Bears: something completely different
Feb 21, 2014, 5:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: new York NY
Programs: Hyatt DIA; Hilton DIA; SPG Gold
Posts: 17
Bears: something completely different
Howdy folks,
Have a bunch of trips coming up & though I've scoured the thread for GLBT's choice for bars/saunas & whatnots,. most of what I've uncovered tend to be places with thunderous loud music catered mostly to twinks & 20/30 something. My personal perference is for men 40+, bears, beards, you know the drill. So to get an updated thread going, would like to know all of your favorites for bear bears & watering holes catering to older guys & their admirers.
Places I'm visiting this year
not that it should influence your input but would sure love to get comments to those specific locales if you've got them!)
Argentina
Buenos Aires
Mendoza
Iguazu Falls
Europe
Prague
Budapest
Milan
Paris
Oceania
Auckland
Taupo
Sydney
Darwin
Alice Spring
SE Asia
Phuket
Have a bunch of trips coming up & though I've scoured the thread for GLBT's choice for bars/saunas & whatnots,. most of what I've uncovered tend to be places with thunderous loud music catered mostly to twinks & 20/30 something. My personal perference is for men 40+, bears, beards, you know the drill. So to get an updated thread going, would like to know all of your favorites for bear bears & watering holes catering to older guys & their admirers.
Places I'm visiting this year
not that it should influence your input but would sure love to get comments to those specific locales if you've got them!) Argentina
Buenos Aires
Mendoza
Iguazu Falls
Europe
Prague
Budapest
Milan
Paris
Oceania
Auckland
Taupo
Sydney
Darwin
Alice Spring
SE Asia
Phuket
Feb 24, 2014, 6:12 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NYC
Posts: 302
Ah, I'm with you on bar choices. Out of the places you listed, I have a few I can put on the list...
Buenos Aires
Contramanos - It's a club, but the weekend I was there it was bear heaven and surprisingly I had alot of fun at this place. Only opens on weekends, definitely put this on your list.
Flux - Not really a bear bar, but it's one of the few gay bars in the city that opens before 10pm all nights of the week. I did find a nice mix of people, bears and others, in here and very friendly. Run by a UK expat, I believe.
Prague - I don't remember any specific bars for bears, but there were two bars that had mazes or backrooms and that's where I usually find the bears...
Alcatraz
Drakes
(Both these places were also filled with friendly locals and tourists)
Budapest. I think there's only 4 bars in the city so I didn't find any particular group at anyone bar, but I really had fun at all four of these places and there were bear types at all of them:
Coxx - A BIG backroom too
Action - More bears here, maybe it's because of the live sex show on weekends? Who knows!
Funny Carrot and the bar next door. Pretty generic watering holes but easy to meet all kind of guys here. Like a pre-club bar.
Paris
Anything with a backroom. Can't remember the names of the bars, but there were about 3 or 4. I was there about 3 years ago and heard that there was a Paris Eagle so I walked over to check it out. It's an appletini Twink dance bar! ...!
Haven't been to any of the other cities on your list, but I've only seen one bear bar in all of SE Asia and that's the lame Bearbie in Silom, Bangkok. Everytime I've ever gone in there it's always karioke night.
Good luck and report back
Buenos Aires
Contramanos - It's a club, but the weekend I was there it was bear heaven and surprisingly I had alot of fun at this place. Only opens on weekends, definitely put this on your list.
Flux - Not really a bear bar, but it's one of the few gay bars in the city that opens before 10pm all nights of the week. I did find a nice mix of people, bears and others, in here and very friendly. Run by a UK expat, I believe.
Prague - I don't remember any specific bars for bears, but there were two bars that had mazes or backrooms and that's where I usually find the bears...
Alcatraz
Drakes
(Both these places were also filled with friendly locals and tourists)
Budapest. I think there's only 4 bars in the city so I didn't find any particular group at anyone bar, but I really had fun at all four of these places and there were bear types at all of them:
Coxx - A BIG backroom too
Action - More bears here, maybe it's because of the live sex show on weekends? Who knows!
