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Top European bars to visit in 2018

London may be the heart of Europe’s cocktail culture, but the continent boasts a bounty of vibrant and exciting bars and bartenders.

Barcelona’s Paradiso bar secured a spot in our European bars to watch

There’s never been a more exciting time to be a bartender in Europe than in 2017. While the cultural melting pot that is London remains, as ever, at the epicentre of innovation, the bar scene is buzzing across the entire continent. Despite the UK’s departure from the EU looming and a fraught political landscape in many key regions, the general vibe is one of connectedness, inclusivity, and camaraderie.

The concept of the ‘celebrity bartender’ has been building momentum for some years, whipping up consumer interest and pushing excellence and experimentation to dizzying new heights as a result. Now more than ever the continent’s bar stars are forming alliances with other sectors – the worlds of gastronomy, art and science – and tackling wider social issues such as gender inequality, environmental sustainability and mental well-being.

While there are now great cocktail bars waiting to be discovered in every European city, there are pockets of brilliance garnering global attention, particularly in western Europe. In Barcelona, the likes of Dr. Stravinsky (under the expert guidance of Antonio Naranjo, formerly of our European Bar to Watch 2016, Himkok) and Paradiso, as detailed ahead, are shaking things up, while in Madrid, Diego Cabrera’s Salmon Guru is turning industry heads. Nico De Soto, co­-owner of New York City bar Mace, took Paris by storm in 2016 with the launch of Danico, housed in Jean Paul Gaultier’s former flagship location in the 2nd arrondissement. Newly opened Combat is also one to watch – just metres away from La Commune, the Punch­only bar from the team at Le Syndicat, the venue is spearheaded by two former bartenders from the Experimental Cocktail Club.

Click through the following pages to discover Europe’s top bars to watch in 2018.

Not to be missed: Cub – London, UK

When Ryan ‘Mr Lyan’ Chetiyawardana announced the “evolution” of his pioneering flagship venue White Lyan in September 2016, a collective sharp intake of breath echoed around the industry. Famed for its ‘no perishables’ policy, the bar simplified environmental sustainability in a scene synonymous with excessive waste.

Fans can breathe easy once more, though, because the two-storey space has been reimagined as subterranean bar Super Lyan – with its “souped-­up” classic cocktails in unpretentious yet boundary-­pushing Lyan style – and recently-­opened drinks­-led dining experience, Cub.

Chetiyawardana has partnered with Doug McMaster, of zero-­waste Brighton restaurant Silo, to launch the offering, which seeks to “blur the boundaries of food and drink” by approaching them as one, and strike up “fresh conversation” around sustainability.

Meanwhile, the team is growing ingredients on-­site to research the interaction between environment and flavour, with input from Dr Arielle Johnson, flavour scientist and director’s fellow at the MIT Media Lab (and former resident scientist at Noma). “We want to keep pushing boundaries and keep things weird, but in a way that feels accessible and honest, as well as exciting and modern,” says Chetiyawardana. “Cub will be the continuation of these conversations, but taking them in a new direction.”

Cub has been named our overall Europe Bar to Watch in 2018.

Red Frog – Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon became Europe’s capital of cool in 2017, and with bars such as Red Frog it’s easy to see the appeal. Guests gain entry to the stylish 1920s New York­style speakeasy by ringing a bell below the red frog on the wall. But as elegant as the bar within is, the cocktails here are certified showstoppers.

Juxtaposing Prohibition-­style cocktails with all the creative playfulness of a 21st century programme – think house-made tinctures and infusions, unusual textures and truly skillful garnishes – the drinks menu at Red Frog is certain to wow even the most ostentatious of barflies.

Paradiso – Barcelona, Spain

Headed by award­-winning Spanish bartender Giacomo Giannotti, Paradiso is carving out a name for itself not only as Barcelona’s top cocktail haunt but also as one of the best bars in the entire country.

Tucked away behind a refrigerator door inside a pastrami bar – though no gimmicky passwords to enter; just a short queue – the Mediterranean-­centric menu is inventive but unpretentious, combining off­-the-­wall vessels and progressive techniques without sacrificing flavour in pursuit of finesse. One such example is Le Peruvien; a celery-infused twist on a classic Pisco Sour that arrives in a bird-­shaped coupe dusted with icing sugar.

Luciole – Cognac, France

Set on the banks of the river Charente in a historic former horse and carriage stables, Luciole is enchanting for more reasons than one. Marking Tony Conigliaro’s first international venture outside of the UK, the bar seeks to offer an “all­encompassing Cognac experience” epitomised by a vast collection that spans the breadth of the category on a striking ‘Cognac Wall’.

A cocktail menu of 18 drinks invites guests to explore age statements, vintages, terroirs, crus and houses through both familiar formats – say, the Cognac Gimlet – and fresh takes, like the Firefly, containing Cognac VSOP, lemon, ginger syrup, Angostura bitters and sparkling water.

Odori Vermuteria di Atene – Athens, Greece

We named The Clumsies in Athens as one of our top European bars to watch in 2016; in 2018 we believe it’s time for the team’s vermuteria to shine. The first of its kind in Greece, the latest outpost from all­-star bar team Lefteris Georgopoulos, Thanos Tsounakas, Giorgos Kaissaris and Manolis Lykiardopoulos, Odori is a tribute to the vermouth bars that were once ten-­a-penny in Turin, Italy.

Mouth-­watering snacks aside, the all­-day venue serves up eight signature cocktails and aperitivos with interchangeable vermouths and Greek spirits – resulting in an “overwhelming, clarifying and inventive” offering.

Scout – London, UK

The brainchild of Matt Whiley – the bartender behind London’s Peg + Patriot and Talented Mr Fox – Scout serves cocktails and ferments made exclusively using fresh produce from the British Isles, with a sustainable ethos at its core.

Many ingredients, surprisingly, are foraged in London: black olives from Brixton; fig leaves from Muswell Hill; and mint from Shoreditch. Downstairs, it houses a 10­-seat basement laboratory, which serves a daily­-changing food­-and­-drinks menu that the team is developing in real time for future menus.

Ultimately, the Hoxton­-based bar “is about having a passion for British produce and what’s growing in the UK, with a nod to reducing our carbon footprint”, as Whiley told The Spirits Business this year.

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