It's been some time since I have been to London , and I have 2 friends that are headed on a trip throughout Europe for a month that asked if I had any ideas of bars that they need to visit.
They will be visiting the following cities:
London
Barcelona
Paris
Edinbugh
Amsterdam
Berlin
Are any of you out there familiar with any really fantastic bars in these cities that are must try's? These gents are NOT cocktail enthusiasts, so sending them to Harry's New York bar for the nostalgia of it isn't on their list of -to-dos. They are looking for special places; places that the locals consider gems and at the same time, can get a decent drink (be is a fine beer, glass of wine, or well crafted cocktail)
Open to any an all suggestions!
Thanks to all in advance!
Even though your friends are not cocktail enthusiasts I would recomend them to visit any of these in Barcelona:
. Dry Martini Calle Arribao 162-166
. Milano Ronda Universidad, 35.
- Ideal Bar Aribau 89
- Boadas, Calle Tallers, 1
-Tirsa Calle Rafael de Campalans 174, en Hospitalet.(Not downtown but worth a visit)
Negroni, Carrer de Joaquín Costa, 46
I'll second those. I've been to Dry Martini, Ideal, and Boadas, and they were great, although I went to them with a cocktailian eye.
Dry Martini (http://www.drinkboy.com/Bars/Bar.aspx?itemid=3) is a bit of a "museum", their walls are lined with old bottles of vermouth and gin, and various old barware. It's got a nice large bar.
Boadas (http://www.drinkboy.com/Bars/Bar.aspx?itemid=2), is one of those "mecca" type of bars where every cocktailian should go to, however it is quite small, and often gets quite crowded. It is however pretty much in the middle of everything, so if it happens to be too crowded, it is just a short walk to various restaurants and such.
Ideal (http://www.drinkboy.com/Bars/Bar.aspx?itemid=4) is a smaller bar, more of a "local" type of feel to it, but with bartenders who really take pride in their craft.
And Barcelona itself is a wonderful city. Large avenues leading down to the sea with lots of restaurants and outdoor dining where you can sit and have some great tapas while you are sipping on a refereshing beer.
Here are a FEW proposals for your friends:
In Berlin I would reccomend:
Lebbenstern - http://www.cafeeinstein.com/index.php/lebensstern-cocktailbar-im-einstein
Green Door - http://www.greendoor.de/
Rum Trader - http://www.rumtrader.de/ - a must see. Words just cannot say it. Fasanenstraße 40
Victoria Bar - http://www.victoriabar.de/- great place to hang out.
CSA - http://www.csa-bar.de/ - in the old Chech Airline Office in East Berlin
Amsterdam - door 74 is a must see. - http://www.door74.nl/
London - there are just TOO many of them I think. Here are a few I really enjoyed
Milk n Honey
Green and Red Cantina - http://www.greenred.co.uk/ - Tequila Madness
The Connaught - http://www.the-connaught.co.uk/connaught_bar.aspx
The Dorchester Hotel Bar - http://www.thedorchester.com/the-bar
Trailler Happiness - http://www.trailerhappiness.com/ leaning towars Tiki
Lonsdale - http://www.thelonsdale.co.uk/bar.htm
And one that I would like to visit on my next trip:
69 Colebrooke Row - http://www.69colebrookerow.com/menu.html - Tony Conigliaro new place
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. " - Marie Curie Sklodowska
In London I also like the LAB, although it is usually full of people and the music very loud unless you go there early
In Berlin I would add:
«Newton» in Gendarmenmark,
Universum Lounge in Kufurstendamm 153, a really cool and beautiful place
Windhorst is one of my favorite bars, Dorotheenstr. 65,
You have different tours you can take on your own here:
ttp://www.barconvent.de/2008/en/berlin-bar-tours.html
Berlin is a great city, with so much to see and do, I think it is the most interesting city in Europe right now
Edinburgh
Consultancy, training and events - www.evo-lution.org
Boker's Bitters and Dandelion & Burdock Bitters - www.bokersbitters.co.uk
europe is to my opinion a nice place for bars to visit.yes i am from Amsterdam and surrounding area so i am going to give you only advice for Holland:- of course Door74 in Amsterdam www.door74.nl a very nice and only good speakeasy of Holland- Wijnand fockinck http://www.wynand-fockink.nl/a distillery of fine original dutch liquors and a tastecafe next to it. this is really worth seeing openend between 15:00 and 21:00- 't arendsnest at the herengracht http://www.arendsnest.nl/a dutch beercafe almost all dutch beers are represented over there.- L&B whiskey bar in the korte leidsedwarstraatthey got 1100 whiskey and whisky's it is really a place to visit.
