3 Great Places for Tapas and Drinks in Barcelona

On a recent trip, I got to experience some great tapas and drinks in Barcelona. I was staying with a friend who has been living in the center for almost eight years. Thanks to his first-hand local knowledge, we ventured out and experienced some delicious spots that I still get excited about and can’t wait to revisit. And since I love to share what I’m excited about, I’m going to let you in on these three great places where you can enjoy tapas and drinks in Barcelona.

#1 – Bodega Vinito for Tapas and Drinks in Barcelona

The first stop of our tapas crawl was the Bodega Vinito. It’s on a bustling street corner of Carrer del Parlament in the Poble Sec neighborhood where my friend Steffen lives. Out front are a charming tiled sign over the door and oak barrels for tall tables. Inside is a combination of beautiful Spanish tiles and exposed stone walls lined with barrels and a varied array of beers and wines on display. It’s small and cozy with that old-world charm and casual ambiance that I just adore here in Spain.

And what could they have to drink? Well, obviously vino (wine). But they also have something else that I was especially excited about – Spanish vermouth. Spend five minutes with me and you’ll discover that I’m obsessed with Spanish vermouth. So, of course, a vermút rojo (red vermouth) is what I enjoyed. Actually, I think I had two of them. Served the traditional way over ice with an olive and slice of orange, it was delicious artisan vermouth that was well balanced, not too sweet, and with that lovely hint of spice.

READ MORE: Intro to Spanish Vermouth and How to Enjoy it When in Spain

Their wine selection also looked fantastic and for cerveza (beer) they serve Estrella Damm on tap, another sure sign of a great place. We were there a bit early in the evening, so the tapas had not been brought out yet, but from pictures I’ve seen online, it looks like a mouth-watering spread. I can’t wait to return to Bodega Vinito when I’m in Barcelona again.

Above Image – The Mercat de Sant Antoni in the neighborhood of Poble Sec.

Nearby Site: While in this area, make sure to visit the Mercat de Sant Antoni. Here, you can enjoy market-fresh tapas and drinks as well. It’s one of the most important markets in Barcelona and goes back to 1879. During renovations in 2007, they excavated remains of the Vía Augusta Romana, a necropolis, and the San Antoni fortification which are now displayed as part of the beautiful market building.

#2 – ViandBeers for Tapas and Drinks in Barcelona

Something to know about the neighborhood of Poble Sec is that it has this great pedestrian street, Carrer de Blai, that is lined with bars and restaurants. This is where we enjoyed ViandBeers. It definitely stands out as one of the best on this gourmet stretch.

There are tables outside and the inside is the traditional Spanish layout that makes it all about the bar and what is like a pageantry of pintxos. You know, the Basque version of tapas that are served on a slice of bread, are really inexpensive, and super good. Decked out on every surface of the bar, in the display cases, and even stacked on top of the display cases, were platters and more platters of pintxos! What an exciting variety they had.

The pintxos cost only €1.50 (a plain toothpick) or €2 (a toothpick with beads) and are only served in the evenings starting around eight or nine-ish. They also have a menu of traditional tapas that are made to order. To drink, I had another delicious artisan vermouth here, but there’s also a wonderful wine list. They also have an impressive selection of five beers on tap, four of which are made by Moritz, a local craft beer company based in Barcelona. And they make other beloved Spanish drinks, like sangria and tinto de verano, which is red wine mixed with Gaseosa (citrus-flavored soda) and served over ice.

#3 – Paradiso for Tapas and Drinks in Barcelona

To wrap up our night Steffen got the idea to go somewhere pretty special, the speakeasy bar Paradiso. I so love a great speakeasy. So we hopped in a cab and left the endearing Poble Sec neighborhood for the well known, hip neighborhood of El Born.

In true speakeasy fashion, the entrance into Paradiso is a secret passageway through the freezer door in the brightly lit Pastrami Bar. We stepped through into a dark room with a gorgeous bar, soft amber light, and wallpaper of dark green palm fronds. Wood paneling flows in thinly carved slats across the ceiling, down the wall, and along the bar. But the creativity doesn’t stop there. Their menus are backlit and reveal hidden drawings when viewed with colored plastic cards they provide.

From their extensive cocktail menu, I chose their Great Gasby drink, a whiskey-based cocktail made with Macallan 12-year double cask, white truffle honey, amaro, and essence of lavender. It was served under a glass case filled with vanilla and chocolate tobacco smoke, which wonderfully remained with the drink even several sips into it. Then we shared their amazing pastrami sandwich. It was stuffed generously with thick slabs of meat and zingy, fresh kimchi.