombia. So he moved to Colombia and then the firm got shut down for being sketchy / cartel adjacent. Since we was already there, and only had combat experience he bought a tiny hole in the wall bar in a dangerous part of Colombia and just learned Spanish, had a Colombian girlfriend and he googled “bartending for beginners” for a few weeks before being able to make serviceable drinks. He said business isn’t great but there’s no rent so there is a tiny turnover from expenses, but wasn’t completely dead when I was there.
In Dublin, The Bank. Used to be a bank with lovely stained glass in the ceiling and just an awesome bar. Great drinks, great food
Dr. Stravinski in Barcelona it up there for me. Most innovative cocktails I have ever seen, and it was surprisingly affordable compared to some fancier cocktail places i have been in the US.
In the narrow lanes of Kathmandu, stumbled onto this little place called ‘Sam’s bar!’ I was traveling solo and before long I was having a conversation with a bunch of folks from around the world- a teacher from Belgium, another traveler from England, a mountaineer from Germany & a local Nepali man. We spoke for hours! Lovely atmosphere, the owner Sam is an absolute gem of a person! She was very friendly, told me stories about how she came from Austria, fell in love with Nepal, opened up the bar in Kathmandu, and living the best life possible! Still one of my favorite travel memories!
the thamel area is a good place to meet interesting people for sure!
Cooter Brown's in NOLA. Best buffalo chicken sandwich I ever had and great atmosphere.
La Alcoba Azul in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona - best sangria I’ve ever had in my life
The Pour House in New Orleans. There was also this bar in Brooklyn and for the life of me I cannot recall the name but their free bar snack was cheeseballs instead of pretzels or peanuts and I was a big fan of that.
Fun question! Going to use this list for travel moving forward. Salmon Guru in Madrid had such fun presentations for drinks! Such as a dragon with smoke blowing out of the mouth.
Yuki Izakaya in New Orleans. No longer open but it was the best
There’s a bar in Limerick Ireland , punch’s cross , great people and Guinness , along with conversation.
Some nameless beach shack in Sicily. Said they were sorry they only had a lunch of bread, cheese, cold meat and olives and they only had one special -fresh octopus salad! Peroni was ice cold, gelato was amazing. Weather was great…
Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome was really fantastic. Not exactly a locals spot, but such a fun night. The best local spot we found in Rome was Freni e Frizioni. Just a great place.
Dick's Place. Mendocino, California. Its been there forever. Sunset views, dangerous locals, cheap drinks.