Drinking in the summer sun
Barcelona local Peter Guest picks his favourite al fresco drinking spots from among the city's diverse areas.
Roof-top, garden and pavement terraces.
Barcelona can get hot and a little overwhelming in summer, especially in L’Eixample. The city can be very busy, traffic is noisy, the pavements are hot and dusty and I, for one, often need to the company of a long, cool refreshing drink in order to look on life with my customary benevolence.
The best places of all, in my opinion, are the hotel rooftop terraces. Most people don’t know about them at all, thinking they are all reserved for hotel guests. Some are for clients only, but many are open to the public and offer an oasis of calm and quiet and sometimes splendid views.
Here then are a few suggestions for getting away from the noise and dust, rubbing shoulders with locals and other discerning visitors while relaxing with a restorative.
L’Eixample
Evenia Roselló
This is a modern hotel on Carrer Roselló between Aribau and Enric Granados. To the side of the hotel are gates leading to one of L’Eixample’s interior patios. This little area is known as the Jardins Joan Brossa after the contemporary poet. Part of the gardens is given over to the hotel restaurant and bar terrace. You can enjoy a meal or drink here in peace and quiet surrounded by greenery and the curious interior architecture of L’Eixample.
If the gates to the jardins happen to be closed –after about eight in the evening– just walk through the hotel and out the back doors onto the terrace.
However, avoid this place at all costs around five in the afternoon in term time. It quickly becomes crowded with children who can blast your tranquillity to bits.
Rosselló, 191 08036 Barcelona
+34 93 238 63 55
eveniahotels.com/hotelrossello
Google map: bit.ly/rbZn6K
Hotel Granados 83
This roof-top retreat is a personal favourite. Relax by the small pool and enjoy a quiet restorative or snack. The bar opens from 18.00 till 01.00 during the week and till 02.00 at the weekends.
Carrer Enric Granados, 83, Barcelona 08008
+34 93 492 96 70
derbyhotels.com/en/hotel-granados-83/
Google map: bit.ly/qTNofZ
Terrat Alaire, Hotel Condes de Barcelona
The Hotel Condes de Barcelona occupies two buildings, on both side of Carrer Mallorca on the corner of Passeig de Gràcia. The building on the lower side is home to Alaire, a rooftop terrace serving cocktails, drinks and snacks and open to the public.
You get great views over Passeig de Gràcia, Casa Milà (La Pedrera) included, and a glimpse of the Sagrada Familia in the background.
It’s a very pleasant place for a snack during the day, though not cheap, and there is live music on Wednesdays and Sundays in summer.
Passeig de Gràcia, 73-75 Planta 8ª 08008 Barcelona
+34 93 445 32 26
condesdebarcelona.com
Google map: bit.ly/mWJylC
El Terrat del Claris, Hotel Claris
A member of the same group as the Granados 83, the Claris offers cocktails and drinks on their rooftop terrace between 18.00 and 01.00. Lunch and dinner are also available. The Hotel Claris is located on the very busy Carrer Pau Claris and is a very handy refuge if you’re nearby and feeling the heat. Along with classic cocktails, El Terrat del Claris makes fine non-alcoholic cocktails for those who prefer them.
Pau Claris, 150 Barcelona 08009
+34 93 487 62 62
derbyhotels.com/en/hotel-claris/
Google map: bit.ly/qBacRW
Bar Terraza del Hotel Olivia Plaza
Exhausted and thirsty after negotiating the crowded Rambles? Tired after traipsing around the shops on Portal del Àngel? Pop into this four-star hotel on the Plaça de Catalunya itself and relax in the shade of the apsis of Romanic Santa Ana Church. (That’s two secrets in one.) Incredible as it may seem, 30 seconds from Plaça de Catalunya is a Romanic church complete with beautiful cloisters; this hotel backs onto it and you can see parts of it from the terrace. Open all day so you can have breakfast, a set lunch and a la carte dinner, as well as drinks. Don’t miss it.
Plaça Catalunya 19, 08002 Barcelona
+34 93 316 87 00
http://www.oliviahotels.es
Google map: bit.ly/ociCvZ
Gràcia
Gràcia, like many other districts in Barcelona, was until the development of
L’Eixample, a small, independent village; it still retains a unique air, quite distinct from its surroundings. One of its most pleasant characteristics are the open squares, that suddenly appear amongst the narrow, sun-starved streets. Denizens of Gràcia and Barcelonins alike throng to these in the evenings and at weekends to take the sun or shade and a sip of something while chattering away at a rate of knots and full volume.
