Must-see nightlife in Europe

  • Closer

    Kyiv

    More than just a nightclub, Closer is a bohemian tour de force that epitomises Kyiv's emergence as a hub of creativity and counterculture. Heavily…

  • Caffe Gambrinus.

    Caffè Gambrinus

    Naples

    Gambrinus is Naples' oldest and most venerable cafe, serving superlative Neapolitan coffee under flouncy chandeliers. Oscar Wilde knocked back a few here…

  • Augustiner Bräustübl

    Salzburg

    Who says monks can’t enjoy themselves? Since 1621, this cheery, monastery-run brewery has served potent home brews in beer steins, in the vaulted hall and…

  • Noor / Electro

    Moscow

    There is little to say about this misleadingly unassuming bar, apart from the fact that everything in it is close to perfection. It has it all – prime…

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    Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem

    Nottingham

    Carved into the cliff below the castle, this atmospheric alehouse claims to be England's oldest pub. Founded in 1189, it supposedly slaked the thirst of…

  • Amnesia

    South Ibiza

    Amnesia is arguably Ibiza's most influential and legendary club, its decks welcoming such DJ royalty as Sven Väth, Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, Tiësto…

  • Mr Mofongo

    Groningen

    Drinking spaces don't get cooler than Mr Mofongo. Think student-hip cafe with buzzing pavement terrace on the ground floor, and cocktail bar with…

  • Le Perchoir

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Sunset is the best time to hit this iconic, 7th-floor bar for drinks overlooking Paris' rooftops and – on Saturday night – on-trend DJ sets. Greenery…

  • Pacha

    Ibiza Town

    Going strong since 1973, Pacha is Ibiza's original megaclub and the islanders' party venue of choice. It's built around the shell of a farmhouse, boasting…

  • Tigh Neachtain

    Galway City

    Painted a bright cornflower blue, this 19th-century corner pub – known simply as Neáchtain's (nock-tans) or Naughtons – has a wraparound terrace for…

  • Hofbräuhaus

    Munich

    Even if you don't like beer, every visitor to Munich should make a pilgrimage to the mothership of all beer halls, if only once. Within this major tourist…

  • Albion Ale House

    Anglesey & the North Coast

    Born out of a collaboration between four Welsh craft breweries (Purple Moose, Conwy, Nant and Great Orme), this heritage-listed 1920s boozer is a serious…

  • In ʼt Aepjen

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Candles burn even during the day in this 15th-century building – one of two remaining wooden buildings in the city – which has been a tavern since 1519…

  • Park

    Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré

    If only all multistorey car parks were like this… Take the lift to the 5th floor, and head up and around to the top, which has been transformed into one…

  • Caniço

    The Algarve

    Descend 33 shallow steps, then take a lift through the sandstone and walk through an underground tunnel to reach this hidden bar opening onto a little…

  • Berghain/Panorama Bar

    Friedrichshain

    Only world-class spin-masters heat up this hedonistic bass-junkie hellhole inside a labyrinthine ex-powerplant. Hard-edged minimal techno dominates the ex…

  • Bar Hemingway

    Paris

    Black-and-white photos and memorabilia (hunting trophies, old typewriters and framed handwritten letters by the great writer) fill this snug bar inside…

  • Ushuaïa

    South Ibiza

    Queen of daytime clubbing, ice-cool Ushuaïa is an open-air megaclub, packed with designer-clad hedonistas and waterside fun. The party starts early, with…

  • Hï Ibiza

    South Ibiza

    A glitzy newcomer to Ibiza's superclub scene, Hï is part of the ever-growing Ushuaïa empire. Refreshing the site originally occupied by Ibizan clubbing…

  • Prova

    Ribeira

    Diogo, the passionate owner, explains the finer nuances of Portuguese wine at this chic, stone-walled bar, where relaxed jazz plays. Stop by for a two…

  • Carlsens Kvarter

    Odense

    From outside it looks entirely forgettable, but within, Carlsens offers Odense's best selection of beers (20 on tap, over 130 in bottles), including such…

