The Best Hidden Gem Bars in Barcelona

Named for the medieval cemetery that once occupied the site beneath El Born, El Fossar is a low-ceilinged cave bar that takes its history seriously without being morbid about it. The original stone walls are lit by candles only. Seating for eighteen. The drinks list runs vermut, cava, and a small selection of carefully sourced spirits. The house vermouth on ice is three euros and arguably the best in the neighbourhood.

Order: House vermouth on ice with a slice of orange and a few olives on the side

A converted Gothic Quarter shop front that became a natural wine bar in 2016. The owners import directly from small Catalan producers and the list is written on a chalkboard that changes weekly. Standing room and a handful of stools at the bar. Bottles available to take away at shop prices. The staff speak Catalan, Castellano, and enough English to help you pick something you'll like without steering you toward the expensive options.

Order: Ask for a glass of the current Priorat — they always have something from the region open

Bar Mirall has been on the same El Born corner since 1978. The interior has not been updated since approximately 1995 and it is better for it. The mirrors that give the bar its name run the full length of the back wall. The prices are unchanged from a decade ago in practical terms. The crowd is mixed age, mixed nationality, and uniformly unbothered about being seen. Order a clara and stay longer than you planned to.

Order: A clara — lager with a splash of lemon soda, cold and cheap and correct for Barcelona

A family-run wine bar on a Gràcia square that does not appear on any map application. The terrace faces a small plaza where the neighbourhood meets in the evenings. The wine list concentrates on Catalonia and Aragon. The pintxos come out at 7pm and are gone by 8:30pm if you arrive late. Come early, order the spread, and settle in for the evening. It is the most honest neighbourhood bar experience in Barcelona.

Order: A glass of Garnacha Blanca and the daily pintxos selection — arrive before 8pm

Sant Antoni's bar scene has grown enormously in five years and Taller de Cocktails sits at the considered end of it. A former workshop with the original tool storage units repurposed as the back bar. The cocktail list is a product of genuine research — seasonal Catalan botanicals, locally distilled spirits, and a technique-led approach that doesn't need to announce itself. The most serious cocktail bar in a neighbourhood that now has several good ones.

Order: The house Catalonia Sour — local gin, cava reduction, citrus, and a dry herb foam

Down a street parallel to Carrer de Blai, in a former coal merchant's premises. The raw brick interior has been left largely intact. Flamenco nights on Thursdays bring a crowd that knows the difference between good flamenco and tourist flamenco. Other nights it operates as a straightforward neighbourhood bar with an above-average rum selection and a terrace that runs until midnight in summer. The staff are unhurried and the prices reflect the neighbourhood.

Order: Ron añejo on ice with a squeeze of orange — the way the staff drink it after their shift

A vermuteria that takes Sunday vermut culture — the Catalan tradition of drinking vermouth before Sunday lunch — as its full-time operating model. Open Thursday through Sunday only. The house vermouth is made with botanicals sourced from the Pyrenees and aged in small barrels behind the bar. The accompanying snacks are all house-made. The Sunday crowd is the most mixed and most relaxed bar crowd in the Eixample.

Order: The house vermouth on ice with a boquerón skewer — the only order that makes sense here

In a neighbourhood that is mostly wealthy Barcelona families and has been for a century, Nou Candanchu is the bar that has served both the families and their staff for sixty years without making any distinction. The bar food — specifically the montaditos — is among the best-value eating in the city. The wine is simple and priced to be drunk rather than considered. Order a glass of Rioja and take the last stool at the end of the bar.

Order: Rioja crianza by the glass and two montaditos de jamón ibérico

Barceloneta is full of tourist seafood restaurants and the bar culture suffers for the proximity. Xampanyeria dels Ports is the exception — a cava bar two streets back from the beach that operates for the fishing-quarter residents who have been drinking cava at standing-room bars since long before it became fashionable. The cava is served cold in short glasses. The anchovies are house-marinated and correct. No reservations and no queue because nobody knows it's there.

Order: A glass of house cava Brut Nature and a plate of anchovies — four euros total

Dating from 1895 and occupying a room that was originally an umbrella shop — the name means "The Umbrella" — El Paraigua is a genuinely historic bar that has managed to stay good rather than trading on its history. The original Modernista tilework is intact. The cocktail list is contemporary. The staff treat every table as if they are glad you found the place, which in most cases you probably should be. One of the oldest continuously operating bars in the city.

Order: The house Americano — Campari, house vermouth, and soda, made with care