If you are in the area and would like to enjoy the very pleasant squares, here are a few recommendations.
Bar Virreina
Located on the corner of the Plaça de la Virreina, the Bar Virreina has a great terrace with views of a modernist building by Gaudí’s assistant Francesc Berenguer and the church of Sant Joan, burned down during Barcelona’s Tragic Week in 1909. Berenguer who had built it, restored it; it was burned down again in 1936 and restored once more after the Civil War.
Back to business. The Bar Virreina has a good selection of imported beers and does a tasty sandwich.
Plaça Virreina, 1 08024 Barcelona
+34 932 379 880
virreinabar.com
Google map: bit.ly/pGfeYO
Café del Sol
The undisputed classic of the Plaça del Sol, the Café del Sol is a must if you’re in the area. The whole square gets jam-packed with tables and chairs to the point of making hard to tell to which bar is which. It would be a shame to miss it outside peak hours though.
Plaça del Sol 16, 08012 Barcelona
+34 934 155 663
Google map: bit.ly/n8kTT1
Café Flanders
Café Flanders is on the corner of a pleasant square at the farther end of Gràcia, a square retaining much more local flavour than the other, more central ones. An ideal spot for relaxation and a quiet drink to regroup after shopping in Gràcia or visiting the nearby Park Güell. A fine selection of beers and wines. You can find them on Facebook.
As a curiosity, there’s a bronze statue of Rovira i Trias, one of Cerdà’s competitors in the tender for designing Barcelona’s Eixample; his plans, based on concentric developments around the old town, lie discarded at his feet.
Plaça Rovira i Trias, 1 Barcelona, 08024
+34 93 284 3070
Google map: bit.ly/oizhcT
Gothic Quarter
Café d’Estiu del Museu Mares
If you go up the left hand side of the Cathedral you’ll very soon come to a tiny square opposite the original entrance, which is on the right-hand side. The square is called Sant Iu, as is the Cathedral entrance. To the left of the door you’ll see a relief carving of Catalonia’s first Count-King, Wilfred the Shaggy, killing a dragon with a great bough torn from a tree. High on the Cathedral wall to the left is the door the old Catalan Kings used to enter the Cathedral when their palace was just across the way and joined by a now defunct bridge.
Across the square from the Cathedral is the entrance to the Museu Marès. Inside this wonderful Gothic courtyard, tucked into a far corner among Roman columns and behind the orange trees and fountain is the Summer Café: a delightful spot to sit and restore depleted energies, write that postcard and get outside something long and cool.
Open from ten till ten, April to September.
Plaça Sant Iu 5 08002 Barcelona
cafedestiu.com
+34 93 268 25 98
Google map: http://bit.ly/rsLLOG
Hotel Neri
On the other side of the Cathedral, down Carrer de Montjuïc del Bisbe, which is to the right of the small square by the cloisters, you’ll find the Plaça Sant Felip Neri, a most beautiful square with trees and a fountain. The pock marks you can see in the stonework of the church were caused by a bomb dropped by the Italian Air force during the Civil War. All the people, mostly children, sheltering in the church crypt were killed by the concussion. The square is mostly made from buildings moved stone by stone when the Vía Laietana was opened. Across the square you’ll see the terrace of the Beautiful Hotel Neri where you can get a bite to eat and a drink from 10.00 till 23.00 and until midnight at weekends. If the square is not too busy, it’s a fine place to sit. Pop
inside the hotel and wonder at the proportions of the stonework.
Sant Sever, 5 08002 Barcelona
+34 93 304 0655
hotelneri.com
Google map: bit.ly/pPNQMB
And finally, down by the harbour is:
Hotel Duquesa de Cardona
Take the lift to the roof-top terrace for smashing views over the harbour. Open from 11.00 till 01.30 at the weekends and till midnight during the week you can book a meal or just enjoy a drink and the view. There’s live music and cocktails too. It’s a great place to cool off, chill out…
Passeig Colón, 12 08002 Barcelona
+34 93 268 90 90
hduquesadecardona.com/
Peter is the Been there local for Barcelona. You can read his entire page here and follow his tips here. He also has his own personal blog: barcelona-tourist-information.info
Been there locals homepage
Barcelona can get hot and a little overwhelming in summer, especially in L’Eixample. The city can be very busy, traffic is noisy, the pavements are hot and dusty and I, for one, often need to the company of a long, cool refreshing drink in order to look on life with my customary benevolence.
