Editorial
Our editors have spent years arguing about which cities deserve more attention from serious drinkers, and the list keeps growing. The most underrated bar cities in the world share a common profile: genuine localised bar cultures that owe nothing to the global cocktail circuit, prices that reward staying for another round, and bar teams that still have time to talk to you. Here are the cities that keep proving the case — and if you are ready to go further north, our Reykjavik bar guide makes a compelling argument for inclusion on any future edition of this list.
Porto's bar scene sits in the shadow of Lisbon's reputation, which is extraordinary given the quality on offer. The city's natural wine bars and emerging cocktail programme draw on local produce — Vinho Verde, tawny port, artisanal aguardente — in ways that feel original rather than tourist-facing. Prices are a third of what London charges for equivalent quality, and the city is compact enough to cross three neighbourhoods in a single evening on foot.
Georgia invented wine. The country's qvevri clay-pot fermentation method predates French winemaking by thousands of years, and Tbilisi's bar scene has built itself around this inheritance in ways only now reaching international attention. The city's natural wine bars and its accomplished cocktail programme — built on Chacha, the local grape marc spirit — make it one of the most important underrated bar cities in the world for serious drinkers.
Medellín has reinvented itself more completely than almost any other city over the past two decades, and its bar scene reflects that transformation directly. El Poblado and Laureles have developed accomplished cocktail programmes built on Colombian rum, aguardiente, and tropical fruit that feel original rather than derivative. The prices, by any international standard, are extraordinary in the best sense. Our editors have now put together a complete guide to the best bars in Medellín covering 12 rooms across every major neighbourhood.
Some cities are technically famous but remain underrated because most visitors go to the wrong places. New Orleans holds more original cocktail history than any other US city, yet most visitors spend their time on Bourbon Street rather than in the Marigny or on Freret. Budapest remains one of Europe's cheapest serious drinking cities, and its second-generation cocktail bars — grown from the ruin bar scene — remain largely unknown to international visitors.
The most underrated bar cities share a consistent profile: strong local drinks traditions, prices that reward multiple rounds, and bar teams that have not yet been overwhelmed by international tourism. Porto and Tbilisi are the most urgent European recommendations. Medellín is the best value proposition in South America. New Orleans and Budapest reward visitors who get off the tourist trail.
Browse our full global city directory to plan your next underrated drinking trip, and check the companion piece on the most overrated bar cities for context on what to avoid. If your focus is the United States specifically, our dedicated guide to the most underrated US bar cities covers 9 American cities — from Louisville to Pittsburgh — that consistently outperform their reputations.
James has been drinking his way through cities on four continents for fifteen years. His current argument is that Porto deserves the attention Lisbon gets, and Tbilisi deserves the attention Porto gets. He contributes to several international publications and has strong opinions about which cities are genuinely overdue their moment.