Barcelona claims two spots in the world’s top five cocktail bars. Sip’s (Google Maps) ranks third and Paradiso (Google Maps) fourth in The World’s 50 Best Bars list, though both previously held the number one position. Bar Leone in Hong Kong currently tops the rankings.
Rather than revisiting those famous names, we’re exploring a brand-new opening and a legendary spot that pioneered Barcelona’s speakeasy scene. Stravinsky’s Parfumerie opened days ago in the Born, whilst a secret bar has hidden in Dry Martini’s stockroom for 27 years.
Stravinsky’s Parfumerie: perfume museum meets cocktail club
The Confiteria Group, which owns Paradiso alongside partner Giacommo Giannoti, has launched Stravinsky’s Parfumerie. This team runs disruptive venues including Focacha (Google Maps) on Carrer Tuset (hidden behind a focaccia bar) and Monk (concealed in a Born corner shop’s back room – Google Maps). They’ve also created classic spots like Dr Stravinsky (Google Maps) and their first project, Confiteria (Google Maps).
Their newest opening takes storytelling to extremes. Rather than entering through a secret door or walking through a fridge, guests access via a museum dedicated to perfume and the curious history of Grigori Stravinsky, a character built more from myth than reality. Instead of remembering a password, visitors join the club through a quick, easy membership process open to everyone.
It’s a more sophisticated extension of Dr Stravinsky next door, designed to transform the city’s cocktail scene with special venues that invite dreams. Behind the elaborate storytelling sits the restless mind of Enric Rebordosa.
The menu draws inspiration from international mixology classics, enhanced with aromatics. Each of 16 cocktails can be scented with three different perfumes based on personal preferences, generating multiple drink possibilities. The space couldn’t be more elegant, inspired by antique perfumeries where each bottle was an exquisite filigree displayed on noble wood shelving.
Speakeasy: 27 years of clandestine cocktails
Until recently, Javier de las Muelas ruled Barcelona’s cocktail scene through his iconic Dry Martini (Google Maps). He inherited the bar from Pere Carbonell, who named it after his obsession with Dry Martinis, the only cocktail initially served. Under de las Muelas, the menu expanded whilst maintaining that classic English bar style: green leather sofas, wooden bar and walls, waiters in white jackets. It quickly became a bustling venue animating Barcelona nights.
However, de las Muelas didn’t stop there. Twenty-seven years ago, he opened Speakeasy in Dry Martini’s stockroom. When he embraced clandestine bar culture, nobody here knew what speakeasies were. It was his personal homage to Prohibition-era America, where underground venues violated 1920s alcohol bans.
Curiously, Speakeasy (Google Maps) remains accessible from Dry Martini itself or through a street entrance, usually maintaining the tradition of reciting a password. To reach the stockroom, guests continue down a narrow corridor where kitchen staff can be seen working.
It’s a large square room surrounded by metal shelving with backlighting that illuminates bottles, creating coloured glass walls. Jazz typically plays in the background. The space still functions as a drinks stockroom, an authenticity confirmed by waiters coming and going whilst serving Dry Martini customers.
This space is designed for dining and extending the night with cocktails, either at Speakeasy itself or by switching atmosphere to Dry Martini. It’s a dual experience that showcases both traditional elegance and hidden sophistication.
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