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Sips and Paradiso land at No. 16 and No. 17 in The 50 Best Bars 2026, and Paradiso takes the Legend of the List award
Barcelona's Sips and Paradiso rank No. 16 and No. 17 in The 50 Best Bars 2026, unveiled in Milan on 7 October, and Paradiso also receives the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award.
Jordi Vilà closes Va de Cuina, his Sarrià takeaway food shop
Chef Jordi Vilà has closed Va de Cuina, his prepared-food shop on Carrer Major de Sarrià, with 4 October 2026 as the last day of trading. It was the last Va de Cuina still open.
Merendero de la Mari closes at Barcelona's Port Vell after a rent dispute
The Merendero de la Mari, a family seafood restaurant at Barcelona's Port Vell, has closed. Owner Rosa Maria Ribera told betevé the landlord would not renegotiate the rent.
L'Andreuenc in Sant Andreu retains Catalonia's top esmorzar de forquilla title for a second year
L'Andreuenc, a Sant Andreu de Palomar bar, has won the Lliga del Porc i la Forquilla for the second year running, with chef Juli Alcoriza's braised pork cheek and salt cod brandada also taking the new public-vote prize at the Lleida final on 27 September 2026.
A 1957 Gòtic bar hangs a 'Mori el Brunch' banner to push back on Barcelona's brunch boom
Bar Haití, family-run in Barcelona's Gòtic since 1957, placed a 'Mori el Brunch' (death to brunch) banner over its sign on 11 September 2026, serving traditional dishes like capipota against the brunch spots opening around it.
Can Xus, the Horta masia restaurant open since 1988, has closed as its owners retire
Can Xus, the family restaurant in a 19th-century masia at Carrer d'Horta 41, served its last lunch on Sunday 30 August 2026. Owners Glòria and Manel are retiring with no one to take over, and the building is for sale.
Paloma Fondita Mexicana closes in Gràcia after a year, and its team moves to Bar Mut
Paloma Fondita Mexicana, chef Paloma Ortiz's Mexican restaurant at Carrer de Bonavista 21 in Gràcia, closed after its last weekend in late September 2026, almost a year after opening. Its team is moving to Bar Mut.
PizzaBar and Garden Pizza, two Catalan pizzerias from outside the city, have landed in the Eixample
Two pizzerias from outside Barcelona opened in the Eixample this year: PizzaBar, from Sant Feliu de Boada, on Carrer de París, and Garden Pizza, from Sant Cugat, which opened on Consell de Cent on 27 May 2026.
Casa Xica becomes La Xica, a Poble-sec tavern with Fede Salmón
Raquel Blasco and Marc Santamaria have closed Casa Xica after 12 years and reopened the Poble-sec space as La Xica, a tavern run with Fede Salmón (ex Palo Cortao), plus La Seca, a rotisserie at Plaça de Navas 2.
Marc Ribas closes PAMB's Eixample shop less than a year after opening
PAMB, the pa amb tomàquet and charcuterie concept backed by TV3 chef Marc Ribas, has closed its branch at València and Enric Granados, opened in November 2025. The original shop on Carrer de Verdi in Gràcia stays open.
Tbilisi Boulevard brings Georgian food to the old Bulevard Rosa on Passeig de Gràcia
Tbilisi Boulevard, a two-floor Georgian restaurant for 250, has opened at Passeig de Gràcia 53, in part of the former Bulevard Rosa arcade, with khachapuris, khubkalis and Caucasus wines.
Six Barcelona bakers make the 50 Panader@s TOP de España 2026
Six bakers working in Barcelona are on the 2026 50 Panader@s TOP de España list, whose stars were handed out at the Bilbao Global Bakery Forum: Forn Mistral, Forn Sant Josep, Forn Elias, Madeleine by Ferrières, Forn Vallespir and Suca'l.
El Corte Inglés Diagonal moves its Club del Gourmet up to the fifth floor, with a bar and a Josper grill
El Corte Inglés Diagonal has reopened its Club del Gourmet on the fifth floor: more than 750 square metres of gourmet shopping, around 500 Catalan products and a bar where chef Jacky Duclos cooks meat and fish over embers.
Morro Fi opens a vermouth bar in Terminal 1 at Barcelona–El Prat, the first in Aena's airport network
Barcelona vermouth brand Morro Fi has opened a 137-square-metre bar in the Terminal 1 departures area at Barcelona–El Prat, next to the B gates, reported as the first vermouth bar across Aena's airport network.
Sartoria Panatieri (No. 29) and La Balmesina (No. 87) make 50 Top Pizza's 2026 world ranking
Sartoria Panatieri ranks No. 29 and La Balmesina No. 87 in 50 Top Pizza's World 2026 list, revealed at a gala in Naples. Sartoria Panatieri is Barcelona's only pizzeria in the top 50.
