Barcelona Cocktail Bars & Lounge Bars
Beer drinkers and wine lovers for most of their history, Catalans were slow to embrace the delights of spirits and the art of mixing them together. However in recent years cocktails have been coming to the fore, with a rush of cocktail bars and lounges opening up around Barcelona, serving a vast and tasty array of concoctions to please the most discerning of palates. This being Spain, where the precise measuring of alcohol is considered uncouth, cocktails are mixed as strong as you like, so be warned before you set off on that epic bar crawl or order one two many mojitos at the restaurants!
Below in by no means an exhaustive list, but we list some of our favourite cocktail bars/lounge bars in the city. From upscale lobbies in 5-star hotels, where you can mingle with polite company, and lush sky bars overlooking the city, to homely haunts where your well-mixed margarita comes with eulogies about FC Barcelona and the sofas are as well-worn as those in your living room... Barcelona has the perfect cocktail-sipping spot for you! Mojitos and caipirinhas are the people's choice of poison, although shop around and you'll get anything from 'Porn Star Martinis' to 'Panther's Milk'. This being Cava country you'll also find some sinfully sparkling Champagne cocktails!
Barcelona Cocktail Bars & Lounges
Find some great recommendations below. Click on the individual bar names (blue links) to reveal more info, location map, photos and public reviews.
Marmalade Bar
Smooth, low-lit and plenty of well-dressed good-lookers loafing around - Marmalade is your archetypal cocktail lounge, thankfully without ever delving into the realms of pretentiousness. As well as traditional combinations you'll find a hit-list of original mixes such as 'La Cucaracha' (The Cockroach), Champagne Charlies and yes the Porn Star Martini.
Slow Cocktail Bar & Boîte
For a truly classy cocktail experience it's hard to beat a night at Slow, where award-winning bartender Francesc Breatu performs liquid alchemy as he rustles together some of the most mouthwatering concoctions in town - try the 'Chocolate Bubbles' if you want to see what we mean! Whilst Barcelona's elite mingle and chat in the front bar earlier on in the evening, later at night Slow's intimate upstairs disco rocks to an eclectic mix of dancefloor friendly tracks.
Coppelia Club
Another upmarket cocteleria, Coppelia Club opened in 2009 and is one of a handful of places revolutionising the scene in Barcelona with its attention to quality and service. Premium brands are used to mix both original creations and of course the classics, whilst a well-heeled crowd gather to relax - or at the weekend let loose. Celeb spottings are not unknown, so if you want to mingle with the jetset put Coppelia on your shortlist!
7Sins Food & Lounge Bar
Centrally located between 'Gayxample' and Raval, 7Sins, as the name suggests, is the perfect place for a spot of (over)indulgence. Classic cocktails plus concoctions named after the seven deadly sins wet your whistle, whilst a dancefloor downstairs means you don't have to venture far when your feet start tapping. Go earlier in the day for gourmet burgers.
La Divina
An intimate nest on a Gothic Quarter back street, La Divina has everything you want from a cocktail bar - innovative cuisine, aesthetically-pleasing bar staff, and meanly-mixed mojitos. Get there early to grab a seat on their mezzanine.
Milk Barcelona
The little sister of the aforementioned Marmalade bar, Milk has won a place in the heart of many a visitor to Barcelona, many of whom return again for another shot at the venue's tantalising drinks menu. The Revolver and Whiskey Savage are two editorial faves.
Rouge Bar
It's hard to beat this hidden gem in Poble Sec if it's atmosphere you're after. Red lights, cherubs, erotic artwork - you'll feel like you're in a Parisien bordello. The cocktails aren't bad either!
Betty Ford's
Surreptitiously positioned on the top of Joaquin Costa in Raval, this Australian-run bar is far from your typically Ozzie spit and sawdust pub. You'll find projections, murals and a Boho crowd to go with your cocktails. The Daiquiri is a winner.
Sugar Bar
A classic stop off point just round the back of Plaza Real, Sugar is perfect for drinking quality cocktails on the cheap - amongst similarly inebriated backpackers on leave from their hostels.
Cocktail Experiences & Activities
Cocktail Making Class
Perhaps you've watched one too many 80s movies featuring Tom Cruise, or perhaps you've simply always wanted to know how to mix a mean-@ss Margarita without spilling ice all over the table top... whatever your motivation a session with one of Barcelona's finest mixologists is an activity that always goes down a treat - especially if you're on a hen weekend - and a great way to start any night out! For just 18 euros you get to learn how to make some of the world's classic cocktails and of course taste them afterwards (you'll drink your money's worth back no problems!). Click on the link above for more info, or email to book.
If you're more of a pint (wo)man than a cocktail quaffer then why not head over to our guide to Irish pubs, or better still our A-Z list of all the best bars, pubs and clubs in Barcelona. Click on the links to any place and you'll get the lowdown, public reviews, plus exact location on a map! To explore several of Barcelona's best lounge bars and end up in the exclusive Opium Mar nightclub then reserve your nightlife tour with us!