Bauma

L'Eixample, Barcelona –

Bauma definitely benefits from its central location off the busy Avinguda Diagonal, and though it’s definitely not a place to go in search of a raging party, this old-style café and bar makes for a cozy spot to spend a few hours while exploring L'Eixample.

The sidewalk patio fills up fast on warm days, with older locals sipping strong coffee over their newspapers and tweed-coated professorial types scribbling notes between bites of a buttery croissant, while groggy tourists stare down ever-busy Diagonal with guidebooks in hand.

Inside, the long and narrow space has a vintage living room feel, with maroon leather booths and stools, faded oil paintings, and creaky fans spinning slowly from the ceiling, all of which help make the frenetic city pace feel far away.

Sandwiches and tapas dominate the menu like at most other casual cafés in town, all at average prices that make eating here easier on the wallet than the neighborhood’s preponderance of tourist traps.

Area shoppers and wayward wanderers alike fill the place up for lunch, while mellow packs of pre-gamers on weekends stop in for a little nosh before venturing off to rowdier prospects.

As a place for peaceful morning coffees or a relaxed afternoon snack amid Barcelona’s bustle, Bauma leave visitors refreshed and ready to take on the day – and night.