Milk Bar & Bistro

Barri Gòtic, Barcelona –

Combining Irish hospitality and a little Spanish charm, Milk Bar & Bistro is an elegant spot with vintage décor, festive cocktails, and a hearty menu sure to please anyone tired of tapas.

Run by an Irish couple who made their way to Barcelona via San Francisco, the classy and cozy space is filled with Victorian-style sofas, intimate low wooden tables, and large front windows that allow light to flood across the detailed handcrafted wallpaper.

True to the owners’ heritage, there’s lots of Magners and Guinness behind the tiny red-lacquered bar, but the variety of unique cocktails mostly eschew nationalism, from the brandy-packed Sangria to the passion fruit martinis and sinus-clearing champagne cocktails.

Upscale takes on Irish and U.S. staples bring in a diverse crowd, with everyone from beach-bound students and expats to savvy tourists and classy locals piling in for fish & chips and classic burgers, while the daily Recovery Brunch serves up everything from smoothies to pancakes until 4pm.

Although the daytime scene is always busy, especially on weekends, evenings can be just as festive, with international groups of friends and couples cozying in for a pregame cocktail or just chilling through the night beneath the pulsing beats of jazz and Brazilian funk.

Owners say they designed Milk Bar & Bistro to resemble a millionaire’s drawing room, but luckily they picked a millionaire who welcomes just about everyone into his home.