The Official List of the Best Bars In Europe
I went to Europe for the first time in my life in October making me an expert in the European bar scene. I've compiled the places I drank and what I thought of them here. Enjoy irresponsibly.
#1: Two Shmucks, Barcelona, Spain
Accolades: #7 Best Bar in the World, 2022
Favorite Drink: The Mona Lisa – Mezcal, Watermelon, Kalamata Olives, Habanero, C02
Dave's Notes: Their 50 Best profile called them a "5-star dive bar," and I have to agree. The music (Action Bronson), the decor, and the staff were all so chill. Contrary to the signage, there was very little cunt-ish behavior – in fact the staff was very sweet. We went twice because it was so good.
The drink itself was incredible. It was both savory and just sweet enough. It reminded me of "Tomato Beef" from Viridian in Oakland, CA (thank you, Kayla and Justin, for the introduction to that drink). I could've had five more, easily.
#2: Paradiso, Barcelona, Spain
Accolades: #4 Best Bar in the World, 2024
Favorite Drink: Undecided (best bet is to go with friends and each get two to three cocktails and try everything on the menu)
Dave's Notes: Paradiso is definitely hyped, but I was entertained. It's in stark contrast to Two Shmucks in that it was definitely a show versus a low-key vibe, but I think there's something fun about the kitsch about it. The vessels themselves were odd; there was a specific way to drink them, and the menus were LED back-lit monstrosities, but it was fun.
#3: Bar De Vie, Paris, France
Accolades: Recently opened by the former Little Red Door head bartender and co-founder
Favorite Drink: The one on the left (below). I can't remember for the life of me what it was called, but they have 8-10 pre-batched cocktails (at least before they're fully open). They were all delicious, but I liked the one below. It was a whiskey-based drink - savory and malty.
Dave's Notes: Bar De Vie was recommended to us by our bartender at Experimental Social Club. It was also a 5-minute walk from our Airbnb. The co-owner, Alex, was so kind and welcoming. I even met his partner and some of their friends. I ended up going here three times and I drank the entire menu. It's very low-key (as of now), and I feel like right now is the sweet spot to get in before they blow up.
#4: Macallan room, Barcelona, Spain
Accolades: N/A
Favorite Drink: I thought the peanut-based drink was really fun here. It reminded me of "Misugaru," a Korean mixed-grain drink.
Dave's Notes: Macallan room is the speakeasy inside of Paradiso. We didn't know that it existed and only got in because one of the staff asked us if we were "open to an adventure." It's a super small space, nine of us total were invited in. All the drinks are based on Macallan scotch (hence the name), and they're all fun. I think the creative limitations of being scotch-focused helped refine the drinks. We met a couple from Thailand, a couple from LA, and a man from Germany. Also, the bartender was maybe the most handsome man we ever saw?
#5: Bar Nouveau, Paris, France
Accolades: #39 Best Bar in the World
Favorite Drink: The Ramos. Hands down.
Dave's Notes: Bar Nouveau is intimate and pretty romantic for having been an Irish pub in its previous life. Overall, the drinks here were really interesting and tightly executed. The Ramos was my favorite. It was like a fizz riser and the base was blended counterside. It was perfectly balanced – sweet, tangy, fucking refreshing. It is also served with a pearl spoon, so you don't miss a single bite.
#6: Uni, Lisbon, Portugal
Accolades: N/A
Favorite Drink: Undecided
Dave's Notes: Uni was really interesting. The entire bar was themed Dune, including the sponge-like ceiling, the drinking vessels, and the bartender's outfit. According to our bartender, each drink has 15-20 components, all made in-house. They definitely took pride in the process and created a really unique offering. If I'm being honest, it is impossible to taste more than three or four of the components, but the storytelling is fun. This is an extremely intimate bar with 9 seats total. You'll probably end up meeting a lot of tourists and having some interesting convos.
#7: Experimental Social Club, Paris, France
Accolades: N/A (but also must be said that it's like the OG of premium cocktails in Europe)
Favorite Drink: Bananarama. Self-explanatory.
Dave's Notes: I don't remember his name, but our bartender there was the sweetest man. He let us try some liquors that we'd never had before and gave us some amazing recommendations (a couple that have made it to this list). ESC is an OG in the Paris bar scene, and it felt that way too. It felt established but in a "drinking at your uncle's porch" type of way. It was unassuming and delicious. I loved it here.
#8: Red Frog Speakeasy, Lisbon, Portugal
Accolades: #94 Best Bar in the World
Favorite Drink: White Negroni.
Dave's Notes: This was a fun little speakeasy. It had a similar vibe to Paradiso in that the drinks came out in sometimes elaborate receptacles, but it didn't lean into the kitsch as much. You have to fully embrace the cringe in these situations.
If I'm being honest, the drinks were hit or miss. I didn't really love anything until the White Negroni.
If you're wondering, the blue garnish was picked ginger.
#9: Little Red Door, Paris, France
Accolades: #59 Best Bar in the World
Favorite Drink: N/A
Dave's Notes: I feel like I'll piss off a lot of Parisens (or maybe they'll agree with me lol), but Little Red Door felt a bit overhyped for me. The drinks and vibe were okay overall. I don't think I was blown away by any of them. I think they were trying really hard with their concept "Mirrors" (or was it Reflections) which basically was a menu of standard drinks and the Little Red Door version of it. I think concepts like that can be a nice creative boundary or, in the case of Little Red Door, something that feels like a forced experiment.
#10: Dr. Stravisnky, Barcelona, Spain
Accolades: #25 Best Bar in the World, 2019
Favorite Drink: N/A
Dave's Notes: We stumbled on Dr. Stravinsky on a night out. It was on our list but not necessarily a must-do. There was a small line, but we got in pretty quickly. The vibe is eccentric, maybe a bit circus-ey. The menu was really interesting. It basically made you pick one or a few flavor profiles and then "find" a drink that connected with those flavor profiles. I thought it was a fun concept, but the drinks didn't really land. I didn't even take any photos.
#11: Connaught Bar, London, U.K.
Accolades: #13 Best Bar in the World
Favorite Drink: N/A
Dave's Notes: This will definitely piss off some people, but I was pretty disappointed with the Connaught Bar. As a fucking fiend for martinis, I was really excited for this one. They do a table-side martini with house-made gin. The kick is that you pick your aromatics. They'll spray the bitters on a card that you choose. This might've been user error, but the aromatic I chose (tonka) just didn't go well with a Martini. Maybe my palate is underdeveloped, but it just didn't hit for me. It was unfortunate because it was such a bitch to actually get seating, lol.
