Paris
Like the sleigh of that name in Citizen Kane, Rosebud harks back to the past. In this case it’s to Montparnasse’s early-20th-century heyday (the decor has…
Must-see nightlife in Europe
Sultanahmet
Located in a sunken courtyard behind the Blue Mosque, Meşale is a tourist trap par excellence, but is still worth a visit. Generations of backpackers have…
Viterbo
Join the crowds for a glass of wine in the atmospheric setting of Piazza della Morte. The bar, which also serves craft beers and local foodie specialities…
Gdańsk
Typical Czech franchise pub belonging to the Pilsner Urquell brewery with a clean-cut, goat-themed interior ('kozel' means billy-goat in Czech), big jugs…
Zagreb
This chic black-and-red cafe is a popular hang-out for families and big groups of friends. For top-notch people-watching, you really want to snag a table…
Kensington & Hyde Park
When you've shopped your legs off in Knightsbridge, this serenely seductive zone welcomes you into a world of Chinese bird-cage lanterns, subdued lighting…
East London
London’s first board-game themed cafe-bar – it has over 900 to choose from – offers a delightfully geeky way to while away an afternoon. Food, wine and…
Staré Město
This is the kind of place where you can imagine yourself tapping out the Great Prague Novel on your laptop with a half-finished coffee on the table beside…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
For a dash of 1980s nostalgia, Polaroid is a blast from the past, with its wall-mounted VHS tapes, old film posters, comic-book-covered tables, action…
Western European Russia
When the weekend comes, this is Oryol's premier party place, with quaffing crowds going bonkers to live bands. The rest of the time, it is a fairly…
Sofienberg, Grønland & Tøyen
As unexpected as it might be in this street of grocers and curry places, Pigalle's most recent incarnation feels like a set from a Luc Besson movie from…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Tucked between République and Oberkampf, this kitsch bar and restaurant is a colourful little jewel; look for the tiny campervan above the window. Lunch…
The Douro
The best party spot in Vila do Conde: think mighty, seasonal, blinged-out electronica throw-downs with international DJs, Bedouin tents, spinning disco…
Prenzlauer Berg
Potent java, homemade cakes, and flowers from the attached shop perfume the art nouveau interior of this corner cafe named for a 1919 Dadaist poem by…
Meteora & Thessaly
Tucked into a tiny street between the shopping thoroughfares of Dimitriados and Iasonos, this is one of the oldest tsipouradhika (bars serving tsipouro…
Meteora & Thessaly
Most evenings, deciding which Plateia Tachydromeon bar to drink in can be a question of finding one that’s not already filled with students. Just is a…
Swansea (Abertawe)
A former Thomas hang-out, Uplands still serves a quiet daytime pint in the 'Dylan Thomas' snug, and is painted a sober dark green. Come nightfall it turns…
Lyon
The tree-shaded terrace and Second Empire decor of chandeliers and mirror-lined walls are the big draws at this centrally located cafe-brasserie, a…
San Polo & Santa Croce
Its name might mean stagger, but there's more to this party bar than its heady cocktail sessions and Friday-night DJ sets. Just steps away from the Rialto…
Birmingham
Buried beneath the Burlington Arcade, this darkened drinking den has the ambience of a decadent underworld. Down a faux-marble-encased staircase,…
Wrocław
Spread over three rooms and a courtyard in a superbly atmospheric medieval building that once served as the municipal prison, the 'Butterfly's Leg'…
Cagliari
A swank beachside hang-out, Emerson is one of the more glamorous of the chioschi that line the seafront at Poetto. Part cocktail lounge, part restaurant…
Eastern Slovenia
Both locals and visitors pack out the big terrace here from mid-morning to evening for beer, cocktails, ice cream, cake and coffee. Playing on Rogaška…
Golfe du Morbihan
A mature, in-the-know set favours this pearl of a place just beyond the ramparts. Snag a seat on the terrace to soak up the street atmosphere or snuggle…
El Raval
This altar to kitsch is a dingy dance hall that has transgressed since the 1920s, and for years starred the luminous underground cabaret figure Carmen de…
Vienna
Szigeti vineyard in Burgenland, which produces a leading Austrian Sekt (sparkling wine), serves its own brand only at this tiny, wood-panelled wine bar…
Paris
Sunny Sunday mornings are the best time to lap up the unpretentious Parisian vibe at this staunchly local neighbourhood bistro, named after the owners'…
South Cornwall
Truro gets its own craft-beer bar. Lots of thought has gone into the selection, with local brewers like Black Rock and Padstow Brewing Company sitting…
Neukölln
Quite literally a bastion of the Berlin ‘underground’ is this warren-like cellar in a back courtyard. The charmingly improvised dancing den is affiliated…
Vienna
Tour buses regularly stop at Mayer am Pfarrplatz in daytime (Beethoven lived here in 1817), but a local atmosphere takes over in the evenings. Besides…
Salonschiff Fräulen Florentine
Linz
Permanently moored on the Danube across from Linz' historic centre, with stunning sunset and night-time views, this vast boat bar has a huge, sunny upper…
Warwickshire
Rugby's passion for its home-grown sport reaches fever pitch at this pub where memorabilia covers the walls, cocktails are all rugby-themed (whisky-based …
Kastellorizo
Occupying an enviable location in the former lighthouse, beyond the ferry jetty and beside the mosque, this bar offers a wonderful opportunity to swim in…
Nuremberg
This cellar beer hall deep below street level is a popular spot to hug a mug of site-brewed ale, bubbling frothily in the copper kettles that occupy the…
Bucharest
This hidden garden behind a poorly marked gate is a breath of fresh air in a heavily urbanised neighbourhood. Grab a picnic table and enjoy a fresh…
Jordaan & the West
A long-standing favourite, this mother-and-daughter-run coffeeshop has a greenhouse feel. You can sit outside by the Van Gogh–inspired murals, play some…
Andalucía
Paces from the tourist office and the Gruta de las Maravillas, this recently minted gastrobar with sidewalk seating is a great place to kick back with a…
Evia
You can’t get any closer to the channel or the drawbridge than ubermodern and vibey cafe-bar Mostar, where cosy booths with statement-print cushions and…
London
Almost too well hidden down a quiet alleyway parallel to Fleet St, Black Parrot is a surprising plant-filled, rum-obsessed bar that puts a cool London…
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
Tucked behind the Estação do Rossio, this ginjinha (cherry liqueur) bar flaunts a slick, monochrome interior. It’s a convivial spot for a ginjinha shot…
