Best-of list · City Comparison
Barcelona vs Madrid bars: our editors spent a week in each city and have a definitive answer. Which Spanish city is better for cocktails, wine, and.
The short answer
8 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Barcelona vs Madrid is one of the great debates in European bar travel, and our editors have strong opinions. We spent a week drinking in each city — not touring, but eating late, starting at 10pm, and staying until the city finally shut down. The answer to which city has better bars is more nuanced than most travel guides admit, and the best city depends entirely on what you are looking for. Here is the honest verdict.
Barcelona's bar scene is defined by its neighbourhoods: Sant Antoni has become one of the most concentrated bar districts in Europe, the Born is cocktail-bar territory, and Barceloneta keeps things simple and sea-adjacent. The city's cocktail culture has matured significantly since 2015, and what was once a city better known for clubs than bars is now a serious contender for Europe's best bar scene.