Carles Gaig is the new president of Acyre Barcelona, the city's association of cooks and pastry chefs
Chef Carles Gaig now leads Acyre Barcelona, the Asociación de Cocineros y Reposteros de Barcelona, taking over from Jani Paasikoski, with Xavi Pellicer as vice-president.
Boadas climbs to No. 52 and Foco lands at No. 90 in The 50 Best Bars 2026's 51–100 list
Two Barcelona bars are in the 51–100 section of The 50 Best Bars 2026: Boadas, up 33 places to No. 52, and Foco at No. 90. The top 50 was revealed in Milan on 7 October.
Forn Gil, a bakery family going back to 1891, is reopening Poblenou's old Cruixent on Carrer de Pujades
Forn Gil expects to open in early October 2026 at Carrer de Pujades 173 in Poblenou, the space left by Forn Cruixent, which closed on 31 July after 14 years.
Five Barcelona restaurants are up for TheFork Awards' best-opening prize, with public voting open until 11 October
Melós, Casa Fiero, Direkte, Franca and Macambo — five Barcelona restaurants — are among the 41 nominees for TheFork Awards' best-opening-of-2025 prize, with public voting open until 11 October 2026.
The Torres brothers are taking over Bar Central at La Boqueria for a new market bar
Sergio and Javier Torres, of the three-Michelin-star Cocina Hermanos Torres, will open El bar de Los Torres at La Boqueria in early 2027, taking over the old Bar Central spot by the Rambla entrance.
Slow & Low will close its Michelin-starred Sant Antoni dining room on 17 October 2026
Slow & Low, the one-Michelin-star restaurant chef Frank Beltrí opened in Barcelona's Sant Antoni neighbourhood in 2018, will close for good on 17 October 2026.
DO Catalunya adds 60 towns to its production zone, including parts of metro Barcelona
DO Catalunya's production zone grew by 60 municipalities after Spain's official gazette published the change on 15 August 2026, and the new area stretches into Barcelona's metropolitan belt.
Wingstop opens its first Barcelona restaurant inside Westfield La Maquinista
American chicken-wing chain Wingstop opened its first Barcelona restaurant on 26 August 2026, a 268-square-metre space inside the Westfield La Maquinista mall in Sant Andreu.
Six Barcelona bars land on the inaugural Europe's 50 Best Bars 2026 list, Sips ranks No. 3
Six Barcelona bars, including Sips at No. 3 and Paradiso at No. 9, placed on the inaugural Europe's 50 Best Bars list, revealed at a ceremony in Amsterdam on 30 June 2026.
Espai Classual in Badalona closes after almost seven years, owners say they need time to think
Espai Classual, the gastroteca Sílvia Casas and Santos ran in central Badalona for almost seven years, closed in the second half of July 2026. The owners say they need time to decide the project's next step and stopped short of calling it permanent.
Catalonia launches a 'Cuina Catalana' brand for its promotion campaign, with a 2027 congress set for Tarragona
Catalonia's government launched its 'Impulsem la cuina catalana' promotion campaign on 20 July 2026, under a Cuina Catalana seal handed to it free of charge, plus an expert task force and a fourth Catalan Cuisine Congress set for Tarragona in spring 2027.
Nectari's autism-adapted menu wins a 2026 ONCE Catalunya Solidarity Award
Nectari in Barcelona's Eixample has won a 2026 Premios Solidarios Grupo Social ONCE Catalunya award for creating Catalonia's first restaurant menu adapted for people with autism.
Port Olímpic's Balcó Gastronòmic adds a Sicilian restaurant and an all-you-can-eat sushi spot
Barcelona de Serveis Municipals confirmed two new restaurants for Port Olímpic's Balcó Gastronòmic strip on 21 July 2026: Sicilian spot El Siciliano BCN and all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant Sushi Hand.
Barcelona's Disfrutar wins the Grand Prix Exceptionnel, only the second for Spain
In 2026 the Académie Internationale de la Gastronomie awarded Barcelona's Disfrutar its Grand Prix Exceptionnel, a rare distinction that has come to Spain only twice.
Barcelona restricts terrace hours and late-night service on the Passeig del Born
Barcelona has declared the Passeig del Born a special acoustic zone, a plan that will cut terrace hours and late-night activity at its bars and restaurants. It was approved on 8 July 2026 and takes effect around May 2027; the city's restaurant guild says it will appeal.
Dalirium brings a Dalí-themed arrocería to Aribau, from the team behind Paellería
Dalirium, a rice restaurant with a Dalí-inspired, nightlife-leaning concept, opened in June 2026 at Aribau 30 in the Eixample. It comes from the group behind Barcelona's Paellería.
