World's coolest streets revealed - as two UK high streets make the top 31

With big brands pushing out independent retailers, a common complaint is that all high streets look the same.

While this can be useful for customers looking for specific items stocked by these trusted chains, many shoppers feel that their local high street has lost a sense of its individuality as local retailers make way for international giants.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom.

When visiting a new city, the best way to experience its culture is to seek out local recommendations and look beyond the chains.

Take London, for example. There are plenty of high streets packed with chain retailers, but down the next street, you can find yourself next to a historic building or standing outside a family-run café that’s been loved by locals for decades.

It comes as Time Out has compiled a ranking of the world’s coolest streets, ranking each street against criteria including food, drink, culture, fun and community spirit.

The best news is that two of the top spots are in the UK, meaning your next adventure could be on your doorstep.

Read on to find out which streets made the top 31.

1. Rua do Senado, Rio de Janeiro

Rua do Senado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is known for its historic houses and traditional bars

When most people think of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, street carnivals are one of the first things that come to mind.

During the week-long Carnival festival, the streets are awash with music, dancers and themed floats.

In downtown Rio, Rua do Senado embraces this vibe with traditional bars hosting lively samba sessions and more modern venues providing regular lineups of DJs and live shows.

2. Orange Street, Osaka

The entrance to Orange Street in Osaka, Japan, is filled with fashion boutiques and lifestyle shops

In one of Japan’s trendy shopping districts, old and new architecture are blended to create a unique neighbourhood known for its boutiques, cafes and vintage shops.

Also known as Tachibana-dori, Orange Street in Osaka was originally a furniture district but has since become a popular spot for locals and tourists alike to soak up the vibrant atmosphere without the crowds of larger shopping areas.

Visitors are encouraged to explore beyond the main street as many unique shops are hidden in the side alleys.

3. Rua do Bonjardim, Porto

In Porto, Portugal, Rua Do Bonjardim in the city center is known for its traditional Portuguese architecture with a distinctive curved facade and balconies

In Porto, Portugal, downtown Rua do Bonjardim (Bonjardim Street) takes third spot.

It is conveniently located close to major attractions like Bolhão Market and Avenida dos Aliados, in a part of the city that’s popular with both tourists and locals.

New and old businesses mingle in this nearly one-kilometre-long street where you’ll find old-school grocers and fun places to stay, such as Village by Boa and Torel Saboaria, a hotel that once housed a soap factory.

4. Fanghua Street, Chengdu

Fanghua Street in Chengdu, the capital of the Chinese province of Sichuan, is described as ‘the city’s go-to strip for people-watching, coffee sipping and boutique browsing’.

Strolling down the street, you will be met with low-rise apartments splashed with murals, coffee shops that turn into wine bars and studios selling handmade jewellery you can watch being crafted in real time.

5. Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal

Sherbrooke Street on the Island of Montreal is known for its historical charm, boutiques, restaurants, museums and art galleries

Claiming a spot within the top five, Sherbrooke Street is the second-longest street on the Island of Montreal, Canada.

Home to the city’s aristocracy in the late 1800s, it is now home to a mixture of historic properties, museums, fashion boutiques and restaurants ranging from casual French and Italian to Southern BBQ and Indian.

6. Montague Road, Brisbane

In the West End neighborhood of Brisbane, Australia, there is no shortage of boutique art stores, plant nurseries and wellness spaces that stay open late

In Brisbane’s West End, this riverside industrial strip is home to ballet and theatre houses that draw in crowds with big-ticket productions.

Between them, you will find boutique art stores, plant nurseries and wellness spaces that stay open late.

For food lovers, there are plenty of bars, Korean street food spots and the city’s tiniest Japanese bar.

Montague Road leads to South Bank and QAGOMA, Brisbane’s hub of contemporary art.

7. Maybachufer, Berlin

Berlin is known for its edgy clubbing scene, but if you venture to the canal side, you will find a 1.5km stretch in Reuterkiez that has traded its nineteenth-century industrial vibe for casual beers under willow trees.

A stall at the weekly market on Maybachufer, Berlin, is pictured

The long-running Neuköllner Wochenmarkt – aka the Turkish Market – is one of Maybachufer’s main draws, with traders hollering deals over hot börek and herbs.

8. Olympou Street, Thessaloniki

In Greece, Thessaloniki, the capital of the north, is known for its laid-back atmosphere and foodie scene.

By day, on Olympou Street, you’ll find stately buildings that house quirky vintage shops and art spaces, like To Pikap, a hybrid coffee bar, independent record label, exhibition space and web radio, attracting creative locals and curious visitors.

As night falls, the street transforms.

Outdoor tables line the streets as indie music plays. You’ll find plenty of traditional taverns and craft beer bars to drink the night away.

9. Orchard Street, New York City

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, is pictured

It’s the city that never sleeps.

Walking down Orchard Street, an eight-block stretch of the Lower East Side, you’ll find thrift stores, leather shops, art galleries and low-rise brick buildings that house unique restaurants.

In the evening, the street is transformed as music begins spilling out of bars while restaurants drag tables into the street for al fresco dinners.

10. Vĩnh Khánh Street, Ho Chi Minh City

Pictured: Vĩnh Khánh Street in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is a water-bound ‘island’ known for its narrow, walkable alleys and bustling nightlife

Walking along Vĩnh Khánh, a kilometre-long street, you’ll find dozens of seafood grills, street sellers selling dried squid and buskers performing in the middle of the road as motorbikes zoom around them.

11. Rue de Flandre, Brussels

Rue de Flandre (also known as Vlaamsestraat) in Brussels, Belgium, is pictured

Just a short stroll from the central square of Brussels, Rue de Flandre is known for its cobbled streets, indie boutiques. cafés and a bustling art scene.

12. Nishihara Shotengai, Tokyo

Escape the crowds in Tokyo by visiting Nishihara, a stylish strip just north of Yoyogi-Uehara, which is packed with bakeries, cosy cafés and intimate bars.

Nishihara Shotengai street in the Nishihara neighborhood of Shibuya, Tokyo, has a local, authentic residential feel and is less crowded than central Shibuya

This calm, walkable pocket of Tokyo blends trends and tradition without the crowds or chaos.

13. Rue des Gravilliers, Paris

In the city of light, the former working-class neighbourhood of Marais is today the centre of trendy Paris, and Rue des Gravilliers is no exception.

Along the 13th-century narrow street you’ll find leather craftsmen, Asian canteens, art galleries and delicious cheeses and sourdough breads

Along the 13th-century narrow street you’ll find leather craftsmen, Asian canteens, art galleries and delicious cheeses and sourdough breads.

14. Joo Chiat Road, Singapore

Pictured: Historical buildings in Joo Chiat Road, Singapore

In Singapore’s eastern Katong district, Joo Chiat Road is known for housing more than 800 colourful storefronts, housing everything from old-school eateries and hip cafés to indie boutiques.

15. Avenida Álvaro Obregón, Mexico City

Pictured: Avenida Álvaro Obregón in the fashionable Roma Norte neighborhood of Mexico City

In spot 15 is Avenida Álvaro Obregón in Mexico City, which was once lined with mansions and Art Nouveau decorations.

At the heart of the Roma neighbourhood, the street is filled with art galleries, restaurants, and cafes on every corner.