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A massive beer hall and good, monk-brewed beer. But, to get the best out of it, you need to know the ropes.
Buy your food from the little shops that line the corridor; sausages and roast pork; olives; cheese spread and stuffed peppers. Remember, the bread comes from the bakery, the butter from the delicatessen!
Then queue up to pay for your beer, and collect your receipt. Next, grab a mug and finally, present it for filling at the tap. Then relax and enjoy!
Lindhofstrasse 7, Muelln, Salzburg
A hostel close to the centre of Granada, the Bearded Monkey is friendly and lively without being dominated by hard-partying backpackers.
Arranged around a central courtyard lit with twinkling lights, the (public) bar sells local beers, decent food and its own compilation CDs, as well as running DVD nights from the owner's great selection, for a small donation.
Check the noticeboard for good value Spanish lessons by local teachers (Anjelica is recommended) and trips to the nearby Lago de Apoyo, where the Bearded Monkey has a cabin, the Monkey Hut, with terraces running down to the lake - an excellent swimming spot.
Avenida 14 de Septiembre, opposite the bomberos (fire station).
The Summit bar at the top of the Radisson SAS Hotel in the centre of Oslo has absolutely stunning views of the city and Oslo fjord, especially if you go there around dusk to watch the sunlight fade and the streetlights and neons come on all over the city.
If you go at the right time you can get a comfy seat right by the window, the best vantage point. Apart from the urinals apparently - they are right up against the glass so you can enjoy the view whilst, you know. Oh, and in the ladies' there is one cubicle with two toilets in it - in case you and a friend need to finish a conversation, especially urgently I suppose?!
Drinks aren't as expensive as I'd feared - it was around 300kr for two (small) bottles of beer and two glasses of red - pricier than the UK but that's to be expected I think.
When we went there was an especially good bar tender - she paid loads of attention to getting drinks just so and gave us some free peanuts!
A great atmosphere, stunning views and perfect company meant the Summit bar was the highlight of my trip to Oslo.
It's near the Royal Palace. The address is Holbergsgate 30, N-0166, Oslo
This cocktail bar takes some hunting out (up some narrow stairs from an inconspicuous door on the street) but when you get up there it's a real find. Delicious cocktails served by really friendly, unpretentious staff. It gets quite busy at the weekends but there's usually more space (and often a DJ) in the two bars at the back - they're for members only but you can call in advance for free entry or sign up online for free membership. Try the Marylebone mojito - it's out of this world.
135 Western Road (beside Waitrose)
www.kobauk.com
Tel: 01273 720059
Nearest station: Brighton
Directly opposite the Mannekin Pis, you'd naturally expect this to be a bar that's just aimed at selling as much Old Wife Beater as possible to the tourists. But don't let this and the fact that the decor is themed on the piddling boy fool you, in fact this is a must-visit bar for beer-lovers visiting Brussels.
There are roughly 80 regular beers on the menu as well as monthly specials, some of them unusual (for example, Het Anker's Gouden Carolus Triple on tap - what a night that was!).
Service is efficient and friendly.
Poechenellkelder means "mannekin cellar" in the local Brussels dialect and you'll find that your bill is also in that dialect, which is similar to Dutch.
5 Rue du Chêne. Tel 02 511 92 62
Opening hours: Tue-Thu: 1000-2400, Fri-Sun: 1000-0200, closed Mon.
Although under renovation, this hostel is an excellent place to stay in the centre of town.
The rooms for two offer ensuite facilities and are impeccably clean if basic.
If a couple of chairs were provided they would be even better!
The price might seem expensive for some (70 euros a night for two if booked over the net) but try to find better at a seven minutes walk from the Spire.
There is a kitchen and a minimalist breakfast is included if you want to share it with the school groups.
There is a Thai restaurant across the street and the pub on the corner's public bar (Molloy's) will take you straight back to pre-tourism Dublin - especially at the 11am rush.
A couple of caffs just round the corner on Talbot St offer all-day breakfasts at a very good prices if you can face the cholesterol, yum.
Talbot Place.
Pub and guesthouse (hotel is a rather grand word for it) in Broughty Ferry, just outside Dundee.
Wonderful setting on the Tay - enjoy the spectacular sunsets from the end of the street or the pier. Real ale, rooms renovated in modern but cosy style. Good food. Excellent base for exploring Dundee and environs.
10-16 Fort Street, Broughty Ferry
Dundee DD5 2AD
Tel: +44 (01382) 775941
Fax: +44 (01382) 477466
www.fishermans-tavern-hotel.co.uk
Nominally an Irish bar, The Lounge gets it more right than the countless, interchangeable franchised versions. The key to a true Irish pub lies not in the old Guinness signs on the walls, nor in the over-loud diddly-idle music on the stereo, but in the atmosphere. And this place, all modern and comfy though it may be, has it in spades. Not to mention a good pint of the black stuff.
