A search for clues between Tibidabo and the beach, Sagrada Família and la Rambla, sangria and tinto de verano. "As a small city, the cocktail bar scene is quite impressive." I don't hear this sentence in the Swiss provinces, but in the Catalan capital. It is part of the local understanding of Barkeeper that they compare themselves to New York and London, on whose level they consider themselves to be. And rightly so, as the city had three bars in the top ten of the world's 50 best bars in 2022.
The city acts like a magnet for the European bar community. Italian, English and German are spoken just as naturally behind the bar counters as Spanish or Catalan. City and sea, cuisine and culture attract expats and tourists alike. Barcelona is densely built and you can easily walk from one top address to the next.
This is also due to the fact that the scene is currently growing rapidly. "There are a lot of openings, but few bars are closing," says Marc Alvarez from Sips, currently number 1 in the World's 50 Best Bars. Like Alvarez, the owner of Paradiso (ranked number 1 in 2022) emphasizes the cohesion of the local community. "We help each other, take part in activities and events at the other bars and share knowledge and ideas," says Giacomo Giannotti.
Sips
Anyone entering the "Best Bar in the World" does so with high expectations. To meet these expectations, Marc Alvarez tries to keep the "luck" factor as low as possible. The entire guest experience is relevant, starting with the waiting time. "An award like this has a massive impact on the workflow," says Alvarez, who founded the bar with Simone Caporale.
Two rows are prepared outside. One for guests with reservations and one for those without. "At first, we only had walk-ins. But it's not fair and doesn't have a good effect on the guest experience if people have to wait for over an hour," says Alvarez.
Sips is divided into two bars. "Drinkery House" is an easy, funky and relaxing place that offers "high-couture" cocktails. Serious drinks at fair prices (12 to 15 euros), where fun is not neglected. In the "Esencia", at the back of the bar, there is a "Liquid Tasting Menu", which is changed every three months. "These sips are a reflection on liquids. Small portions full of creativity," says Alvarez.
Paradiso
The need for escapism may not be particularly great for the legions of Barcelona tourists. Nevertheless, it is worth immersing yourself in another world at Paradiso. But paradise may not be found in the present with the current bar menu.
"The current Evolution menu represents the growth and progress of humanity as a whole," says owner Giacomo Giannotti. The journey through time starts with the discovery of fire, 12,000 years before the turn of time, and ends in the future.
Other cocktails are inspired by agriculture, the invention of the wheel, the industrial revolution and space travel. Modesty is a foreign word at Paradiso. The drinks glow, smoke and fluoresce. They are strained through plants, distilled in front of the guest and (supposedly) blown up with dynamite.
They are served as a UFO, in a train or an oyster. The bar has had an online waiting list for a year now. "So instead of waiting outside the door, you can explore the neighborhood," says Giannotti.
Foco
If you browse through the Foco bar menu for a moment, you might think you are in a simple cocktail bar dedicated to the classics. The twelve drinks have names such as Moscow Mule, Amaretto Sour, Old Fashioned and Espresso Martini. On closer inspection, it is clear that the team led by Brits Tom Godfrey and Theo Thomas take a lot of liberties when it comes to interpretation.
The duo have already worked together at Red Light in Bristol. In Barcelona, they sometimes worked at Carlos & Matilda at the same time. Before the two opened Foco (short for Foreign Correspondents) in December 2022, Tom worked at Two Schmucks and Theo at Paradiso. Foco stands for maximalism in the glass, but minimalism in the presentation.
"We want to focus on the liquid in the glass," says Tom. You won't find any wild drink decorations here, just as you won't find a baking bar. Some of the bestsellers have already made it into the company's own RTD line, whose branding is based on soft drink brands: Amaretto Sour (Dr. Pepper), Clarified Cuba Libre (Coca Cola), Screwdriver (Fanta) and soon Fish House Punch (Nestea).
Two jewels
Two Schmucks climbed to 7th place on the list of the 50 Best Bars. That was in 2022. In the same year, co-founder Moe Aljaff left the bar - and with him the majority of Barkeeper. How is the bar set up today? I meet bar manager George Komninakis, who has worked for the various jewelry bars since Fat Schmuck (now called Chula Vista) opened in 2021.
The word Schmuck comes from Yiddish and can be translated as fool. The bar has something of punk, something of Dada. The attitude is still the same, but the drinks concept is now somewhat simpler. "Our drinks usually move between the world of cuisine and the world of cocktails," says Komninakis.
One example is his Tzatziki Martini, which he created together with Antonis Tzanopoulos - the Greek influence in the bar is not just an illusion. Like many other drinks at Two Schmucks, this one is also pre-batched. Two drinks are on tap at any one time, as are two non-alcoholic sodas. "At the moment we have a white chocolate soda and a Ginger Beer," says Komninakis.
Dry Martini
At the Dry Martini, the name says it all. With my order, I raise the Martini counter, which was introduced 45 years ago, to 1,135,083. I sit down at the elegant wooden bar. Leaning my arms on the railing, I inspect the back bar with its gins and dry vermouths, which for decades have only been picked up for dusting. The Campbell soup cans are also only for decorative purposes - or so I hope.
Dressed in white jackets, the Barkeeper staff mainly serve classic drinks. You can also choose from various of their own creations and the two gentlemen to my right also get their espresso martini - which is not recorded in the counter.
The person sitting next to me on my left is a whole loaf of Parmesan cheese, from which the Barkeeper breaks out morsel by morsel. Unlike usual, the restaurant here is a speakeasy, not a bar. The bar is a gem that has been in the World's 50 Best Bars for years.