The best places of all, in my opinion, are the hotel rooftop terraces. Most people don’t know about them at all, thinking they are all reserved for hotel guests. Some are for clients only, but many are open to the public and offer an oasis of calm and quiet and sometimes splendid views.
Here then are a few suggestions for getting away from the noise and dust, rubbing shoulders with locals and other discerning visitors while relaxing with a restorative.
L’Eixample
Evenia Roselló
This is a modern hotel on Carrer Roselló between Aribau and Enric Granados. To the side of the hotel are gates leading to one of L’Eixample’s interior patios. This little area is known as the Jardins Joan Brossa after the contemporary poet. Part of the gardens is given over to the hotel restaurant and bar terrace. You can enjoy a meal or drink here in peace and quiet surrounded by greenery and the curious interior architecture of L’Eixample.
If the gates to the jardins happen to be closed –after about eight in the evening– just walk through the hotel and out the back doors onto the terrace.
However, avoid this place at all costs around five in the afternoon in term time. It quickly becomes crowded with children who can blast your tranquillity to bits.
Rosselló, 191 08036 Barcelona
+34 93 238 63 55
eveniahotels.com/hotelrossello
Google map: bit.ly/rbZn6K
Hotel Granados 83
This roof-top retreat is a personal favourite. Relax by the small pool and enjoy a quiet restorative or snack. The bar opens from 18.00 till 01.00 during the week and till 02.00 at the weekends.
Carrer Enric Granados, 83, Barcelona 08008
+34 93 492 96 70
derbyhotels.com/en/hotel-granados-83/
Google map: bit.ly/qTNofZ
Terrat Alaire, Hotel Condes de Barcelona
The Hotel Condes de Barcelona occupies two buildings, on both side of Carrer Mallorca on the corner of Passeig de Gràcia. The building on the lower side is home to Alaire, a rooftop terrace serving cocktails, drinks and snacks and open to the public.
You get great views over Passeig de Gràcia, Casa Milà (La Pedrera) included, and a glimpse of the Sagrada Familia in the background.
It’s a very pleasant place for a snack during the day, though not cheap, and there is live music on Wednesdays and Sundays in summer.
Passeig de Gràcia, 73-75 Planta 8ª 08008 Barcelona
+34 93 445 32 26
condesdebarcelona.com
Google map: bit.ly/mWJylC
El Terrat del Claris, Hotel Claris
A member of the same group as the Granados 83, the Claris offers cocktails and drinks on their rooftop terrace between 18.00 and 01.00. Lunch and dinner are also available. The Hotel Claris is located on the very busy Carrer Pau Claris and is a very handy refuge if you’re nearby and feeling the heat. Along with classic cocktails, El Terrat del Claris makes fine non-alcoholic cocktails for those who prefer them.
Pau Claris, 150 Barcelona 08009
+34 93 487 62 62
derbyhotels.com/en/hotel-claris/
Google map: bit.ly/qBacRW
Bar Terraza del Hotel Olivia Plaza
Exhausted and thirsty after negotiating the crowded Rambles? Tired after traipsing around the shops on Portal del Àngel? Pop into this four-star hotel on the Plaça de Catalunya itself and relax in the shade of the apsis of Romanic Santa Ana Church. (That’s two secrets in one.) Incredible as it may seem, 30 seconds from Plaça de Catalunya is a Romanic church complete with beautiful cloisters; this hotel backs onto it and you can see parts of it from the terrace. Open all day so you can have breakfast, a set lunch and a la carte dinner, as well as drinks. Don’t miss it.
Plaça Catalunya 19, 08002 Barcelona
+34 93 316 87 00
http://www.oliviahotels.es
Google map: bit.ly/ociCvZ
Gràcia
Gràcia, like many other districts in Barcelona, was until the development of
L’Eixample, a small, independent village; it still retains a unique air, quite distinct from its surroundings. One of its most pleasant characteristics are the open squares, that suddenly appear amongst the narrow, sun-starved streets. Denizens of Gràcia and Barcelonins alike throng to these in the evenings and at weekends to take the sun or shade and a sip of something while chattering away at a rate of knots and full volume.
