Some bars are worth a trip on their own. The seven below invented drinks the rest of the world still orders, and most of them still serve those drinks in the same rooms. They suit a city break with one good evening built around a single glass, and each comes with the drink to order, when to go and what to wear.
Legendary bars in Europe: the seven classics
We start in London and finish in Milan. Opening hours below come from each bar’s own website in October 2026, so check them again before you travel.
1. American Bar, The Savoy, London, England
The Savoy calls its American Bar the oldest serving cocktail bar in London. It opened in 1893, and the hotel describes it as the original cocktail bar in the city. Ada Coleman, the Savoy’s first female head bartender, ran it from 1903 for 23 years. One of her regulars, the actor Charles Hawtrey, asked for a drink with some punch. She stirred gin, sweet vermouth and a couple of dashes of Fernet-Branca with an orange twist, and the Hanky Panky was born. Her successor, Harry Craddock, put it in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930.
What to order: The Hanky Panky. The bar still makes it to the original recipe.
Practical: Open from noon until midnight Monday to Saturday, and until 10pm on Sunday. Guests must be 16 or over. The Savoy has no formal dress code but asks guests to dress elegantly, and it recommends booking early. The hotel sits on the Strand, a short walk from Covent Garden and the river.
Best for: A first classic cocktail in its original setting.
2. Dukes Bar, St James’s, London, England
Dukes Bar is all about the martini. Staff wheel a trolley to your table and mix the drink in front of you, with gin or vodka straight from the freezer and only a whisper of vermouth. Ian Fleming was once a customer, and the menu names cocktails after Bond characters. The room is small and clubby, tucked down St James’s Place.
The hotel itself is being renovated and is due to reopen as Dukes London in the second quarter of 2027, but the bar has stayed open through the works.
What to order: A martini, made at the table the way you like it. These are strong, so take it slowly.
Practical: Open Monday to Saturday from 3pm, with last orders at 10pm. The bar takes walk-ins, though you may wait briefly for a table at busy times. The dress code is smart casual: no sportswear, shorts or T-shirts, though polo shirts are fine. Green Park and the shops of Piccadilly and Jermyn Street are around the corner. For a more relaxed London drink, see our best pubs in London.
Best for: The perfect martini, and an early evening in St James’s.
3. Bar Hemingway, Ritz Paris, France
Ernest Hemingway made this little bar his base from the 1920s, and the Ritz has kept its original décor. There are only 25 seats, and there is no music, just the sound of ice and conversation. Before it took Hemingway’s name, the room was Le Petit Bar. The Ritz says it was the first upscale bar in Paris to welcome women on their own.
What to order: The Serendipity, the house cocktail invented here. The dry martini is the other classic, and the bartenders also make drinks to order around what you like.
Practical: Open daily from 5pm to midnight. You cannot book, so arrive at opening for the best chance of a seat. Smart dress is required at the Ritz. The hotel stands on Place Vendôme, a few minutes’ walk from the Tuileries Garden. Build it into our things to do in Paris.
Tip: With 25 seats and no reservations, Bar Hemingway fills fast. Be at the door at 5pm.
Best for: Literary Paris, and a cocktail made just for you.
4. Harry’s Bar, Venice, Italy
Giuseppe Cipriani opened Harry’s Bar on 13 May 1931 in a former rope warehouse near St Mark’s Square. He wanted a simple room full of light, where the décor never weighs on the guest. In 1948 he created the Bellini, a pink drink made with white peach purée and named after the Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini. Carpaccio was born here too: thin slices of raw beef, created for a countess and named after the painter Vittore Carpaccio. In 2001, Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs declared the bar a national landmark.
What to order: The Bellini, then the carpaccio if you are staying to eat.
Practical: Open daily from 11am to 11pm, at San Marco 1323. You can reserve a table through the Cipriani website. Pair it with our Venice guide.
Best for: Two Italian classics, in the room where both began.
