Germany and Austria don't get the cocktail-bar attention of London, New York, or Paris — and that's a shame, because Buck and Breck (Berlin) is one of the world's most precise counter bars, Le Lion (Hamburg) is a World's 50 Best regular, and Loos American Bar (Vienna, 1908) is the oldest serious cocktail room in continental Europe. The 10 below show the breadth: Berlin's basement precision, Vienna's classical heritage, Hamburg's modern counter, and Munich's old-guard institutions like Schumann's. Don't sleep on this region.
The 10 best bars in Germany & Austria
01 · Berlin
Berlin (Mitte)
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Iconic · 12 seats
Twelve seats, reservations only — Berlin's most precise counter.
Order: Buck and Breck cocktail
02 · Vienna
Vienna (Innere Stadt)
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Iconic 1908 · Adolf Loos
Iconic 1908 Innere Stadt cocktail bar — Adolf Loos design.
Order: A precise Manhattan
03 · Berlin
Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg)
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Iconic · Curtain entry
Behind a curtain on Pappelallee — Berlin's quietest speakeasy.
Order: Whatever's seasonal
04 · Hamburg
Hamburg (Neustadt)
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World #20 · Iconic
World's 50 Best regular — Neustadt cocktail bar.
Order: A Gin Basil Smash
05 · Munich
Munich (Maxvorstadt)
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Iconic · Cocktails
Iconic Maxvorstadt cocktail bar.
Order: A precise Manhattan
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06 · Vienna
Vienna (Innere Stadt)
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Iconic · Speakeasy
Iconic Innere Stadt hidden cocktail speakeasy.
Order: A bartender's signature
07 · Berlin
Berlin (Schöneberg)
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Iconic · Old guard
Iconic Schöneberg classic-cocktail bar.
Order: A classic Manhattan
08 · Munich
Munich (Hofgarten)
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Iconic 1982 · Classic
Iconic 1982 Hofgarten Charles Schumann cocktail bar.
Order: A Schumann's Manhattan
09 · Vienna
Vienna (Innere Stadt)
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Iconic · Cocktails
Iconic Innere Stadt American-style cocktail bar.
Order: A precise Old Fashioned
10 · Hamburg
Hamburg (St. Pauli)
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Iconic · Rooftop
Iconic St. Pauli rooftop cocktail bar with skyline view.
Order: A bartender's signature with the view
The full guide, city by city
Each entry below is a deep dive into the best 10 bars in that city — picked by editors who live there.
Browse the full Germany & Austria bar indexBars by German/Austrian city — every featured venue has a profile.
See the full list
What makes a great German or Austrian bar
Forget the beer hall stereotype. The best Germany & Austria bars work because they treat the cocktail with intense precision — Buck and Breck pours twelve seats, Loos American Bar uses Adolf Loos's original 1908 design, Schumann's defined modern German cocktail culture in 1982. The 10 above all do that. Pick the city that matches the night you want.
