Top 10 bars to toast Euro 2016

Heading to France for Euro 2016 and looking for top cocktails to complement the football? We’ve scoured the 10 host cities for the best bars to visit pre- or post-match.

We’ve checked out the top cocktail bars in the Euro 2016 host cities

While football and beer go hand-in-hand, what about those imbibers with a love of both the beautiful game and a perfectly balanced serve?

SB to the rescue, as we seek out a recommended venue from each host city where cocktails come up trumps.

These bars are not necessarily showing the football, but all offer some of the top serves found in their respective locales.

Where better to toast your team’s success – or commiserate their failure?

Click through the following pages to discover our top bars, one from each host city.

Think we’ve missed one out? Let us know in the comments below. 

Paris – Mabel

Next match: Romania vs Switzerland, 15/06/16

This self-titled ‘cocktail den and rum empire’ by mastermind mixologist Joseph Akhavan is pipped to be the next big thing in Paris. Sip rare rums, take on rum flights, and attend rum classes – or just pop by for an expertly crafted cocktail in this chic Scandinavian-inspired setting.

58 Rue d’Aboutir, 75002 Paris

Lyon – L’Antiquaire

Next match: Ukraine v Northern Ireland, 16/06/16

Intimate and glossy, this fifties and sixties-inspired American bar offers a bespoke menu of 20 cocktails crafted by the bar’s owner and winner of Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition 2011, Marc Bonneton. Order his winning cocktail, Marco’s Bacardi Fizz, and kick back in the Mad Men-esque surroundings.

20 Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, 69001 Lyon

Bordeaux – L’Alchimiste

Next match: Austria v Hungary, 14/06/16

Combine culinary prowess with expert mixology and the result is L’Alchemiste. Held in high esteem as one of Bordeaux’s best cocktail bars, this twenties-style hangout boasts delicious Italian small plates and an innovative drinks list.

16 Rue Parlement Saint-Pierre, 33000 Bordeaux

Marseille – Dantès Skylounge Marseille

Next match: France v Albania, 15/6/16

Located atop the Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port hotel, this panoramic terrace is the ideal spot to take in the incredible Marseille skyline. The drinks menu is focused on Champagne and cocktails, of which there are more than 40 on the list, including signature cocktail, Dantes, which features Ferroni rum, aged in Marseille, pomegranate liqueur, orange juice, passion sauce, agave honey and fresh raspberries.

36 Boulevard Charles Livon, 13007 Marseille

Lens – Tam Tam

Next match: England v Wales, 16/06/16

With a focus on fresh fruit and exotic, tiki-style flavours, Tam Tam offers something different to the other bars in Lens. The bar recently revived its Mojito menu to offer strawberry, raspberry, banana, kiwi, melon, passion fruit, pineapple and cucumber versions of the classic cocktail.

29 Rue de la Paix, 62300 Lens

Lille – Le Windsor Bar Branché à Lille

Next match: Russia v Slovakia, 15/06/16

A hyper-cool cocktail lounge offering a mellow, relaxed atmosphere and off-the-wall drinks – the perfect spot to soothe those Euros blues, or celebrate in style. The cocktails have candy-inspired names and are garnished with sweets.

5 Rue Jean Roisin, 59800 Lille

Toulouse – Le Moloko

Next match: Italy v Sweden, 17/06/16
Le Moloko is the style of bar in which you can choose to relax with a cocktail or dance until dawn. Offering an wide range of classics from the Piña Colada to the Negroni, there’s potential for all palates to be pleased.

6 Rue Joutx Aigues, 31000 Toulouse

Saint-Denis – Le Gourmet Bar

Next match: Germany v Poland, 16/06/16

Tapas plates and inspired signature cocktails are on the agenda at this informal hotel bar, based in Novotel Paris Saint-Denis.

1 Place de la Porte de Paris, 93200 Saint-Denis

Saint-Étienne – Café Saint-Jacques

Next match: Portugal v Iceland, 14/06/16

Set in a house built in the 16th Century in the heart of this historic city, this bar boasts a wide range of wine which is regularly renewed. Sip a cocktail on the roof terrace or take 10 in the cozy upstairs lounge. 

13 Rue des Martyrs de Vingré, 42000 Saint-Étienne

Nice – Fred’s

Next match: Spain v Turkey, 17/06/16

With cocktails created by “magician” bartenders and a tapas menu to tempt every imbiber, Fred’s is a Nice must-visit. By night the bar transforms from elegant haunt to party capital – get your name on the list to dance the night away.

9 Rue Antoine Gautier, 06300 Nice