The Best Bars in Barcelona

In this newsletter, I spotlight three of the best bars in Barcelona, and include my first paid subscriber benefit: a curated Google Maps guide to 21 bars worth drinking at in Barcelona.

It could probably be said about most cities these days as drinking culture continues to boom globally, but there’s truly never been a better time to drink in sunny Barcelona. Trendy and traditional vermuterias and wine bars are aplenty, the historic Boadas where the thrown cocktail technique was born is getting a long overdue revival (thank god), and the city is currently home to the World’s Best Bar 2022, Paradiso. Whether you fancy yourself a fine cocktail, some natty wine, or simply some vermouth con tapas (yeah, gonna drip in a little Español here), Barcelona has it all.

I’ve been to the Catalonian capital three times so far, and have still not visited the Pablo Picasso museum, or toured the breathtaking architectural masterpiece that is the Sagrada Família Basilica (I’ve seen it from a nearby rooftop bar, and that was good enough for me), but I have been to many of the city’s best bars which is beneficial for any of you reading this because my intel is pretty legit.

That said, free subscribers are out of luck this time around as you’ll only have access to the three bars that I spotlight below (which I believe are the three spots you can’t miss on your first trip to the city). Paid subscribers, however, have access to an exclusive Google Maps guide to 21 of Barcelona’s best cocktail bars, vermuterias, and one kick-ass natural wine bar which you can save for your next trip to the city.

Paradiso

Courtesy of Paradiso

At Paradiso, the World’s Best Bar in 2022, enter the space through the unassuming fridge door and the pastrami shop and buckle-in for an interactive cocktail experience. Every drink is a showstopper that tells a story if you peel back its layers. The current menu Evolution of Humankind is an exploration of significant discoveries and inventions throughout history, from realizing elements such as fire, to the creation of penicillin by doctor Alexander Fleming.

The drinks are meant to evoke curiosity through their inventive and theatrical nature — they all hit the brief (and are Instagrammable AF). The On Fire, a smoky, sweet and toasty twist on a clarified milk punch is inspired by the discovery and domination of fire. Presented on a glass tray, with elements typically found in a forest such as edible flowers and the like, the drink balances bourbon, calvados, tahini, grilled sweet potato water, smoked milk, lemon and PX sherry for a complex serve that is a perfect example of the types of drinks you’ll find on their menu. Whether you’re a cocktail nerd, or someone who simply seeks out unique bar experiences, you can’t go wrong with Paradiso.

Sips

For such a relatively small cocktailing city, the fact that Barcelona is home to the world’s best bar and Sips, which is currently sits at #3 on the World’s 50 Best list, is an impressive feat. Sips is the brain child of award-winning bartender Simone Caporale and his partner Marc Alvarez, and is as laidback as it is high-tech.

The bar station where drinks are built is an island reminiscent of one you’d find in someone’s really nice kitchen, except designed to churn high-concept cocktails. There are 29 drinks on the menu, with a mix or signatures and ‘class-sips’, which are classics reimagined in the Sips style. Take the Espresso Martini for example: the base is as you’d typically expect it, but a delicious and aesthetically-appealing mocha-espresso foam is floated on top to elevate the cult-classic cocktail. It’s one of the many examples of the clever, yet approachable drinks you’ll find at Sips. I haven’t been since they were named #3 in the world in 2022, but my recommendation would be to get there before they open to guarantee yourself a table as they only take reservations at the door; and I would bet my money on there being a line.

Boadas

Boadas is Barcelona's oldest cocktail bar, and one of the most iconic bars in the world. It was founded in 1930 by Miguel Boadas, who learned how to bartend at El Floridita in Havana, Cuba — another one of the world’s most famous bars. It was while working in Havana that M. Boadas learned how to throw a cocktail (a Daiquiri, specifically). It’s a technique known in Spanish as “escanciado,” (a common Basque method of pouring cidre and txakoli wine) and it’s when the bartender long-pours a cocktail from one tin to another with the straining tin held overhead and the receiving tin by the waist, creating a stream of liquid suspended in air. It’s a theatrical affair, but is purposeful as it’s meant to gently aerate and dilute the cocktail (think of it as somewhere in between shaking and stirring).

At Boadas in Barcelona, you’ll get to witness this timeless technique first-hand anytime you order a Martini—the bar’s signature serve—among other drinks as well. Admittedly, the cocktails at this bar aren’t very good, but Simone Caporale recently acquired the venue and has plans to breathe some new life into the beverage program, restoring it to its former glory days. Hopefully by the time we all get there, the cocktails have been improved by Caporale; but regardless, it’s a historic bar that you can’t miss, even if it’s for one rocket fuel Martini cocktail.