Must-see nightlife in Western Europe

  • Puppets aren't just for children in the downstairs pub of Brussels' Theatre de Toone where puppeteers put on works by Aristophanes and Shakespeare, the theatre was established in 1830

    Toone

    Brussels

    At the home to Brussels’ classic puppet theatre, this irresistibly quaint and cosy timber-framed bar serves beers and basic snacks.

  • Nightjar

    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…

  • Shakespeare & Company Cafe

    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 Roest

    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…

  • City Barge

    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…

  • Le Pavillon Puebla

    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)…

  • Uiltje Brewing Co

    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,…

  • Le Nid

    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…

  • Le Point Rouge

    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…

  • Mombasa

    Antwerp

    Overlooking one of Antwerp's most underrated architectural glories (Borgerhout Town Hall) this superb beer bar stocks well over 100 choices (including…

  • Grand Café Tortoni

    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…

  • Fitzpatrick's

    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…

  • White Cross

    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…

  • Leo's Tavern

    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…

  • Scilicet

    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…

  • Oriole

    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…

  • Brouwerij Troost

    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…

  • Quai de Bourbon

    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…

  • Sunset

    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…

  • Symbiose

    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…

  • Coutume Café

    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…

  • Pandora Inn

    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…

  • Wynand Fockink

    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…

  • Demain

    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…

  • Le Bar À Cacao

    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…

  • Troubadour

    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…

  • De Ysbreeker

    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…

  • Brouwerij 't IJ

    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…

  • Au Sauvignon

    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…

  • Chambre Neuf

    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…

  • Lamb & Flag

    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…

  • Oude Markt

    Leuven

    The 30 bars that cram together on Oude Markt form one huge mass of happy drinkers whose chatter and midnight whoops reverberate around the baroque gables…

  • Outro Lado

    Alfama, Castelo & Graça

    An Egyptian-Polish couple took over and seriously upgraded Lisbeer, one of Lisbon's loungiest and least beer-geeky craft-beer bars, in late 2018. Sé's…

  • Chez Garcia – Cave de la Guiguette

    La Rochelle

    For a sweet taste of 1930s La Rochelle, follow the hipster crowd to this rough-cut wine bar where little has changed since it opened in 1933 in a…

  • Labyrinth

    Amsterdam

    Mixologist Sam Kingue Ebelle concocts impressively inventive cocktails (€10.50 to €13) at this moody bar on Amstelveenseweg. For theatrical drama, try the…

  • American Bar

    The West End

    Home of the Lonely Street, Concrete Jungle and other house cocktails named after iconic songs collected in the 'Savoy Songbook', the seriously dishy…

  • Nuage

    Latin Quarter

    One of a crop of co-working cafes to mushroom in Paris, Nuage (Cloud) lures a loyal following of nomadic digital creatives with its cosy, home-like spaces…

  • Whitby Brewery

    Whitby

    Walkers are pleased as punch when they find this place on the clifftop behind Whitby Abbey. There's just enough room inside the modern brew plant for…

  • Het Concerthuis

    Groningen

    The hip go-to address at any time, the Concert House is a hybrid cafe, bar, and DJ and live-music space with pavement terrace overlooking one of the city…

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