Barcelona Beer Bars & Pubs

The Catalans and Barcelonins have been beer lovers for decades now, despite the region's association with Cava, the sparkling white wine heavily produced in the surrounding vineyards. Cerveza is the standard order with any light snack or tapas and - although a glass of vino tinto might be more common at a restaurant - once dinner is over, it's usually back to the brews. For a long time the choice of beers in Barcelona, especially in bars / restaurants has been woefully limited, but thankfully now that's changing with a number of specialist microbreweries and beer bars - known as cerveserias / cervecerias in Spanish - springing up around the city and offering a greater range of ales, stouts and lagers. (You'll find a list of some of the best below!).

The one brand you'll never struggle to lay your hands on is Estrella Damm, which has been brewed in Barcelona since 1876 - their distinctive gold-starred red labels grace the taps of virtually every joint in the city. Locals normally prefer to drink it by the bottle, in cana-sized glasses, which are normally around 25-33cl, or even as canitas - smaller measures still. (However many Irish pubs and expat bars will serve it in half-litre or pint glasses, and a few student places will even offer you a litre jug if you've really got a thirst on).

After going bankrupt in 1978, in 2004 Moritz relaunched the beer they first brewed in Barcelona back in 1856 (although the brewery itself is now in Zaragossa), and have recently succeeded in making a dent in Estrella's market dominance. It's a light pale beer made with saaz hops, and championed by some of the hipper bars in town. Other Spanish options widely available around town are San Miguel and Mahou (both brewed by the Mahou-San Miguel group), whilst Estrella Damm's darker cousin, Voll-Damm, is certainly worth an experimental sip or two.

Above: Whose round is it anyway?

For many foreigners, especially expats living in Barcelona, the above don't represent the variety and quality they are accustomed to in the US, UK or Germany for example - where beer-making is a fine art and local produce is swelled by a huge import industry. Thankfully several savvy pub owners have cottoned on to the gap in the market and, despite the logistical difficulties in such a small import market, are succeeding in getting in some of the best brews from around the world behind their bars. Below we list some favourites:

Barcelona Beer Bars & Brew Pubs

Click on the blue links for full reviews, public opinions and location maps.

The Loch Inn
There are many Irish and British pubs in Barcelona, but when it comes to beer selection one stands out: The Loch Inn. Instead of the rather plain Estrella, they've gone for the far superior Estrella Galicia on tap. Instead of a typical international premier lager, they've selected the marvelous original Czech Budva (from which the American Budweiser originated - however don't worry they are chalk and cheese in terms of taste!). Also on tap are the well-loved Fransizkaner and Leffe (Ruby) beers, whilst in the bottle you'll find various numbers by Scottish brewers BrewDog and a mouthwatering selection of ales such as Spitfire, East India Pale Ale and Bishop's Finger (which we have been assured is more appetizing than it sounds).

eSe eFe
Run by two beer aficionados from San Francisco, since 2010, this homely joint in Raval has quickly become a favourite calling place for Barcelona's hopsters. With ten taps offering a variety of brews, including the likes of Anchor (California) and Brew Dog (Scotland), there's an ale with your name on it at eSe eFe. Don't miss their weekly 'Hoppy Mondays' when a new hard-to-find malt goes on showcase, whilst at the weekends there's live jams and concerts.
C/Carretes 48

Cat Bar
This oddball bar and vegan restaurant is also one of Barcelona's foremost pitstops for thirsty beer lovers. There's a total of 34 drops to choose from, the majority of which are craft/artesan or microbrewery beers. 23 of the 34 are Spanish, 19 of the 23 Spanish ones are from Catalonia, and 8 of the 19 Catalan beers are from Barcelona itself - so plenty of local and regional flavours to choose from, whether you fancy wheat beers, pale ales, stouts or even a spiced and toasted winter ale. Supplementing these are nine Brew Dogs beers, such as 'The Trashy Blonde', 'Punk IPA' and the superb 'Alice Porter', a sacred union of one 300-year-old recipe and two cross continental hop varieties. They also have the original Czech Budvar.
C/Boria 17

Kabara
More of a restaurant than a bar, nonetheless Kabara is an excellent place to go for a brew or two, especially if you're hungry. The Palestinian owner has managed to get his hands on Taybeh, the best beer in the Middle East - made with only four natural ingredients, it's so good that the Germans themselves have even bought the rights to brew and bottle it in Europe. It's the perfect accompaniment to Kabara's eclectic cuisine and only 2.5 euros a bottle. Meanwhile beer lovers can also order Zywiec (Poland), Hoegarden (Belgium) and Volldamm (Spain).
C/Junta de Comerc 20

Cerveseria Jazz
This traditional Spanish-style cerveceria can be found out in Poble Sec and has an excellent range of bottled beers, including local Catalan artesan beers, and some German and Czech brews on tap.
C/Margarit, 43