12 British bars are in the top 100 in Europe

If there’s one thing that us Brits know best, it's how to build a banging boozer. From swish cocktail bars to dingy dive bars and proper pubs, these isles are well populated with drinking dens offering a cool bev and warm hospitality. It’ll come as no surprise, then, that the UK is well represented in a new ranking of Europe’s best bars. 

Each year, The European Bar Guide publishes its list of the best 100 watering holes across the continent. This year, the ultimate accolade went to legendary Budapest ruin bar Szimpla Kert, with its eclectic decor and offbeat vibe helping climb the ranks from number two spot in 2025.

One London haunt – Gordon’s Wine Bar – also made the list in 2026. Coming in at number 47, the historic basement spot scored points for its ‘clandestine’, candlelit interiors, described by the guide as ‘one of London’s finest’.

The Big Smoke wasn’t the only part of Britain represented by the list, with a further 11 pubs and bars up and down the country being named among the best. 

The European Bar Guide named The Laurieston in Glasgow as one of its faves, and we happen to agree. The Scottish public house made Time Out's list of top UK pubs this year.

Sweet-shop-slash-pub The Birch Hall Inn in Beck Hole, North Yorkshire, ranked as number 32 on the list, and serves up local ales, butties and pork pies alongside its selection of pick’n’mix. Sounds pretty sweet to us (...get it?).

Derbyshire’s Holly Bush Inn was the highest-scoring British bar, coming in at number 17. A stone cottage nestled on a rural country lane, think exposed beams, low ceilings and roaring fireplaces inside. As for the brews, the selection ‘would shame many city pubs’, according to the guide, with local and regional ales and craft kegs all on pour.

UK bars in the 2026 European Bars Guide

Here’s a list of every British boozer which ranked among the best in Europe, according to The European Bar Guide:

• Hobo Kiosk, Liverpool (number 85)
  
• Kay’s Bar, Edinburgh (number 78)
  
• The Alexandra Tavern, Norwich (number 71)
  
• The Victoria Inn, Durham (number 55)
  
• The Big 6, Halifax (number 54)
  
• The Blue Bell, York (number 48)
  
• Gordon’s Wine Bar, London (number 47)
  
• The Sair Inn, Linthwaite (number 35)
  
• The Birch Hall Inn, Beck Hole (number 32)
  
• The Laurieston, Glasgow (number 29)
  
• The Trumpet, Bilston (number 25)
  
• Holly Bush Inn, Makeney (number 17)

Did you see that this is the best pub in every UK region, according to beer experts.

Plus: Greene King is launching a brand-new pub concept in the UK.