7 Quirky Bars Around the World

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

We all can appreciate a good bar, but there are some that kick the experience up a notch with an eccentric theme that will never escape your mind. From circus acts to being cooped up in a nest, each of these seven bars has created an extraordinary adventure for your booze-up.

So hit the town and venture into the wild and quirky with these watering holes that offer so much more than the typical bar.

Tokyo, Japan: Planetarium Bar

From the moment you walk in, nothing strange about the Planetarium Bar necessarily darts out at you. That is until you look up and see the universe looking down at you (it's not the cocktails; this is perfectly normal). Shining brightly on the bar’s ceiling are thousands upon thousands of stars emitted from a projector.  The outer space theme is also projected onto the menu, with servings of very light meals that complement its selection of drinks well. 

By bringing the night sky indoors, the Planetarium Bar is one of the few hangout spots where guests are guaranteed a starry night under the diamond-filled sky from the comfort of their warm, cozy seats with each visit.

Los Angeles. CA: The Lab Gastropub

Even science geeks need a place to unwind, so look no further than the Lab Gastropub, commonly called "The Lab" by college students of USC and LA locals.  If you’ve ever dreaded heading to science class, you may want to rethink that once you’re here.

The contemporary hotspot incorporates fine dining with a strong infatuation for science to produce the classic feel of a laboratory bedecked with vintage wooden tables and floors as well as stools.  Order your favorite flavored coffee and you’ll notice your cup is inscribed with the scientific formula for caffeine, and not to leave out the cool lab-style glass beakers spotted throughout the bar, which also accentuates its classroom décor.  Throughout its 5,030 square feet, The Lab Gastropub is an artful gastronomic journey fashioned by the intriguing world of science.

London, England: Octoberfest Bar

Germany’s Oktoberfest comes but once a year, but thanks to the Octoberfest Bar in London, visitors can experience the massive beer party from Sunday to Saturday.  Even the bar’s menu gets in on the action by offering the same food and drinks from the people that supply Munich with its culinary treats during Oktoberfest. 

So if you can’t get enough of the excitement, order some pork knuckles and down it with a German cold one.  You won’t have to travel to Munich in late September to drink like a German, when London brings the authenticity of the celebration to the Octoberfest Bar every day.

Nantes, France: Le Nid

Eggshell-inspired tables and chairs and a panoramic views of the city from the 32^nd floor of the Tour Bretagne can make anyone feel like a loose goose, especially after hitting the bottle.  Le Nid ‘s proud attraction is an enormous stork/heroine that protects the French city of Nantes, yet transforming into a bar at night.  

The bar has all the quirks of making its guests feel like birds themselves by providing a bird’s-eye-view of the city while they nestle on its seats shaped out of cracked eggshells.  If quirky is what you want, you’ll definitely find it here — after all Le Nid does mean "the nest."

East London, England: Trapeze Bar

Photo courtesy of Trapeze Bar on Facebook

Once again we’re back in England to bring another bar that does more than entice us with its chill vibes and endless drinks. At the Trapeze Bar, socialites will appreciate the extreme lengths it takes to provide an over-the-top circus theme.  Glamorized to the fullest in trapeze hanging from the ceilings, circus-inspired art with food and beverages to match, the more partygoers delve into the bar’s glitzy décor, the more they will be hypnotized by its dizzying atmosphere.   

The Trapeze Bar has the ingredients to add flavor for bar-goers looking for a wild night on the town, where they can get their doses of burlesque, soul, bluegrass, dinner, and cocktails all under one roof.

Petra, Jordan: Cave Bar

Leave it up to Petra to create a space inside of ancient cave for bar-goers to get their drink on after a day of sightseeing. Decked out in beautiful rock walls that have existed for centuries, the Cave Bar offers a cozy place that makes sipping that glass of red wine an extraordinary experience. 

As one of the first of its kind in the world, which was carved by the Nabataeans, a warm ambiance constantly hovers over the cave as lanterns illuminate its stone walls. Some seats are even believed to be burial areas, which only add to its authentic antiquity.

NYC: Beauty Bar

Photo courtesy of Beauty Bar on Facebook

Every fashionsta can appreciate a fresh manicure with a delicious martini, and at New York City’s Beauty Bar you can have the best of both worlds.  As the one and only saloon that also offers a martini happy hour, traipsing into the bar is met with visions of vintage hairdressers that have been the focal point for gossip for years and a bar fully stocked with every drink imaginable.

So the next time you’re in the NYC area and looking to be groomed and wined under in one place, look no further than the Beauty Bar for a day in the life of Carrie Bradshaw.