Ugot Bruncherie served its last brunch on 31 July 2026 after 11 years in the Eixample
Ugot Bruncherie closed on 31 July 2026 after 11 years at Carrer de Viladomat 138 in the Eixample. The goodbye came in a single Instagram post. No reason was given, and we found no local coverage of the closure.
Casa Leopoldo closes for good after nearly 90 years in the Raval
Casa Leopoldo, on Carrer de Sant Rafael since 1936, served its last meal on 28 June 2026. Its operator, the group Banco de Boquerones, called the business “inviable”.
La Dama's Andrea Civettini is named Spain's Best Bartender 2026
Andrea Civettini, head bartender at La Dama on Avinguda Diagonal, won the Best Bartender of Spain title at Diageo World Class 2026 and goes through to the world final in Scotland in October.
Barcelona's restaurant guild threatens to take bakery chains to the prosecutor and files complaints against Mercadona over “mercaurantes”
The Gremi de Restauració de Barcelona is threatening to go to the public prosecutor over bakery chains, and has filed complaints against about 30 Mercadona stores it accuses of running unlicensed cafés — citing 57 infractions across 22 Eixample bakeries.
Corpinnat adds its first Baix Penedès winery as Mas Vilella joins
From 1 July 2026, Mas Vilella in La Bisbal del Penedès — run by Albert Jané — labels its sparkling wines as Corpinnat, becoming the collective's first member in the Baix Penedès and taking it to 23 producers.
Barcelona chefs take top honours at Catalonia's 2026 National Gastronomy Awards
The Acadèmia Catalana de Gastronomia i Nutrició gave Raül Balam Ruscalleda (Moments) its Gastronomia d'Autor prize and Patricia Sierra (Granja Elena) the best Cap de Sala award at the 2026 Premis Nacionals de Gastronomia.
Martín Berasategui opens Fonda España in Hotel España's modernist dining room
Martín Berasategui has relaunched the historic Domènech i Montaner dining room at Hotel España as Fonda España, a product-led take on traditional Catalan cooking, with Edu Rodas as head chef. It opened 6 May 2026.
Time Out Market Barcelona adds six new kitchens, reaching 17
Time Out Market Barcelona added six new food stalls in June 2026, bringing the Maremagnum food hall to 17 kitchens — among them La Porca, Carmen Churros, Jon Cake and Paral·lelo Gelato.
Barcelona nears 7,000 terrace licences, a third of them in the Eixample
Barcelona ended 2025 with about 6,899 active terrace licences, up 6.1% since 2022. New permits per year fell from 486 to 220, and l'Eixample alone holds roughly 2,296 — about one in three.
Rafa Zafra opens Masia Tibidabo, the highest restaurant in Barcelona
Masia Tibidabo opened to the public on 5 June 2026 in the Tibidabo park's restored 1901 farmhouse, 500 metres up with the whole city below. Rafa Zafra of Estimar and Amar designed the Catalan sharing menu; lunch only, Wednesday to Sunday, around €45 a head.
The Oxte chefs are coming to Barcelona, and Quirat serves the first taste on 18 June
Enrique Casarrubias and Mon Estrada, the chefs behind Michelin-starred Oxte in Paris, open Papalote on Avinguda Diagonal after summer 2026. The preview: a €140 four-hands with Víctor Torres at Quirat on 18 June.
Casa Antonio brings the bar-bodega back to Aribau, in Galileo's old space
Casa Antonio opened this spring at Aribau 152 in l'Eixample, where cocktail bar Galileo used to be. Toni Cano's bar-bodega does gildas, cap i pota meatballs and grandma Roser's macaroni, with a deli counter of wines and conserves to take home.
The people behind Barcelona's wine lists: 12 sommeliers shaping the city
Wine lists at Barcelona's top restaurants are usually invisible. Behind every recommendation is a person who spent months tasting and years building the cellar you didn't know existed. Here are twelve who shape what the city drinks right now: industry-award winners, multi-venue consultants, sake specialists, and multi-generational family stewards. Ordered by professional authority, not by restaurant rank.
Three small Catalan producers keep turning up on Barcelona's Sourced Gold menus
Three small Catalan producers keep showing up on Barcelona's most rigorously sustainable menus. Cal Tomàs in La Pobla de Segur feeds three Sourced Gold restaurants. Cal Fusteret in Sant Fruitós de Bages feeds two. Salt del Colom in L'Espunyola supplies Gatblau in Gràcia. When the same producer turns up at multiple top kitchens, that's the strongest signal there is that a restaurant's sourcing claims are real.
