There used to be a time, in Barcelona, when you’d feel like a desert nomad desperately searching for an oasis, when looking for a classy bar. You’d have plenty of watering holes, but cocktail bars, whisky bars, gin bars etc. would be few and far between.
This has changed radically, especially during the last 6-7 years, and these days there’s a bar for every taste, which is why we’ve put together this bar crawl itinerary in Barcelona, from absinthe to beer.
The Classic
Bar Boadas, C/Tallers 1.
Literally just off the famous Las Ramblas street, the innocuous entrance leads to “Barcelona’s oldest cocktail bar”. Basically, it used to be just about the only bar of this type in the city. The tuxedoed bartenders really know their craft, and it is still maybe the best bar to enjoy the classic cocktails.
The Traditional
Casa Almirall, Carrer de Joaquín Costa, 33.
Located in a beautiful modernist building, this bar founded in 1860 is an institution for Barcelonin bar-flies. It is a perfect setting to enjoy a single malt, a gin & tonic or any other classic drink.
The Stylish
Ideal Cocktail Bar, Carrer d’Aribau, 89.
You might notice a trend here, a bias towards the authentic and classic. Ideal has served happy customers since 1931 in stunning surroundings in the swanky Eixample neighbourhood. One or two of the bartenders seem like they have been around since 1931, and that’s a good thing!
The Quirky
El Bosc de les Fades, Passatge de la Banca, 7.
This “forest of the fairies” is exactly what the name suggests, oddly enough! The bar is decorated like an enchanted forest, and it is maybe not the place you go to be wooed over by stellar bartending, but rather for a night out with friends in a unique, fun setting.
The Gin Bar
Old Fashioned Gin Tonic & Cocktail Bar, Carrer de Santa Teresa, 1
The gin craze has raged on in Barcelona for a few years already, and showing few signs of slowing down. If your mission is to taste that rare gin from a producer know one knows about Old Fashioned is the place. Naturally, it is also the place for the classic brands of gin.
The Absinthe Bar
Bar Marsella, Carrer Sant Pau, 65.
“Hemingway drank here” is a claim to fame that more than a few bars across the globe can proclaim – while not necessarily a stamp of quality, it is a testament to endurance. Marsella, founded in 1820, can lay claim to both. That is, if “quality” for you means a truly authentic atmosphere and a limitless amount of absinthe. The interior “design” is worth a visit in itself.
The Whisky Bar
La Whiskería, Carrer de les Sitges, 3
Whisky, at least of the single malt kind, is almost still a novelty in Spain. Not so at La Whiskería. It is another Barcelona “original”, founded in 1969 when enjoying a Laphroaig or a Macallan wasn’t exactly commonplace. The bar is known for its whisky selection and friendly atmosphere.
The Beer Place
Cervesería Jazz, Carrer de Margarit, 43
Beer is another beverage that has gained a status way beyond where it was between the year 218 BC (when the Romans introduced wine) and the 21st Century. One place that hasn’t just jumped on the craft-beer craze bandwagon is Cervesería Jazz. The bar has been around since 1993, and serves craft beers from around the world, accompanied by tasty burgers.
Fancy making your own cocktails while visiting Barcelona? Join our cocktail making class and impress your friends with your bartending skills!