The bars where the best conversations happen, and where creative people actually want to be.
Liverpool
Love Lane Brewery
Love Lane Brewery is a Baltic Triangle brewery and taproom housed in a former World War II-bombed rubber factory, with views into the working brewery from the bar. Their Love Lane beers and Higson's ales are brewed on site, and the food menu is genuinely solid.
lovelanebrewing.comMontreal
Polari
Polari is a natural wine bar in a converted garage in Villeray with an eight-seat counter, a handful of communal tables, and a wine list built around low-intervention producers. Snacks run to tinned fish, Quebec charcuterie, and Hof Kelsten bread. No reservations, open from 4pm daily.
polari.vinZurich
Frau Gerolds Garten
Frau Gerolds Garten in the Gerolds-Areal is a modular urban garden bar and restaurant right next to the Freitag flagship. A relaxed outdoor spot with small shops, changing food menus, and a sun-drenched terrace that fills up with the Zürich-West creative crowd when the weather cooperates.
fraugerold.chToronto
Bar Raval
Bar Raval on College Street is one of the most beautifully designed bars in North America, with a Gaudí-inspired interior of carved mahogany that you have to see in person. Pintxos and cocktails done at a very high level. Come early — it's standing room only and fills up fast.
barraval.comParis
Rojo
Rojo on Rue de Beauce in the 3rd, just steps from the Marché des Enfants Rouges, is one of the most visually striking new openings in Paris. A monumental wooden door framed by green columns sets the scene before you even walk in. Inside, lime-plastered walls, exposed wooden beams, antique velvet armchairs, marble tables and a rose stone bar create a theatrical, almost cinematic atmosphere. The food is simple and smart: eggs done various ways, sharing plates, reimagined street food, and creative cocktails. It's the sister spot to Sevenly Heart, and since opening in February 2025 it's become one of the most photographed interiors in the city.
instagram.com/rojoeggrojoCopenhagen
Apollo Bar & Kantine
Apollo Bar & Kantine is set in the courtyard of Kunsthal Charlottenburg on Kongens Nytorv, operated by the Atelier September team and thoughtfully designed by Rune Bruun Johansen. A natural meeting point for Copenhagen's art and design world.
apollobar.dkParis
Chez Jeannette
Chez Jeannette on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis is one of those places that became iconic almost by accident. An old neighbourhood café with original formica tables, high ceilings and zinc bar, it got discovered by the creative crowd and never looked back. Drinks are cheap for Paris, the food is honest bistrot fare, and the terrace spills out onto one of the city's most energetic streets. Open from 8am until 2am, it works just as well for a morning coffee as for a late-night drink. The crowd is reliably mixed, from ad agency types and artists to long-time locals who remember when it was just a quiet troquet.
chezjeannette.comMilan
Bar Basso
Bar Basso is a Milan institution and the birthplace of the negroni sbagliato. This no-frills spot in Città Studi has been pouring giant cocktails in oversized glasses since 1947, drawing designers, artists, and night owls who spill out onto the street during aperitivo hour.
barbasso.comCopenhagen
La Banchina
La Banchina is a hidden gem on the Refshaleøen waterfront where locals swim, eat Italian-inspired food, and drink natural wine. A wood-fired sauna makes it a year-round ritual and one of Copenhagen's most beloved third places.
labanchina.dkLondon
Mad Cats
Mad Cats on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch is one of East London's most interesting new bars. Founded by couple Ed and Daniella, it grew out of the dinner parties they used to host at home, where good food, good records and good energy were always the formula. The bar runs a vinyl-only policy through 22 strategically placed speakers and mahogany subwoofers, with sounds ranging from funk to electronica. The cocktail menu leans into Mediterranean and Japanese influences, and the small plates do the same. Exposed brick, low lighting, vintage brass details and a late-night dancefloor make it a properly considered space.
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