The best night out in Europe? There's no contest
2022 is really turning out to be Barcelona’s year. Having been named the greatest city on earth (*according to science) in April – pipping Sydney, Cape Town and Lisbon to the post, thanks to its “relaxed pace, months of endless sunshine, unbeatable food, and cultural and design clout” – this cool, characterful metropolis can now also claim to have the world’s best bar.
The boozy string was added to the city’s bow at an eagerly awaited awards ceremony in the Catalan capital on Tuesday night, at which The World’s 50 Best Bars announced its 2022 rundown of the international drinks industry’s best – with three of the city’s watering holes taking spots in the top ten. At seven and three respectively were El Raval mainstay Two Schmucks, a frenetic ball of organised chaos that’s known as the “five-star dive bar”; and hip, futuristic “drinkery house” Sips, a newcomer helmed by world-renowned bartender Simone Coporale.
But it was the wildly creative Paradiso that swept in at the top spot – a modern speakeasy behind a large wooden door in the back of a deli (hidden, though the queue snaking out onto the pavements of El Born is a bit of a giveaway), where intricate drinks in flashing vessels, hollow smoke-filled books and halogen-filled, Tesla-inspired glasses expertly combine the science of an on-site lab with what almost feels like magic.
It’s the first time a bar outside London or New York City has ever claimed the title (one held for the last two years by London stalwart The Connaught Bar), and though the Spanish city might seem a mixed-drink David playing in the Goliath leagues, we really shouldn’t be surprised. As a historically and culturally diverse city, Barcelona has always attracted a diverse crowd – add to that a culture of creativity, a passion for fun, and a traditional knack for hospitality, and you have a recipe for nightlife success.
Juliette Larrouy of Two Schmucks thinks it’s also down to the freedom which comes of not being defined by an established, conventional cocktail culture, allowing bars to work with a clean slate. “We don’t have that classic cocktail culture like London or New York,” she told The Telegraph. “So in Barcelona we kind of created our own – the south-European hospitality mixed with the fact it’s a totally new game here. It means that you get really original cocktail bars, and the drinks are going to be really personal each time. That’s what I think we do really well.”
And that uniquely creative culture extends far beyond cocktail bars. Barcelona’s nightlife has always been eclectic, serving all ages and tastes with gusto. For the hip student crowd, there are dive bars, edgy warehouse clubs and legendary concert venues like Marula Café; for the culture curious, midnight feasts at Elsa y Fred, opera at Gran Teatre del Liceu, blues and flamenco at El Paraigua, or velvet banquettes and jazz at Milano. There are cosy neighbourhood cafés serving local wine and coffee late into the night, bohemian absinthe bars, and charming old-school spots like Boadas, where white-waistcoated bartenders have been slinging martinis since 1933.
Giacomo Giannotti, owner of the newly crowned Paradiso, agrees that the city’s eclectic nature has a part to play. “I think it's a mix of different ingredients which makes Barcelona so unique,” he explained when we chatted the day after the win. “It's a mixture of traditional culture and a willingness to try anything. It’s brought many traditional bartenders from all over the world, who are now coming to Barcelona to open their bars and to express their own creativity and way of thinking.”
One thing’s certain: there might be bigger, louder cities on the map, but when it comes to painting the town, Barcelona will always be the straw that stirs the drink.
