9 Best Cocktails Bars in Barcelona

9 Best Cocktails Bars in Barcelona

Barcelona is famed for long summer nights dining ‘al fresco’ on plate after plate of tapas. For some, a plate of churros is a perfect ending to the night. For others, there are cocktail bars. The energy of the city can easily tempt you into sipping cocktails and dancing away until the morning. 

Whether you are looking for somewhere to go to begin a night that never ends, or for a cute first date, this list covers it all. 

1. Bobby Gin

Located in beautiful Gracia, this small Gin bar has a huge vibe! Don’t be put off by the name if gin is not your drink of choice. Bobby Gin serves up an extensive menu of unique cocktails as well as creative gin and tonic mixes. 

Beautiful cocktails are aplenty at Bobby Gin. Image sourced from Bobby Gin official website.

If gin is your favourite giddy juice then this is the perfect place for you. Expect to find ingredients like ‘black tea scent’ and verbena mixed in with your G&T. Cocktails are conjured up with fancy ingredients like Jamaican pepper, rice syrup and lavender. 

Try one of their unique gin and tonic mixes and get blown away by flavour! Image sourced from Bobby Gin official website.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Everyday from 4pm
ADDRESS: Gracia – CARRER DE FRANCESC GINER, 47, 08012 BARCELONA
Metro Station: Diagonal, Verdaguer, Fontana, Gràcia (Train Station)

2. Bar Sauvage

Edgy in its appearance, this is the place where the young and gorgeous go to schmooze. Tattooed bartenders will shake you up a drink by the name of ‘True Romance’ or ‘Dark and Horny’. At the same time, a tattooed DJ will be spinning the best beats to get your body moving under the purple neon lights. Be ready for a party when you head to Bar Sauvage, because that is what you will get.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Sun to Thurs –  8pm to 2:30am, Fri and Sat — 8pm to 3am
ADDRESS: El Born – Passeig del Born, 13, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Metro Station: Jaume I

3. Creps al Born

This equally rowdy cocktail bar lies just over the road from Bar Sauvage. The reason it is on the list, is that it has something Sauvage doesn’t: Crêpes. And for some, that is all the difference! While the cocktails here are as marvellous as any on the list, when paired with a crêpe, the experience is taken to a whole new level. 

The Konair cocktail at Creps al Born. Image sourced from Creps al Born official Facebook page.

This place also throws a fat party, especially on occasions like Halloween or New Year. The bartenders are full of energy and hype. You won’t be sitting still here, crêpe in hand or not!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Mon to Thur –  5pm to 2:30am, Fri –  5pm to 2:30am, Sat –  12pm to 3am, Sun –  12pm to 2:30am
ADDRESS: Passeig Del Born 12, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Metro Station: Barceloneta, Jaume I

4. Paradiso

Not too far from Bar Sauvage and Creps al Born, lies the super sophisticated Paradiso. Though you might have some trouble fining it. This is because Paradiso is hidden behind the plastic fringed curtain of a Pastrami Bar. This exclusive spot appeals to a slightly older, but still trendy crowd and is perfect for a special date or a birthday. 

Paradiso’s ‘Breakfast in Kentucky’. Imaged sourced from Paradiso official website.

The cocktails here really are made to marvel at. The menu is consciously developed using seasonal ingredients that the head mixologist sources from the nearby Santa Caterina market. You can expect fancy techniques like smoking, smashing and setting things on fire. Paired with extraordinary flavour combinations and a beautiful setting, Paradiso is a full sensory experience. And one not to be missed!

You will find all sorts of cocktail theatrics at the beautiful Paradiso. Image sourced from Paradiso official website.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Mon to sun –  7pm to 2:30am
ADDRESS: Gothic Quarter – Carrer de Rera Palau, 4, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Metro Station: Barceloneta, Jaume I

5. Gigi Von Tapas

While this is technically more of a tapas bar than a cocktail bar, it is definitely worth of its spot on the list. Gigi, as it is fondly known, has an incredible drinks menu that will satisfy even the fussiest of tastebuds. It includes cocktails with names like ‘Soldado Joe’, ‘Slip Disc’ and ‘2001: Space Odyssey’, all with equally interesting flavour combinations. Also on the menu, are three variations of sangria and extensive wine, cava and spirit selections.

Pair a strange and wonderful cocktail with delicious tapas at GiGi. Imaged sourced from Gigi Von Tapas official website.