Address: Calle Estamineria Vieja 2, Barrio del Carme.
Telephone: (34-96) 3918094.
Website: www.theloungecafebar.com
Small but lively, this teeny-tiny bar feels crowded with just a couple of people in it. But by some kind of loaves-and-fishes, there seems to be room for more and more. Tapas, cold beer, and good company make it worth the squeeze.
Address: Calle Sant Tomeu 21, Barrio del Carme.
Telephone: (34-606) 721842.
This funky little bar used to be a pharmacy, and has maintained all the little nooks and crannies of a traditional dispensary. Located right at the heart of the buzzing Calle Caballeros in the heart of Barrio del Carmen, it has a big terrace so you can take in all the action going on around. Just what the doctor ordered.
Address: Plaza del Tossal, Calle Caballeros 51, Barrio del Carmen.
Telephone: (34-96) 3912401.
Damn the naysayers, The Crown is a classic. Wood and brass everywhere, huge snugs less conducive to intimacy than getting to know some gregarious locals, the sound of conversation and smoke in the air – everything a pub should be (even though the smoke will soon be a thing of the past). As for the toilets, well, you’ll hardly be lingering when there’s so much going on outside. Some reputations are well earned.
Address: 46 Great Victoria Street.
Telephone: (44-28) 90279901
Website: www.crownbar.com
Email: info@crownbar.com
Means “that’s it” in Irish, and, like the name suggests, it’s a no-frills pub that lets the atmosphere do the talking. Usually packed with a good mix of ages and nationalities, with music and comedy gigs, it’s a buzzing place. And that’s it.
Address: Coburg Street, Cork.
A good, reasonably priced and atmospheric restaurant with a great location: at the top of the steps (go figure) just off Via Veneto. Get a seat outside, get your order in, sit back and take it all in.
Location: Via San Isidoro 5 (Top of the steps at the end of Via Veneto).
Telephone: (39-6) 4819264.
Cramped, noisy, with a seat resembling the proverbial gold-dust most evenings, this is where literary hardmen like Brendan Behan and Patrick Kavanagh came to nurse a pint and their talents. Not to be entered lightly, although you’ll probably leave that way.
Address: 3 Harry Street, Dublin 2.
Telephone: (353-1) 6794395
This bar is an air conditioned oasis on hot and sultry nights on Symi. Jean your hostess is welcoming and chatty and knows pretty much everyone on the island. She has contacts for any situation and also manages some rather splendid accommodation. Oh and the bar stays open as long as you are drinking... I don't know where she finds her energy!
Chorio, Symi. Near Square
A truly brilliant little bar at the top of the Kali Strata in Chorio (the old town). It is nothing remarkable to look at but sitting under the giant vine watching the world go by whilst Yanni (the landlord's son) brings you beers and snacks is just like heaven. I don't think I have been happier in any other bar.
Top of the Kali Strata, Chorio. Next to the square.
Only in Rome does service barely above curt and drinks for a single-figure amount cause an enthusiastic stir. But Enoteca Antica gives both, and much more besides. Reasonable and tasty food, great Erdinger beers for 5 Euros, and – hang on to your seats – service that is genuinely friendly. And then there’s the location – a stone’s throw from the Spanish Steps, in an old wine cavern so atmospheric you can smell the Chianti in the air.
Address: Via della Croce, 76/b, 00187 Rome
E-mail: enoteca.antica@tiscalinet.it
Telephone: (39-6) 6790896
Fax: (39-6) 6797544
The brew house next to the Augustiner Abbey on Lindhofstrasse. A traditional beer hall (garden in summer) with terrific beer brewed by the monks. Open from 3:00 pm we went about an hour later and it was surprisingly busy for a weekday. A great social affair although I imagine it could get a bit 'lively' by late evening!
Lindhofstrasse 7
www.augustinerbier.at/pages/ebrauerei/index.htm
The coolest place in Bristol. I spotted it in The Guardian and have loved it ever since. Top music, laid-back atmosphere and some great acts - check out jazzsters like cool vocalist Nick Langston if you get a chance.
St Nicholas Street, Bristol
www.tantric-jazz.co.uk
As an Aussie student, just want to say, make sure you know how much your drink costs before you order. Most places are good (Slovak pub, bar across from charlie's) but in other bars, the bar tenders will take what you give them and walk off, it may not be much but it adds up. In just over two drinks in BAROK CIRCUS i paid sk100 (euro3) too much. It's not much, but honesty goes a long way. I took another traveller's tip and asked for a bill, but got some random bill for sk 430. So, just pay with whatever it says on the menu in exact change if possible, it's a pain in the ass but will save you over the night.
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