Bart's best of Barcelona: eating, drinking and sleeping
A weekend in Barcelona, 48 hours to be exact, is only a short time and so we only want the best of the best. You ask, we deliver: Bart's best of Barcelona: eating, drinking and sleeping at your service.
About at your service spoken; we collected all the places from this list (and more) in our interactive maps!
The Barts Boekje Barcelona Guide. From restaurants worth making a detour for to the most beautiful hotels, nicest neighborhoods, and addresses you would otherwise walk right past.
First things first. Café con leche. Or coffee without milk, also good. At Sr. Brown brown dominates. Brown on the outside, brown on the inside. The focus is also on brown drinks: coffee and chocolate milk. In addition, they also serve various lemonades, specials and gluten-free desserts. Little distraction, perhaps that is precisely why they are so good at what they do. less is more, but not when it comes to flavors. You wouldn't expect it, but seaweed, algae and caramel go surprisingly well together in a drink.
That Three Marks Coffee is a household name in the city is evident (see also this article with even more coffee and breakfast spots in Barcelona), because at Pecora the coffee is made with beans from Three Marks. Combined with sweets from Mas Meriendas, this makes Pècora a place you can't really walk into. The sage green frames of the glass facade are striking in any case. You have to do green.
T.44, short for Talaut 44, is one of the most aesthetic cafés in Poblenou. Lots of white; white tables, a white brick wall and white stools. Besides good coffee and pastries, they also serve various brunch dishes. On stainless steel tableware, because that's what you do when you are or want to be hip in 2025. There are various vegetarian and vegan options and it is even possible to create your own toast. The place is popular, so you may have to wait in line for a while.
The one who at Oz Bakery the bread and pastries makes is a real wizard. At this bakery on one of the most pleasant squares in Gràcia they sell (sourdough) bread, richly filled sandwiches, croissants and other savoury and sweet snacks. The brookie, a mix between a brownie and a cookie, is highly recommended. Coffee with your cookie? They have that too. Oz also has a branch in Sarrià, but that one is (in our opinion) a bit less good. They also do magic in Sants. At Forno Bomba In Sants everything is hip and delicious. Especially the bomba rellena de crema de pistacchio. A mouthful, literally. You can't eat such a large profiteroles in one go. Fortunately, because then you can enjoy it for a long time. Forno Bomba is Italian, so the espressos and ristrettos are also good. Just like the wine, because they have that too. With a bomba you already lay a good foundation.
We can't think of a happier name. When you open their Instagram, your mouth will water. In addition to delicious coffee, there is a large list of breakfast dishes to choose from. Or for a small appetite, just the tastiest croissants and other Danish pastrys. They're aiming at you home away from home. And we can really agree with that. Funky has three locations. Not to be missed.
A big party at Bar La CamilaThe building looks a bit like an old village café – done right. You actually step back a few years in time, with brown tiles, steel bar stools and old-fashioned tableware. Yet Camila is hipper than hip and you can see that from the row of people hanging around under the awning. Both inside at the bar and outside you can drink your espresso and nibble on a croissant.
The step from coffee to wine is easily taken. At the tiny Changüi drink your coffee and (natural) wine. From nine in the morning until nine at night. Then the doors close and you have to move to another spot. No problem, after 12 o'clock you've probably had enough. Brunch is also possible at Changüí, from beautiful blue plates.
GREASE is a typical case of hip, hipper, hippest. And yet (or perhaps because of that) also a case of favoritest. The natural wine is served in beautiful glasses and the (vegan) tapas and small plates on stainless steel tableware. Very oat milk elite. The atmospheric interior and carefully curated playlist make this beach bar a great place to chill in the bustling Barceloneta.
Cocktail bar Streetlight in El Born is loved by locals, students and Dutch people. Now you will come across a lot of Dutch people in Barcelona anyway, but at Farola there seem to be a few more. Not that Hazes is played, mind you, and the cocktails are no less tasty, but be careful not to blurt out everything that comes to mind. It is certainly cozy there. The later it gets, the more dancing there is.
To keep going on such a night on the dance floor, laying a good foundation is not a bad idea. There are many good restaurants in Barcelona (also check this list), but you only have one weekend and have to choose? Then Cañete definitely a favorite: excellent tapas and preferably sitting at the bar. Now we got the tip Cañete from Een Stel Die Er Verstand Van Heeft. They spoke highly of this restaurant and no word is a lie. Cañete offers an extensive menu and the dishes come out of the kitchen with such speed that it is wise to order two dishes at a time otherwise you will be outside in a flash. Also a tip we got. Get advice about the wine, they know exactly what you like.
The dark restaurant may feel a bit strange at first, but that quickly disappears when you sit down and are presented with the excellent menu. It is difficult to choose from the long wine list they have at Bar Brutal have. Stick to glasses instead of bottles so you can taste multiple wines. The menu is accessible but also has some “personalities”. For example, there is burrata with fresh ham, Spanish cheeses, delicious roasted leek with candied onion and figs and fresh tuna with melon.
