I’m For research purposes you understood, we cast our eyes here over the Belgians, Czechs and where the beers are Budabest, all courtesy of The European Bar Guide.
It will surprise few that the beer-guzzling Belgians and the quaffing Czechs sweep up the top places in the EBG’s top 100.
And we’ll share our own faves here.
But it was heartening to see the Hungarians namechecked particularly as it’s our next pitstop.
EBR is our new go-to blog for what we’ve decided will be our mission for our 60s… get around as many bars as we can.
Their guide is fun and easy… you flip over a disc to find out more about their choices, much like a beer mat.
All ale to the Scots
As adopted Edinbuggers we were naturally drawn in by their choice of 100th top European beer.
The Edinburgh institution that is The Canny Man’s in Morningside.
The West End suburb being Marmite because of its associations
With a Prime of Miss Jean Brodie attitude of superiority.
But for those who like time capsules it is worth a sup… nose in the air, of course.
Now inhabitants of Scotland’s big two cities won’t even recognise that there is life beyond Glasgow and Edinburgh.
And we fear EBG has fallen into this trap too.
The Laurieston, a favourite haunt of power couple Jack Lowden and Saoirse Ronan, gets EBR’s nod for its Sixties schtick.
But as an Aberdeen Uni alumnus I’d always highlight the merits of the Granite City institutions.
Such as the snug-heavy ‘Ma’ Cameron’s with its impromptu trad music offerings.
And the Irish
As I would Belfast’s Italianate-decorated The Crown Liquor Saloon, or Crown to give it its everyday name.
The Irish, of course, pride themselves on their pub culture and EBG flag up some old stomping grounds.
High up at No.38 is lively Grogans, off buskers and ents hub Grafton Street.
Although we’d point you in the direction of Mary’s in Wicklow Street, with its throwback decor of days when bars doubled as grocery stores.
Such as you’ll find at the highest bar in Ireland, the nooky Johnnie Fox‘s in the Dublin Mountains.
And the award-winning Harbour Bar, Bray, Co. Wicklow complete with cats.
Ruin yourself in Budapest
As feline fanatics we’re indebted to EBG for highlighting the best pussy pub in Budapest.
The Calgary Antik Drinkba where Auntie Vikis and ‘her brain-damaged pets and piles of belongings’ add to the ambience.
Regular visitors to the Hungarian capital will regale you with recommendations to their ‘ruin bars.’
The refurbished post-Communist spaces in the Jewish Quarter, spruced up for our drinking pleasure.
The original of which is Szimpla Kert complete with junkyard art which we’re told is quieter to visit in the afternoons.
Czech out the beer
Our Czech friends also ramp up their Cold War artefacts but never to the detriment of their beloved Urquell Pilsner.
Which naturally is the only beer that flows from the golden taps of the Castle district pub U Hrocha in Prague.
While for a behind the scenes tour of beer-making we always advise Strahov Monastery Brewery where all the best monks go.
Now there’s something about a bar where they’re only here for the beer and we lament the much-missed Tom’s Bierhaus in Ieper.
Although we do keep alive the story of how our pal Muriel asked for a G&T and was informed she could have one of a 100 beers or water.
Brussels shouts
Now we suspect that EBG have whiled away many an hour in Belgian bars with six hostelries in the top ten.
The outliers being our Hungarian and Czech booze buddies.
And Papa Joe’s Jazzlokal in Cologne and the cultural crossroads bar Zlatna Ridica in Sarajevo, classical cities that should be on your map.
Of course, EBG has to pick one best and that accolade falls to La Fleur En Papier Doré in Brussels.
Which we’re told is ‘back from the dead, revived then elevated to the top.’
