These are the old-town bars, in El Born, El Raval and La Barceloneta, that didn't make my first Barcelona bars guide. An old bodega where the owner has been behind the counter for half a century, a speakeasy behind a fake shopfront, a bar that brings back the 1992 Olympics and a campy queer bar. The places come from my list of saved spots, and the descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews; I'll add my own notes as I visit.
Prices are Google's average spend per person, valid as of 30 September 2026. Rate: 1 € ≈ $1.13.
In short
- A classic worth the queue: El Xampanyet with its house sparkling wine.
- Old Barceloneta: Bar Leo, where the owner has been behind the counter for almost 50 years.
- Cocktails: Bareto Olimpic (7 € before 22:00) and Monk, a speakeasy entered through a grocery shop.
- One street, two bars: Carrer de Joaquín Costa in El Raval (Bareto Olimpic and Lucky Schmuck).
- Free snacks with your drink: La Merenda del Farero in Barceloneta.
El Born
El Xampanyet
El Born · tapas & cava · 20–40 € (≈$23–45) · Tue–Fri 12:00–15:30 and 19:00–23:00, Mon 19:00–23:00, Sat 12:00–15:30, closed Sun
Google Maps · website · Carrer de Montcada, 22
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 6,500+): a cramped, noisy and wonderfully lively bar with traditional tapas, the best in the city for many. Start with the house sparkling wine, reviewers say, then tuna belly with leeks, smoked sardines, snails, Iberian pork, salt cod and tortilla. The queue can last an hour, so come when it opens; plenty of people prefer standing at the counter to a table anyway.
Pony
Sant Pere · neighbourhood bar · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · Mon–Thu 18:00–1:00, Fri–Sat to 2:00, Sun 18:00–0:00
Google Maps · Instagram · Carrer del Portal Nou, 23
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 344): a small neighbourhood bar on a street near El Born that tourists mostly miss. Reviewers praise the michelada, the mezcal, the vermouth, well-priced local bottled beer, the olives and the music; for food, they point you to Festín next door. It's very tight at weekends, and the political posters on the walls don't suit everyone.
Monk
El Born · cocktail bar, speakeasy · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · Mon–Thu 18:00–2:30, Fri–Sat 17:00–3:00, Sun 17:00–2:30
Google Maps · website · Carrer dels Abaixadors, 10
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 4,900+): a speakeasy entered through a fake grocery shop, and the sister bar of Paradiso. Several rooms, a DJ in the back and a bar designed like a church altar; reviewers praise the pretty signature cocktails and mocktails that aren't an afterthought. The downsides: drinks cost more and are smaller, the crowd leans heavily tourist, and late at night it feels more like a club. Book or come early.
El Raval
La Masia
El Raval · tapas bar · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · Mon–Wed 11:00–16:00, Thu–Sat 11:00–22:00, closed Sun
Google Maps · Carrer d'Elisabets, 16
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 1,100+): a simple bar that first opened in the 1950s, with Catalan tapas, house vermouth and ice-cold Estrella Galicia. Reviewers love the duck with potatoes, the gazpacho, the calamari, the tortilla and the bravas, and there are vegetarian options; Barça fans will enjoy the club wall. The downside: one guest was billed double the menu price for a dish.
Bareto Olimpic
El Raval · cocktail bar · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · Tue–Thu 18:00–2:00, Fri–Sat to 3:00, closed Sun–Mon
Google Maps · Carrer de Joaquín Costa, 25
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 907): an 80s-style bar that brings back Barcelona in its Olympic years. Before 22:00 cocktails are 7 €, with the gin fizz a particular favourite, and the bartenders help you pick. To go with them there are Colombian-Catalan fusion tapas by Delikazte & Son; ask the chef about specials.
Lucky Schmuck
El Raval · dive bar · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · daily 19:30–2:00
Google Maps · Carrer de Joaquín Costa, 36
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 564): a dive bar with provocative decor, good music and friendly bartenders. Some nights there's live music or DJs, there are two-for-one drink deals, and the karaoke room is more for private groups. It's largely self-service, and the toilet is an attraction in its own right.
Madame Jasmine
El Raval · LGBTQ+ bar · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · Mon–Thu 17:00–2:30, Fri–Sat to 3:00, Sun 12:00–2:30
Google Maps · Rambla del Raval, 22
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 622): an old-school queer bar on the Rambla del Raval with campy decor straight out of early Almodóvar. Everyone is welcome, it's especially trans-friendly, prices are reasonable and there's free make-up if you want to get dolled up. Reviewers rave about the coffee martini from the artist-bartender, though opinions vary a lot.
La Barceloneta
Bar Leo
La Barceloneta · old neighbourhood bar · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · daily 8:00–20:00, Sun–Mon to 19:30
Google Maps · Carrer de Sant Carles, 34
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 1,400+): a family bar that seems unchanged in decades, with the owner, Leo, behind the counter for 47 years. Locals drink vermouth on tap and play Spanish songs on the jukebox; reviewers praise the bombas and the padróns. It's cheap, hardly anyone speaks English, and it closes early, around 20:00.
La Merenda del Farero
La Barceloneta · bar with snacks · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · daily 10:00–0:00
Google Maps · Carrer d'Andrea Dòria, 37
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 93): a small, cosy bar that brings free antipasti and nuts with your drink. Simple, cheap and friendly, with live music now and then. The food is mostly bread with something on it, and the natural wine is sold by the bottle only; the wine by the glass is basic.
One last thing
El Xampanyet keeps its own hours: lunchtime only on Saturday, closed on Sunday, and the queue can last an hour, so come right at opening, at 12:00 or 19:00. Bar Leo closes early, around 20:00, so Barceloneta is a daytime stop.
More on Barcelona: Poble-sec bars, Poblenou and Gràcia bars.