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 –…
Must-see nightlife in Western Europe
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…
Brussels
At the home to Brussels’ classic puppet theatre, this irresistibly quaint and cosy timber-framed bar serves beers and basic snacks.
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Behind a nondescript, gold-knobbed door just north of the Old Street roundabout is this bona fide speakeasy, pouring award-winning libations from a four…
Powys
Like any good village pub, the Neuadd Arms is a focal point for the community. There's an interesting menu (mains £9 to £11), bed-and-breakfast rooms …
Latin Quarter
Instant history was made when this literary-inspired cafe opened in 2015 adjacent to magical bookshop Shakespeare & Company, designed from long-lost…
Amsterdam
This is one of those 'only in Amsterdam' places, and well worth the trip. Once-derelict shipyards now host this epically cool artist collective–bar…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
In a line of small riverside cottages facing wooded Oliver's Island (where Cromwell is alleged to have taken refuge), this excellent pub looks straight…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
The folks running the hugely successful rooftop bar Le Perchoir are also behind this enchanting, self-proclaimed 'temple du bonheur' (temple of happiness)…
Haarlem
At its brewery 4km northeast of Haarlem's centre, Uiltje has a lively bar area and sunny courtyard where you can try its 10 draught and two cask beers,…
Nantes
Far more than just a bar, Le Nid (or The Nest) is an interactive art installation by Nantais artist Jean Jullien. Designer armchairs, with yolk-yellow…
Bordeaux
A black steel door marked with a small, red doorbell (aka 'le point rouge', or 'the red dot') heralds the entrance to this trendy speakeasy, a theatrical…
Antwerp
Overlooking one of Antwerp's most underrated architectural glories (Borgerhout Town Hall) this superb beer bar stocks well over 100 choices (including…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
A favourite address with hobnobbing socialites in the 19th century, this historic Italian cafe is suddenly the trendiest spot in Haut Marais to linger…
Counties Meath, Louth, Cavan & Monaghan
Overflowing inside and out with bric-a-brac – milk cans, lanterns, antlers, church pews, crockery, street signs, barrels, bellows, bank notes and even…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
The riverside location and fine food and ales make this bay-windowed pub – on the site of a former friary – a winner. There are entrances for low and high…
County Donegal
You never know who'll drop by for one of the legendary singalongs at famous, long-standing Leo's Tavern. There's live music nightly in summer and regular…
Distilleerderij 't Nieuwe Diep
Amsterdam
Appearing out of the woods like a Hansel and Gretel cottage, the quaint architecture and rural setting of this old pumping station are enchanting and it…
Paris
An elongated stone archway houses this hidden riverside bar, with digital light displays projected on the ceiling, and DJs spinning from 8pm nightly in…
London
Down a darkened alley through the eerie evening quiet of Smithfield Market is an unlikely spot for one of London's best cocktail bars, but the journey of…
De Pijp
Watch beer being brewed in copper vats behind a glass wall at this outstanding craft brewery. Its dozen beers include a summery blonde, a smoked porter, a…
Paris
With its worn petrol-blue facade and decorative vintage ironwork (look for the bunch of grapes), Quai de Bourbon appears to be just another quintessential…
Frisian Islands
Not far from the picture-book lighthouse in Hollum is this sizzling beach club on the sand. Lounge here with islanders in the know over a G&T and cocktail…
Bordeaux
There is something inviting about this clandestine address with a soft green facade across from the river on the fringe of the Chartrons district. This is…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
The Parisian coffee revolution is thanks in no small part to Coutume, artisanal roaster of premium beans for scores of establishments around town. Its…
South Cornwall
At the bottom of a hill by Restronguet Creek, this thatched inn is one of Cornwall’s landmark pubs, in situ since the mid-1600s. It’s the picture of a…
Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Dating from 1679, this small tasting house in an arcade behind NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky serves scores of jenevers (Dutch gins) and liqueurs. Although…
Nijmegen
Famed far and wide for its expertly shaken craft cocktails, Demain (French for 'tomorrow') is a fantastic spot to begin or end an evening out. It has a…
Overijssel
Two huge potted palm trees herald the entrance to this pop-up beach bar, inside an industrial container by the canal. Striped deckchairs lounge on golden…
Liège
Elegantly contemporary with tones of black and muted gold, this superb find serves excellent coffee (from €2.50) with which you get two exquisite Benoit…
Notting Hill & West London
On a comparable spiritual plane to Paris' Shakespeare and Company bookshop, this eccentric, time-warped and convivial boho bar-cafe has been serenading…
Amsterdam
This gloriously historic but updated bruin café (traditional Dutch pub) first opened its doors in 1702. It's named after an icebreaker that used to dock…
Amsterdam
Can you get more Dutch than drinking a craft beer beneath the creaking sails of the 1725-built De Gooyer Windmill? Amsterdam's leading microbrewery makes…
Chamonix
A favourite among seasonal workers letting off steam, 'Room 9' boasts the most spirited (rather, loudest) après-ski party in Cham (from 3pm or 4pm). There…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Grab a table in the evening light at this wonderfully authentic wine bar or head to the quintessential bistro interior, with original zinc bar, tightly…
The West End
Perpetually busy, the pint-sized Lamb & Flag is full of charm and history: there's been a public house here since at least 1772, when it was known as the…
Overijssel
'Fancy hotdogs and original cocktails' is the driver of this uber-hip bar and eatery on fashionable Gasthuisplein. Craft cocktails (€7.50 to €10) are…
Bray
Four former fisherman's terraces make up this maze of rooms with vintage maritime bric-a-brac (and a resident cat). Craft-beer options by local brewers…
