10 Fantasy Drinking Establishments We Want to Patronize

♫ Sometimes you want to go, where everybody is a mage. ♫

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Planning a birthday party or bachelorette night? These 10 taverns, pubs, bars, inns, and other watering holes from fantasy fiction can't be beat. 

Sure, the barkeep might not agree to charge your phone, and Uber drivers might be few and far between, but that's all part of the fun. Join us in celebrating these 10 fantasy establishments that have us saying ''they come in pints!''

Inn of the Last Home, from Dragonlance

Inn of the Last Home Dragonlance
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  • Photo Credit: Dragonlance

If you’re ever in Solace, make sure to pay a visit to Inn of the Last Home, a beloved institution known for its food and for regularly hosting The Heroes of the Lane. The inn has had many different owners in the hundreds of years since it was built by Kale the Strong in the branches of a vallenwood tree. 

During the War of the Lance, the inn was lowered to the ground and dragonarmies burnt the tree in which the inn sat. Following the war, the inn's then-owner Otik planted a new valennwood tree to house the inn for future generations. To this day, its distinctive appearance and hearty food and drink continue to provide welcome hospitality for weary travelers. 

Best Dish: Spiced potatoes

Best Drink: Dark ale 

The Leaky Cauldron, from Harry Potter

fantasy bars taverns Leaky Cauldron Harry Potter
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  • Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

The Leaky Cauldron at 1 Diagon Alley on Charing Cross Road is the oldest pub in London, a perfect place for witches and wizards to quench their thirst and relax after a day of shopping. Visitors with an interest in history will be particularly delighted by the storied establishment; built by Daisy Dodderidge in the 1500s, the inn, which initially welcomed Muggle patrons, has served as an important social gathering place throughout the most trying periods in magical history. 

Nestled between a Muggle bookshop and a record store, the bar itself has a dive-y feel to it, but the overnight lodgings are surprisingly comfortable. 

Best Dish: Soup, soup soup

Best Drink: Exploding lemonade

RELATED: 15 Harry Potter Quotes to Live Your Life By 

The Green Dragon Inn, from Lord of the Rings

Located in the Shire village of Bywater, The Green Dragon Inn was a favorite watering hole of Frodo Baggins and his friends before embarking on their quest. According to Merry and Pippin, "the only brew for the brave and true ... Comes from the Green Dragon!" 

Best Dish: Beef and ale pie

Best Drink: Beer. So brown.

The Silver Eel Tavern, from the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories

In the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber, the barbarian Fafhrd and his nimble-fingered companion Gray Mouser frequently relax at the Silver Eel Tavern in the corrupt city of Lankhmar. It's not an establishment for the faint of heart, certainly—but if you chance a visit, you're bound to come away with a story or two. 


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The Eolian, from The Kingkiller Chronicle

The Eolian tavern in Imre plays a pivotal role in Patrick Rothfuss' The Kingkiller Chronicle. Its owners Deoch and Stanchion host nightly performances in which local performers pay for an opportunity to show off their skills in a bid to earn their 'talent pipes' and hopefully secure a patron. The tavern is hugely impactful on the hero Kvothe's development as a musician, and on his relationship with Danna. 

Best drinks: Cinnamon mead, scutten

RELATED: Books Like The Name of the Wind 

The Old Phoenix, from A Midsummer Tempest

Poul Anderson's Shakespeare-inspired A Midsummer Tempest features a magical tavern known as The Old Phoenix, staffed and patronized solely by beings who are touched by magic in some way. The tavern moves in the time and space between parallel universes, and offers free, one-night lodging to weary travelers who can find their way to its door. The accommodations are reliably excellent, but the true draw is the opportunity to converse with guests from varying periods of history (provided you share a language in common, of course). 

Best Dish: Roast beef

Best Drink: Dark beer

The Tavern, from Beauty and the Beast

best fantasy taverns Gaston Beauty and the Beast
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  • Gaston, peacocking in front of a painting of Gaston.

    Photo Credit: Disney

Some might call this pub provincial, but it boasts live entertainment that you won't find anywhere else—patrons can expect to enjoy improvised musical numbers dedicated to Gaston, a local chauvinist. Special mention must also be made of the tavern's decorating scheme, which centers heavily around antlers and aggrandizing Gaston murals. 

Best Dish: Eggs? 

Best Drink: Beer

Lodging: Maybe, but good luck sleeping surrounded by all that Gaston imagery

RELATED: 10 Enchanting Beauty and the Beast Retellings 

The Three Broomsticks, from Harry Potter

fictional bars taverns The Three Broomsticks Harry Potter
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  • Photo Credit: Harry Potter Fanzone

The Three Broomsticks in the wizarding village of Hogsmeade has been a popular hangout for Hogwarts students for centuries. Students as young as 13-14 can visit the welcoming pub and enjoy the hospitality of Madam Rosmerta. Like most establishments in the wizarding world, a visit to The Three Broomsticks is not without danger; but it's certainly a more reputable establishment than The Hog's Head Inn, another Hogsmeade bar frequented by Harry and his friends. 

Best drinks: Butterbeer, firewhiskey

Merlotte's (aka Bellefleur's Bar and Grill), from True Blood 

fantasy bars taverns Merlotte's True Blood Lafayette
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  • Merlotte's chef Lafayette.

    Photo Credit: HBO

Should you find yourself in Bon Temps, Louisiana, there's no better place to grab a burger and a beer, or perhaps some TruBlood, than Bellefleur's Bar and Grill (formerly Merlotte's). The bar is always full of excitement, whether that means Stackhouse family drama or a rampaging fire demon. However, there's rarely any dancing at this establishment—those looking to cut a rug (or drink some vamp blood) should instead check out the vampire bar Fangtasia in neighboring Shreveport.

Best Dish: Hamburger

RELATED: 15 Bloody Good Vampire Books 

The Traveller's Rest, from The Dark Tower series

taverns fantasy fiction The Traveller's Rest The Dark Tower
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  • The Traveller's Rest, depicted in The Dark Tower comics.

    Photo Credit: Marvel Comics

The Traveller's Rest in Mejis is a decidedly unfriendly establishment, with a clientele that's more than a little gloomy. But it's also the sight of many legendary showdowns, including the notorious altercation between a band of gunslingers from Gilead and the Big Coffin Hunter bandits. If you want to be able to say you were there 'when', get your butt to The Traveller's Rest and wait for the drama to start.

Best drink: Graf

RELATED: The Portalist's Guide to The Dark Tower 

Featured still from "Beauty and the Beast" via Disney;Three Broomsticks image via Harry Potter Fanzone