Vermouth in Barcelona

I love it when a plan comes together. I don’t suppose that Guillermo, Marcel and Marc would have imagined that they’d be running a rather successful vermouth spot when they began their foodie blog back in 2007, but swing by this sunny Eixample corner on a Sunday early afternoon and you will see an institution of the Catalan weekend in its most refined incarnation.

Doorstop-thick crisps, canned seafood, olives and almonds will satisfy the peckish, while beers and their own, house-brand vermouth are ideal to wash it all down (the more carefree can plump for a well-crafted Bloody Mary or G&T). Years of trawling the area’s most authentic bars have clearly given the lads their ideas for design, which is impeccable. You may have to wait in line to be served and hover around to get a precious stool, but once you’re settled, you’ll be in your element.

Nuzzled away in the Fort Pienc corner of Eixample, not so very far away from the Arc de Triomf, El Puestu is one of those chic-but-chill joints that make casual dining in Barcelona such a joy.

The vibe is perfect for those impromptu meetups with friends, or when you want to impress someone special while keeping things low-key. Specializing in “vins i platillos” (wines and small dishes), the menu features bold but simple dishes that rely heavily on the quality of each ingredient rather than any sort of artifice. I’m talking smoked cod with fresh tomato and A-grade olives, perfectly steamed mussels, meatballs with cuttlefish, vinegar-marinated anchovies with paprika, and a Russian salad that local foodies are already raving about.

And yes, as you may well imagine, there’s great vermouth and a serious selection of natural wines from boutique bodegas. Definitely an address all discerning flâneurs should have in their mental rolodex.

A rich array of canned products from Spain, Portugal, France and other countries awaits at Entre Latas (“among cans”). Curious about food and willing to try anything, Italian-born graphic designer Paola opened her gourmet preserves shop in 2015 in Sant Antoni and later moved to Gràcia.

She is now an expert in this gastronomic arena, and it shows. Entre Latas has expanded to carry around 500 different types of canned products, including seafood, shellfish and more exotic items – smoked oysters, eel, sea hedgehog caviar – as well as traditional local foods such as oxtail, rabbit, partridge, peppers and olives. These canned products are healthy, nutritional, additive-free and recyclable.

Join in the Catalan tradition of vermut by gathering your favorite canned goods and vermouth for a nice banderilla on the beach, or drop into the store for Paola’s regular art exhibitions or cooking classes.

Chefs Alain Guiard and Marc Martín are largely responsible for Sants’ current hipsterfication. La Mundana is a quintessentially trendy vermuteria, complete with suede and denim-clad staff and avant-garde lighting installations. But look beyond its voguish good looks and you’ll find an abundance of depth and sophistication.

Fifteen types of Catalan vermouth present the perfect excuse to nibble on gourmet Cantabrian anchovies, boquerones, and more progressive delights like Thai-style razor clam tartar with kaffir lime and fennel. Drawing on the chefs’ interest in food from Asia and the Med, main dishes include grilled foie with roasted pumpkin, quince and amaretto jelly, and octopus with Iberian bacon and a saffron salsa.

Sip on boutique wines handpicked from Spain’s best bodegas and finish with lavish desserts such as matcha tea and coconut with mango and meringue, and chocolate mousse with yuzu cream and marshmallow. Sants will never be the same.

Tradition thrives at Bar Bodega Quimet, the old-school wine shop and bar that’s been an integral part of Carrer de Vic since 1954. Known for the quality of its products, this friendly, intimate locale draws in locals and tourists alike – an ideal spot for chatting over a glass of wine, vermouth, cava or an artisanal beer, perhaps accompanied by a few traditional dishes sourced from all around Spain.

Must-trys from the all-day menu include L’Escala anchovies, octopus with potato purée or broad beans with ham and poached egg, while the variado vermut del Quimet (vermouth variety platter) is an ideal option for sharing. You’ll also find a wide range of cheeses, hams, olives from around the country, Extremadura cured meats and more, while the bodega sells a vast array of wines and vermouths.

