Photo by Jennifer Sokolowsky

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. For English speakers in Berlin, that would be Hairy Mary’s, which opened last fall in a cellar space near Kollwitzplatz. The bar has the feel of a friend’s living room.

The proprietors, Mark from Glasgow and Laura from Minnesota, offer a warm welcome, well-priced drinks, and occasional live-band nights and special-event parties. Better catch them quickly, though. Hairy Mary’s is a yearlong project for the couple and they will shut its doors in September. Hairy Mary’s is located at Diedenhoferstrasse 5 in Prenzlauer Berg and is open every night (barring Sunday) after 9 p.m.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Photo by chris_wass

White Trash Fast Food, the notoriously attitude-heavy restaurant/bar/club in Berlin’s Mitte, gets itself all gussied up on Sunday nights for Coconut Grove, a nostalgic nod to the heyday of swing.

While you can still order White Trash favorites such as the Killer Elvis Burger, and the joint’s schizophrenic décor is as much rock n’ roll Chinatown brothel as ever, starched white cloths adorn the tables and the wait staff dress up in period garb to match the mood.

Add candlelight and live swing by Andrej Hermlin & The Swing Dance Orchestra and you’ve got a memorable Sunday night out, all for a mere €3. The band usually starts sometime after 9 p.m. It’s recommended to make reservations or show up earlier to get a good spot. White Trash Fast Food is located at Schönhauser Allee 6/7. Telephone: +49 30 5034 8668.

Popularity: 11% [?]

 
Photo by ale2000

From the team that brought Florence Angels, the perennially hip bar and restaurant, comes Doris, a slick black and chrome nightclub that opened last week and already has the lovelies lined up around the block.

While after-dinner cocktails could run you into the double digits, the 7-10 PM aperitivo costs only €7 and includes the bar’s massive, fresh pasta-rific, buffet. It’s a Cheapo-friendly way way to get stylin’, a la Firenze. (We must add that the djs in the ladies room made us flush with joy.)

Popularity: 6% [?]

Photograph by stevacek

Evan Rail, the Prague Post’s former restaurant critic, issued forth a 36 Hours round-up for the New York Times this past week. Prague will start its high season on April 1, so the feature is pretty well timed. It’s the NYT, so there aren’t a ton of good Cheapos recommendations here—especially as Prague is now one of the most expensive cities in the region—but Rail does name check one of Prague’s best cheap bars, Hapu (on Orlicka street in Zizkov).

A tiny space below street level with mismatched furniture, Hapu was one of the first low-cost bars to excel at mixed drinks in Prague. Working with very little except a blender, some fruit, and courage, they make excellent concoctions beyond the typical beery fare found elsewhere. There are couches for sitting, and things can get a bit sloppy as the night progresses, but even after a few years it remains one of the city’s best nightspots.

And no one wears a lab coat at Hapu. Honest.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Photograph by Mr Luke Harby

Do as the Venetians do and start the night out with a baccari tour, stopping at several traditional wine bars to savor a glass of vino bianco and sample some amazing cicchetti. The baccari is an Italian interpretation of the English pub crawl.

As we’ve pointed out in the past, cicchetti is the term for Venetian bar-snacks. They’re similar to Spanish tapas. Do Spade, a baccara that dates back to the 15th century, offers an unparalled cicchetti selection, ranging from savory fried seafare to a spicy picante panini.

Cantina Do Spade is located at S. Polo 860, Calle Do Spade. Telephone: 041-521-05-74

Popularity: 9% [?]

photograph by Melanie Clatanoff

Finally, a decent bar on the rue de Rivoli!

The Benjamin is a typical French café with a downright decent happy hour. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every night, all cocktails are 50% off. The two-person cocktails are the best deal. They normally cost an outrageous €22 (hey, this is the first arrondissement!) When split with a friend at half-price, however, you’ll end up with a giant drink for just over €5. Deals like this one are few and far between in this neighborhood.

The upshot: the next time you’re stranded near the Louvre in need of an early evening cocktail, you’ll know where to go!

The Benjamin is located at 53 rue de Rivoli in the 1st arrondissement. The closest metro station is Châtelet.

Popularity: 3% [?]

photograph courtesy of david_fisher

There’s a bar across the street from our apartment in Madrid. The joint serves chicken, though we’d never order it. It’s the only bar on the street open late—by which we mean through the night.

In the wee hours, lurking locals duck under its half-closed garage door, emerging moments later.

It’s a safe bet that their orders don’t have anything to do with chicken.

We don’t mind though because every so often, the pony-tailed Gypsy owner hosts a wedding party, a birthday party, or, as in last night’s case, a bachelor party.

On party nights, we don’t sleep. The parties flow out of the bar. The narrow street we call home plays venue to the best Flamenco tablao in the city. And we have box seats.

The offbeat stomping, half-tempo clapping, raspy masculine voice, and a guitar that jumps cords like Paco de Lucia all beat the hell out of counting sheep.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Yes, Paris is a wine city.

But if you’re looking for a good pint in the City of Light, l’Académie de la Bière is the place to go.

It has a huge beer list, which includes most of the Trappist beers. Its menu items are decently priced, and its Happy Hour from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weeknights is lively. The atmosphere is very chilled out and tavern-like, but who are we kidding? The 100+ varieties of beer are all it takes to get us there.

Address: 88bis Boulevard de Port Royal (5th arrondissement), not far from the south exit of the Luxembourg gardens. Telephone: 01.43.54.66.65.

The closest metro is the RER B at Port Royal, though Les Goblins (line 7) is also pretty close by.

Popularity: 2% [?]

photograph courtesy of Melanie Clatanoff

Le Tais, a bar in the Menilmontant district of Paris, serves free dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. Yes, you read that right: free dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.

All-you-can-eat couscous with vegetables and lamb on the side is served to everyone in the restaurant between about 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

The food is tasty and completely free, but you have to get there early to find a place—we suggest settling in and nesting around 8 p.m.

And you need to buy a drink or two. A pint of beer runs about €6, a glass of wine €3 and bottles of wine begin at €12. Small prices to pay for free grub, all of them.

Le Tais is located at 129 Boulevard de Menilmontant in the 11th arrondissement, on the left at the Menilmontant (Line 2) metro exit.

Popularity: 3% [?]