European cities with the best bars

Are you looking for European cities with the best bars as your next holiday destination, whether travelling alone or with friends? We know that Europe is full of amazing cities, many of them famous for their nightlife. Choosing the right city for a party trip can sometimes be a little complicated, as there are several destinations that combine many interesting things. 

Some European cities have entire neighbourhoods packed with bars and nightclubs, sometimes even close to the beach. Other cities have a huge Erasmus community, so bars seem to pop up everywhere. Then there are European cities that, thanks to the large number of tourists they receive, have become internationally recognised party destinations filled with bars and clubs. 

Europe may be known around the world for its architecture and history, but it is also increasingly recognised as a tourist destination where you can party every day of the week with people from all over the world. 

However, when it comes to choosing the European cities with the best bars, things can get complicated. That is why, as experts on the subject, we have created this article to guide you and help you choose the cities that best match your personality. One thing is certain: all of them have incredible bars that can easily be considered among the best in Europe. 

What do we take into account when choosing a European city with the best bars? 

You might think that all major European cities have incredible bars. And you would not be completely wrong, because almost every large city in Europe has places with a great atmosphere. 

However, we believe that a city can truly claim to have great bars when it meets certain criteria. 

Busy every day of the week

A European city may have amazing bars, but during winter or certain times of the year they could be almost empty, except at weekends. 

What we are looking for are bars that can guarantee an incredible night and a great atmosphere no matter what day of the year you visit. We know that travellers can arrive in a European city at any time and decide that very same night that they want to go out and party. 

That is why we have selected cities where, whether it is Monday or Tuesday, summer or winter, you will still find lively bars where you can meet new people. 

Price also matters when choosing the best bars in Europe 

A tourist might arrive in a European city and decide to go out that same night. They may find bars packed with people even on a Monday, but with extremely high prices. This is obviously something worth considering. 

There is a big difference between visiting a bar with reasonable prices, where you can order whatever you want without worrying too much about the bill, and going to an overly fancy place where a single beer costs as much as an entire dinner. 

Many people would avoid the latter because the main goal is to enjoy a drink in a great venue surrounded by people and a good atmosphere. It is not about showing everyone else that you are drinking in an expensive bar where, quite possibly, the atmosphere is not even what you are looking for. 

The social side is important 

Culture changes completely from one country to another. Even though several countries belong to the European Union and may be located very close to each other, the atmosphere inside their bars can be totally different because of the local culture. 

We want you to visit European cities with the best bars while also enjoying a fun and social experience. We want you to be able to meet people from all over the world and even connect with locals who are open and welcoming towards international visitors. 

That is why we have selected cities where local people are particularly friendly towards foreigners. This makes it much easier to connect with them, as well as with other international travellers, when you visit some of these fantastic bars. 

1. London – The European city with the most bars in the world

If you are looking for European cities with the best bars, London is an option you should not overlook. Londoners certainly enjoy drinking beer, and you can find bars and pubs on almost every corner and throughout the entire city. 

Although most of the places you come across will be traditional pubs, you will also find cocktail bars and venues with music and dancing, although the latter is not necessarily what London is best known for. 

No matter what time of year you visit London, you will always find somewhere open where you can enjoy a pint of beer. You can chat with locals and discover new drinks along the way. 

One excellent recommendation is The Connaught Bar. It is a luxurious and sophisticated venue, but things become much more entertaining when the “show” begins. At The Connaught Bar, bartenders move around with a martini trolley and prepare your drink right in front of you, turning the experience itself into a show. 

We could recommend an enormous list of great bars to visit in London because there are certainly plenty of them. However, our recommendation is simply to explore the city and enjoy it your own way. 

You can visit several traditional London pubs or choose more modern and sophisticated venues such as Tayēr + Elementary, any day of the week. 

2. Madrid – The Spanish capital where the party never stops 

Madrid comes just behind London when it comes to European cities with the largest number of bars. However, the bar scene here is completely different. 

One of the great things about Madrid is its huge population of Erasmus students, tourists and locals who absolutely love going out. It is not a city purely focused on clubs and parties like Ibiza might be, but it offers an excellent balance between bars and nightclubs. 

The bars themselves may not always seem extraordinary, but what really makes them special is the atmosphere you will find inside. 

There are several neighbourhoods located very close to one another, and each has a completely different style of bar. 

There is Chueca, where you will find a large concentration of gay bars. Right next to it is Malasaña, known for its alternative bar scene. Nearby you will find Sol, in the heart of the city, where the atmosphere and bars are much more international. Then there is La Latina, home to plenty of bohemian and traditional venues.

These are only four neighbourhoods, but Madrid has many more. Because they are located so close together, you can easily move from one area to another and experience completely different atmospheres in the same night. 

As we mentioned earlier, one of the best things about Madrid’s bars is the mix of students, tourists and locals. 

Locals love meeting international visitors, dancing, drinking and flirting with them. Many bars throughout Madrid have music and enough space to dance, and some stay open until around 3 a.m. 

This mix of people, combined with the variety offered by each venue, has made nights out in Madrid’s bars famous internationally. 

