The best way to get to know a city? Turning off Google Maps, leaving your guidebook on your hotel’s bedside table and getting lost in the streets. Nothing can top meandering down a random alleyway and stumbling across a quirky dive bar where the beers are cold but the locals are warm, or finding a shop that’s a treasure trove of artisan products and vintage trinkets.
That’s why at Time Out, we’ve hit up our global network of local editors and experts to nominate the streets that showcase the best of their city for our annual ranking of the world’s coolest streets. Nearly a third of those streets were based in Europe, so if you’re planning a jaunt there, here are the nine streets worth pounding the pavements for.
Porto is home to Europe’s coolest street
Rua do Bonjardim in Porto was the highest-ranked street in Europe, coming in third on the global list.
Located downtown, the street is in a prime position for major attractions like Bolhão Market and Avenida dos Aliados, yet retains its own quiet charm. It’s home to old-school grocers like Casa Januário and Pretinho do Japão alongside legendary restaurants like Conga, much-loved for its bifanas (pork sandwiches), and Mexican spot Duello. No trip to Rua do Bonjardim is complete without the grand Rivoli Theatre, one of the city’s best performance venues, with a vibrant cultural programme.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a street in Berlin, a city that has become shorthand for cool, secured the second spot. A 1.5km canalside stretch in Reuterkiez, dotted with bakeries and coffee shops, Maybachufer has everything you need to cure even the most savage of hangovers after a night (or full weekend) at one of Berlin’s techno clubs. The biggest draw, though, is long-running Neuköllner Wochenmarkt - aka the Turkish Market - where you can pick up hot börek and herbs.
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Rounding out the top three is a street in the underrated Greek city of Thessaloniki, which too often plays second fiddle to the Greekx islands or historic monuments of Athens. On Olympou Street, you’ll find an outstanding food scene, quirky vintage shops and a laidback atmosphere. Make a beeline for To Pikap, a hybrid coffee bar, independent record label, exhibition space and web radio. At night, the street is transformed into an outdoor restaurant, with chairs and tables lining the pavement. Do like the locals and pull up a seat at a traditional taverna – you can’t go wrong with Kits kai S’ Efaga.
Other streets in Europe that made the cut include Blackstock Road in London, Rue de Flandre in Brussels and Via Panisperna in Rome. For more travel inspiration, check out the full list below.
Time Out’s coolest streets in Europe
- Rua do Bonjardim, Porto
- Maybachufer, Berlin
- Olympou Street, Thessaloniki
- Rue de Flandre, Brussels
- Rue des Gravilliers, Paris
- Via Panisperna, Rome
- Calle del Barquillo, Madrid
- Blackstock Road, London
- Northdown Road, Margate
Read the full list of the 31 coolest streets in the world here.
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