City Guide – Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is one of the great culinary cities of the world, home to four restaurants currently holding three Michelin stars each. The city takes food seriously at every level, from market-fresh tapas to theatrical multi-course tasting menus. Please contact the hotel concierge for additional recommendations, but here are a few suggestions.

FINE DINING AND SPECIAL OCCASION

Disfrutar Address: Carrer de Villarroel 163, L’Antiga Esquerra de l’Eixample, 08036 Barcelona Reservations required; books 9 to 12 months in advance Closed Sunday and Monday; closed approximately two weeks in August, Christmas, Holy Week Cuisine: Avant-garde Mediterranean tasting menu Price range: €€€€ Website: www.disfrutarbarcelona.com

Ranked number one on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2024, Disfrutar is arguably the most exciting restaurant on the planet right now. The three chefs, Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro, and Eduard Xatruch, trained together at the legendary El Bulli and brought that spirit of invention to their own restaurant in 2014. The tasting menu runs to 25 to 30 courses of bold, playful, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Reservations open 12 months in advance and are difficult to secure. Book as early as possible through the restaurant’s website only.

Restaurante Lasarte Address: Monument Hotel, Carrer de Mallorca 259, near Passeig de Gràcia, 08008 Barcelona Reservations required Dress code: Long trousers and closed-toe shoes required; no sportswear Cuisine: Basque-inspired contemporary cuisine Price range: €€€€ Website: www.restaurantlasarte.com

Three Michelin stars since 2017, Lasarte is the Barcelona flagship of the legendary Basque chef Martín Berasategui. Located inside the gorgeous Monument Hotel on Passeig de Gràcia, it is among the most formally elegant dining experiences in the city. The kitchen balances precision and personality, combining the best produce of Spain with Berasategui’s refined technique. The sommelier team is outstanding.

Cocina Hermanos Torres Address: Carrer de Taquígraf Serra 20, Les Corts, 08029 Barcelona Reservations required Cuisine: Modern Spanish and Catalan, open kitchen concept Price range: €€€€ Website: www.cocinahermanostorres.com

Three Michelin stars and one of the most visually striking dining rooms in Europe. Twin chefs Sergio and Javier Torres converted a former industrial building into a theatrical open-kitchen restaurant where guests sit in a ring around the kitchen in action. The cooking is rooted in family tradition and Spanish seasonal produce, elevated by exceptional technique. A tasting menu of approximately 20 courses. Valet parking is available.

RELAXED FINE DINING / GAIXAMPLE AREA

Moments Address: Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Passeig de Gràcia 38-40, 08007 Barcelona Reservations required Cuisine: Refined Catalan Price range: €€€€ Website: www.mandarinoriental.com/barcelona/passeig-de-gracia/fine-dining/restaurants/moments

A one Michelin star restaurant inside the Mandarin Oriental on Passeig de Gràcia, offering a more approachable entry point into Barcelona’s fine dining scene. The menu draws on Catalan ingredients and tradition. A beautiful room, impeccable service, and one of the more gracious dining experiences in the city.

GAY SCENE / GAIXAMPLE

Barcelona’s gay neighborhood is the Gaixample, a section of the Eixample district centered on Carrer de Muntaner and the surrounding blocks between Gran Via and Avinguda Diagonal. Rainbow flags fly from balconies, bars spill onto the sidewalks, and the neighborhood is as out and easy as any in Europe. Barcelona nightlife runs late. Bars are lively from around 10 p.m. and clubs do not fill until 1 or 2 a.m.

Punto BCN Address: Carrer de Muntaner 63, Eixample, 08011 Barcelona Open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2:30 or 3 a.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Atmosphere: Classic Gaixample bar, mixed crowd, pool table, mezzanine seating

The oldest and best-known gay bar in Barcelona. Punto BCN is unpretentious, friendly, and reliably full of a good mix of locals and visitors. It gets busy earlier than most of the neighborhood, making it the natural starting point for an evening out. Tables on the mezzanine give a good sightline to the room. Discount cards for nearby clubs are often available at the bar.

Bacon Bear Bar Address: Carrer de Casanova 64, Eixample, 08011 Barcelona Open daily from approximately 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday until 2:30 a.m.; Friday and Saturday until 3 a.m. Atmosphere: Bear bar, inclusive, no attitude, regular happy hour specials Website: www.baconbearbar.com

Barcelona’s most beloved bear bar and a genuine neighborhood institution. The crowd runs toward bears, daddies, otters, and their admirers, and the atmosphere is easy and welcoming to everyone. Happy hour runs daily and the Thursday night spread of snacks is a Bacon Bear tradition. A comfortable place to settle in early and stay a while.

BoysBar BCN Address: Carrer de la Diputació 174, Eixample, 08011 Barcelona Open Tuesday through Saturday from approximately 9 p.m. Atmosphere: Lively bar, go-go dancers, themed nights, DJs, pre-club energy Happy hour runs until 11:30 p.m.

A high-energy bar in the heart of Gaixample, popular with a mixed crowd of locals and visitors looking for a good time before the clubs. Go-go dancers, themed parties, and some of the best drink specials in the neighborhood. BoysBar also distributes complimentary passes to several of Barcelona’s top gay clubs, making it both a fun stop and a practical one.

La Chapelle Address: Carrer de Muntaner 67, Eixample, 08011 Barcelona Open Tuesday through Sunday from approximately 7 p.m. Closed Monday. Atmosphere: Relaxed cocktail bar, vintage religious decor, excellent terrace

Positioned right next door to Punto BCN, La Chapelle is the quieter, more intimate alternative on the same block. The interior is famously decorated with vintage religious objects and iconography, giving it a warm and slightly irreverent character. Known for strong, well-made cocktails and one of the best street terraces in the neighborhood. An ideal early evening stop or a place to land if the bigger bars feel like too much.

LGBT Note

Barcelona and Spain have been at the forefront of LGBT rights in Europe for decades. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since 2005. The Gaixample is one of the most openly gay neighborhoods in the world and you will find the city easy, welcoming, and entirely comfortable at every turn. The annual Circuit Festival in August brings a large international gay crowd and a week of events, so plan accordingly if you are traveling in that window.