Barcelona Today: Updates from the Road
Barcelona, April 2025
Preliminary thoughts and updates on Barcelona these days. Short reviews on hotels, restaurants, wine bars and cocktail bars. Many of these spots will be written up more fully in upcoming blog posts.
HOTELS
The Cotton House – High luxury right on the Gran Vía: busy street but convenient location. The building would be worth a visit on its own, with dark wood and ornate decoration everywhere. The garden bar-restaurant is an oasis away from the street. Discreet, attentive staff everywhere for whatever you might need, if that’s your style.
Mercer Barcelona – Deep in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, the Mercer reclaimed a medieval palacio and created one of Spain’s great boutique hotels. Secluded, dreamy.
H10 Casa Mimosa – Who doesn’t want to stay in a Modernist palace? From the outdoor terrace in back to the rooftop with views of La Pedrera, this is a hotel to spend a bit more time at. The location, away from the old town, puts you close to great restaurants and Gaudi buildings galore.
Nobu Hotel Barcelona – The Barcelona outpost of the Nobu group is right next to the Sants train station, but far from the main attractions. The modern high-rise has a rooftop bar with 360 degree views that’s worth a visit and, of course, a Nobu restaurant.
Monument Hotel – A hotel with the best of everything, from the Rolex store downstairs to 3 Michelin star Lasarte and 1-star Oria. Right on the Paseo de Gracia, home to luxury shops of all stripes. A glamorous rooftop for warm evenings is welcome. If you want everything without having to leave your hotel, the Monument has it.
Casa Bonay – An artist-filled enclave smack between the Eixample and the Born neighborhoods. A nice if noisy cocktail bar and a very good casual restaurant with an impressive selection of wines by the glass.
Hotel Duquesa de Cardona - Overlooking the yacht-filled leisure port at the bottom of the Gothic. People come for the rooftop, and you’ve got hidden old streets just around the corner and easy access to the maritime Barceloneta district. The staff and rooms punch above their weight, making this a good value place to stay.
RESTAURANTS
Ciudad Condal – Ciudad Condal was always the standby–great food, especially seafood, fast, sit at the bar and just off Plaça Catalunya. But today it is so popular that there are lines winding down the street. I go elsewhere. Around noon you might be able to slip in for a plate of razor clams without waiting.
La Cova Fumada – A slice of old-world Barcelona in the seaside Barceloneta district. Classic neighborhood tapas for savory breakfast or lunch. The spicy bombas are famous, but the fish and seafood plates make it worth the effort to get in here. It does require effort: short hours, no reservations, lines and tiny stools. Prices remain very fair.
Casa Alfonso – A little piece of Andalucía in Barcelona’s Eixample district. Traditional tapas at the bar or in the casual restaurant section. Not as inexpensive as similar places in Andalucía but of course this is Barcelona. Top Iberian charcuterie and cheese on offer, including to go from the tiny deli counter.
La Bodegueta – Right in the center of the Eixample, this is a place to hide out for a drink and a tapa. There’s an outdoor terrace on Rambla de Cataluña, but the atmosphere is inside: old bottles, wooden barrels, tiny tables, local clients. Order vermouth or wine by the glass and a plate or three of excellent cheese or charcuterie for a snack or a light meal.
Xarcuteria La Pineda – Old style ultramarinos deli/bar in the Gothic Quarter. Marble tables, hand-sliced Iberian ham, famous name (and pricey) wines by the glass.
Denassus – The place to go on Carrer Blai, the pedestrian tapas alley of hillside Poble Sec. Part wine bar, part restaurant, Denassus has great wine (the owners are sommeliers) and a short menu of good food. Whether you want a few plates and glasses of wine or a full meal with bottles, you can do it. It’s open straight through from noon to night, a rarity, making this a good place to go at odd hours.
Reserva Ibérica – More of a tapas bar than a restaurant, but my is it classy. They have great Cava and famous Spanish wines by the glass and full-time jamón carvers slicing up your appetizer. Beautiful place.
WINE BARS
La Vinya del Senyor – La Vinya del Senyor is an institution in Barcelona’s Born District. The four outside tables squarely face the Catalan Gothic Basilica of Santa María del Mar while the inside allows for standing or sitting at the bar, if you can snag a seat. As befits a wine bar belonging to what is arguably the city’s best wine store–Vila Viniteca–the wine list, by the glass or bottle, is always impressive.
Cellarer – In the Eixample Esquerra, or Left Eixample, Cellarer wine bar is an unassuming spot with always pleasing wines by the glass. They lean towards Galician wines and Spanish cuvées from small producers.
Món Vínic – Món Vínic is one of my favorites. They used to have a restaurant in the back, but now it’s a wine bar with a grand selection of Spanish and foreign wines by the glass and a small selection of charcuterie, cheese and the like. Doubles as a shop selling bottles of wine.
Público – New on the scene on trendy pedestrian street Enric Granados. Under the radar, so it isn’t overrun by the crowds clogging the other places on the same street. Great wine by the glass, tables outside for people-watching and an award-winning restaurant in back.
COCKTAIL BARS
Dr. Stravinsky – High-concept cocktail bar hidden in the Born. Drinks use tinctures, infusions and all sorts of seemingly alchemical techniques. Not a place to go for classics, but to try something new. Expect to wait in line: the bar’s been listed many times as one of the world’s best cocktail bars.
Dry Martini – Of course, Dry Martini. Been there forever, as classic as they come. Old-school, efficient bartenders mix classics for Catalan elites and savvy drinkers.
Hemingway – Down the street from Dry Martini. Slightly hipper, younger crowd. Very small space and original cocktails served in novelty glasses. Drinks: very good.
Bar Negroni – A hidden boutique cocktail bar in the Raval District. No cocktail list: tell the bartender the flavors you prefer and he’ll mix up a drink that hits the right notes. Vibe is dive-bar, but drinks are among the city’s best. Be a little careful at night in the neighborhood.
Boadas – Ultra-classic bar hidden just off the Ramblas. Founded in 1933 and frequent watering hole for Catalan artists and writers. Tiny place, with classic cocktails and Cuban-inspired drinks on offer. If you have extra cash, there are drinks made with decades-old rums and other spirits.
Mr. White – Hip cocktail bar in hip Sant Antoni. Spacious and spotless with comfortable seating and a small bar. There are creative cocktails, but the classics are done well too.