A walk through Barceloneta
La Barceloneta is always a place you want to visit. Its narrow and picturesque streets invite you to lose yourself in its charm. Now, you have the opportunity to calmly stroll through some of its alleys without the fear of being run over by the oncoming avalanche of tourists. In a few days, the Copa América will attract a massive audience, turning the area into a crowded place.
A tour of the emblematic places
As you enter Barceloneta, you can leave the bustle of the market behind and walk down Baluard Street. On your way, you will pass Cova Fumada, where you will see Josep Maria organizing the queue of customers on the sidewalk. Inside the establishment, Laura will be behind the bar, with a spoon in her hand, adding spice to a couple of bombs. The place will be packed to the rafters. Continuing your walk, you will cross Pepe Rubianes Street and in a few minutes you will reach Bar Electricitat, where the genius and figure of the neighborhood used to have breakfast. Another emblematic place is Bar Leo, known as the most rogue bar in the old fishermen’s quarter.
The charm of the Moll del Rebaix bar
A mandatory stop on your tour is the Moll del Rebaix bar, a family winery with almost a hundred years of history. Currently, it is run by the Parra family, with Paco Parra, better known as Paquito, being in charge of serving customers. Paquito, born and raised in the neighborhood, decided to abandon his career in Law and Criminology to work in the family bar. Although the place is half full, it retains its essence as a traditional fisherman’s bar. The photos of a lifetime behind the bar and the blue-painted wall with memories from another era give it a special touch. Plus, you can enjoy Oasis music at full volume, especially on Saturdays when the atmosphere gets lively and everyone ends up singing and drinking before they close.
Culinary delights and meetings with neighbors
At the Moll del Rebaix bar, Paquito will serve you beers accompanied by tapas, and he will always offer you a free tapa with your drink. The house specialties are anchovies, which he desalts himself, and fried fish brought to him by a friend from the fishermen’s guild. You can also enjoy snails with sauce, squid, anchovies in vinegar, ham and the usual tapas, as well as hot and cold sandwiches. Unlike other tourist places, this bar is rarely visited by tourists, which does not matter to Paquito, as he has a loyal clientele that has always been there. Here, the bar is the meeting point where neighbors meet, establish relationships, find out about the news of the neighborhood and greet people they have not seen for a long time. In addition, you can enjoy a nice cold beer at the bar of an emblematic wine cellar like El Moll del Rebaix, which has resisted both the crisis and gentrification.
In short, Barceloneta and its alleys offer you a charming walk through a neighborhood full of history and tradition. You will be able to enjoy the authentic essence of a fishing neighborhood, taste culinary delights and establish relationships with neighbors in the emblematic bars. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore this unique corner of Barcelona.