Europe has no shortage of beautiful bars, from old school cocktail lounges to cutting edge bars and glamorous speakeasies. Sometimes, the best cocktail bars in Europe are hiding in plain sight; others on our list are award-winning bars that you’ve probably seen on social media before.
But what ties them all together is a diverse selection of expertly mixed drinks, talented mixologists and an atmosphere that will tempt you to linger over more than just one… Here’s our pick of the best cocktail bars from London to Lyon.
Located in the city center, the bar provides a traditional Nordic atmosphere for backpackers of all origins. The bar serves drinks in traditional Nordic style making you appreciate thousands of years of culture with every sip of their delicious beverage.
Located on rue du Curé, the bar calls itself a “Spirited Bar” for a good reason. The sophistication, elegance and quality of service complements the great drinks their bartenders make. If you’re looking for a place to impress your special someone, Octans Bar is a suitable choice.
Right beside the mighty Isar, The Zephyr Bar is a great resort if you’re in Munich and looking to enjoy some traditional German drinks. The bar’s creative and diverse menu is designed to make you appreciate the great taste of German alcoholic beverages.
Hosted by Nikos & Vassilis, the bar has curated its design and atmosphere for those who seek sophistication in the place where they drink their wine. The interior spaces are drenched in natural light so you can appreciate the rich philosophical history of the city.
Designed for travellers of all origins, the bar is specifically designed to help you appreciate the last 100 years of European history with every sip of your drink. Drinks at the Nomads Cocktail Bar are named after famous poets, writers and creatives.
Open from Monday to Saturday, the Le Lion bar or simply “The Lion”, is a wonderful place to visit in Hamburg if you’re looking to spend some quality time with your friends. With their great service, the bar will make sure you get the most out of its menu and have a good time.
Excellent signature cocktails, a great place at an even better location – Arraun is the place to be to enjoy your special Spanish drink with a fresh breath of ocean air. When it comes to the best cocktail bars in Europe, the lively atmosphere and elegant drinks here make this place stand out.
Known for their signature flowers and cocktails, the Matiz Pombalina bar has a unique style of presenting traditional Portuguese drinks to bring out the herb lover within you. The aesthetics are great if you’re looking for a great in-door drinking experience.
Located in the Old Town, the bar is somewhat of an authoritative figure when it comes to alcoholic beverages. Apart from great taste and unique drink making styles, the bar also offers cocktail workshops to teach curious minds the European way of making great drinks.
This Slovakian cocktail room is a great place to visit to remember the good old times with friends and family. The gentlemen who serve are well mannered and trained to make sure you have a good time.
Made in England, inspired by France, the Coupette proudly serves cocktails and Calvados. A traditional London neighbourhood bar with its French accent has a great international reputation for its great drinks and an even better ambience.
What place would be a better option to enjoy the Croatian culture than the birthplace of Marcvs Marvlvs, father of Croatian literature? Tailored for the literary genius, the bar is a great place to drink to the artistic atmosphere of the country.
Known for their variety and excellent quality, this house of spirits is the place to have tasty cocktails blended by the hand with care and served with professionalism. The cocktails are mixed with spices and herbs uniquely collected by the bar itself.
Pictured: The Modernist, a rich daiquiri style drink mixed with aged rum, homemade falernum, citrus and rose blossom vermouth among other essences.
This passionate bar has a secret door and serves great drinks. The place is full of liveliness, music and features some of the best bartenders in all of Europe. You’ll find a local crowd sipping on classic cocktails here, as well as a pretty outdoor garden.
The Thirsty Barber is Malta’s first-ever prohibition style bar which recreates what it was like to get drinks with your medieval pals during the secret ages. The drinks are made by talented mixologists and served with great care for your delight. No wonder it’s made out list of the best bars in Europe for the second year in a row!
Located at the heart of Lyon by the river Saône, this sophisticated bar is a great place to meet friends, lovers and business people alike. It offers special mixed cocktails, beverages and much more. You’re sure to stay a while here…
Located in central Bucharest, the bar focuses on Eastern European drinks and adds ingredients specific to that area. Fix Me A Drink focuses on delivering good European taste and offers great service for locals and travellers alike. Expect fresh and aromatic signature cocktails.
Designed to bring out the celebrity inside of you, the Movida Cocktail Bar has excellent service with bartenders that have served at several top international bars. It’s a lively place that hosts great events from time to time. If you’re in Krakow and wanna have a good time, you better give them a visit.
