There are a lot of cool bars in Barcelona, where you can enjoy a drink after an intense day full of sightseeing. Ranging from trendy rooftops to hidden bars, Barcelona has a lot to offer. Whether you’re in the mood for a cocktail or a sangria, we share the coolest bars in Barcelona you can’t miss.
Surf House
Barcelona is of course also famous for its beach, La Barceloneta. As the name implies (surfing and beaches go hand in hand), The Surf House is located here. It’s a trendy beach bar that offers a variety of food and drinks. It is a popular place for surfers (duh) and tourists. Chances are you’ll have to queue up for a while to get a spot. As with many bars and restaurants in Barcelona, you have the option to dine in or outside on the terrace. Since the queue for the terrace was as long as 25 groups and we were also really hungry, we picked the shortest line, which was the one to eat inside.
The interior is also really lovely, you can find surfboard-shaped tables and surfboards all over the place. You can choose between a lot of healthy dishes, as well as some snacks and a wide selection of veggie alternatives. We went for the nachos and the chicken fingers. The chicken fingers were extremely delicious, the chicken was really tender and perfectly seasoned. We also got two dipping sauces to go with it, one more “curry-esque” and one more spicy. We really recommend their homemade chicken fingers!
Surf House is on the more expensive side, due to its location and popularity we think. We paid just under € 45 for the nachos, chicken fingers and a pitcher of sangria cava (1,3L). It was still worth it, although more expensive than other less touristy places.
Where: Emília Llorca Martín, 22
Rec Comtal 21
Rec Comtal 21 is located near the Arc de Triomf and has this “hidden gem vibe” we are always looking for. The menu is in Spanish only (most of the time this is a good sign). The waiter didn’t speak English that well (again, good sign). We noticed a lot of Spanish people were sitting on the terrace, too, which indicated this is a place only locals go to. This ticked all of our boxes, so we decided to take place on the terrace and order some drinks.
We have tasted a lot of sangria in different places in town and we can confirm that this bar has the best sangria of Barcelona! For only € 5,50 you get a big glass with fruit (not only oranges/lemons) and sangria with lots of alcohol. The sangria in most places we visited tasted more like lemonade, but here we got the real deal.
A glass of cava here costs only € 3,30 as well. However, the cava was nothing to write home about (not bad not good). There are other places that serve better cava at the same price point. We therefore recommend going for the sangria and maybe order something to eat as well as all the dishes we saw being served looked really good!
If we hadn’t made a reservation at Elza y Fred (only 3 minutes walking away) we would’ve stayed for a second (and maybe third, fourth) glass of sangria. We cannot recommend this place enough for its sangria!
Where: Carrer del Rec Comtal, 21
Terrace of Sercotel Rosellón
When preparing our trips, we do our due diligence and research every single source of information (Google, YouTube, Instagram, travel books…). During our prep for Barcelona, we stumbled upon this awesome rooftop bar at Terrace of Sercotel Rosellón. If you’re looking for drinks with an amazing and out of this world view, make sure to grab a sangria at the rooftop bar of this hotel! This is the best place to enjoy some drinks and tapas with a view of La Sagrada Familia.
This was one of the most beautiful and unique rooftops we have ever done. Normally you can also admire the sunset here. We were here on a cloudy day so unfortunately did not see it but that didn’t make this experience any less magical!
We paid € 9 for half a liter of sangria, which is not that expensive for such a touristy place. On top of that, the sangria was also quite tasty!
Where: Carrer del Rosselló, 390
Pro tip
There are limited places so booking is a must. You can’t access the rooftop without booking online. You can book a week in advance and places are running out fast!
Paradiso
Hidden behind a pastrami shop in El Born, a fridge door leads you to a speakeasy serving some outstanding cocktails. The interior is really stunning, we absolutely loved this cocktailbar!
When we arrived we had to wait in line for about 20 minutes, even though the place wasn’t full when we entered. This all adds to the “exclusive” and “private” vibe they want to portray, and honestly we were fine with it! Of course, if you’re visiting every other day and still have to wait in line even though there are plenty of seats available, this can get really boring really fast. For a one time experience though, this really wasn’t a big deal. It made the entrance through the fridge door all the more exciting!
You can sit at the bar, right across the bar or at some tables in the back. When you get the menu, you get a glow in the dark menu with a selection of incredible cocktails. Each cocktail is served in a special way, which is an incredible experience. The waiters explain every little detail (liquors used, garnishes, tastes, etc.).
We had the Space Colada (Piña Colada with a twist)and the Pachamama (Rum, Caçacha). Although we can try to describe what they taste like, the whole experience (and “show-cooking”) is something that just needs to be experienced rather than read about. But we have to say, the cocktails tasted reaaallyy good!
If you think that all this exclusivity and spectacle comes at the price of an arm and a leg, you are mistaken! We paid 11 and 12 euros for our cocktails. Although this is more than you’d pay for, let’s say, one liter of sangria at your local bar, this really seemed like a fair price. The drinks that were on the menu varied between 7 (wine-based drink) and 15 euros (full-blown cocktail). Paradiso even made it into the Top 3 of The World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2021. A visit to Barcelona is not complete without having had a cocktail at Paradiso!
Where: Carrer de Rera Palau, 4
Looking for more Barcelona recommendations?
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