5. Loos American Bar, Vienna, Austria
Adolf Loos designed this bar in 1908, after a long stay in America. Vienna’s tourist board calls it the smallest bar in the city, at about 27 square metres. Wood, glass, brass and onyx fill the room, and mirrors make it look far bigger than it is. It is heritage-listed and said to have shaped many of the American bars that followed.
What to order: A classic cocktail. The menu is a cocktail list, so pick one of the old standards to suit the room.
Practical: Open daily from 12:00 to 04:00, at Kärntner Straße 10, a few minutes from St Stephen’s Cathedral. The tourist board says it is packed every evening, so go in the afternoon or early evening for a seat. See our Vienna guide for the rest of the weekend.
Best for: Architecture lovers, and a late nightcap.
6. Camparino in Galleria, Milan, Italy
Davide Campari opened Camparino in 1915 at the entrance to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, looking out over Piazza del Duomo. His father, Gaspare, had opened Caffè Campari on the same corner in 1867. The Liberty-style interior has ironwork by Alessandro Mazzucotelli, furniture by Eugenio Quarti and mosaics by Angelo d’Andrea. The Bar di Passo, at the counter, calls itself the birthplace of the aperitivo.
What to order: A Campari Seltz, Campari with soda, served at the counter since 1915. A Negroni or an Americano are the other classics.
Practical: The Bar di Passo opens from 9.30am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, and to 10pm on Sunday, at Piazza del Duomo 21. The Sala Gaspare Campari room is by reservation only. Add it to our best things to do in Milan.
Best for: A quick aperitivo with a view of the Duomo.
7. Bar Basso, Milan, Italy
Bar Basso has stood on Via Plinio, east of the centre, since 1947. Its late owner, Mirko Stocchetto, created the Negroni Sbagliato by mistake: he reached for sparkling spumante instead of gin. Equal parts of spumante, red vermouth and Campari with a slice of orange, it is now one of Milan’s signature drinks. Stocchetto also designed the bar’s enormous stemmed goblets, and his family still runs the place.
What to order: The Negroni Sbagliato, ideally in one of those giant goblets.
Practical: Difford’s Guide lists it as open Wednesday to Sunday from 9am until late, and closed on Monday and Tuesday. The address is Via Plinio 39.
Best for: A Milanese institution away from the tourist centre.
How to visit a legendary bar
- Go early. Most of these rooms are small and popular. Arrive at opening, or in the afternoon, for a seat and a calmer room.
- Dress the part. The Ritz asks for smart dress, Dukes is smart casual with no sportswear, and the Savoy asks guests to dress elegantly. Smart is always the safe choice.
- Book where you can. The Savoy recommends booking, and Harry’s Bar and Camparino’s Sala Gaspare Campari take reservations. Bar Hemingway does not, and Dukes takes walk-ins.
- Order the classic. These bars are famous for one drink. Start there, then ask the bartender what they would make next.
- Take your time. These are bars for one or two drinks and a long conversation, not a crawl.
Tip: Hotel bars are open to non-residents. You do not need to stay at the Savoy or the Ritz to drink there.
How to choose
Choose London for two contrasting classics in one evening: the Savoy for history, Dukes for the martini. Go to Paris for intimacy, Venice for the Bellini and Vienna for design. Milan pairs a historic aperitivo at Camparino with a Sbagliato at Bar Basso, so it suits a food-and-drink weekend best.
Please drink responsibly. The bars on this page serve alcohol to adults only (18+, or the legal drinking age where you are).
FAQ
What is the oldest cocktail bar in London?
The Savoy describes its American Bar, which opened in 1893, as the oldest serving cocktail bar in London. Ada Coleman created the Hanky Panky there for the actor Charles Hawtrey.
Can you book Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris?
No. Bar Hemingway does not take reservations. It opens daily at 5pm and has only 25 seats, so arrive at opening.
Where was the Bellini invented?
At Harry’s Bar in Venice. Giuseppe Cipriani created it in 1948 with white peach purée and named it after the painter Giovanni Bellini.
Is there a dress code at Dukes Bar in London?
Yes, it is smart casual. Sportswear, shorts and T-shirts are not allowed, but polo shirts are fine. The bar accepts walk-ins.
