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Sure, you can soak up a city’s atmosphere simply by wandering its streets and visiting its must-see landmarks, but for a proper, authentic glimpse at the lifeblood of place, you need to visit its bars.
But, the best bars? Well, one of the best places to turn to for advice is the aptly-named European Bar Guide, which has just published its annual ranking of the best 100 watering holes across the continent.
The site reads that they rate bars ‘simply on how well they do what they’re trying to do: spectacle, atmosphere, social scene, intriguing customs, local culture and yes, the quality and choice of drinks’, and one pleasingly haphazard spot has stolen first place.
Szimpla Kert, Budapest’s original ruin bar, has topped the list this year. Housed inside an abandoned factory, it began serving drinks back in 2002.
Budapest is famous for its ruin bars – drinking establishments housed inside abandoned or dilapidated buildings, with eclectic decor and a distinctly offbeat vibe – and this place walked so all other ruin bars could run. As the bar guide puts it, visiting Szimpla Kert feels ‘like entering a portal to another dimension’. Disco balls and fairy lights have been thrown over any potential arm or surface, music blares and people perch on everything from spindly stools and plump sofas to converted cars throughout the warren-like space.
Recommended: Read our expert local guides to the best cocktail bars and wine bars in Budapest.
Claiming second place? That’d be Retsins Luciefernum, a kooky, whimsical part-museum part-bar inside an old masonic mansion in Bruges. It’s an intimate spot, limited to only 20 drinkers at once, and the opening hours vary, so make sure you check ahead.
In third place was La Fleur en Papier Doré in Brussels, and the top five was rounded out by Goupil Le Fol, also in the Belgian capital, and Zlatna Ribica in Sarajevo. Scroll on for the rest of the top 10.
The 10 best bars in Europe
- Szimpla Kert, Budapest
- Retsins Lucifernum, Bruges
- La Fleur en Papier Doré, Brussels
- Goupil Le Fol, Brussels
- Zlatna Ribica, Sarajevo
- Papa Joe’s Jazzlocal, Cologne
- t’Brugse Beertje, Bruges
- Bar Marsella, Barcelona
- U Hrocha, Prague
- Le Pot Au Lait, Liège
To peruse the entire top 100 bars in the world, head to the European Bar Guide’s official website.
🍸 Thirsty for more? Here’s Time Out’s definitive list of the best bars in the world, according to our editors.
ICYMI: This is officially the best city in the world for nightlife right now, according to locals.
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