The Best Hotel Restaurants & Bars In Europe, According To Hotels Above Par Founder Brandon Berkson

When it comes to top-tier hotels around the world, Brandon Berkson, Founder of Hotels Above Par, is the expert. HAP is a unique travel company that creates expertly curated online guides and under-two minute articles written by travel savants designed for the savvy traveler who loves to travel in style. And of course, who doesn’t love to eat and drink well when they’re vacationing somewhere beautiful?

We chatted with this former public relations pro-turned-travel specialist and entrepreneur on his favorite hotel restaurants and bars in Europe. From stunning rooftops to ritzy beachfronts, here’s what he had to say about the best places to imbibe an indulge while in Europe.

Rooftop at Aristide Hotel – Syros, Greece

Greece is always a good idea. If you’re looking for a beautiful island sans tourists and crowds, Syros is the Cycladic Isle that needs to be on your list. Located in a restored mansion in the island’s main city, Ermoupolis, the Rooftop at Artistide Hotel — a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World — is chic to its core. It’s furnished with, and this is not just me saying this, “the most comfortable chair in the world,” Honoré’s Vintage Croisette Armchair. The open-air, garden-style terrace looking out at the azure Aegean Sea is the cherry on top.”

Un Piano Nel Cielo at Casa Angelina – Praiano, Italy

Casa Angelina is a hyper-luxe boutique hotel nestled into the cliffs of Praiano, a town located on Italy’s dreamy Amalfi coast. Almost everywhere at this hotel, you can see the piercingly blue Tyrrhenian Sea, including while enjoying dinner at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant Un Piano nel Cielo. Executive Chef Leopoldo Elefante helms the culinary efforts at this fine-dining restaurant. There’s nothing better than savoring a dish from their ever-changing menu while looking out at a magnificent sunset. If I might say so myself, it’s one of the most beautiful sunset spots I’ve ever witnessed.

Lyaness at Sea Containers London – London, United Kingdom

This contemporary London hotel in the city’s South Bank area is aesthetically inspired by the resident shipping containers populating the locale. One of my favorite bars in London is Sea Containers London’s on-site watering hole, Lyaness. First, Ryan Chetiyawardana is at the helm (for those who don’t know who he is, Ryan is one of the most respected mixologists in the industry). Design-wise, expect an electric blue setting with an original green marble bar. When you’re in the British capital next, opt to experience the hotel’s Lyaness Spirited Tea, which playfully brings cocktails to a quintessentially English classic afternoon tea setting (it’s a must!).

Krönenstübli at Grand Hotel Kronenhof – Pontresina, Switzerland

St. Moritz and neighboring Pontresina are chic Swiss mountain towns that are worth visiting, no matter the season (most people prefer summer or winter, but I personally believe it’s stunning year-round). The iconic Grand Hotel Kronenhof — one of my favorite hotels in Europe — is a five-star, historic stay with panoramic views of the surrounding nature. Placed in an unassuming quarter of the hotel, the gourmet restaurant Krönenstübli is a Swiss-pine-style parlor serving the best Italian-Mediterranean and French cooking. The Alps-infused aesthetic, with all its cozy wood, makes for an exceedingly cozy environment.

Kook Atelier at Op Oost – Oosterland, Netherlands

Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ most popular city. That said, the country brims with other noteworthy destinations, including Holland’s Wadden Sea Islands. Located there is Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s Op Oost — a 12-room Dutch farmhouse culinary retreat guaranteed to expand your horizons about what Holland has to offer. Its restaurant, Kook Atelier at Op Oost, serves Nordic & Botanical cuisine. Everything is farm-to-table, and you can expect to eat the best of the best edible flowers, herbs, and vegetables from the local, as well as meat and dairy derived from the surrounding locale.

Giacomo al Lago at Grand Hotel Tremezzo – Lake Como, Italy

It’s not hard to understand why George and Amal Clooney keep vacationing in Lake Como: the charming villages, summiting mountains, and bevy of ritzy villas plus hotels imbuing Italian glamour at every capacity are just a few reasons why the spot swoons everyone who visits. One of Italy’s most iconic five-star stays is here, Grand Hotel Tremezzo. While you can’t go wrong with any of the hotel’s restaurants, Giacomo al Lago, their seafood-centric restaurant, is my favorite (in fact, it’s the only one of its kind with lakeside dining on Lake Como!).

Bar du Nessay at Le Nessay – Saint-Briac-Sur-Mer, France

Le Nessay is a boutique hotel that occupies a beachfront castle built of stone and brick in Saint- Briac-Sur-Mer, France. Part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, it’s one of my favorite Western-Europe boutique stays. When it comes to enjoying a glass of wine, Bar du Nessay at Le Nessay, has a west-facing terrace that, in my opinion, is the perfect place to witness the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean (especially with your significant other, as the hotel and bar exude romance on all fronts).

Jara at The Standard – Ibiza, Spain

You know when hyper-cool hotel brand The Standard opens a hotel in Ibiza, it’s going to be the island’s new “it” hotel. Having just opened this year in Ibiza’s old town, this 53-key boutique stays feels intimate and unhurried. They have an ambrosial restaurant called Jara at The Standard, which serves Ibizan dishes such as sea bass “divorciado” and other “fruits de la mer.” It’s café style, open from 8AM-2AM, and often, when dining here, you will find yourself accompanied by a bevy of different performers, from DJs to Drag Queens.