Plenty of places to fill up the tank in the Sant Antoni district. At Garage Bar the shelves are filled with natural wine and the menu with tapas and cheese. At trendy Italian BENZINA Wine and cheese are also a must, but pasta plays the leading role. There is a good chance that when you go for a glass of wine at Bandinis walks in and ends up with a table full of tapas. It's the kind of place where you linger.
Want more places to fuel up on tapas and wine? Check out this list of bars in Barcelona
You could easily walk right past it, but that's exactly what you shouldn't do. In a hidden former parking garage on the Passeig de Sant Joan, a wide side street that runs from the Arc de Triomf to Gràcia, lies Pizza Parking. Hip and cool, yet cozy. And the sourdough pizzas they bake here are also really tasty. Walk ins only, so come early. Or wait until a spot becomes available, because there are plenty of tables. More in the mood for Korean than Italian? For Korean food in Barcelona, go to MasilThe restaurant, which opened in 2025, is housed in a narrow building with a neon sign in front of the door, a hip interior and a menu full of delicious dishes. Hopefully there to stay.
Coffee and pastries by day, small dishes and natural wine by night. If there are also DJs behind the turntables every weekend and the team consists of friendly locals who know what they are doing, then a restaurant deserves a place or Barts Boekje. The amateurs of Amateur understand their trade a lot better than the average amateur.
Opened in early 2025 and already a hit with Barcelona's movers and shakers. On the bar of FLEETING a tower of whipped butter (yum!) awaits you. That butter is combined with refined dishes and natural wine. FUGAZ is run by four nice young guys who do everything from scratch want to make. As they say themselves; "harvested, produced and served by us". Delicious.
The interior of HELLO! welcomes you, and how. Mirror tiles (because why stainless steel when you can actually mirror?) above an olive green sofa against the wall, a black and white tiled floor, pink hanging lamps and a row of hanging plants. This bistro is open all day long. During the day for coffee and brunch, in the evening for dinner and (natural) wine. Although the name suggests otherwise, it is really a Catalan place.
Quimet y Quimet is a small wine shop where the smell of truffles hits you when you are still standing outside. It is packed and once inside you understand why. Quimet y Quimet has walls that are covered from top to bottom and from left to right with bottles of wine. From your seat you shout your tapas order to the bar, they shout back something in Spanish, after which your tapas are served at a miraculously high speed. Fantastic.
For a change, no food but culture. Tip: book your tickets for the Picasso Museum online because the waiting time can be quite long. You choose the tickets for a specific time slot. The museum itself is absolutely worth it because Picasso. We don't need to waste any more words on that. Prefer something less touristy? Fundació Joan Miró is also recommended and does in terms of vibe a little reminiscent of Louisiana in Copenhagen.
Before you dive into the Picasso Museum (or afterwards), you can enjoy some tapas at Bar del Pla. A busy tent because it is in the middle of the tourist center. The rose, just the house variety, is highly recommended, as well as a selection of tapas. You can go crazy with your order, but the pan con tomate, or bread with tomato in Catalan, is also a very good one. Simple yet tasty. If you want to indulge even further, there are El Xampanyet and La Xampanyeria a few doors down.
When you think of Barcelona, you quickly think of Antoni Gaudí. The good man, Gaudí, designed quite a lot in Barcelona, and thus helped shape the streetscape. Like the Holy Family, Park Güell en Casa Batllo (each one is fun to visit during your trip!). But Gaudí's style can also be found in many hotels with organic shapes and colorful tiles. Ha! Look, you want to sleep in such a beautiful hotel. Do we have any recommendations for you? We certainly do. Click through to this list of hotels in Barcelona or scroll down for a sneak peek to end this best of with.
At The Rooftop order a refreshing summer cocktail, a nice glass of wine or go fancy and drink champagne. A glass of Delamotte champagne to be precise: too good. In addition, there is an extensive menu where the eye is bigger than the stomach. Toast, dips, skewers, salads, small dishes. There is something for everyone. There is some nice music in the background, hip but definitely not a hotel lounge - thank God. If you are lucky, there is even a DJ playing live. If there are still some more rays of sunshine, you can also take a dip in the swimming pool where the cheerful yellow and white striped towels are ready for you. With the view over the city you can also catch a glimpse of La Sagrada Familia and so you can also sniff a bit of culture. In other words: if you stay in the Sir Victor Hotel then book enough time in your schedule to relax here. Not staying here? Walk in at the reception, the elevator is all the way to the right and press the T for The Rooftop.
More tips
-
How to eat in Alicante (Costa Blanca) – the tapas spots we don't miss
-
Bart's Best of Valencia: insider tips, local favorites, and things to do
-
The finest hotels in Valencia: where you wake up happy
-
Hotel Casa Teva – your home in Barcelona
-
Hotel Can Sastre Ibiza
-
Bart's best of: the favorite restaurants in Barcelona
-
Staying overnight in a former flamenco school: Cristine Bedfor Sevilla Boutique Hotel, Spain
-
Villa Le Blanc, Menorca
-
Tips for restaurants in (and around) the Spanish city of Málaga
-
The nicest and nicest hotels and hostels in Malaga