If you’re the kind of traveller who thinks you must have a beer to be able to say you have visited a place, welcome to the pinnacle: the Albatross bar in Tristan da Cunha. Located at the centre of the only settlement there, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, it’s not just the island’s lone watering hole: it’s the most remote pub in the world.
Enjoying the view of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas at the end of our 1961 Volcano Walk, I mentioned to our local guide André my plan to then go to the island’s pub. “You can’t miss it”, he said. “It’s the biggest building, in the middle of the Settlement”. The biggest? “Yes”, he said, and started laughing. At YPT, we live for off-grid discoveries and we know a thing or two about interesting bars. So trust us, the Albatross Bar is exactly the kind of place that makes the long sea voyage worth it.
A Pint in the Middle of Nowhere
First things first: you don’t just drop by the Albatross Bar. Reaching Tristan da Cunha involves a multi-day voyage across some of the most unpredictable seas on the planet. There are no airports, no regular ferry service, and no cruise terminals. Once you arrive – in our case, after five days at sea from the pub-less South Georgia as part of our Grand South Atlantic tour – you’ll find yourself in a windswept village where cows graze by the ocean and volcanic cliffs loom overhead. Then, you find the bar.
The Albatross Bar is located in the Prince Philip Hall, a building that also houses the island’s community center – which explains why it’s the largest building. It’s more social club than flashy cocktail lounge, but that’s the charm.
If the weather is good (which doesn’t happen that often in the region), you can sit on the picnic table outside. If you prefer to go inside, you’ll find comfortable armchairs, vintage beer signs, handwritten notices on the walls, a pool table, flags from visitors and, if you come at the right time, a table of locals ready to chat over a pint of Windhoek Lager or a tot of South African brandy. Somehow, despite everything having to be imported, the prices are cheaper than in most places: a can of beer will cost you £1.5 and a shot of spirit, as little as 50 pence.
Where Everybody Knows Your Name (Eventually)
The Albatross isn’t open every day, and when it is, it opens island time – which is to say, when people feel like it. But as there are only a handful of ships visiting the island each year, believe us: it will be open when you get there. And when it’s on, it’s on. Locals, visiting workers, and occasional tourists come together in one of the last places on Earth where community still comes first. You might walk in a stranger, but by the end of your visit, you’ll know half the island’s population, will have been offered a few drinks, and probably have been roped into a game of darts or pool.
Ask a Tristanian about the bar, and you’ll hear stories of epic New Year’s parties or bar brawls that ended with hugs… or not. Case in point, during our stop there, one of the visits was cancelled last minute because of a “rough night at the pub” for the person supposed to do the tour (we won’t say who).
Unfortunately, with the arrival of Starlink a few months ago, the Tristanians have now discovered Netflix and “spend less time at the pub”, one of the regulars told us.
Because Tristan is so remote, supplies are limited. Don’t expect a wide craft beer selection or imported whiskies on the shelf. Most drinks are shipped in irregularly, so what’s on offer can change from week to week. When in doubt, go with the classic: a cold beer and a toast to making it to the ends of the Earth.
One for the Bucket List
We’ve been all over the world – from North Korean ski resort to Afghan frontier towns – but there’s something uniquely special about sipping a drink at the Albatross Bar. Maybe it’s the sheer effort it takes to get there. Maybe it’s the way time slows down and the modern world fades away. Or maybe it’s just the simple joy of sharing stories with someone whose home is 2,400 kilometres from the nearest continent.
So, if you ever find yourself plotting a course to the world’s farthest flung destinations, add Tristan da Cunha to the list, and make sure the Albatross Bar is your first stop!
Cheers from the edge of the map!
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