With no TV or radio to distract, this is a place for good talk, good drinks and good food. Good times.

The pungent smells of olives and old wood fill your senses as you step through the door and find Armando’s beaming smile.

The proudest bar owner in the Raval, he dazzles with a waltz on light feet, prepping lavish lowballs of vermouth and slithers of fuet and cheese. He sings along to English hits of the ‘90s – “Pero no entiendo nada, eh!” – and slaps his thigh as he breaks into rapturous laughter, filling the room with light and warmth.

And propped up at the bar with giant newspapers and bottomless bowls of juicy fat olives are his biggest fans: the good ol’ boys with their slicked-back hair and herringbone jackets who spend their days and nights here. They sip on liquid sunshine that bleeds from the bulging wine barrels that dominate this modest space.

If only every night could start like this.

In the ‘50s and ‘60s, l’hora del vermut (vermouth hour) after Mass was one of the few moments for young boys and girls to meet one another. Later, as a result of the growing influence of the big beer brands, the apéritif declined in popularity in Barcelona. But vermouth has made a true comeback over the past years.

A great place to immerse yourself in the revival of this once outdated drink is Casa Mariol. Do as the locals do and fulfill the vermouth tradition on a Saturday or Sunday morning. The vermouth ritual may be historic but Casa Mariol is a modern bodega: original, well-designed and playful.

Their mouth-watering tapas match perfectly with your oliveta – a glass of vermouth with an olive. The vermouth gift boxes will absolutely impress your friends. Who said vermouth was old fashioned? Not anymore.

You can’t talk to anyone about vermouth without hearing about Cala del Vermut. Fernando Puerta founded the original spot decades ago because he wanted to rescue vermouth from the dustbin of history where it’d been consigned after everybody switched to beer; soon it expanded to a second location, run by his wife, and then a third, run by his step-son, César, who says the family has a friendly competi­tion going between the three of them.

Perhaps that’s why César’s place is the only one open when I stop by on a Monday afternoon: to give him the edge over his folks’ more rustically charming locations (this is a rookie move by the way: vermouth any time other than weekend mornings is soooo guiri). Even if the vibe is lacking, the tapas array is delec­table, especially the Cantabrian white anchovies, and the on-tap Penedès hits the spot. Just don’t ask César to join you; he doesn’t touch the stuff!

What were once the blue graffitied doors of a mechanic’s workshop on Sant Antoni’s Parlament have now been transformed into the welcoming entrance of the very modern bodega Els Sortidors del Parlament. Upturned barrels acting as tables and casks offering vermouth, Tinto de Penedés or Priorat from the sortidors (taps) could lull you for a second into thinking this was just another dusty bodega. Yet through those towering folding doors and under the cool breeze of the rapidly spinning ceiling fans, this cellar opens into a den of gourmet food, drink and art.

Predominantly a spot for taking a glass or two of something cold, their vast selection of wines (both local and from further afield), craft beers, spirits and liqueurs are available to savor in-house or be taken away. But the best drinks should never be guzzled on an empty stomach, and the selection of accompaniments is impressive. Try some salted potato crisps with black truffle with that cold beer, or sliced, cured cecina beef, Picos of Europa cheese with a fine wine, or some prized Galician river canned shellfish (conservas) with a vermouth. If you can handle something richer, why not sample foie, with or without truffle or black chanterelles, or a petite dish of oxtail stew.

You can even leave with a few top-notch ingre­dients to spruce up the kitchen cupboard: crackers with smatterings of black olives, rosemary or Mo­roccan spices to embellish a cheeseboard, grapeseed or avocado oils and fruit-based vinegars to liven up a summer salad. Pursuing not only a passion for gastronomy, the owners have decorated the space with their own art. Contemplate the “caged” birds hanging from the roof and ask yourself if those fairground goldfish in bags are real or whether you’ve just had one too many.