Michelin is killing the Green Star, and Cocina Hermanos Torres loses its badge with it
Michelin's pulling the Green Star sustainability award by the end of 2026. All 59 Spanish holders lose it, including Barcelona's three-starred Cocina Hermanos Torres. The replacement is an editorial column called Mindful Voices.
Rasoterra served its last meal on 3 May 2026 after 13 years in the Gothic Quarter
The plant-based flagship in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter closed on 3 May 2026 after 13 years. Co-owners said running it alongside their Slow Food Barcelona work had stopped being compatible with family life.
Oliver Peña and Cristina Losada open Mineral near Mercat del Ninot
Oliver Peña (who earned the Michelin star at Teatro Kitchen Bar) and Cristina Losada (ex-Enigma) opened Mineral on Carrer de Mallorca near the Ninot Market. 18-seat bar, 12-seat dining room, around €60 a head.
Finca Nebot reopens a 1924 casa de comidas in Poblenou
Grupo No Hay Mañana opened Finca Nebot at Pujades 133 in Poblenou, on the site where the Nebot family ran a casa de comidas more than six decades ago. The kitchen pulls recipes from 1924.
The Hermanos Torres open Parada Torres inside Mercat de Santa Caterina
Javier and Sergio Torres, with Grup Pantea as partner, opened a 440 m² contemporary market bar inside Mercat de Santa Caterina on 22 May 2026. Average ticket lands at €20 to €45.
Martín Berasategui's new Barcelona spot keeps every plate under €25
Bera, a more accessible format from Martín Berasategui (9 Michelin stars), opened at Passeig de Gràcia 75 inside Monument Hotel. The carte runs all day and no plate goes over €25.
Eugeni de Diego's new cervecería on Diagonal is named after a beer blend
Eugeni de Diego, ex-elBulli head chef and the guy behind Lombo and Colmado Wilmot, opened his third Barcelona spot at Avinguda Diagonal 640 in December 2025. The name nods to the classic 6:40 beer blend (Estrella Damm with Turia).
Bar Dijous is a 25-member cooperative casa de menjars in Eixample
Joan Vallès, Time Out Barcelona's 'xef revelació del 2025', opened a casa de menjars at Consell de Cent 93 as a cooperative with around 25 members. Full meals land at €35 to €40, lighter orders near €20.
La Rambla is losing 60 terrace tables and getting one unified style book
Barcelona's new La Rambla terrace ordinance, announced 14 April 2026, cuts tables from 382 to 322, frees 1,436 m² of public space (a 33% pedestrian-area gain), and standardises parasols, tables, and chairs. Full application is due in 2027.
La Boqueria starts a €12 million refurbishment, and the works now run into 2028
Mercat de la Boqueria is starting a €12 million renovation in 2026, with works now running through 2027 and 2028. The scope: fish hall, asbestos roof, ventilation, solar panels. Vendors approved it with over 90% in favour.
Big Mamma's Circolo Popolare lands on Passeig de Gràcia, its second Barcelona venue
Circolo Popolare was due to open in early December 2025 at Pg. de Gràcia 44, Big Mamma's second Barcelona room after Gloria Osteria and the French group's fifth in Spain. Around 800 m², 12 cooking stations, average ticket near €25.
Barcelona just landed three new two-Michelin-star restaurants in a single night
Enigma, Aleia, and Mont Bar all picked up a second Michelin star at the 25 November 2025 gala in Málaga. Two more Barcelona restaurants, Kamikaze and Scapar, earned their first.
Dos Palillos picks up a second Repsol Sol, and four Barcelona kitchens get their first
Dos Palillos was promoted to two Soles at the 16 February 2026 gala in Tarragona. Amar Barcelona, Besta, Eldelmar, and Prodigi each picked up a first Sol. Catalunya leads Spain with 122 Soles.
Paolo Casagrande takes over the old Teatro Kitchen Bar space with Osteria Condal
Orobianco opens Osteria Condal at the former Teatro Kitchen Bar site (Av. Paral·lel 164) in late June or early July 2026. Paolo Casagrande is gastronomic director, Andrea Fiori is head chef.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Guidavera get Barcelona news from?
News items come from a curated list of Catalan, Spanish, and English-language food and hospitality publications, plus authority sources (Michelin, Guía Repsol, and official local-government press). Every story has at least one source URL listed on its page, and most have two or more.
How often is the news section updated?
Stories are added as they happen, after each item is verified against the primary sources. Significant openings, closings, and industry changes are added within days; smaller items are batched into weekly updates.
Are restaurant events covered here?
No. Food festivals, markets, tastings, and pop-up dinners live in the Food Events section. This page is for news about the scene itself: openings, closings, chef moves, awards, and industry updates.