A local’s guide to Barcelona's wine bars, Afrobeats clubs, and more

I first visited Barcelona in 2016, when, after my study-abroad program wrapped, some friends and I decided to take off on a Eurotrip to visit several POC-friendly cities (Barcelona included). From the moment we landed, I had this eerie feeling that the city remembered me even though I had never been there before. I made friends effortlessly, explored local markets, and had my first tapas experience, living la cheetah-loca (in dedication to the film Cheetah Girls 2, a cornerstone of millennial culture).

Fast forward the better part of a decade, and I found myself traveling the world in search of great food—and a new place to call home. After living in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, for a few months in early 2023, I packed my bags to give Barcelona a trial run. Within two short weeks, I had friends, a gym routine, and even a bakery owner who always had fresh gluten-free brownies ready when I walked in (shout out to Crumble). It’s gone so well, I’m now working on my Spanish digital nomad visa.

The city checks a lot of boxes for me. I’m a full-time freelance journalist who writes about food, drinks, and accessibility, and living in Barcelona not only allows me access to so many international cuisines and the world of Spanish wine, but it’s also an incredibly accessible city: I have neuromyelitis optica, and the wide, sloping street crossings make a huge difference for me. And as a single Black woman, I’ve felt astronomically safer in Barcelona than I did while living in the United States.

As always, there are important things for Black travelers to Barcelona to keep in mind—finding hair products can be tough—but to help you get your trip started on the right foot, I pulled together some of my favorite stops around the city.

This chocolate shop makes the best cacao drinks and snacks, and it’s also a walk-through factory and a mini-museum fully dedicated to the art of chocolate. When I lived down the street, I’d spend money here practically every time I walked by (no hate to the official chocolate museum, of course!). If you love a good chai, there's a rich, chocolate-infused blend that will soothe your soul. And the chocolate, salted toffee, and hazelnut cookie topped with tempered chocolate shards is an absolute must-have.

If you love an out-of-the-ordinary cocktail experience, you’ll love this intimate bar. There are several herbal cocktails here that play with heat and sweet and are almost addictive; my favorite is the Testa de Moro, made with gin, jalapeño, lime juice, and basil. The “Experiences Menu” here tells the story of an herb or spice in a cocktail without actually using it. I don’t fully understand how the bar team can take ingredients like plain yogurt, tomato, and whiskey to create the smell and experience of vanilla, but they do it—and amazingly, at that. Don't sleep on the Caraway and Cardamom cocktails from that Experiences lineup. They're both works of art.

A cornerstone of the bakery scene in Barcelona, this cheesecake factory is far from a secret. Every time I pass by, there’s a line wrapped around the block; be sure to arrive early or just before closing. Even with a wait, it’s worth the visit: The shop spins complex cheese blends into their offerings, some of which are earthy and robust while others are lightly sweet and tangy. I recommend the original and the chocolate cheesecakes; there's also weekly specialty flavors like strawberry.

Out of all the restaurants I frequent in Barcelona, this one sticks out—all because of one dish. As a woman of Caribbean heritage, I take my roti and curry very seriously, and I’ve never had roti this flaky and curry this craveable before (please don’t tell my mom). You'll find three kinds of curry—potato, chicken, and beef—and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Pro tip: Don’t make plans for after the meal—unless it's for a nap.

As someone who isn’t really into electronic music, I thought it'd be hard finding a place to dance in Barcelona. Luckily, some friends recommended three Afrobeats clubs—Soweto, Ocana, and Jamboree—that blast music you can whine and grind to. Cut to me grooving way past my bedtime (scene starts to hit full throttle around midnight). Heads up: There's a cover fee that varies by club when events are on (usually 10 or 12 euros).

Located just under an hour’s drive from Barcelona's city center in scenic Penedes, the cava capital of the world, Vins El Cep is the perfect day trip. The mid-sized winery is owned by four families of generational friends and there’s tons to do here besides the obvious wine tasting, from wine yoga and curated brunches to Catalonian cheese tastings.

With locations in Eixample and Gracia, Paral.lelo is hands-down my favorite gelato shop in Barcelona. The creamery uses all organic ingredients for one, and it offers sorbet and vegan options along with milk-based gelato. I usually gravitate toward a scoop of watermelon sorbet paired with matcha, but the seasonal flavors are very tempting as well—especially the panettone and the blue cheese with green-apple jam.

You can find a phenomenal tapas bar around every corner in Barcelona, to the point where it’s hard to find a bad one. That being said, Sensi Tapas is where I bring all of my friends from out of town. The standouts here? The squid ink paella and the beef tenderloin. Remember that tapas are meant to be shared, so definitely bring a companion—or many!—so you can really explore all corners of the menu.

At this natural wine bar, the decor is quirky—not entirely unlike a NYC deli that was transformed into a wine bar. And I love it. Not only is there an impressive collection of natural Spanish wines, but the spot also offers a “Meet the Winemaker” series that allows patrons to get to know some of the small-business owners who sell wines here. Whatever you do, be sure to order the pavlova for dessert—and I write that as someone who doesn’t usually like meringue.

If you're flexible on timing, plan your trip around the first of the month so you can catch Palo Market Fest, a local music-and-food extravaganza that highlights restaurants, food vendors, and musicians from all over the city. You’ll have a tough time nailing down what to eat—there are options that celebrate the foods of Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Vietnam, and more—but it's practically guaranteed that everything will be delicious (especially while enjoying live music and DJs). Other things to note: there's a five-euro entrance fee, and the nighttime market is even more of a party than the daytime one.

This park is one of my favorites in the city. In it, there’s a zoo, a small lake where you can take a romantic paddleboat ride, and a historic terrace overlooking a photogenic fountain. The top of the terrace is my happy place—you can usually find older couples dancing to a local musician, all against a positively dreamy background.