5 places to enjoy a good vermut

Are you into vermut? Not only the drink, the whole vermut ritual, which seemed old fashioned a few years ago, has come back to stay. Catalonia has a tradition of good vermut, which is aromatised wine, and l’hora del vermut (vermouth time)  usually takes place sometime before lunch. In this ritual you typically eat some tapas and drink something (vermouth, beer, wine..)

Vermut is served with ice and usually a slice of orange (at least the red one). Some places may skip the orange thing or replace it with lemon though. But remember, Martini is not vermut, it’s a cocktail based on vermouth and other alcoholic drinks and ingredients, we’re talking about the real thing here! From ShBarcelona we offer a selection of good places to enjoy the trendy drink accompanied with good food. If you want to learn about good places where to discover this ritual, you should check these 5 spots.

1. La Cala del Vermut

One of the first to recover the vermut tradition from the 70’s and the 80’s, they opened about 18 years ago in the Gòtic area, very close to Via Laietana. The place is small but cosy, full of maritime details and decor and with a kitsch touch that takes us to that 70’s vermut tradition. You can have bravas, or cold tapas: shrimps, anchovies, olives… They might not be the best tapas in town, but the place is really worth a visit. De les Magdalenes street 6

2. Bar Electricitat

In Barceloneta, very close to the market, you’ll find this authentic bar-bodega. Nothing fancy here, but a true authentic experience with really good tapas and vermut, and also a nice selection of simple wines. Enjoy their tortilla de patatas and their crab salad, sitting in an old marble table surrounded by barrels and interacting with locals. Sant Carles Street 15

3. Colmado

In the peaceful Enric Granados, where it meets with Provença street, you can find this small place offering vermut from Reus (a Catalan classic of vermut) at a really good price (a small glass is less than 2€!). It’s a pity they can’t have their terrace any more, since the inside is quite small. However, there are seats on the bar and a few barrels at the end where you can enjoy delicious bravas and an excellent selection of olives. They also have good ham and a selection of Catalan embotits, worth trying with pa amb tomàquet. Provença street 236

4. Bar Malasang

This place is one of the new trendy cafes decorated with vintage Scandinavian furniture and big open windows. It’s not only decor though, they offer vermut de la casa and also the famous Yzaguirre (that won recently an award for best red vermut) and good tapas and salads. Don’t forget to try the Tarambana or Malasang potatoes and the tempura artichokes. Check what they are offering, because they are constantly changing and adding new tapas to the menu. Comte Borrell Street 148

5. Bodega Vinito

There are lots of places where you can enjoy a vermut in the trendy Sant Antoni, but we have chosen this open bodega in Parlament street. You can drink not only vermut, but a wide selection of wines and cavas, and even buy a bottle or a litre from the barrel. Not very big and usually crowded at the weekends, they offer pinchos in the evening at a really good price and good croquetas, bombas and other tapas to eat while you enjoy the drink of your choice. Parlament Street 27