In September (even in October), Barcelona has a very special charm, one gifted by the golden light that envelops everything. Temperatures soften, but still invite you to enjoy the outdoors, terraces, and outdoor spaces. It is the ideal time to discover or rediscover those gastronomic corners away from the hustle and bustle offered by the restaurants and bars of hotels.
Because few places are as tempting as the terraces, rooftops, gardens, and interior patios of Barcelona's hotels, authentic urban oases where you can enjoy a beer, a wine, or a mixed drink along with signature tapas, Catalan, creative or traditional cuisine, tapas made with seasonal and local products or exotic and fusion flavors. Here we propose six unique spaces to enjoy good tapas at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Refuges to surrender to gastronomic hedonism.
La Terraza del Claris (Claris Hotel & Spa 5* GL). Barcelona's most glamorous rooftop
For some years now, La Terraza del Claris has recovered the elegance and excellence that characterized it already in Olympic Barcelona, when it was erected as the first hotel terrace open to the public.Today, this bar with views, located on top of the Claris Hotel & Spa GL, is one of the reference spaces for those looking to have a drink or tapas with glamour. Because its innovative gastronomic proposal is as high-level as its location.From noon to midnight, we can enjoy an innovative Mediterranean cuisine in small portions, dishes cooked and executed with care and detail. Every bite emanates freshness, not in vain, in the kitchen they use seasonal and local products, in a clear commitment to sustainable gastronomy that respects the environment.
A tapas menu with delicacies such as Delta del Ebre oysters, burrata with apricot and local tomato, lobster roll with brioche lobster and lime mayonnaise, or homemade cured Granvlax salmon with seaweed tartare, among others. Dishes and tapas that pair with a selection of high-end cocktails, such as the Fresh Sling, a unique cocktail created by the hotel's bartender, which combines Dutch Ketel One vodka with refreshing floral touches of St. Germain and a bitter note of Grand Marnier. An ideal formula to relax by the pool and under the stars, on the still warm nights of late summer.
La Terrassa de Pelai (Catalonia Ramblas hotel). The green oasis of Las Ramblas
Is it possible to get lost and isolated in the bustling center of Barcelona? The answer is clear: yes, at La Terrassa de Pelai, the green oasis of the Catalonia Ramblas hotel. Located in the former headquarters of La Vanguardia, this emblematic modernist building, designed by Josep Mají Ribas and inaugurated in 1903, now houses one of the city's most sought-after hotels, especially for its location, next to Plaça Catalunya and Las Ramblas, and also for its hotel and gastronomic offerings.
Here, summer stops in time to allow us to continue enjoying the warm Terraza de Pelai, a space of calm and vegetation perfect for enjoying tapas accompanied by a good wine, some beers, or a cocktail.
Its menu is an ode to fresh, seasonal, and local products, proposals designed for sharing with homemade preparations that promote the circular economy and conscious cooking. Classic tapas with creative and modern touches, including, for example, D.O. Guijuelo Iberian cured meats or Balfegó red tuna tataki. Its duck croquettes are exquisite, and its vegan nachos are surprising. The offer is completed with healthy bowls, gourmet burgers, and homemade desserts, to go from an appetizer or snack to an informal lunch or dinner.
La Terraza de Vivi (Kimpton Vividora Hotel). Tapas with the best views of the cathedral
Looking for tapas and cocktails with the best views of the cathedral and Barcelona's Gothic Quarter? The Rooftop of the Kimpton Vividora Hotel offers us this experience in a space where gastronomy, good atmosphere, and incredible views go hand in hand: La Terraza de Vivi. Open all year round, La Terraza de Vivi offers a fun and refreshing selection of snacks and finger food. Proposals designed for sharing, with tempting dishes cooked on its barbecue. Highlights include its emblematic bravas, Bluefin tuna belly tataki with citrus and honey, or prawn tacos with avocado and pico de gallo.
The experience is completed with a bar of signature cocktails with international inspiration. Proposals such as 'Une Nuit à Paris' (with Saint Germain liqueur and watermelon) or 'Foc d'Oaxaca' (based on mezcal and passion fruit) are the perfect accompaniment for an unforgettable afternoon or evening.
And until the end of September, don't miss "Fauna a la fresca," a selection of favorite dishes that the hotel's restaurant chef, Jordi Delfa, reinterprets based on traditional recipes with local products (only available from 8 p.m.).
The Pulitzer Barcelona Terrace. An elevated urban garden
The open kitchen is the heart of a social ritual where tapas transcend their format to tell stories of distant and nearby flavors. An example? Patatas bravas are dressed with the character of roasted garlic allioli, while chicken croquettes with truffle elevate the simple to the sublime. But the true cosmopolitan spirit emerges in proposals such as the chicken tikka sandwich, a fragrant and spicy explosion that pays homage to the streets of India. Or the muhammara, a seductive cream that brings the mystery of the Middle East to the Barcelona table.
And while you savor, for example, the pinsa bianca de butifarra —an ingenious nod to local tradition and Italian cuisine—, the atmosphere envelops you. Background music, signature cocktails, the light of dusk: the perfect setting for an evening that promises to be unforgettable.
33rd Gastrobar (abba Garden Hotel). Tapas with views and products from the Baix Llobregat Agricultural Park
A stone's throw from the Catalan capital, at the foot of Collserola and with privileged views of Barcelona and the Mediterranean, the 33rd Gastrobar, of the abba Garden Hotel, boasts a fantastic terrace and a 1,500 m² outdoor garden, where you can savor local tapas and dishes, made with products from the orchards of the Baix Llobregat Agricultural Park. This restaurant is part of the Sabors de l'Horta Collective, guardians of a cuisine rooted in the land who profess love for authentic, sustainable, tasty, and fresh produce cuisine.
In this four-star hotel, located next to the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and a stone's throw from the Palau de Congresos de Catalunya, tapas are enjoyed in every bite with Mediterranean-accented tapas, where freshness and balance stand out. The offer is a journey through seasonal and local products. Tapas and small dishes such as burratina on "all cremat", kumato garden tomato and Italian-style bread, or their popular "abbravas". Essential is their assortment of Catalan cheeses from Garrotxa, Tarragona, Ripollès and Cerdanya, and their charcuterie boards with ham, Iberian sausage and cheeses. In short, a clear commitment to quality, proximity and sustainability.
Terraza 4 Capellans (Barcelona Cathedral). Tapas in the heart of the Gothic Quarter
In the heart of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, the Barcelona Catedral hotel is known for its unbeatable location. Those who choose it have the luxury of living a unique experience, where historical and gastronomic heritage merge to create an unforgettable memory.
One of its most sought-after spots is its 4 Capellans terrace, a charming outdoor corner located on the first floor, perfect for enjoyment with all five senses. This cozy space, adorned with lush vegetation, invites calm, enjoyment and savoring light proposals made with seasonal products.
You can have anything from a coffee first thing in the morning to a last drink, not forgetting aperitif time and light dinners based on tapas and Mediterranean dishes. Proposals based on fresh, local and seasonal products. Mediterranean recipes that never fail. But also, specialties that adapt to all palates ---or needs---, from those who want vegetarian or gluten-free options, to those who do not give up a good Iberian ham croquette, or an assortment of cold cuts and cheeses.
In addition, the establishment works with local producers who have developed socio-labor insertion projects. So, in addition to enjoying good tapas outdoors, you will be contributing a grain of sand to a social cause.