This post is a guest contribution from longtime points and miles traveler and cocktail enthusiast Ted Demopoulos. Ted has been traveling on points and miles since before you could book flights online, and drinking since the legal drinking age in the USA was 18 (and maybe a little before!). A frequent visitor to Barcelona, he’s sharing some of his favorite cocktail bars in the city, from historic establishments to some of the world’s most creative cocktail experiences. You can find more from Ted at teddemop.com. We love sharing firsthand travel experiences from our BoldlyGo community. If you’d like to share your own travel story or points and miles adventure, you can submit your contribution here.

Barcelona is a fantastic city. From the Gaudí architecture to the Gothic Quarter to the great food and drinks, it has rapidly become one of my favorite European destinations, and I seem to visit a couple of times or more every year.

It’s an easy and inexpensive hop from almost anywhere in Europe, lots of airlines fly direct from North America, and if you find a good flight to Madrid, which is sometimes easier, you can enjoy Madrid for a few days and then take a quick and easy train ride to Barcelona. My favorite ways to get there include Emirates from Dubai (if you fly first class, you can even take a shower onboard like I did recently), as well as direct from Mexico City, another top cocktail spot, via Emirates or Aeromexico.

Barcelona has several bars that commonly appear on The World’s 50 Best Bars list and the extended 51–100 list, including Paradiso and Sips, which are frequently in the top ten and which we’ll discuss below. With so many excellent options, it’s become one of my favorite cities for exploring creative cocktails, discovering new favorites, and revisiting places I already love.

Boadas Cocktails: A Barcelona Classic Since 1933

The first bar I ever went to in Barcelona was Boadas Cocktails, located just off the main tourist thoroughfare of La Rambla. Think old school, a bar stuck charmingly in time, 1933 to be exact, when they first opened.

You won’t find any cutting-edge cocktail techniques here; rather, the classics done extremely well. I always order their cocktail of the day, often a forgotten or at least “unknown to me” classic. It’s one of the things I enjoy most about visiting Boadas, as there’s always the opportunity to discover something I haven’t tried before.

The last two years, they’ve been on the extended World’s 50 Best Bars list, currently at #52 for 2026, and they’re great whether they’re on the list or not.

Dr. Stravinsky: My Favorite Cocktail Bar in Barcelona

My favorite bar is Dr. Stravinsky in the Gothic Quarter. This is without doubt an unusual bar, which resembles a mad scientist’s laboratory, and they make many of their own ingredients. If you bring a friend who wants something generic like a vodka and tonic, they’ll be disappointed, but if you want creative and delicious concoctions you’ll find nowhere else, this is the place to go!

If I had to pick a favorite cocktail, it would probably be their Tuber Negroni, which is my favorite rendition of a Negroni ever. It has black truffle-infused mezcal, a homemade fir pine liqueur, as well as the standard vermouth and Campari, and is served with Tête de Moine cheese on its large ice cube, which looks like mashed potatoes.

In fact, many of their cocktails have a goat cheese that they make themselves. The menu is fun and fairly easy to decipher, even with all the unusual ingredients and creative combinations.

Paradiso: Creative Cocktails Behind a Hidden Door

A visit to Dr. Stravinsky is easily combined with nearby Paradiso, another bar with very creative cocktails that has been in the top ten bars list lately, currently at #4.

Paradiso is supposedly “hidden” behind a refrigerator door in a pastrami shop. I say “hidden” because there is often a line, and at least these days, with its well-deserved fame, it’s easy to find. It was the top bar on The World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2022.

Expect theatrics like cocktails that glow in the dark, oddly shaped drinking vessels, and a lot more. They also have a hidden speakeasy within Paradiso that you might be invited to visit. It’s behind a urinal in the back, but don’t use the urinal, it’s nonfunctional! It’s unclear how often this hidden speakeasy within Paradiso is open.

One of the many things I love about Paradiso is how well the bartenders know the cocktail list and can steer you toward drinks you’ll love. With so many creative options on the menu, their recommendations are especially helpful.

Oh, the pastrami is great too, and you can order it at the bar! They have recently started taking reservations, although I generally arrive early when there is little to no line.

Sips Drinkery House: One of the World’s Best Cocktail Bars

Sips, officially “Sips Drinkery House,” is a bar that jumps to many people’s minds first when they think of Barcelona. Unlike Paradiso, reservations are almost required, and you should make them in advance, although they allow limited walk-ins, currently after 12:30 a.m.

You’ll get a 90-minute slot to enjoy cutting-edge cocktails, plenty of time to enjoy two or three or more cocktails. Like Paradiso, they have also hit #1 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list, in 2023.

My favorite cocktail there may be their ever-changing Espresso Martini, although they never call it that. My last one was rum-based and had molecular gastronomy-type white foam on top that was simply incredible tasting.

Interestingly enough, Sips doesn’t have an actual bar. Drinks are prepared at a central island and brought to customers who sit at nearby tables. It’s a different setup from the traditional cocktail bar experience, but it works well with their approach to creative drinks.

Esencia, which requires a separate reservation, is basically the back room of Sips. I found it fascinating and will probably do it again sometime, although for general drinking I prefer Sips.

Two Schmucks: A Five-Star Dive Bar With Excellent Cocktails

Two Schmucks is another bizarre bar and favorite. I stumbled upon it late one night, and the infamous sign in front drew me in (“We’re all C*nts here, come on in”).

They describe themselves as a “Five Star Dive Bar,” and I agree that’s a good description. Cheap beer and excellent creative cocktails. My favorite is the Tzatziki Martini, and I’ve spent some time and effort reverse-engineering it and commonly serve it at home.

Two Schmucks is another bar I stumbled across and love that has been on The World’s 50 Best Bars list, peaking at #7 in 2022. The bar is great today, although most of the creative staff left in 2022 in what was clearly a messy story.

FOCO: A New Favorite in Barcelona

FOCO, short for Foreign Correspondents, is a bar I’ve been to only once so far, and I immediately fell in love with it. Although it was warm and there was outside seating, I opted for the bar, as I often do, and had a series of amazing drinks.

They have a lot of their own interpretations of classics and do them extremely well. They hit #89 on the best bars list in 2025 and #90 in 2026. They’ll be one of my first stops when I return to Barcelona!

More Great Cocktail Bars in Barcelona

There are lots of other great cocktail bars in Barcelona. A couple more mentioned often by bartenders include Dry Martini and 14 de la Rosa.

My advice is always the same. Don’t depend entirely on any list. Use it as a starting point. Talk to bartenders and patrons and get their advice. Stop by interesting-looking places and check them out. In other words, explore!

Of course, drink responsibly. I love cocktails, and I don’t drink most nights. I rarely try to cram too many bars into a few nights or a week as though I’m checking off items on a list. I’d hate to develop a problem with alcohol and need to quit!

I love to travel, often for nearly free using points and miles. And one of my loves of traveling is trying the different food and drink in different places.

¡Salud!

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About the Author: Ted Demopoulos

Ted Demopoulos has been traveling on points and miles since before you could book flights online, and drinking since the USA drinking age was 18 (and maybe a little before?). He enjoys exploring different food and drink cultures around the world and regularly returns to Barcelona to discover its incredible cocktail scene.

Find more from Ted at teddemop.com.