The bar as we know it today is not a European invention. While counters where drinks were ordered standing up emerged in America from the mid-19th century, Europe initially remained focused on cafés, inns, and salons. It was only late in the 19th century that the American bar culture crossed the Atlantic – and met a society that first had to learn standing while drinking.
Europe before the bar
Well into the 19th century, drinking in Europe was a seated affair. Those seeking wine, beer, or spirits would go to an inn, tavern, or coffeehouse. There, one sat at tables, was served, and often remained for hours. The counter, if present, was the innkeeper’s workplace, not a meeting point for guests. In England, pubs had counters, but even there, one usually drank ale at the table. Standing at the bar was seen as a sign of haste or low status – not a social ritual.
The American bar was different: faster, more direct, and more democratic. There, people stood side by side, ordered from the bartender, and drank what was freshly mixed. This model did not fit easily into European drinking habits. Accordingly, its adoption was hesitant.
The first bars in London and Paris
London was the first European city where American bars took hold. In the 1860s and 1870s, some venues opened explicitly calling themselves American Bars, advertising cocktails, standing room, and fast service. They initially catered to Americans, businesspeople, and a cosmopolitan clientele seeking the new. The Savoy Hotel opened its American Bar in 1889, which later became one of Europe’s most famous addresses under Ada Coleman and Harry Craddock.
In Paris, the development unfolded similarly, albeit with a French twist. Here, elements of the café mixed with American bar culture. Venues like the New York Bar – later Harry’s New York Bar – attracted an international crowd from the 1910s onward. The bar became a place for artists, exiles, and night owls, while traditional bistros continued to shape everyday life.
Between the wars: The bar as a counter-design
In the interwar period, the bar in Europe experienced its first peak. It became a symbol of modernity, internationality, and a certain rebellion against the old ways. While Prohibition in the U.S. drove bar culture underground, it flourished in London, Paris, and Berlin. Many American bartenders who had fled the Prohibition brought their craft with them.
European bars, however, differed from their American counterparts. They were often smaller, more exclusive, and closely tied to hotel and nightlife culture. In Berlin, for example, cocktail bars emerged in grand hotels, while smaller venues combined jazz, dancing, and drinks. After World War II, this culture initially collapsed, only to slowly revive in the 1950s – now more Americanized but with its own European nuances.
What remains of it in the bar today
Today’s European bar landscape is a patchwork of traditions. Some bars deliberately preserve the interwar heritage, while others take inspiration from New York or Tokyo. What remains is the idea of the bar as a place of encounter beyond the everyday – a space where one stands or sits, but above all is there to drink something that is more than just a beverage.
The European bar has made the American idea its own and transformed it. It has become slower, often more formal, sometimes more nostalgic. Yet the core – the counter, the bartender, the ritual of mixing – has endured. And with it, the memory that the bar was once foreign before it became a given.
Related to this
- American Bar
- Bartender
Frequently asked questions
When did the first bar emerge in Europe?
The first venues explicitly calling themselves American Bars opened in London in the 1860s and 1870s. They initially catered to an international clientele and brought the American bar concept to Europe.
Why did the bar establish itself in Europe later than in America?
Europe had a long tradition of inns, cafés, and salons where guests were served seated. Standing at the counter was unusual and did not fit into the existing drinking culture. It was only with modernization and the influence of American bartenders that this changed.
What role did Prohibition play in European bar culture?
While Prohibition in the U.S. pushed bar culture underground, many American bartenders fled to Europe and brought their craft with them. This significantly contributed to the flourishing of bar culture in London, Paris, and Berlin during the 1920s.