A sophisticated bar that also serves great food if you need a snack. Amehoela offers great ambiance and service for food and drinks. The cocktails are designed by the pros in Rotterdam. If you want to enjoy an elegant environment and great drinks, then this is the place to be!
An artistic suite for the artistic mind – this bar will definitely bring out the philosopher inside of you. The bar is a great place to have drinks with your colleagues and friends and discuss art, science and everything in between. Oh, and sip on a cocktail from one of the best bars in Europe, too.
Situated in the eldest parts of the city, the bar pays homage to the area’s great heritage. It serves tinctures, with bitters herbal remedies within its drinks to bring you great taste. Its apothecary-styled counter gives it an intimate vibe for guests that you’ll fall in love with.
The bar has great staff who know how to make really great drinks! The atmosphere is amazing if you’re looking to spend some quality night time in Budapest. The drinks are served with professionalism to make sure you get the right spirit for your mood. Ask for their recommendations, or order a signature drink.
Whisper Sister is a funky place which offers rum, vodka, whiskey and some great wines. If you’re in Tallinn, we recommend visiting the bar and trying out their Son of a Gun and Creole Vodou. Whisper Sister is always a top shout for a great night, especially if you’re new to the area and in need of a quality drink and relaxed vibes.
The place is simply exquisite. They have special bartenders and mixologists that mix drinks in a way no other bar can. One of their drinks, the Rob Roy, is a must-try cocktail curated for the alcohol lover. When it comes to the best bars in Europe, this place really stands out.
Listed in the top four international high volume bar category in 2019, 2018, 2016, and 2015, the Callooh Callay is the place to go if you want to taste what award winning drinks look like. Located in Shoreditch, London; the bar has achieved excellence in serving alcoholic beverages. It’s an Alice in Wonderland inspired spot, full of magic and mystery.
The rock and roll bar has a special place in our list because there are a great many bartenders that work to serve you, so you have a great time. The Salmon Guru is one of Madrid’s hottest places to be on the weekends and has been listed among the world’s best 50 bars.
Situated in the heart of Dublin and in the basement of Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club, the beautifully designed space has four spacious rooms to have a merry time with your loved ones and friends. If you’re looking for a place in Dublin to take out your special someone, this might be it! Signature cocktails include the aptly named D.T.F: Absolut Elyx Vodka, Passionfruit Cordial, Lemon, Vanilla and Egg Whites.
One of Oslo’s best cocktail bars, Bettola is famous for its uniquely mixed drinks and great music. The overall ambiance is superb and can cheer anyone up. They serve their drinks in truly unique glassware for one of the most enriching bar experiences in all of Oslo. Get ready to take plenty of snaps for your Instagram…
Gatsby lovers will love this place. The bar is designed around the 20’s jazz, culture and elegance. Their cocktails are a mix of Italian and Central European taste and are served by top-hat wearing bar-tenders to make you feel like you’re in a 20’s movie.
Life truly is beautiful at this nice bar in Brussels. The bar started in 2015 with a monthly cocktail. They’ve recently expanded their drinks menu, using their own housemade syrups, liqueurs, bitters and more for innovative cocktails. It’s a must-visit bar that consistently attracts locals and travellers alike.
The bar doesn’t have a menu! They believe, as everyone should, that drinks should be made for the drinker. Their bartenders are excellent listeners and mix up a good drink on demand. They take into consideration your preferences, tastes and mood to make sure you enjoy every sip…
The bar is a great sanctuary for individuals that want to have a blast. With great service, and great cocktails, the bar is a must-visit place if you’re ever in Budapest. It’s all about the creative twists on classics here, like a ‘carrot cake Negroni’ with carrot-infused gin and vanilla.
If you’re looking to drink cocktails that are internationally famous, then this award winning bar is the place to go. With live music every Wednesday, the bar has achieved excellence in service as well as mixing drinks. Try the ‘Mother’s Ruin’ a fun take that includes its namesake (gin), lemon verbena, mint cordial and botanical beer.
Located at the center of Lisbon, the Red Frog is a stylish 1920’s Prohibition Bar The ambiance is cosy, and the drinks are served in traditional Portuguese taste but with a level of class and taste akin to a Michelin star meal – aka, perfectly.