- Boom chicagait is a nice evening of stand up comedy.- tell your friends to rent a bike you can see more of amsterdam by bike than you can do by foot or tram. go to vondelpark on a nice summer day. and just checking out girls that walk or bike by.
- for a view over the city:twenty third bar: http://www.okura.nl/nl/restaurants-en-bars/twenty-third-bar.htmlcanvas http://www.canvasopde7e.nl/ also the place where the dutch flair comp is held.and a new hotel a little bit outside amsterdam skybar of the golden tulip fashion hotel
i think your friends got a good list of what to do in Amsterdam.cheers,
kevin
"life is like a cocktail, so make it a good one"
Wow! Thanks to you all who hae responded so far! I appreciate it tons!
Evo-lution... if you had to pick just 3 for edinburgh?
Dont forget Fejoa in Amsterdam!
Great drinks even better croud.
On the corner of Vijzelstraat and Reguliersdwarsstraat.
Cheers!
Hallo from Berlin,
just wanted to tell you that the Rumtrader is closed till August 04th., would be a pleasure for me to introduce your friends
to the Lebensstern, and maybe show them a few Bars here...
regards
Ricardo Albrecht
Lebensstern
cubesworth:Evo-lution... if you had to pick just 3 for edinburgh?
This is very tough to be honest. I could definitely give you two as they're bars that I visit every time I'm there, Rick's (home to Mal Spence and Sam Kershaw http://www.ricksedinburgh.co.uk/) and Bramble (home to Jason Scott, Mike Aikman and Ryan Chetiyawardana http://www.bramblebar.co.uk/).
Pushed for a third I'd probably go for The Bon Vivant, (55 Thistle Street, Edinburgh, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27560254053). Your friends will be more than happy with that little lot.
If they're after a late night drink and entertainment, then The Voodoo Rooms would get my vote (http://www.thevoodoorooms.com/).
Very glad to see this topic as I too will be indulging in a bit of continental bar hopping throughout August.
Also exceptionally glad to hear that the Rum Trader will have re-opened by the 6th of August when I'm in Berlin...Any ideas why it was closed? Will definitely be stopping by there and as many of these recomendations as possible. Especially excited to visit Door 74...sometime around the 16th!
On a related note...Anyone going to be in Berlin for the IBA World Cocktail Competition?
So many great bars have been mentioned yet there are still a few great ones that you must send them to.
London:You cannot let anyone go through London without dropping into Callooh Callay (65 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3AY) without a doubt the best new bar to open in the last 9 months. Taking a few pages out of Alice in Wonderland this bar has is designed to surprise. Owned by Richard Wynne and with a rock star bar team that is headed by Sean Ware (ex LAB) with Andy Walsh (ex Match) and Andrea Montague (name a bar). To round it off, going drinking in here is like falling down a rabbit hole.
For a more slightly more classical experience Montgomery Place in Notting Hill (31 Kensington Pk Rd, London, W11 2EU) is truly special. Marian Beke and his bar team serve up superbly mixed classics and classic twists in stunning glassware against a wall of classic cocktail shakers. The bar itself is narrow and intimate with nearly every perch offering a view of the bar and the bartenders at work. Coming in here and watching the time and motion of Marian make you a drink is one of the finest cocktail experiences in London.
Paris:Sadly I have not done enough drinking in Paris of legal age to be able to offer much advice. To be frank anywhere outside on a sunny day in Paris with foie gras or oysters and a bottle of wine is one of the world's truly sensational drinking/eating experiences, Cafe Marly (93, Rue de Rivoli 75001) is as good a place as any to do this. Set on one side of the Louvre you can comfortably watch the hoards of tourists lining up to see the world's most overrated piece of art. Rest assured if you have booked ahead you will be smiling cheekily as you sip on your rose.
For cocktails you must send your friends to the Experimental Cocktail Club (37, Rue Saint-Sauveur 75002). Cosy and intimate ECC is the embodiment of what cocktails should always be about: fun.
Finally Mama Shelter (109, rue de Bagnolet 75020) is meant to be fantastic, sadly I have not been myself but have it on the good authority of many friends that I must beat a path there on my next trip.
I hope this is of some help,
Marty