Finding The Perfect Dive Bar

Not a wine bar, not a gastropub, surely not somewhere that keeps a mixologist on staff — a proper dive bar. While each of these certainly has their place as we traverse this world and need to unwind with a drink after our activity-filled days, some days you just need to stop trying to see everything, make every hike and “do” either a country or a city in two or three days’ time. We’re talking a shot and a beer from an often-tattooed bartender that’s half-charming, half terrifying and half aloof.

A dive bar should have a fair bit of fear involved, but the understanding you’ll likely get out alive and without a fight. If you can find one on a rainy day that ruins your plans all the better and one with a cigarette-burned pool table or a dart board with steel-tipped darts rather than those silly machines and plastic tips gets bonus points.

But how do you find them? Firstly, if you see people going into a bar at 8 a.m., you already have. I’m hesitant to bring this up as it takes the fun out of the adventure, but Google actually provides a “Dive Bar Finder” courtesy of DiveBar Culture. Or try Bar Trends.

Additionally, Yelp recently began a category dedicated to the dive bar.

However you find it, I promise you you’ll know when you’ve found it; any questions simply keep looking or ask the bartender where they drink and exit immediately.