The tapas are definitely worth a try too. But if you are just in the mood for drinking the night away, they also offer an amazing brunch menu to nurse you back to life the next morning!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Monday to Friday — 10:00 to 16:00 (breakfast, brunch), 18:00 to 00:00 (dinner); Saturday to Sunday — 09:00 to 16:00 (breakfast, brunch), 18:00 – 00:00 (dinner)
ADDRESS: Carrer de la Marina, 189, 08013 BCN
Metro Station: Glòries, Marina, Tetuan, Encants

6. Dry Martini

This is Barcelona’s most iconic cocktail bar. Dry Martini opened in 1978, making it over 40 years old. Back then it was run exclusively as a martini bar. The current owner, Javier de las Muelas, contributed largely to the cocktail bar as it is known today. It now boasts a wide selection of Martinis, traditional cocktails and more contemporary, experimental ones. The setting however, is as traditional as you can imagine it being in the 70s. Think lots of timber, leather seats and bow-tied barmen. 

Shaken or stirred, the Martinis here will always please. Image sourced from the Dry Martini official website.

Dry Martini has won tons of awards and has been listed on The World’s 50 Best Bars for seven years. If that doesn’t get your taste buds tingling to spend some time here, I don’t know what will. Get dressed up and fancy and go back to the 70s, while sipping Martinis and this beautiful old bar.

Martinis are a serious business at Dry Martini. Image sourced from Dry Martini official website.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Mon to Fri –  1pm to 2:30am, Sat, Sun –  6:30pm to 3am
ADDRESS: Eixample – Carrer d’Aribau, 162, 166, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Metro Station: Barceloneta, Jaume I

7. El Paraigua

This bar is steeped in even more history than Dry Martini. It was first opened in 1968 and incorporates original furniture and decor from a nearby umbrella store that had recently closed down. Some of these pieces are dated as far back as the late 1800s. Old wall lamps and cash registers give El Paraigua an old-world charm that takes you back to another era.

And that’s not even the best thing about it. Apart from being an incredible cocktail and tapas bar filled with parts of history, it is also a live music venue. The cocktail bar from which jazzy live music exudes, is located underneath the café, in what was once a wine cellar. 

Go retro with a Moscow Mule at El Paraigua.Photo by Wine Dharma on Unsplash.

I would recommend visiting El Paraigua for the experience more than any cocktail. Though that is not to say they aren’t worth the try! The menu is elaborate and, as you can imagine, includes many ‘Retro Cocktails’. Sip a Moscow Mule or Pisco Sour while tapping your toes to the rhythm of live Flamenco music. Just don’t forget it’s the twenty-first century outside!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Sun to Thur –  12pm to 12am, Fri, Sat –  12pm to 3am
ADDRESS: Gothic Quarter – Carrer del Pas de l’Ensenyança, 2, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Metro Station: Liceu, Jaume I

8. Old Fashioned

Just like Dry Martini originally only served Dry Martinis, Old Fashioned is famed for its array of Old Fashioned recipes. This spot is notoriously tiny and can only hold about 30 people at any one time. So hold thumbs and hope you strike it lucky because this is one you don’t want to miss. Especially if you are a fan of the Old Fashioned, like me!

You can’t go wrong with a classic Old Fashioned! Photo by Adam Jaime on Unsplash.

With a name like this, it would be somewhat crazy to order anything other than an Old Fashioned. But for those who don’t fancy the traditional drink, there are enough other cocktail options to keep anyone happy, including a good few variations of gin and tonic. The best part about Old Fashioned’s cocktails, is the way they are served. Definitely take a camera, you will need to Instagram this!

‘Don’t Call Me Doll’. Image sourced from Old Fashioned official website.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Tue to Thur –  12pm to 2am, Fri –  12pm to 3am, Sat –  4pm to 3am, Sun to Mon –  5pm to 2am
ADDRESS: Gracia – Carrer de Santa Teresa, 1, 08012 Barcelona, Spain
Metro Station: Diagonal, Gràcia (Train Station)

9. Bloody Mary

If Old Fashioned is completely full and you just can’t wait, don’t panic. Bloody Mary is right around the corner. Luca and Bruno, the pair behind Olda Fashioned, opened Bloody Mary for this exact reason and to keep a smile on their patrons’ dials! And this is exactly what you can expect at Bloody Mary.

‘Pirikiki’ at Bloody Mary. Image sourced from the Bloody Mary official website.

The cocktails here are displayed so delightfully, you will want more than one, just to see what they look like! As I mentioned with Old Fashioned, bring your camera along for the ride. 

The ‘Locochon’ at Bloody Mary. Don’t forget your camera! Image sourced from the Bloody Mary official website.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Tue to Thur –  6pm to 2am, Fri to Sat –  6pm to 3am, Sun to Mon –  7pm to 1am
ADDRESS: Gracia – Carrer de Ferrer de Blanes, 3, 08012 Barcelona, Spain
Metro Station: Diagonal, Gràcia (Train Station)