Thirsty for a cocktail? Of course you are, but no matter the city you’re in, there are just too many bars to choose from. That’s why Time Out has called on its editors to recommend a spot local to them which they think is a must-visit.
It resulted in a list of some seriously knockout bars, from a gritty, noisy, locally-adored spot in Cape Town to a Mexican-American cocktail joint in New York, and across the worldwide roundup, five entries from cities in Europe were also included.
One of these was Fréquence, a vinyl and cocktail bar in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, selected by Time Out Paris’s food and drink editor Antoine Besse. He said: ‘Why choose between quality cocktails and good music? That’s exactly what Matthieu Biron and Guillaume Quenza thought when they created this gem of a spot, where the mixologist becomes the DJ, and vice versa. At Fréquence there’s a groovy vinyl collection, and a lip-smacking menu of drinks creations all inspired by Japanese flavours. What more do you really need?’
If you pay this place a visit, make sure to sample anything containing shochu – they really know what they’re doing when it comes to this stuff.
Recommended: The Spanish city named Europe’s nightlife capital right now.
Elsewhere, Hannekes Boom, a riverside pub-bar in Amsterdam, also made our list. Undoubtedly a summer spot, bragging rows of multicoloured tables and endless bunting, this is the charmingly laid-back place to head if you’re in a big group and craving an atmosphere a little livelier than what you’ll find in Amsterdam’s uber-swanky cocktail bars.
What should you drink? Well, Time Out’s guide editor Ella Doyle says: ‘Dutch craft beer is a-plenty here: sours, stouts, pilsners and all the rest of it. Jupiler is the local drink of choice – it’s cheap, and comes in XL pitcher size for sharing – and it goes down rather well with a ridiculously huge portion of Hannekes Boom’s nachos. Not a beer person? The Hannekes Spritz is worth a go too.’
But three more spots from across the continent made our worldwide roundup – check them out below.
These are the five best bars in Europe, according to Time Out editors
Thirsty for more? Here’s the full list of the bars you must visit in the world’s best cities, according to Time Out’s editors.
Did you see that these are officially Europe’s best cities for vintage and second-hand shopping?
Plus: The South American city named one of the world’s best for nightlife in 2025.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.