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Single in the season of love? Our writers name the best Singles Scenes (with couples cordially invited) in the world’s coolest cities—think of it as romance with a buzz, on Valentine’s Day or any day.
The Draw: Cool cocktail bar upstairs, vibrant dance floor downstairs. The Scene: Larios combines two scenes in one. Upstairs is a relaxed, modern cafe and cocktail bar with comfortable seats and strange globular light sculptures hanging down from the ceiling, casting strange shades across the room. It won the National Architecture Prize in 2000. You can also order international cuisine at the tables, but this place has more of a lounge than a restaurant atmosphere. Downstairs is darker, with a large dance floor and two long bars that provide plenty of opportunities for mingling. The music is different for each floor and each night, upstairs tending towards jazz or rock, downstairs going for dance or House. Hot Tip: The dance floor is a bit dead on weeknights, but the upstairs bar is always popular.
The Draw: Single Spaniards anxious to practice their English (and French, Italian, German, etc.). The Scene: Madrid’s most popular intercambio, regular meetings to practice each other’s language. Grab a beer and start talking in a crowd where foreigners are outnumbered about three to one. Most Spaniards are seeking out English speakers, but other languages are practiced here too. Don’t worry if you don’t speak any Spanish because the locals here all speak at least a little English and will help you along. Everything is in the capable hands of Fran and Susana, who will quickly introduce you around if you’re new. It’s a great way to meet people, learn a bit of the language, and collect phone numbers. Hot Tip: These gatherings are comprised largely of 20- to 30-somethings. If you’re not in this range, you might feel out of place.
Samsara Calle de la Cruz 7, Sol, no phone
The Draw: A packed nightclub playing Europop to a mixed straight/gay, younger/older crowd. The Scene: In a neighborhood with a dearth of late-night dance clubs, Samsara is understandably popular. A dark interior evolves from pseudo-North African at the front to your typical modern lightshow dance floor in back. The music is an even split between American and British songs and Spanish pop hits. This makes for an easy topic of conversation since you won’t have heard many of these songs, but all the Spaniards will be singing along. There’s a social atmosphere that’s predominantly straight but gay-friendly. The line is huge earlier in the evening, but it thins out after midnight. If you don’t like to wait in lines, choose this as your after-hours club. The entry fee includes a drink. Hot Tip: Spaniards like to dance close, especially in crowded venues such this one. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but if it does, you’ll know.
