It was a fleeting 36 hours in Barcelona, Spain, but I packed in as much eating and drinking as possible. Here’s a rundown of the restaurants and bars that made it into my dining schedule, and the pros and cons of each.
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Bar Cañete
Shortly after arriving in Barcelona, I was pretty hungry and looking for an early dinner. In Spain, many restaurants don’t open for dinner until 8pm, but one restaurant I had heard about has all-day hours starting at lunchtime. Bar Cañete is a Michelin recommended restaurant located on a smaller street straight off the famous shopping strip of La Rambla. Here were my impressions:
Pros:
- Tapas + great seafood specials
- Glamorous old-school vibe
- Fun bar/counter seating
Cons:
- Lots of other tourists
- Long wait without a reservation
Gatblau
I found out about Gatblau when I was looking for vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the We’re Smart Green Guide. I was able to book a reservation for their very moderately priced three-course lunch menu. I loved how the tables were filled with groups of people who seemed like they were locals (several tables were greeted with hugs and chatting when they arrived).
Pros:
- Locally sourced ingredients
- Delicious, vegetarian-friendly food
- 3 course lunch, only 27.50 EUR!
- Not trendy. Lots of locals
Cons:
- None!
Berbena
Berbena is an extremely popular restaurant which has a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation. They are only open for dinner and reservations fill up far in advance. I was able to get a reservation by using my credit card concierge service, otherwise I don’t think I would have been able to get in on the desired date and time.
I loved the contemporary feel of the restaurant and the coziness of the space. Maybe it was because I didn’t have a lot of experience ordering at restaurants in Spain by the time of my visit (which tends to lean on small plates), but I found the ordering process fairly confusing and had to ask the server to explain it several times.
When dining there, you can order half orders (full order prices are the ones listed on the menu), but the dishes vary by size, so I was a little unsure of how much food to order. Also based on the style of service, they look for all your plates to be ordered in one go, rather than gradually adding on over your stay.
Even though many of the descriptions of the restaurant commented on how it was a neighborhood spot, almost all the tables around us (and the restaurant is very small) were filled with visitors. However, this could be more of a function of eating early at 7pm, as opposed to when Spaniards would be looking to eat later in the evening.
Pros:
- Creative small plates
- Open kitchen, informal feel
Cons:
- Dish sizes vary & need explanation
- Few seats. Hard reservation to get
Sips
My visit to Sips Drinkery House was completely by chance. Walking back to the hotel after dinner at Berbena, I decided to walk by the bar just to see what the number three restaurant on the 2024 World’s 50 Best Bars list looked like. I had read was notoriously difficult to get into and of the class of bar that is popular enough that they take reservations.
Upon arriving at the bar, there was a small velvet rope and one woman standing on line. I asked her how long the wait was to get in, and she mentioned that the doorman was working on it. It sounded like there was hope, so I decided to hang around and ask. When the doorman came over, we asked how long the wait was, explaining that we just wanted one round of drinks and that we would be very fast. He conferred with his colleagues inside and mentioned that they needed the table in about 45 minutes, which we said was no problem. Within a few minutes were were seated at a table!
Pros:
- Theatrical, multi-sensory cocktails
- Friendly, great service
Cons:
- NA drinks are just OK. The alcoholic drinks seemed to be more adventurous and eye-catching. A drink at a neighboring table was wheeled out on a cart that included a honking horn.
- Reservations recommended
Enjoying this content on Spain? Check out my tips on visiting the Alhambra in Granada.