Sips
Cocktail bar · l'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample ·
World's best cocktail bar with creative drinks & unique presentations
World's best cocktail bar with creative drinks & unique presentations
"In Barcelona, Sips is known for an innovative, immersive cocktail program directly inspired by Spain’s modern haute cuisine, underscored by co-founder Marc Álvarez’s decade running beverage programs for the Adrià brothers and co-founder Simone Caporale’s training at London’s Artesian; modern technique and elaborate presentations are at the forefront of its approach." - Dylan Ettinger
"Awarded the honour of best bar in Europe, Sips in Barcelona was recognised as the continent's top bar for 2025." - Sarah James
"The line outside Sips is the first hint that something special is afoot, and the second is the doorperson telling you that you won’t get in without a reservation. This sexy, intimate cocktail lounge has an advanced booking system, but seats sell out quickly and some punters try to walk in on the night. Everyone is here for the cocktails made with minimal gimmicks, shaken or stirred either at the island bar or right at your table. Yes, you’ll still find non-melting ice that cools a perfectly balanced bergamot Negroni without watering it down—but their stunts feel intentional. If you’re someone who would name your first-born Margarita, consider the liquid tasting menu at Esencia, Sips’ bar within a bar (10 sips for €75, or 15 sips for €97)." - isabelle kliger
"The line outside Sips is the first hint that something special is afoot, and the second is the doorperson telling you that you won’t get in without a reservation. This sexy, intimate cocktail lounge has an advanced booking system, but seats sell out quickly and some punters try to walk in on the night. Everyone is here for the cocktails made with minimal gimmicks, shaken or stirred either at the island bar or right at your table. Yes, you’ll still find non-melting ice that cools a perfectly balanced bergamot Negroni without watering it down or icy fruit pearls that add flavor and texture to a colorful drink made with lychee, rhubarb, lemongrass, and bone-dry fino sherry—but the stunts feel intentional. If you’re someone who would name your first-born Margarita, consider the liquid tasting menu at Esencia, Sips’ bar within a bar (10 sips for €75, or 15 sips for €97)." - Isabelle Kliger
"A Barcelona "drinkery house" that shot to international acclaim after opening in 2021 and claiming the top spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2023 (currently ranked number three for 2024). The menu is deliberately split into five sections — eccentric, art, seasonal, pret a porter, and “classips” — and the drinks skew playful and thoughtful: Bubble, a take on the pornstar martini that features, yes, bubbles; and the Blanc cocktail, which combines Fundador brandy with pine nuts, raisins, and freeze-dried spinach. The selection of “classips” pays homage to cocktail favorites that Caporale and Sips co-owner Marc Alvarez called “98 percent of a classic cocktail with a 2 percent Sips philosophy.” Co-owner Marc Alvarez honed his cocktail background with 10 years working with the Adrià brothers of El Bulli, and Simone Caporale brings a decorated résumé — during his time at the Artesian inside the Langham in London it was named the best bar on the World’s 50 Best Bars list four years in a row (2012–2015), and Caporale was named International Bartender of the Year at the 2014 Spirited Awards. The team also opened Esencia in 2024, a separate bar within the Sips space that serves a tasting-menu format of drinks." - Dianne de Guzman