Piazza-Bar

A modern lounge bar and a trendy concert venue in one – versatility is the keyword here. For a relaxed coffee while working, waiting for a train or for an after-work beer – the Piazza-Bar at Hirschengraben near Bern main station is a popular meeting place at any time of the day. The monthly concerts (always taking place on a Sunday evening), are a special highlight. Here, nationally and internationally renowned artists are reviving the old school hip-hop scene. This musical end to the weekend à la Piazza-Bar lets you start the week with new energy. Ready to experience it yourself? Concert tickets are only available at the bar.

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Abflugbar

Take off into Bern’s lower Old City, a vaulted cellar, the world of award-winning cocktails: the bartenders at Abflugbar have won international prizes for their creations. And the atmosphere is world-class, too – enjoy a relaxed evening at the bar, in a comfy lounge chair, or on the soft cushions on the wooden platform. In addition to high-quality cocktails, the bar serves cold beer and select red and white wines, and olives and Parmesan shavings to nibble on. Our tip: order a Basil Smash, it’s said to be the best in town! For more information, we recommend you take a look at Google or go directly to the bar – there's no website at the moment.

Kreissaal Bar

If you’re looking for a quiet spot near bustling Kornhausplatz square, the Kreissaal is the place for you. The cozy bar with its dimmed lights and jazz playing in the background is an insider’s tip. It’s located in a sandstone building that used to house Bern’s first women’s hospital (hence the name, which means delivery room) and has been serving some of the city’s best drinks since 1997. The bartenders love to experiment and incorporate different ingredients, regularly coming up with new, unique drinks with equally creative names – “The Return of the Honey Badger”, anyone?

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Lorenzini Bar and Enoteca

A visit to the elegant Enoteca at the back of Lorenzini’s ground floor will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a typical Florentine café and cocktail bar – but you’re in the heart of Bern, right next to the famous Zytglogge (Clock Tower). The front part of the ground floor is occupied by the Lorenzini Bar, a place steeped in tradition. It is the meeting place of the elegant “silver society”, which enjoys the tasteful setting for reading newspapers and drinking coffee in the mornings and sipping drinks in the late afternoons. In the evenings, the place transforms into a popular music bar.

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Caffè Roma

If you’re yearning for the Italian dolce vita that you now from back home or from your holidays in the sun, you don’t have to go far to find it: just head over to Hodlerstrasse street by the Kunstmuseum Bern. Caffè Roma serves authentic Italian coffee and plays authentic – admittedly somewhat loud – Italian music. But its lively ambiance is what makes this bar so charming. If you’re there for drinks, we recommend ordering a classic Negroni – it’s said to be the best in town. But there are other cocktail creations as well and, to accompany them, tasty Italian aperitivi, salads and piadine.

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Café des Pyrénées

Located right on busy Kornhausplatz square is the highly popular Café des Pyrénées, or “Pyri”, as the locals lovingly call it. All of Bern seems to meet up in this iconic café, which can sometimes make it hard to get a table. If you do manage to snatch one, you should definitely order a “Pyri-Plättli”, a charcuterie board with cheese, meats and antipasti. And if you’re a fan of G&Ts, this is the place for you: there are several different gins to choose from and you’ll find eight gin and tonic creations on the menu. The traditional café also offers a variety of beers, wines, and cocktails – whatever you’re in the mood for, the “Pyri” has got you covered!

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