I’m not much of a nightlife person, preferring to be in bed by 9pm, but in my travels to over 125 nations I’ve certainly experienced my fair share of nightlife. Which world city is best for a night out?
A recent survey polled over 4,000 people from around the world on which city offered the best nightlife. Respondents were asked to keep the following five factors in mind when choosing a city:
- quality of the nightlife
- openness and friendliness of the locals
- safety
- ease of transport
- cost
The port city of Hamburg in German has been declared the winner.
My concern is not so much the source (Hostel World) or even accuracy of this survey. Rather, I was pleasantly surprised to see Hamburg made the top of the list and find myself in full agreement with the winning city.
My brother spent 18 months living in Hamburg and I visited him on several occasions. There is so much more to the city than a great Park Hyatt.
> Read More: Park Hyatt Hamburg Review
From beautiful public gardens and green space to tremendous museums to great restaurants to the Reeperbahn…there is something for everyone in Hamburg. And the ice cream…don’t forget to try Spaghetti Eis along the Alster tributary.
Public transport was also a consideration and Hamburg has a beautiful public transport system that functions efficiently and cheaply. You need no car in this city. The airport is also clean, functional, and easily accessible.
Last time I was in Hamburg I had one of the best Man Tais I’ve ever had at the Skyline “20up” bar at the Empire Riverside Hotel. The views of Hamburg were almost as good as the cocktails.
But do avoid Mexican food in Hamburg…not recommended.
The Top 20 List
Here’s a list of the top 20 best cities for a night out, with a few honorable mentions.
- Hamburg (Germany)
- Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Berlin (Germany)
- Dublin (Ireland)
- Amsterdam (Holland)
- San Francisco (United States)
- Gothenburg (Sweden)
- Prague (Czech Republic)
- Warsaw (Poland)
- New York (United States)
- Stockholm (Sweden)
- Helsinki (Finland)
- Madrid (Spain)
- Boston (United States)
- Pretoria (South Africa)
- Shanghai (China)
- St. Petersburg (Russia)
- Toronto (Canada)
- Mumbai (India)
- Paris (France)
London is #26, Bangkok #30, Tokyo #41.
CONCLUSION
Hamburg is a great city…it is no surprise why it made the top of hotel list. If you have not been, check it out.
the sampling bias is very heavy and apparent here. how any list of “nightlife” can rank Mumbai ahead of Singapore is beyond me.
It’s a joke – Warsaw at #9? It’s not as bad as people think but it wouldn’t justify getting in the top 10 in Europe for a night out, let alone the entire world. It’s not even #1 in Poland – that would be Krakow.
And Helsinki at #12? The only thing more boring than a night in Helsinki is two nights in Helsinki.
Hamburg is the truly a gem — underrated in my opinion so great to see it get this coverage. That green drink in your picture looks to be a gin basil smash. Those are great and actually originate at Le Lion bar, also in Hamburg.
This list is garbage.
Pretoria? Really? I’ve never before seen Pretoria on anyone’s “best of…” list. So Pretoria is supposedly better for a night out than Kiev? And Rekjavik? And Edinburgh? And Tel Aviv? Yeah…no.
However, I do agree that Hamburg is a truly splendid city, especially in summer. And especially so during the gay pride weekend.
Mr. Gin Slinger is a bit harsh towards Helsinki. It’s an outstanding city for design aficionados who love shopping (!!!) and sampling great restaurants.
You didn’t go to Reeperbahn?
Best Nutten in all of Germany. Primary reason why the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine is in Hamburg.
They lost all credibility for me when Boston is listed #14… Bars and clubs shut down at 2am, liquor stores close at 11pm and no alcohol sold in convenience stores…