BLACK FRIDAY: Save up to $1,322 on our trips! Limited spots. Book Now.

11 European Pubs That Are So Cozy You'll Want to Move In

| © tichr / Shutterstocl
| © tichr / Shutterstocl | © tichr / Shutterstocl

It’s British Pub Week! To celebrate, we’ve looked far and wide for the cosiest pubs in Europe, where you’ll be guaranteed to feel warm and snug as you curl up on a leather sofa. While pubs are a British institution, you can find them much further south than the white cliffs of Dover. So grab a pint and settle in – winter is coming, and we’ve got just the pub for you.

The Three Horseshoes Inn, Britain

Feel free to bring your pooch to this cosy drinking den

This warm and welcoming pub in a small Somerset village, built in the 17th century, has exposed beams, a log fire and welcomes dogs. With locally supplied food and rooms upstairs if you don’t fancy the walk home, it’s the perfect place to spend a cold Somerset afternoon.

Hambara, Bulgaria

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGt21c5GU4b/

While this pub can be hard to find, it’s worth the effort. Hambara is lit entirely by candlelight and soundtracked by live jazz, so perch on some worn wooden furniture inside this smoky venue and feel surrounded by cosiness.

Le Teddy’s Bar, France

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZyihiLlOdS/?taken-at=239602316

Low key and welcoming, this pub has walls covered with faux-fur leopard skin and plenty of comfy sofas. There’s also a pub cat, René, who hangs out begging for strokes.

The Felin Fach Griffin, Wales

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZQUbD4Fdhc/?taken-by=thefelinfachgriffin

Nestled beside the Brecon Beacons, this classic pub is the perfect place to warm up after a chilly walk in the Welsh countryside. It also boasts one of the best restaurants in Wales, so settle in for the night beside the fire on one of the leather sofas.

Brouwerij ‘t IJ, The Netherlands

https://www.instagram.com/p/BayMQjCH4Nr/?taken-at=51925807

If you’ve ever wanted to drink beer in a repurposed windmill, now’s your chance. This pub brews its own beer (most of which is only €2.30 a glass) and overlooks a canal that reflects the fairy lights strung in the trees outside the windmill.

Bei Schlawinchen, Germany

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUz_sHIlLKe/?taken-at=238053471

This pub has been welcoming punters for 30 years, and hasn’t closed for a single second. The beer is cheap, the place is normally packed and there are lots of interesting decorations on the wall.

The Brazen Head, Ireland

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPbNXsyFU5t/?tagged=thebrazenhead

This is Ireland’s oldest pub, dating back to 1198. It has not one but five fireplaces and counts James Joyce and Jonathan Swift as past patrons. There’s frequent live music and enough Guinness to sink a ship.

Living Room Café, the Ukraine

https://www.instagram.com/p/BE6NkP_yRwa/?taken-by=livingroomkiev

As the name implies, this small and snug bar is decorated exactly like a living room, complete with cushions and secondhand furniture. Get cosy with a glass of red wine.

Bennets Bar, Scotland

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVsdoThl-fS/?taken-at=295555

Established in 1839, this pub is a neighbour of the King’s Theatre so don’t be surprised if you bump into some actors killing their pre-show nerves with a pint. With acres of mahogany, stained glass windows, red leather sofas and whisky galore, you’ll feel warm both inside and out.

W Oparach Absurdu, Poland

https://www.instagram.com/p/BagvSq7lepp/?taken-at=247595816

Intended to evoke a bohemian atmosphere, this cosy pub is furnished with antique armchairs, rugs and lampshades. Lighting is dim and intimate, and as well as beer you can drink a large selection of spirits from Poland, the Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

‘t Stokershuis, Belgium

https://www.instagram.com/p/VR2zc6gTkp/?taken-at=14466928

This rustic pub only has five tables, so you’d better get there early if you want to grab a dish of the venue’s famed spaghetti bolognese and one of their many Belgium beers.

About the author

Alice is always planning her next meal. She studied English at the University of Bristol before getting her Master’s in newspaper journalism from City University London. She worked on Femail at Mail Online for 18 months writing about lifestyle and food and has also worked at Metro.co.uk, The Guardian, Mumsnet and The Sun. After starting at Culture Trip as a Social Content Producer writing travel and lifestyle stories, she was promoted to the role of Food Editor and now specialises in culinary culture, trends and social issues around food. When she’s not writing, eating or travelling, she can be found cooking overly elaborate dinners, reading cookbooks in bed or playing with her cat, Orlando. Her favourite foods include fishfinger sandwiches, burnt caramel panna cotta, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and oysters.

If you click on a link in this story, we may earn affiliate revenue. All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip.
close-ad