3. Paris – The social city with bars full of lights 

Paris is an ideal destination for people with a passionate personality. For generations, Paris has been portrayed as a city filled with lights, where you can spend romantic evenings and unforgettable nights. 

That romantic image remains strong today, but romance is no longer the only reason people choose Paris as a tourist destination. Little by little, Paris has also become recognised as a fantastic city for nightlife. 

Paris offers bar experiences that you will struggle to find in many other European cities. 

Can you imagine being in a bar on a boat cruising along the River Seine, listening to modern French music while dancing and watching the Eiffel Tower at sunset? That is just one example of the kind of experience you can find in Paris. 

Bars in Paris are often incredibly social meeting places. Parisians enjoy cheese and good wine and often start their evening in ordinary local bars. As you walk through the city, you will see these picturesque venues on almost every corner, with their bright lights and terraces full of people. 

In central Paris, particularly in the 1st and 2nd arrondissements, things change slightly. This is where you can find bars with music and dancing, as well as nightclubs where the social atmosphere remains an important part of the experience. 

Because socialising is such an important part of Parisian nightlife, several evening activities have been created specifically to help people meet one another. Mad Party Crew organises a Pub Crawl in Paris every night, with a strong focus on that typically Parisian social experience. There are several activities and games designed to break the ice and help participants get to know one another, as well as meet local people.

It is a great way to experience a very “Parisian-style” night while visiting bars that, on top of everything else, have an excellent atmosphere. 

4. Valencia – The city with the trendiest beach bars 

When people used to think about Spanish destinations full of bars next to the beach, the most common answers were Málaga or Barcelona. 

However, for different reasons, including prices and safety, Valencia has moved to the top of the list. Valencia offers travellers and locals everything that other Spanish coastal cities provide, but in many ways does it even better. 

Valencia is modernising at an incredibly fast pace. It is an ideal destination for freelancers and Erasmus students who enjoy the good life and like having a beer, wine or another drink at almost any time of the day. 

One of Valencia’s biggest advantages is its excellent weather throughout most of the year. Bars are open every day of the week, prices are extremely competitive for a European city, and many venues open from around midday. 

There are neighbourhoods such as Ruzafa that attract a large international crowd, although they are not necessarily as popular with local Valencians. 

On the other hand, there are areas such as Cánovas, where you will find plenty of people from Valencia enjoying a fun night out. If you want a combination of both atmospheres, head straight to the city centre. 

In Valencia’s Old Town, you will quickly discover why this city deserves a place on a list of European cities with the best bars. 

The relaxed, beach-inspired style, combined with the bars and the music they play, makes nights here a favourite among travellers. Within just a few blocks, you will have so many different bars where you can drink and dance that you may end up wanting to stay much longer than planned. 

There are venues where you can dance salsa, reggaeton, commercial music and even flamenco. The Spanish culture reflected through the music in some of these bars makes Valencia an original destination that you definitely need to visit. 

5. Budapest – The city with some of the world’s most famous bars 

Budapest may be known for many different things, but one of the most famous is undoubtedly its ruin bars.

Ruin bars are not literally destroyed venues, but they do have an incredibly unique and original style. You only need to search for a few pictures to understand just how amazing a night out in Budapest can be. 

Another major advantage of the city is that prices are among the most affordable in Europe. Combined with the huge variety of bars available, this makes Budapest an ideal destination for enjoying great nightlife at a reasonable price throughout the year. 

One of the best things you can do after arriving in Budapest is enjoy a good meal and, once it starts getting dark, walk around the streets of the city centre. 

Visit as many ruin bars as you can and have a drink in each one – it does not necessarily need to contain alcohol, otherwise you might not make it through the entire night! 

Although most ruin bars are impressive, you will soon be able to create your own list of favourites. Some stand out because of their decoration, others because of their drinks, and others simply because of their atmosphere. 

6. Lisbon – The city breaking records 

Year after year, Lisbon continues to break tourism records. It is a city with very reasonable prices and has become an increasingly popular holiday destination. 

There are several beaches with crystal-clear water close to Lisbon, but that is far from everything the city has to offer. 

Lisbon is also an ideal destination for party tourism. It is not necessarily that the city has relaxed its rules regarding noise and neighbourhood life; Lisbon has simply always been a place where the party seems to spill out onto the streets. 

It is very common to walk through the city centre and see entire streets filled with people dancing with drinks in their hands. They buy their favourite drinks from the different bars, while music plays loudly enough for everyone outside to keep enjoying the party. 

After a certain time, the music is turned down to respect local residents, but people continue outside, moving from bar to bar for hours and often well into the early morning. 

That is why, if you are in Lisbon, you should join our Pub Crawl Lisbon and become part of this huge party in a more organised way, surrounded by plenty of other people.

You will find tourists from all over the world who are just as eager to meet new people as you are. 

Which European city with the best bars will you choose? 

We believe these are some of the best cities in Europe for amazing bars, and we can assure you that regardless of the time of year or the day of the week, you can enjoy incredibly fun nights in all of them. 

Deciding which one should come first is entirely up to you. 

Whether you prefer a more social destination such as Paris or a city famous for street parties like Lisbon, whichever one you choose will be a great decision.