The Best Cocktail Bars in Sant Antoni, Barcelona

This French-run late-night bar is something of a hidden gem with its selection of fine French wines, matured cheese platters and dangerously tasty cocktails. In true French style, the mojito is a house favourite and the ‘fruity mojito’ gives a nice raspberry and passion fruit twist to the classic mint and lime. Weekends see DJ sets and crowds of regulars pile in for a good time until the early hours of the morning.

When Bitter opened its doors, Sant Antoni let out a sigh of relief: locals finally had a decent place to go for a late-night drink. A stylish bar with a small lounge area at the back, Bitter serves a range of signature cocktails and the bar-staff are good at making spot-on recommendations. At the weekends there are sometimes DJ sets and the bar can get pretty busy later on. Be sure to try one of the generous grilled sandwiches before you leave.

With its velvet sofas, brilliant white coffee tables and show lighting, Mr White wouldn’t be entirely out of place among the fashionable nightclubs of Port Olimpic – but instead it’s in much more laid-back Sant Antoni. The drinks list features a number of signature cocktails, all creatively presented and served with true showmanship. There’s even an outdoor terrace and a handful of tables so you can enjoy warm evenings outside.

If Barcelona could have just one cocktail, there’s not an ounce of doubt that it would be the gin and tonic. So fond are locals of the iconic G&T that there are a number of bars specialising in this British of drink. Sant Antoni‘s most well-known gin bar is Xixbar, a rather chic establishment located nearby the sought-after restaurants of the Bari Adià. If you’ve never tried anything more exotic than a classic G&T with a slice, you’re bound to be surprised by the gin and tonic of the month.

Open lunchtimes and evenings, La Montiel 37 is a popular bar and restaurant that attracts a mostly local crowd. Not as high-budget as some of the other places in the area, there’s a certain kitsch charm to the décor. The tables at the back are mostly reserved for dinners but there are cosy bar stools by the bar and some tables outdoors. Don’t expect a long list of cocktails or anything particularly outstanding in terms of presentation, but the atmosphere is what makes La Montiel 37 so much fun.

Housed within a stylishly-restored sweetshop that inspired its name, La Confiteria is well known as one of the best places in the area to grab a late-night G&T. Like walking back in time, the bar’s exterior boasts the original sweet shop façade and many of the old glass cabinets and wooden bar are still in place. There’s a surprising list of gin-inspired cocktails, such as the Alice in Wonderland, a revisited gin and tonic served in a vintage teapot.

When El Mama opened in 2016, Sant Antoni didn’t quite know what had hit it. Unlike anything else in the neighbourhood, El Mama is all about the show – from trapeze artists to cabaret and live music. The kind of place people like to dress up and sip on Cava while eating oysters, it’s also a great spot for a cocktail and some people watching. There’s a long list of signature cocktails as eye-popping and out-there as some of the performances.