Revealed: The best cocktail bars in Europe in 2026

The latest edition of the Pinnacle Guide is out now – and there are 18 new additions to the list in Europe.

The guide, which assigns cocktail bars ‘pins’ based on assessment categories including the drinks programme, community, and venue look and feel, first launched back in 2022, and there are currently 191 bars on the list.

In the latest round, 46 new bars were added.

Bars must nominate themselves for consideration, and are assessed on their application, followed by spot check interviews and visits from anonymous, local reviewers.

Cocktail bars given one pin are considered “excellent”, those with two pins are “outstanding”, and three pins mean the venue is “exceptional”.

In Europe, the Pinnacle Guide is currently only accepting applications in France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

Only one new bar in Europe was given three pins, while five were handed two. A further 12 bars on the continent were awarded one pin.

Europe’s best cocktail bar is in Athens

Greece’s Line Athens was handed three pins by the team at the Pinnacle Guide in the latest update.

Just four bars in the world have three pins, with the only other watering hole in Europe to have the accolade being London’s Lyaness.

Reviewers praised the bar’s design, which preserves the building’s original use as the former Zoumboulakis Art Gallery, as well as the daily rotating DJ.

The Pinnacle Guide also highlighted the menu, which makes use of seasonal fruits, botanicals, and fermentable materials sourced at peak ripeness and changes every two to three months based on the availability of ingredients.

New bars in Europe with two pins

Five bars were handed two pins this year, including two in the UK, and one in Italy, France and Switzerland respectively.

CuCù in Italy’s Bassano del Grappa is a 12-seat micro bar, and each of the cocktails comes with a dedicated pastry pairing. The bar itself is in a former watchmaker’s workshop, and those who can’t fit inside the 15 sq m space can grab a takeaway cocktail.

Another small venue, Paris’ De Vie, is found within an 1800s cave. The team works with an off-site atelier to create spirits, natural fruit wines, sodas and more – and when the atelier runs out of a particular liquid, the beverage is switched out on the menu.

Funky Claude’s Bar in Montreux takes its inspiration from the city’s famed jazz festival, with every cocktail connected to specific artists, moments or instruments from its history. Guests can find out more by scanning the QR code distributed with drinks, which will send them to the corresponding track on Spotify.

Basement bar tbc* in Chester is entirely vegan, with homemade ginger beer and gin. Every effort is made to reduce waste, with spent citrus used to make lime cordial, and sweets fashioned from reduced pineapple pulp and mint.

The Emory Rooftop Bar in London rounds out the list of new two pin additions. Here, guests can enjoy Hyde Park views while sipping on a drinks menu curated by Tato Giovannoni of Buenos Aires’ Florería Atlántico based on his favourite places in the capital.

All the new European bars with one pin

The UK and Italy dominated the list of new one pin venues, with five added in the former and four in the latter.

Greece, France and Switzerland also had new additions.

The full list of new one pin bars:

Alto, Cervia, Italy
American Bar at the Savoy, London, UK
Barro Negro Athens, Athens, Greece
Danico, Paris, France
La Catedral Bar, Zürich, Switzerland
Lowkey, Cardiff, UK
SHUB, Sorrento, Italy
Slowpour, Liverpool, UK
Squisi, Vittorio Veneto, Italy
St James Bar, London, UK
Stravinskij Bar at Hotel de Russie, Rome, Italy
The Domino Club, Leeds, UK

The consumption of alcohol should be done responsibly and in moderation. Please drink responsibly and in accordance with local laws and regulations.

Read the full article here