Top 5 Pubs in Barcelona

The pub is a staple part of any big city. Wherever you go in the world but especially in Europe every major city will have both English and predominantly Irish pubs and bars. It is ironic that many people travel abroad, then find themselves sitting in pubs that look exactly like their locals back home! The food and service is the name, the bar staff all speak English, the only notable difference is that you will be paying in Euros rather than pounds for your drinks and food!  There are of course good and bad pubs so knowing the right ones to go to is important. There are ones to avoid like The Fastnet in Barceloneta. The drinks are over priced, the food is bad and the atmosphere is of the dingy old man bars you walk in and out of at home without ordering a beer. On the brighter side Barcelona has some really good pubs. So here is a run down of the top 5 Pubs in the city, where they are and why you should go and check them out on your stay.

The George Payne
Placa d’Urquinaona 5, 08010, Barcelona, Spain

The George Payne is the biggest Irish Pub in the city. In fact it is so big the interior reminds you of a club as you walk in with spectacular mezzanines either side of the main bar space. There are three bars spread over this vast two storey space. The food is really good here, their specialty being the homemade burger with 12 different varieties including The Trump Tower Burger, The Messi World Class Burger and the Connor McGregor knockout burger.  If you are good at food challenges then this is the pub for you. The Luis Suarez Big Bite Challenge is a Quintuple cheeseburger in two buns, a massive side of chips and a pint of Guiness. Free is you can finish it in 30 minutes, 35 euros if you cant.

They are good with the drink specials here as well. 5 bottles of Heineken will only set you back 10 euros. They do a big selection of shots, 5 for 10 euros including Jaegar, Tequila, Sambuca and JD Honey. There is the infamous Blackout Tray.  This features 2 x Sex on the Beach, 2 x Sangria, 1 Caraffe of Vodka + Redbull, 2 shots of Jaegar, 2 shots of tequila and 2 shots of Sambuca for a measly 20 euros! They have different themed night through out the week such as beer pong on Thursdays and karaoke on Sunday. Along with big screens everywhere around the bar this is easily one of the most fun pubs in the city from both holidaymakers and expats alike.

Dunnes
Via Laietana 19, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

This is one of the best Irish pubs in the city and an absolute favourite amongst the expats here and it is very easy to see why. Dunnes is a wonderfully typical Irish Pub with great British and Irish food. Full English, Sausage and Mash and Fish and Chips are all here.  As a Brit I felt very much at home here as soon as I walked in the front door. The pub is decorated beautifully with wooden walls throughout. The bar is very open and spacious with high ceilings and plenty of comfortable leather seating seating with big wooden tables. There are big flat screen TVs all around the bar and they play both English and Spanish football. When there are two important games on at the same time they will play both games in separate areas of the bar. The staff here are all extremely friendly. If you are looking for a nice Irish pub where you can relax with mates, eat some great food or watch a football game in the comfort of leather seats this is the bar for you.

Flaherty’s
Plaza Joaquim Xirau, 08002, Barcelona, Spain

Flaherty’s in a family owned Irish pub that also has a branch in Ibiza. It is in a fantastic central location just a 30 second walk off La Rambla and a 5 minute walk to the port. It is also the only Irish pub in the city with a sunny terrace to enjoy a cold beer. They have a wide selection of beers on tap and is the only Irish pub to include cider on tap as well. They have a wide selection of good pub food including full English breakfast served all days, burgers, fish and chips as well as some Spanish tapas selections. Every Tuesday they do a grill day from midday to midnight with Irish Angus Beef Steak and a glass of beer or wine for 10 euros. They also have a huge number of flat screen TVs and projectors spread around the bar and have the biggest selection of channels there is, if you ask the bar staff for a specific game they will more than likely oblige unless you are asking to turn over a Barcelona game!

The Michael Collins Irish Bar
Placa de Sagrada Familia 4, 08013, Barcelona, Spain

After an afternoon walking around Sagrada Familia (which is something you absolutely must do on your trip to Barcelona!) you can reward yourself by popping into The Michael Collins Pub and grabbing some food. The pub grub they serve up here is some of the best in the city with traditional home cooked food. They also have great live music most night of the week here with traditional Irish music every Monday night. The bar is lively and the bar staff there are very friendly and helpful. They also offer a good selection of beers are Irish whiskey though it is a little on the expensive side.

The Wild Rover Irish Pub
Carrer Santa Monica 2, 08001, Barcelona, Spain

Located near the Port Vell, just off the famous La Rambla, this bar has a cozy and friendly atmosphere. In the night time this turn into one of the liveliest pubs in the city as they play live music everyday from 11pm to 2am. It features some awesome artists singing tunes that everyone sings along to from classic rock n roll to pop to traditional Irish songs. The Wild Rover also offers a wide selection of drinks with more than 40 kinds of beer from England, Ireland, Belgium etc They offer deals from stag and hen parties which means there is generally a rowdy bunch having a fun time especially at the weekends!

There are many pubs around the city centre in Barcelona so choose the one you most like the sound of!