Barcelona’s Tipsy History

Barcelona has quite an interesting history – including an ongoing desire to become a separate country from the rest of Spain! So it should be no surprise that there are bars and restaurants with history and stories of their own, especially in the Gothic Quarter and El Born neighborhood.

For example, 4 Gats (or Els Quatre Gats in Catalan) opened in 1897 and was a magnet for artists and writers including Picasso, who held his first exhibition here. After being closed for a few years, it reopened in 1989 and still looks like something out of 1920s Spain. The food and drinks are authentic and tasty. It’s definitely worth a visit!

Picasso was also a patron of Boadas, an upscale cocktail bar that’s been around since 1933. It’s an easy walk to the north end of La Rambla. 

Not historic enough for you?  How about a bar that’s been around since 1820? Bar Marsella is one of the oldest in the city and was frequented not only by Picasso, but also Hemingway, Dali, and Gaudi were said to enjoy a pour or two here – particularly the absinthe! We were able to enjoy a nice Manhattan, but not without asking more than once. They prefer to keep it simple and with cash if you have it. Again, worth the walk through the Gothic Quarter to Raval.

Writers and artists also spent time over the years at Bar del Pi, known to be one of the oldest remaining tapas bars in the city, founded in 1927. We enjoyed a visit on the upstairs terrace with some excellent food and drinks, including a mug of the local brew. They also have a lovely patio space on the square, which is common in Barcelona.

Speaking of historic squares, the Placa Reial (or Royal Place) is a lovely outdoor space just off La Rambla with a variety of bars and restaurants. We found it to be just as busy and vibrant at night as during the day. It’s also a bit #offthetipsypath, but well worth seeking out!

One of our favorite spots on the Placa Reial is Ocana. We wandered up one evening and the gentleman in drag (yes, and he looked fabulous!!!) escorted us to an outdoor table. The drinks and paella were so good, we missed the live jazz inside! Ocana is actually three very distinct spaces including a separate cocktail bar – Apotheke – downstairs. We highly recommend taking time to explore them all!

Rei de Copes is also a great spot on the square to soak up the sights over a cocktail on the patio. And we heard great things about Pipa Club, but they weren’t open the night we were on the square.

Our experience at Ocana isn’t unique – Barcelona is an extremely walkable city where sometimes you can just wander into some amazing cocktails!

Case in point – Especiarium. We probably walked past this intimate spot a dozen times on our way through Born before we stopped in. And we are so glad we dropped by! The mixologists here are as creative as any we found on the “best of” list. Our cocktails were served with wooden boxes on the side and we were encouraged to open the box and inhale the contents after taking each sip to get the most of the flavors in the drink. What a creative way to enhance the experience!

Just down the street from there is yet another example of what we’ll call “fortunate drinking.” We found our way into Dux to meet a friend and wound up having some amazing cocktails. Dux labels itself as a gin joint, but don’t sleep on the bourbon and wine!

Barcelona is full of lively squares and outdoor patio spaces. We found Ina as we were walking through a square and decided to stop for some wine and tapas. Same goes for Travel Bar, which was recommended as a good stop for tourists. We enjoyed espresso martinis in their outdoor space as the bar inside was busy with a cocktail class.

And finally, there are quite a few breweries or brewpubs in Barcelona, some with outdoor spaces. We enjoyed an afternoon at Black Lab Brewhouse & Kitchen on their patio. It’s an American-style brewery founded by two Americans from Chicago. Check them out if you are down near the Barceloneta beach!

We hope we’ve said enough to get you excited to visit Barcelona for yourself. Let us know what you think!

🍷 Best Bars in Barcelona (and the world) 🍷

If Barcelona, Spain isn’t on your list, it should be! The coastal city in the Catalonia region is much bigger and more beautiful than we expected. And did we mention that there are no less than four of the top 50 best bars in the world here?  Yes, we visited them all! The city is so big and so diverse that we could never reflect everything in one post. So we’ll focus on the coolest and most historic bars we visited, most of which are centered in the Born district and Gothic Quarter, two of the most historic neighborhoods in the city.

First, the cocktail bar voted #1 in the world according to World’s Best Bars in 2023 and #3 in 2024 – Sips. This is a classic cocktail bar with lots of wood and leather and intimate lighting with one exception – the bar is in the middle of the room instead of along the wall. The mixologists create their award-winning cocktails from every angle of the bar space. And the payoff is a full menu of tasty and creative drinks! We enjoyed one that included a side of bubbles – yes, the kind you blow with a wand.

Now, we can’t go any further without digging into our favorite cocktail place on the entire trip and deserving of a spot on the 2024 World’s Best Bars. Paradiso has it all in our opinion. From the time we walked in the door, (behind an unassuming sandwich shop) the staff was welcoming and friendly and clearly enjoy their jobs. We scored two seats at the bar and marveled at the acrobatics of the bartenders as they created cocktails that were incredibly presented and tasted just as good. Make sure you ask about their back-room speakeasy but be prepared for a cheeky answer as they keep the mystery. Hint – it’s a restroom… or is it? This is our #tipsypick for sure!

There’s no question about the previous life of our next cocktail spot. Dr. Stravinsky proudly embraces its heritage as a former apothecary space. It’s worth it to grab a cocktail and walk around all three floors. The shelves are lined with their own brand of spirits and other interesting items on display. The menus are just as creative. The “Manhattan Essences” was particularly good. It’s a fat-washed version of the classic Manhattan.

One of the best dinners we had in Barcelona was at a restaurant called Speakeasy. Yes, the name is accurate as the space appears to be a former storage room turned into an upscale dining room. To enter you ring a doorbell at an unmarked door. The wine and cocktails were superb as was the food.

The restaurant is connected to a historic cocktail bar called Dry Martini. This elegant spot has been around for more than four decades, serving the signature dry martini. When it opened, that was all they served. The menu has expanded since then, but the flavor of the space remains unchanged – lots of dark wood, leather chairs and a martini recipe on full display along with servers in white shirts who can guide you along the way. It was the first European bar to make the World’s 50 Best list, and deservedly so. And the martinis are indeed as good as you would expect. They also make an excellent Gimlet. 

Ever been to a bar hidden behind a beverage cooler? That’s Supermercat! This intimate cocktail bar is hidden from the street as a beverage cooler. The only giveaway is the person at the door. Don’t be surprised if you have to wait to get in – there are only about a dozen seats. That means there’s not a bad view in the house to watch the mixologists at work (and to enjoy it!)

All the bars we have mentioned so far are relative newcomers compared to the rest of our list. We look forward to sharing them in our next post. Share your faves below. Merci!