Best Nerdy Bars In the World

The world is full of great bars, bad bars, and even ridiculous bars, but very rarely do you encounter one of the best nerdy bars in the world. While there are many themed bars and restaurants in the world, the simple truth is that nerd culture and bar culture are often not things that overlap all that much. While most nerds do need a drink, do nerds need a whole bar catering to them?

Yes. Yes they do.

And, thankfully, many people have met the call of the nerdy by crafting super nerdy bars all for those nerds who need to slake their thirst. But hey, don't fret! While these fairy tale taverns may seem over the hills and far away, the simple truth is that the best nerdy bars in the world may be located closer to home than you think.

The AFK Tavern

Some bars cater to a certain demographic of geek. The gamer. The monster fan. The comic nerd. But the AFK Tavern, one of the best nerdy bars in the world, operates under the belief that all nerds need a good drink to get them through the day.

Located in Everett, Washington, this place is a geek home away from home. With tons of live events and an engaging social atmosphere, this nerdy place is a haven.

It's not just for drinks, either. Tons of restaurant food is served at this tavern, all with nerdy names (the legendary Warchief, for example, is basically all the meat in the kitchen packed between buns).

But don't worry. It has drinks, too. All of them named after popular nerdy franchises of all sorts. Seriously, if you live in Washington, go here. Please.

The Way Station

Brooklyn, guys. New Yorkers have probably been to this bar before, or, at the very least, know it as that nerdy bar with a TARDIS. The Doctor Who themed bar known only as The Way Station is one of the best nerdy bars in the world for a reason: it's awesome.

Like most good New York bars, it offers high quality food and drink for fair, reasonable prices. Of course, you don't go to a Doctor Who bar unless you're up for some nerdy, Doctor Who drinks. Of which, there are plenty.

Bonus points? Go to the bathroom, and you may notice a few actors from the series have actually signed the doors. Specifically, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.

Kaiju-Sakaba

Japan sure loves their giant monsters, don't they? Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera, King Ghidorah – you could have a drinking game with all the giant monsters out there.

In fact, yes, you can. The Kaiju-Sakaba is a giant monster themed bar in Tokyo with a menu full of kaiju inspired cocktails and drinks. In particular, the monsters here are inspired (or taken from) the Ultraman series.

If you can speak Japanese (or you're a huge nerd who loves Ultraman) this place, one of the best nerdy bars in the world, is a must-see in Tokyo.

The Sherlock Holmes

There are several Sherlock Holmes bars. Some of the best nerdy bars in the world are Sherlock Holmes themed bars. But this London pub may be one of the best nerdy bars in the world.

The Sherlock Holmes is not just a good pub. It's a place full of tons of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia. Tons of classic props and items from throughout the fictional detective's history is collected in this one location.

However, downside is this (for some), this really isn't a "get drunk" bar. This is actually something of a restaurant, with actual food here. Most of the drinks are wine and beer, though, that said, the wine is pretty good. And the food is pretty nice, too.

But you really are going to this place because of the theme. And, for that alone, definitely worth a trip.

Storm Crow Tavern

Is there anything more nerdy than Dungeons and Dragons? What's more nerdy than loving something something so intensely that you want to immerse yourself in that world?

Well, it turns out that one of the best nerdy bars in the world is exactly that. The Storm Crow Tavern is a tabletop game themed bar that serves dorks with a shots menu styled onto a d20.

To make things even better, the place is also host to many board game nights. Ready for an open round of Dungeons and Dragons or just a round of Catan? Then here is the place you can socialize, drink, and be merry, ya bunch of nerds.

The Vampire Bar

Tokyo has no shortage of crazy bars. The Japanese bar culture is often overlooked, but they have no shortage of unique, outlandish taverns in a competition to stand out from the crowd.

Tokyo's own Vampire Bar stands out.

The staff dresses like vampires, the food and drink are vampire themed. Everything is designed to make you feel like a creature of the night. This could be scary under the right circumstances, but when the restaurant serves food inside chocolate coffins with syrup crosses adorning your plate, the gothic atmosphere transitions from spooky to gloriously over-the-top fast.

So yeah, this is one of the best nerdy bars in the world. Just the style of this place along is worth a visit. And it has horror movie themed desserts! That might be more appealing than the drinks, honestly.

The Lovecraft Bar

With two separate bars sharing the same name (one in Portland, another in New York City), the Lovecraft Bar draws from the works of classic pulp horror writer HP Lovecraft and his infamous Cthulhu Mythos. The theme of the NYC bar is more steampunk inspired, while the Portland location is a little more atmospheric and creepy.

The father of cosmic horror might not be thrilled that his creations are being used to create fun cocktails, but every horror fan owes it to themselves to visit two of the best nerdy bars in the world.