  • Memmo Alfama

    Alfama, Castelo & Graça

    Wow, what a view! Alfama unfolds like origami from the stylishly decked roof terrace of the Memmo Alfama hotel. It's a perfect sundowner place, with…

  • Black Cat Coffee & Roastery

    Eskişehir

    The best cup of coffee you'll get in Turkey. This is serious coffee-nerd territory complete with a vintage-meets-contemporary interior vibe and baristas…

  • Mooserwirt

    Tyrol

    One word: craaaazy. Come teatime Mooserwirt heaves with skiers guzzling beer (the place sells around 5000L a day), dancing to Eurotrash and sweating in…

  • C. Comme

    Épernay

    The downstairs cellar has a stash of 400 different varieties of Champagne; sample them in the softly lit bar-bistro upstairs. Accompany with a tasting…

  • Aloha Bar, restaurant in pool

    Aloha

    Rotterdam

    Sustainable, innovative and funky as anything, this bar-cafe in the former Tropicana baths has a large terrace boasting views across the Nieuwe Maas river…

  • Spain, Ibiza Town, Ibiza. Dance floor at Ibiza night club

    Privilege

    South Ibiza

    The world's biggest club, Privilege is a mind-blowing space that regularly hosts 10,000 clubbers. The venue was originally an open-air affair called Ku:…

  • Pub stained glass window

    Toner’s

    Dublin

    Toner’s, with its stone floors and antique snugs, has changed little over the years and is the closest thing you’ll get to a country pub in the heart of…

  • Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina An extensive cellar of Tuscan wines paired with regional dishes on a terrace opposite Palazzo Pitti.

    Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina

    Oltrarno

    Wine lovers won't do better than this serious wine bar opposite Palazzo Pitti, run with passion and humour by charismatic trio Edoardo, Manuele and Zeno –…

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    Duke of York

    Belfast

    In a cobbled alleyway off buzzing Hill St, the snug, traditional Duke feels like a living museum. There's regular live music; local band Snow Patrol…

  • People are walking at Joy Eslava theater under Christmas decorations on a sunny day in December next to the Royal Theater and Puerta del Sol central square downtown Madrid

    Teatro Joy Eslava

    Madrid

    The only things guaranteed at this grand old Madrid dance club (housed in a 19th-century theatre) are a crowd and the fact that it’ll be open (it claims…

  • The entrance to Fabric, arguably the best club in London

    Fabric

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    The monarch of London's after-hours scene, Fabric is a huge subterranean rave cave housed in a converted meat cold store. Each room has its own sound…

  • Anglesea Arms

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    Seasoned with age and decades of ale-quaffing patrons (including Charles Dickens, who lived on the same road, and DH Lawrence), this old-school pub boasts…

  • Pllek is built from old shipping containers

    Pllek

    Amsterdam Noord

    Uber-cool Pllek is a Noord magnet, with hip things of all ages streaming over to hang out in its interior made of old shipping containers and, when the…

  • Den Vandrette

    Copenhagen

    This is the harbourside wine bar for lauded wine wholesaler Rosforth & Rosforth. The focus is on natural and biodynamic drops, its short, sharply curated…

  • Les Deux Magots

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    If ever there was a cafe that summed up St-Germain des Prés’ early-20th-century literary scene, it’s this former hang-out of anyone who was anyone. You'll…

  • Germany, Berlin, Clarchen's Ballhaus, old beer hall

    Clärchens Ballhaus

    Berlin

    Yesteryear is now at this early-20th-century dance hall where groovers and grannies hoof it across the parquet without even a touch of irony. There are…

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    Café de Ceuvel

    Amsterdam Noord

    Tucked in a former shipyard and designed by architect Wouter Valkenier, built from recycled materials and with a focus on sustainability, this waterside…

  • Mother Wine

    Copenhagen

    A hyggelig (cosy) wine bar/shop with some very prized Finn Juhl chairs, Mother Wine showcases natural, organic and lesser-known Italian drops. From…

  • Northern Monk

    Leeds

    So successful has this craft brewery become that its beers are now stocked in UK supermarkets. But it's best drunk at the source, in the brewery's Grade…