Funny Carrot and the bar next door. Pretty generic watering holes but easy to meet all kind of guys here. Like a pre-club bar.
Paris
Anything with a backroom. Can't remember the names of the bars, but there were about 3 or 4. I was there about 3 years ago and heard that there was a Paris Eagle so I walked over to check it out. It's an appletini Twink dance bar! ...!
Haven't been to any of the other cities on your list, but I've only seen one bear bar in all of SE Asia and that's the lame Bearbie in Silom, Bangkok. Everytime I've ever gone in there it's always karioke night.
Good luck and report back
Feb 26, 2014, 10:48 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,449
How about places in BCN?
Mar 5, 2014, 6:33 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,309
It might be difficult to have a thread and keep it current listing every bear bar in Europe and all of the places you mentioned. Google and Nighttours.com are very helpful. Barcelona's biggest bear bar is called Bacon Bar.
Many of the cities you've listed are very small in terms of gay life. For example, Mendoza has about 1.5 gay bars period, neither is a bear bar. You may be best served to download Scruff or Growlr and ask the locals when you get there.
Many of the cities you've listed are very small in terms of gay life. For example, Mendoza has about 1.5 gay bars period, neither is a bear bar. You may be best served to download Scruff or Growlr and ask the locals when you get there.
Mar 6, 2014, 11:00 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,449
It might be difficult to have a thread and keep it current listing every bear bar in Europe and all of the places you mentioned. Google and Nighttours.com are very helpful. Barcelona's biggest bear bar is called Bacon Bar.
Many of the cities you've listed are very small in terms of gay life. For example, Mendoza has about 1.5 gay bars period, neither is a bear bar. You may be best served to download Scruff or Growlr and ask the locals when you get there.
Many of the cities you've listed are very small in terms of gay life. For example, Mendoza has about 1.5 gay bars period, neither is a bear bar. You may be best served to download Scruff or Growlr and ask the locals when you get there.
Mar 22, 2014, 1:49 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: new York NY
Programs: Hyatt DIA; Hilton DIA; SPG Gold
Posts: 17
damn foilks, there's been much activity & for some reason even tho I subscribed to my own thread I never got any notifications anyone's posted. Thanks goteed1 for the ideas! A friend of mine in Paris mentioned Le Bears Den..looking to explore that in June when I visit.
http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/bars-pubs/bears-den
Also, anyone going to Buenos Aires for Memorial Day? Will be hitting Mendoza first then BA. Staying at the Hyatt (part of the diamond challenge).
http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/bars-pubs/bears-den
Also, anyone going to Buenos Aires for Memorial Day? Will be hitting Mendoza first then BA. Staying at the Hyatt (part of the diamond challenge).
Mar 22, 2014, 1:52 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: new York NY
Programs: Hyatt DIA; Hilton DIA; SPG Gold
Posts: 17
Yup, already got the mobile apps & they have served me well. Not sure tho about Europe if the guys are as big on mobile as they are in the States. I'm in NYC and practically no one goes out anymore and most meetups are online. With that comes a lot of game playing et al but figure it doenst hurt to post & see what the community has to say.
Also looking to go to Sitges in 2015. Now thats a place with tons of bears I bet. ideas?
Also looking to go to Sitges in 2015. Now thats a place with tons of bears I bet. ideas?
Mar 24, 2014, 12:14 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,644
Yup, already got the mobile apps & they have served me well. Not sure tho about Europe if the guys are as big on mobile as they are in the States. I'm in NYC and practically no one goes out anymore and most meetups are online. With that comes a lot of game playing et al but figure it doenst hurt to post & see what the community has to say.
Also looking to go to Sitges in 2015. Now thats a place with tons of bears I bet. ideas?
Also looking to go to Sitges in 2015. Now thats a place with tons of bears I bet. ideas?
Europe has large cities with lots of CITY and URBAN life, and people go out a lot.
About Sitges, depends on your definition of Bear. While there are some that you could define as bears, it is definitely NOT Bear Central.
I would define Sitges as "non-scene" and you can find folks from all over the rainbow spectrum.