The NYC location's signature? The Cthulhu Mythos, a cocktail of gin, St Germain, muddled cucumber, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

The Croft Institute

After those Lovecraft themed bars, you may be a little off your rocker. Lucky for you, in Melbourne, Australia, there is a hole in the wall bar just for you that can help you recover from your current fit of madness.

The Croft Institute is styled after an insane asylum. While this theme maybe off-putting to some (especially considering how many drunkards were institutionalized back in the day), others might see this as one of the best nerdy bars in the world – if only because of the morbid humor about the place.

Some drinks are even served in syringes, for an extra dosage of dark humor.

H.R. Giger Bar

Maybe you aren't crazy enough.

The works of H.R. Giger are among the most influential in the science fiction genre. The artist behind the psychosexual xenomorph design has a unique, disturbing aesthetic all his own, one that has stuck with countless people for years after seeing it.

So, naturally, one of the best nerdy bars in the world is a bar themed after his work.

The H.R. Giger Bars (there are two of them) are located in Giger's homeland of Switzerland. It is a haunting place, with a very limited capacity, but a damn atmospheric locale to it. It is a nightmarish place to hang around in – cold, bone chilling, and otherworldly.

This is not a casual sort of bar. It's a sobering, dark place that's wholly unique.

Luida's Bar

Of course Tokyo has a Dragon Quest bar.

Dragon Quest is by no means an obscure RPG franchise, but the video game saga is huge in Japan. So huge that they made a Dragon Quest themed bar named Luida's Bar. And guess what? It's one of the best nerdy bars in the world. Shocking. I bet you didn't expect me to say those exact words, did you?

With tons of memorabilia, themed music and dishes (and, obviously, drinks), and a staff dressed like the bar keeps from the game, this place has it all. Though, things do get a little surreal when businessmen stop in for a drink wearing suits and the like in complete contrast to the rest of the bar. But hey, it is Japan.

The Safe House

Some nerdy bars have a bit of a nerdy aesthetic. A few fandom nods. But this one is something more. This bar is not merely some secret agent themed bar. This tavern is totally into its theme. It goes all the way into sheer insanity.

Please, visit the Safe House website. That alone should give you an idea how ludicrous and amazing this Milwaukee, Wisconsin bar is. They really go into the aesthetic, as well as tons of entertaining activities and events. One of the best nerdy bars in the world, it really puts you in the shoes of a spy on the edge, well aware that a gun can be unloaded into you by an enemy of the state.

One of their signatures is the Spy's Demise, a Long Island Ice Tea topped with blackberry liqueur and cola.

Dernier Bar Avant La Fin Du Monde

Paris sports the largest entry on our list of the best nerdy bars in the world. I don't speak French, so I admit, I have not been to this place. But if I had a translator, you bet I'd make my way to this place.

Consider the size of the Dernier Bar Avant La Fin Du Monde (from here on out called the Dernier Bar because the full title is a little long). The place has multiple floors. It's a pretty big place, designed for huge parties of nerds. Then again, Paris does have to outdo everyone else on this list in terms of size.

But it isn't just size. It's a classy pub for classy nerds of all kind to gather. A social mecca, the Dernier Bar features quite possibly the best TARDIS cocktail recipe I can think of (Hypnotiq, curacao, and ginger beer). If you're French, please go there and have a drink. Tell me how cool the place is, and I'll just sorta... feel jealous.

Tavern Brabant

Medieval fantasy remains one of the most popular genres of fiction around. Nerds love a good game of Dungeons and Dragons, adore Arthurian lore, and long to drink under a wall lined with skulls –

Nerds in Prague don't screw around. Tavern Brabant is an authentic Medieval Fantasy experience. None of those elves or stuff, no. You're gonna drink in a catacomb surrounded by the skulls of the deceased. The location, supposedly, is a historical tavern frequented by kings and smugglers alike. And the nerdy staff intend on keeping the authentic experience alive. With skulls. Lots and lots of skulls.

Add to that live entertainment that includes sword fights, historical music, and fire shows, as well as a great menu of restaurant and pub styled food, and you're in for a real treat.

The Green Dragon

New Zealand became Middle-Earth when Peter Jackson went to film his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Why would they take apart a perfectly good bar once filming wrapped?

Thus, the Green Dragon Inn, the Shire's own pub.

When compiling a list of nerd themed bars and taverns, you have to ask yourself if there's anything nerdier than drinking in the same place where one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time filmed? Sitting in the seats of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins? Or, at the very least, the actors who played them?

This is the best nerdy bar. On a list of the best nerdy bars in the world, this one sits atop the rest. The one bar to rule them all.