The Blind Pig is a beautiful speakeasy and Prohibition bar located in a hidden basement just off Dublin’s Grafton Street. The bar offers an authentic prohibition era experience and the bartenders are well known for being some of the best in the industry. P.S. Stop for a drink and ask to then go to their secret sister bar, The Little Pig – it’s even more of a gem.
Stylish, elegant and urban; the Goldfish takes its inspiration from the library bars of London and gives a unique experience with full service. You better book a table at this place if you’re in Helsinki to enjoy its extensive wine and creative cocktail list.
Located on Viale Piave, the bar is a great spot for those of you who wish to enjoy the variety of tastes, Italy has to offer. Which let’s be honest, is everyone. The bar has experienced mixologists that are always pushing the drinks to new innovative boundaries. One sip and you’ll see why it’s one of the best bars in Europe.
The bar is famous in Copenhagen for its creatively made drinks, gins and whiskeys. If you’re in Copenhagen and want to have a great drink, you should try their Avalanche Negroni and their Prohibition Cup. Brønnum also holds tasting sessions in which you can try their world class collection of cocktails and alcohol.
A home away from home – it is a multi-level building that offers exquisite taste in their alcoholic beverages and serves amazing food in their contemporary, vintage glassware. The bar is home to some of the best mixologists and bartending experts to give you a great experience.
A former confectioner’s shop, La Confiteria is a trendy cocktail bar that does unusual recipes and a great G&T. Cocktails come in beautiful glassware, from sleek martini glasses to funky mini-bathtubs. The bar also serves great food, with a tempting menu of traditional tapas.
The Dragonfly bar intends to revive the “laid-back” spirit of the traditional Edinburgh scene, and they’re smashing it. If you want to try some good cocktails, visit this spot and try their Hakukies and Cream and the The Ripple Effect. Settle down in a cosy and consider the long list of drinks – you’ll want to have more than one…
The Sign is probably one of Vienna’s best cocktail lounges, where the drinks are everything but ordinary. The bar has some very talented mixologists whipping up world-class drinks that have a funky touch, from bacon skewers to the wonderfully rogue ‘Suck Ma Titties’ mojito with marshmallow-infused rum and lime milk.
The bar perfectly embraces the Norwegian culture through the mixing of some great Nordic-style cocktails. Their spirits are famous around the city and a real hotspot for true cocktail lovers. They serve beer, cider and wine as well, but when it’s one of the best cocktail bars in Europe, you need to let the bartenders mix you up one.
The bar has wonderful drinks and a quirky take on Parisian style, making it a must-visit bar for every cocktail lover. We’re not the only publication that loves the Little Red Door, as it’s well known worldwide for its stellar drinks list. The bouncer is famously lovely too, so even if there’s a queue you’re in good company.
Being one of the most popular bars in Amsterdam, Door 74 offers a wonderful taste in its classic European-style drinks and cocktails. Ring the doorbell on the black door and someone will let you into snug, hidden bar. The bar is exquisite, with antique barware, new cocktails every single evening and sexy vibes.
If you’re the kind of person that enjoys vintage bars, then the Rum Trader is the perfect place. This is a uniquely classy drinking experience. There’s no menu – the owner, Mr Scholl, will make you the perfect tipple. When it comes to essential bars in Europe, no list is complete without this one.
The bar offers drinks and hot dogs. A unique combo, yet it works. In fact, there’s no better feeling than biting into a hot dog with an expertly mixed cocktail in hand.The bar is a great place to visit if you want your drinks to be that bit beyond the ordinary. No wonder it’s such a local favourite…
Winner of the 2019 Bartenders’ Choice Award, this Swedish bar is famous for its exquisite taste and great cocktail mixing skills. The cocktails are unique, with clever ingredients, such as their signature Gemma drink with Bombay Sapphire Gin, sake, pistachio, ginger, and citrus.
This superb bar has a special place in London with its sustainable ethos. Scout consistently pushes boundaries with its drinks menu. There’s a mad scientist type of approach to the cocktails here, with local ingredients evaporated and turned into unique cocktails. One for a night to remember.
A shining jewel in Antwerp’s bar scene, we named Dogma as the best cocktail bar in Europe in 2019, and they’ve held onto that crown with major gusto. Never settling and always striving, if anything these guys have gotten even better in the past year. Try their signature drink, the ‘Aix en Provence’, which is a fabulous mix of apple brandy, honey, thyme, orange, lemon, IPA and goats’ cheese foam.
