The 15 Best Bars in Barcelona, Spain

Unpretentious beer bar on Carrer Blai serving craft and imported beers alongside the pintxos strips. The selection is better than most Barcelona bars, and the prices stay reasonable despite the street's growing popularity.

View venue →

Operating since 1820, this is Barcelona's oldest bar and the city's most famous absinthe joint. Hemingway and Picasso drank here. The crumbling interiors haven't been updated in decades, and that's the point. Absinthe served the traditional way, with sugar and water.

View venue →

Dive bar on Carrer de Joaquin Costa with sticky floors, cheap drinks, and a crowd that doesn't care about appearances. Open late, unpretentious, and reliably packed on weekends. One of the last genuine dive bars in a rapidly gentrifying area.

View venue →

Tiny French-themed bar on Carrer de Santa Monica decorated with Edith Piaf memorabilia. Live music on some nights: chanson, flamenco, or jazz. The space holds maybe 40 people, creating an intimate atmosphere that larger venues can't replicate.

View venue →

Neighborhood wine bar on Carrer del Parlament, a street that has become Poble Sec's second social axis after Carrer Blai. Good vermouth on tap, natural wines, and a terrace that fills with locals from 6 PM onward.

View venue →

Vinyl bar and cocktail spot decorated with vinyl records and vintage audio equipment. Good cocktails at reasonable prices, a local crowd, and DJs spinning funk, soul, and disco on weekends. One of upper Raval's most reliably good bars.

View venue →

Tiny Art Deco cocktail bar opened in 1933, one block off La Rambla. The founder trained under the head bartender at Havana's La Floridita. Classic cocktails made by bartenders in white jackets. Standing room only. Skip the tourist bars on La Rambla and come here instead.

View venue →

Grand cafe across from the Liceu opera house, operating since 1929. High ceilings, mirrors, and an atmosphere that belongs to another era. Good for a single drink and people-watching from the terrace, though prices reflect the prime location.

View venue →

Curved, sculptural bar designed by architect Alfredo Arribas, wrapped in a mahogany shell that looks like the inside of a whale. Serves cocktails and coffee depending on the hour. The design alone is worth a visit.

View venue →

Former 19th-century pastry shop converted into a cocktail bar, with the original display cases and ornate woodwork still intact. The gin and tonics are reliable, and the interior is one of the most photogenic bar spaces in Barcelona.

View venue →

Craft brewery and taproom tucked into a former garage space near MACBA. They brew on-site and rotate taps regularly. The crowd is young and international, drawn by the quality of the IPAs and pale ales.

View venue →

Retro-themed bar near Placa Reial decorated with vintage toys, movie posters, and pop culture memorabilia from the 1980s and 1990s. Cheap drinks by Barcelona standards and a fun, unpretentious crowd.

View venue →

Corner bar at the entrance to Placa Reial with a large outdoor terrace. Nothing fancy, but the location is ideal for watching the square fill up as the evening progresses. Beer and sangria at reasonable prices for the area.

View venue →

Cocktail bar on Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes with exposed brick walls and an intimate feel. The bartenders make classic cocktails well and the prices stay reasonable by Barcelona standards. Good for a pre-club drink or a quieter alternative to Carrer Blai.

View venue →

Corner bar on Passeig de Montjuic with a terrace facing the hillside. Serves vermouth, local wines, and simple tapas. The regulars are mostly neighborhood residents, and the atmosphere is as local as Barcelona gets.

View venue →