Bar Hopping Around the World
If you want to get an authentic feel for a destination in question, oftentimes the best place to do so is a bar. Not only will partaking in alcoholic beverages take the edge off of any nerves you may have, it’ll give you the opportunity interact with locals.
For those who love the atmosphere of pubs and bars and who like nothing more than to sit down for a nice drink at the end of a day of sightseeing, this list of the best bars in the world is just the thing to form your travel plans around.
Among these outstanding pubs and bars you’ll not just find some of the swankiest spots to have a drink, but often a very unique atmosphere and a whole lot more.
Cybermachina Game Pub, Krakow, Poland
Krakow’s Old Town is home to more bars per square meter than any other place on the planet, so you really have to stand out if you’re going to lure customers in. Cybermachina manages to do just that by taking drinking and gaming to a whole new level.
There are game systems in every room, a dedicated “Guitar Hero” area, gamer-themed cocktails and game memorabilia decor in every nook and cranny. We’d understand if you traveled to Poland for the sole purpose of checking Cybermachina out!
Icebar by Icehotel, Stockholm, Sweden
The Icebar by Icehotel, is the original ice bar, and is located in the first permanent ice hotel in the world. The temperature inside is always a cool 19 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and all the drinks are served in glasses made of ice.
Don’t worry, your hands won’t freeze if you didn’t bring gloves. They have a pair you can borrow so you can sip comfortably away while gazing at the fantastic ice sculptures and the gorgeous interior that’s entirely made of ice from the Torne River in Northern Sweden.
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Northern Lights Bar at ION Luxury Adventure Hotel, Iceland
The Northern Lights Bar in Iceland may not be made of ice, but because it’s located virtually in the middle of nowhere — set against the backdrop of windswept lava fields an hour from the city lights of Reykjavik — it’s one of the most ideal places to see the Northern Lights.
The bar boasts double-height glass walls that provide panoramic views over Lake Thingvallavatn, as well as beer from the nation’s independent micro-breweries.
Sunland Pub, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Having a drink in a tree sounds like something out of a children’s book, but in this case, the party is for the adults. Visitors to this pub in South Africa actually pop into the hollow trunk of a 6,000-year-old Baobab tree that’s been converted into a pub and wine cellar.
While that may sound like a squeeze, it’s actually so wide it can accommodate 60 people at one time. Also known as the Pub Tree, this unique bar is part of the Sunland Farm near Modjadjiskloof.
The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog, New York City
The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog, named after a notorious 19th-century gang of Irish-Americans who roamed the nearby streets, is not-to-be-missed while visiting New York City, as it was recently named the very best bar in the world.
It’s received other honors too, including Best American Cocktail Bar, World’s Best Cocktail Menu and International Bartender of the Year award, given to operating partner/bartender Jack McGarry.
The Dead Rabbit, “cocktail bar meets Irish pub, is a celebration of what was going down in lower Manhattan before it became the Financial District, long before Wall Street was filled with traders,” notes CNN.
This unexpected gem has a cocktail menu that’s organized by the Four Seasons and it was even the setting for a number of scenes from 2002’s “Gangs of New York.”
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Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco, CA
This pirate ship-themed bar has earned a long list of accolades, including Best American Cocktail Bar. Not surprisingly, rum is the focus here — there are 400 different varieties to choose from.
In case you’re wondering, that’s the largest rum selection in the United States. Beyond the amazing drinks, you’ll be wowed by the creative interior that includes a three-story pirate grotto with its own waterfall.
Carousel Piano Bar and Lounge, New Orleans
One of the world’s most beautiful and most unique bars offers the chance to sip a Vieux Carre cocktail while slowly spinning on an intricately decorated, circus-themed vintage bar.
The famous drink was invented right here, although it predates the installation of the carousel, where patrons can literally sit and spin.
This makes for the perfect date night location — since New Orleans should already be on your couples bucket list, you might as well go all out and visit this incredible bar while falling in love with the city (and each other).
The Bridge Bar, Portmagee, Ireland
If you’re a “Star Wars” fan, this is one pub you don’t want to miss. Do you remember the final scene in “The Force Awakens,” in which Rey (Daisy Ridley) extends a light saber to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on a rugged island?
Well, that’s Skellig Michael, which sits about eight miles off the County Kerry coast near the small village of Portmagee in Southwest Ireland. When the cast and crew were here filming, they made the Bridge Bar their home, with even Hamill himself pulling pints of Guinness behind the bar.
Today, the Bridge Bar and the Moorings Hotel invite visitors to chat with the owners, staff and locals about the making of the movie and even take the “Force Perfect Pint Challenge,” where you’ll “pull your own pint of Guinness in the same bar as Luke Skywalker.”
Even without the “Star Wars” lore, this is a fun place to be with frequent live music, set dancing and fantastic food every night of the week.
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Red Sea Star, Israel
If you want to play “bar mermaid” or “merman,” as the case may be, the Red Sea Star is the place to do it. The bar sits 16 feet below the surface of the Red Sea, and its Plexiglas windows give the feeling that you’re drinking in and among the coral garden, fish and other creatures from the sea.
Alux Caverna Restaurant and Lounge, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
One of the most interesting and romantic bar concepts, the Alux Caverna Restaurant and Lounge is the largest cave bar in the world. The cave system, which is reportedly more than 10,000 years old, is elegantly lit by hundreds of candles, while breathtaking flowstones and stalactites dominate the walls of the various chambers, each more impressive than the last.
It features a rather impressive range of drinks, including everything from margaritas to some of the most exotic Mayan cocktails.