La Confitería

Poble Sec, Barcelona –

If one imagines an old candy shop – like something out of Harry Potter or a Disney film in which orphaned puppies teach a curmudgeonly confectioner how to love again – they might picture something strikingly similar to La Confitería.

In fact, the vintage space was once a venue for sugary treats, but these days the original glass-paneled cabinets that run down the narrow front room are stocked with bottles of vermouth and sparkling Spanish cava.

Movie buffs will recognize the interior from Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona – spoiler alert: the scene occurs after the three leads sleep together but before Penelope Cruz shoots someone – but real-life daytime guests are more likely a mix of casual shoppers, students, and relaxed locals hanging out over coffee and tapas.

Located just north of the busy Paral-lel thoroughfare, the venue features big street-facing windows in the front room that provide ample people-watching opportunities onto Sant Pau Street, while further back past the bookshelves in the main dining area lie small group tables watched over by a lime-green papier-mâché dragon.

As night sets in, local barhoppers, couples, and young club kids often meet up here to enjoy a few mellow rounds before venturing off to rowdier prospects, only to be replaced by older theater-goers dropping by for a post-show nightcap.

It may not be the place for lollipops and candy bars anymore, but La Confitería is still a sweet spot in Poble Sec to get the night underway.