If you are in the area and would like to enjoy the very pleasant squares, here are a few recommendations.
Bar Virreina
Located on the corner of the Plaça de la Virreina, the Bar Virreina has a great terrace with views of a modernist building by Gaudí’s assistant Francesc Berenguer and the church of Sant Joan, burned down during Barcelona’s Tragic Week in 1909. Berenguer who had built it, restored it; it was burned down again in 1936 and restored once more after the Civil War.
Back to business. The Bar Virreina has a good selection of imported beers and does a tasty sandwich.
Plaça Virreina, 1 08024 Barcelona
+34 932 379 880
virreinabar.com
Google map: bit.ly/pGfeYO
Café del Sol
The undisputed classic of the Plaça del Sol, the Café del Sol is a must if you’re in the area. The whole square gets jam-packed with tables and chairs to the point of making hard to tell to which bar is which. It would be a shame to miss it outside peak hours though.
Plaça del Sol 16, 08012 Barcelona
+34 934 155 663
Google map: bit.ly/n8kTT1
Café Flanders
Café Flanders is on the corner of a pleasant square at the farther end of Gràcia, a square retaining much more local flavour than the other, more central ones. An ideal spot for relaxation and a quiet drink to regroup after shopping in Gràcia or visiting the nearby Park Güell. A fine selection of beers and wines. You can find them on Facebook.
As a curiosity, there’s a bronze statue of Rovira i Trias, one of Cerdà’s competitors in the tender for designing Barcelona’s Eixample; his plans, based on concentric developments around the old town, lie discarded at his feet.
Plaça Rovira i Trias, 1 Barcelona, 08024
+34 93 284 3070
Google map: bit.ly/oizhcT
Gothic Quarter
Café d’Estiu del Museu Mares
If you go up the left hand side of the Cathedral you’ll very soon come to a tiny square opposite the original entrance, which is on the right-hand side. The square is called Sant Iu, as is the Cathedral entrance. To the left of the door you’ll see a relief carving of Catalonia’s first Count-King, Wilfred the Shaggy, killing a dragon with a great bough torn from a tree. High on the Cathedral wall to the left is the door the old Catalan Kings used to enter the Cathedral when their palace was just across the way and joined by a now defunct bridge.
Across the square from the Cathedral is the entrance to the Museu Marès. Inside this wonderful Gothic courtyard, tucked into a far corner among Roman columns and behind the orange trees and fountain is the Summer Café: a delightful spot to sit and restore depleted energies, write that postcard and get outside something long and cool.
Open from ten till ten, April to September.
Plaça Sant Iu 5 08002 Barcelona
cafedestiu.com
+34 93 268 25 98
Google map: http://bit.ly/rsLLOG
Hotel Neri
On the other side of the Cathedral, down Carrer de Montjuïc del Bisbe, which is to the right of the small square by the cloisters, you’ll find the Plaça Sant Felip Neri, a most beautiful square with trees and a fountain. The pock marks you can see in the stonework of the church were caused by a bomb dropped by the Italian Air force during the Civil War. All the people, mostly children, sheltering in the church crypt were killed by the concussion. The square is mostly made from buildings moved stone by stone when the Vía Laietana was opened. Across the square you’ll see the terrace of the Beautiful Hotel Neri where you can get a bite to eat and a drink from 10.00 till 23.00 and until midnight at weekends. If the square is not too busy, it’s a fine place to sit. Pop
inside the hotel and wonder at the proportions of the stonework.
Sant Sever, 5 08002 Barcelona
+34 93 304 0655
hotelneri.com
Google map: bit.ly/pPNQMB
And finally, down by the harbour is:
Hotel Duquesa de Cardona
Take the lift to the roof-top terrace for smashing views over the harbour. Open from 11.00 till 01.30 at the weekends and till midnight during the week you can book a meal or just enjoy a drink and the view. There’s live music and cocktails too. It’s a great place to cool off, chill out…
Passeig Colón, 12 08002 Barcelona
+34 93 268 90 90
hduquesadecardona.com/
Peter is the Been there local for Barcelona. You can read his entire page here and follow his tips here. He also has his own personal blog: barcelona-tourist-information.info
Been there locals homepage
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
