Best Pubs in Europe

[Xander]

So, I'm heading to Europe, and wondering if anyone can recommend any good / must see bars / brewery's in any of the following city's... Also if you can recommend any good beer that you can't find in Aus.


Brussels - Surely a good beer can't be too hard to find here...)
Berlin (expecting good things here)
Prague (Can't wait to get back here!!!!)
Budapest
Cinque Terre - Not expecting much other than Peroni and Moretti here...
Florence
Siena
Venice


I'm also going to London, but I have read plenty about where to find the craft beer scene there...

Thanks guys :beer:

 

[crowmanz]

I am headed to Belgium at the end of the year, here is a thread about Belgian spots http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/86213-belgian-beer-in-belgium/, I am planning to go to Cantillion and Moeder Lambic in Brussels, Kriek and Gueuze are what I am keen for.

Berlin grab a Berliner Wiesse. I remember a few alright bars (one with decent Currywurst) across the Spree from Friedrichstraße, I think the place I went into was called the Berliner Republic.

In Prague I had a good local meal in Lokal http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d4070135-Reviews-Lokal-Prague_Bohemia.html

 

[Lemon]

15 odd years ago I went to Europe, first stop Brussels.
What did I know about Brussels? The headquarters of the European Union. Must be the most boring place on earth. Tasmanian jokes are made about Belgium.

Boy was I wrong.

The old part of Brussels is fantastic.
Shopfront bars everywhere, only serving the best beer. Bloody utopia, nirvana,

Even the statues piss wine.

I was tasting a free taster of wine at the side of an alley/laneway, and a wino refused to try it. Made a dismissive gesture and mumbled derisively. Didn't matter that he was speaking Flemish.

Lemon

 

[tiprya]

Florence:
Beer House Club - good selection of local beer, but was strangely empty on the Saturday night I visited
Brewdog - you'll probably get to these in England
Mostodolce - pizza and beer brewed one town over. I liked the beer, but it had a lot of local character which could be interpreted as being not polished
Didn't get to King Grizzly or Archea brewery, but marked them on my map.

Cinque Terre:
I stayed in Vernazza, and there's not much there. Lunchbox sells some craft beer, and the wine shop next door has some local stuff to takeaway too. The local white wine was interesting though - very minerally.

Venice:
I found a small eatery somewhere that had a nicely stocked fridge and a couple of local beers on tap. Unfortunately for you I have no idea where it is (you'll understand once you get there!)

Brussels:
As others have said, Moeder Lambic is a religious experience. Also get to Cantillon while you're there. I was there for a few days, so I caught the bus to Beer Mania and stocked up.


Have a great time, Europe is fantastic.

 

[Lincoln2]

Re the CZR / Prague, I've never been there but this beer blog is one of the best and has some great pointers: http://www.pivni-filosof.com/

 

[adryargument]

Brussels: moder lambic and Cantillon. Few other breweries but all the better ones are a day trip away at the latest / train trip.

If you can manage a few extra days...
1. Stay at St sixtus lovely lovely lovely holiday house and ride a bike through the hop field of popperinge to westfleteven.
2. Visit the steam brewery wherever it is and have cheese and bickies with the owner and his wife while sipping on cellar reserves from early 1990's.
3. Hit Antwerp and visit the pub that stocks aged beer. I was drinking carbonated krieks from 1987 and brought back a magnum of 1990 Chimay blu
4. Call a few breweries and ask for tours! I spent 3 weeks there and had amazing drinking experiences with the brewers.
5. 3 fontainen. Drink as much as you can. The pinnacle of Belgium sours.

Prague: the brewery in the Monastery in the castle, BUY the ribs platter!.. + pivovarsky dum + pivovarsky klub

If you don't have accommodation yet. Get a private room above the pizzeria next to pivovarsky Klub. *******. Made. My. Trip.

 

[danestead]

http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/

That helped me however it is a little dated. It seems to focus more on the traditional style pubs.

For Berlin, Stone Brewing are in the process of setting up a big brew pub so google that to see if it is finished. There is a 'Brew Dogs' episode on Berlin which you can watch online which shows the beginning stages of the setup of the Stone Brewery there. There may be other episodes on the other towns you are heading to.

 

[time01]

This is best guide to Prague I found http://www.praguebeergarden.com
I write a bit more when I get home, zly casy is meant to be the best bar, I ran out of time to get there last trip but will definitely get there next yr.

 

[mckenry]

Of your list, I've been to Berlin, Prague and Venice.

Finding a good pub in Berlin and Prague is like trying to find sand on Bondi Beach.

Venice I only found one decent place. Here's what I replied with to Droopy Brew earlier this year.

I was there in 2012. Here's a tip. DONT go over to the island by ferry (about 35 euros from memory) to see the glass artists doing their thing. You can see exactly the same in the main part of Venice.
As for beers, the best place I found was a little cafe near the bus terminal. It was faux Irish on the outside, but the beers were Italian craft. The obligitory Guiness and Murphys, but the rest was a pretty impressive line up. I've tried to find it on google maps, but cant work out exactly where it is now. It is not however the 'official' Irish Pub, Inishark. Unfortunately I was there at lunch, so couldnt get amongst them all.
Food - I tried a squid ink pasta, just because it was different. Eating black sauce spaghetti was weird and not that good really.
As others have said, just wander around - its not that big, but such a maze. Then delight in the scenes when all the illegal immigrants, selling knockoff handbags, take a phone call, pack their shit up in an instant and bolt. Then watch as 15 minutes later they all set up again.

 

[spog]

So, I'm heading to Europe, and wondering if anyone can recommend any good / must see bars / brewery's in any of the following city's... Also if you can recommend any good beer that you can't find in Aus.


Brussels - Surely a good beer can't be too hard to find here...)
Berlin (expecting good things here)
Prague (Can't wait to get back here!!!!)
Budapest
Cinque Terre - Not expecting much other than Peroni and Moretti here...
Florence
Siena
Venice


I'm also going to London, but I have read plenty about where to find the craft beer scene there...

Thanks guys :beer:

I think I speak for all here.......we hate you. Ya lucky *******.

 

[Xander]

Looks good!

Thanks guys! Will report back in a couple of months and let you know how I go.

 

[eMPTy]

Brussels - i agree on all those mentioned. One that is easy (and and attracts lots of locals and tourists alike) is Delirium Cafe. Has just about every beer under the sun and plenty of taps. Very knowledgable staff too. Does get very busy.

Prague - IMO worth a trip up to St. Norberts near the castle and monastery at the top of the hill. It is the only place you can get their beer.