Sarajevo
Sedate and outwardly grand, the tiny and eccentric 'Golden Fish' adds understated humour to a cosy treasure trove of antiques and kitsch, reflected in big…
Must-see nightlife in Eastern Europe
Kalamaja & Telliskivi
A sprawling, bohemian, charismatic and hugely enjoyable bar-club, Sveta makes great use of a former industrial space in Telliskivi, filling it with colour…
Vilnius
This intimate little cocktail bar with velvet bar stools runs with a globe-roaming theme, with each of their nine cocktails (changing every month) driven…
Lithuania
Imagine you're on a date with a vampire. This is exactly the sort of place the stylish undead would take you to: dark wood and leather banquettes, black…
Central Rīga
This crumbling former musical school is now a culture centre with a fabulous bar. Choose from an alluring line-up of craft beers, then grab a mismatched…
St Petersburg
The wonderfully retro-feeling Hat is a serious spot for jazz and whisky lovers, who come for the nightly live music and the cool-cat crowd that make this…
Brasa & Teika
With a minimalist design that makes it feel a bit like a Gothic church, this place is on a mission to promote more obscure Latvian breweries and local…
Vladivostok
This exceptionally well-stocked and stylish place right by the seafront offers cocktails and a small but tantalising bar menu as well as wine by the glass…
Kaliningrad
Industrial-themed Yeltsin paved the way for the city's craft-beer revolution and is a favourite gathering spot for students and arty, beer-loving types in…
Belarus
Homel's best bar is down by the river in the basement of Provence restaurant. DJs, live music and vinyl nights ensure a lively crowd every night of the…
Kaunas
A heavy-rock soundtrack, black walls and Kaunas' best craft beer is what Genys Taproom is all about. There are nine or 10 house brews on tap, from the…
Vladivostok
This fabulous cocktail lounge is a low-lit and beautifully set-out space, with a gorgeous wooden bar and gloriously comfortable sofas and chairs to lounge…
Constanţa
Worth a trip to admire the stunning steampunk-inspired interior of tiles and colours and big bar built from stacks of pulped paperback books. Great coffee…
Latvia
A legendary music venue across the Baltics, there is live music almost every night in this former port warehouse. The never-closing bar extends over two…
Minsk
The haphazard look is very much by design at this brick-walled hipster hangout on vul Kastrychnitskaya. Belly up to the recycled-wood bar, play table…
Old Town
Inside this much-loved Tallinn cellar bar (usually the last pit stop of the night) you’ll find two floors of cheap booze, unabashed music and a…
Chişinău
More than a club, this intimate basement venue might better be described as a multifaceted counterculture haven. DJs are the norm, but on any given night…
Split
Fittingly, the 15th-century Gothic home of the 'Dante of Croatia', Marko Marulić, now houses this wonderful little 'library jazz bar' made up of small…
Kaunas
What sets the B2O (the new incarnation of the locally legendary BO bar) apart from its peers is the convivial atmosphere that makes you want to linger for…
Nizhny Novgorod
Descending the steps of this hidden art bar is to step into a bohemian world of monkey-motif wallpaper. The ambience is relaxed and alternative. There's a…
Ohrid
Ohrid's most stylish lakefront bar is a relaxed chill-out place by day, serving coffee and drinks (no food). At night it morphs into the town's most…
Kaliningrad
Easily Kaliningrad's best cocktail bar, Harry Johnson's has the cred to back it up. It's named for the author (and possible Königsberg native) of the…
Khabarovsk
Handsomely designed Gatsby has a main-level restaurant and lounge (with good food from R300 to R800). Downstairs is a swanky bar in one room, with big…
Podgorica
The street has come out of the cold in this hip little bar, lined with faux shopfronts and scattered with park-style furniture. Its actual outside area is…
Vilnius
With 17 rotating Lithuanian and international craft brews on tap and the bar staffed by knowledgeable staff, this might be your idea of heaven, especially…
Klaipėda
This cocktail bar is small in size but a giant when it comes to mixology. The list of drinks (both classic and original) is epic, and if by some freak…
Iaşi
Easy to miss and hard to forget, this hip, unpretentious bar is barely signposted near the corner of Str Armeană. Its regulars include local artists,…
Braşov
Tipografia calls itself a teahouse, but it's an excellent all-rounder. It makes a mean cup of coffee too, and by sunset the place morphs into one of the…
Tivat
This wonderful little gastropub swims against Montenegro's tsunami of wines and rakija, serving up lashings of craft beer and cool cocktails. Hip,…
Vilnius
Find the cosy nook in a stone alcove or perch around the bar beneath the heavy wooden beams before tasting some of Vilnius' most imaginative mixology…
Moscow
Scooter enthusiast, that is. But you don't have to be one in order to enjoy this superbly laid-back bar hidden at the far end of a fancifully shaped…
Split
This stylish wine and cheese bar has a fantastic rooftop terrace, a massive selection of Croatian wines (more than 120, including 40 by the glass) and a…
Pag Island
Rated one of the best clubs in the world (it came in at number six in DJ Mag's 2017 list), Papaya is the kingpin of the Zrće scene, complete with palm…
Podgorica
Exemplifying the offbeat flavour of the Bokeška strip, this quirky spot promotes local music, art and other alternative happenings. It's a good place for…
Kharkiv
A former seed-selection factory now disseminates the seeds of cultured drinking in a place prone to wild drinking habits. The extensive bar menu lists out…
Tartu
Serving wine and excellent deli snacks, this little bar attracts a slightly older crowd (postgraduates, perhaps) but still gets jammed and overflows onto…
Belgrade
Raise a glass to Tito at this frantic, festive kafana (tavern). Lined with communist memorabilia and packed to the rafters with revellers and grinning…
Ulcinj
Hidden behind the fortifications on the quiet, western side of the Old Town, this blissful wee beach bar consists of day beds and tables perched on rock…
Pula
This artsy hideaway, 2km south of the centre in Veruda, has a cosy wood-beamed interior, eclectic objects and rock portraits on the walls, dim lighting,…
Tartu
Beloved of Tartu's students, the Genialists’ Club is an all-purpose, grungy ‘subcultural house’ comprising a bar, a cafe, an alternative nightclub, a live…
