Dry Martini cocktail bar, Barcelona

Making cocktails is an art in itself, and it’s an art the bartenders at Dry Martini have mastered: real experts who advise you according to your taste and ‘shape’ each cocktail with their own personal touch.

The crowd is a real mix, mostly people of around 40, although you’ll also see groups of younger people who love a good cocktail.

The house speciality is just what the name says: the Dry Martini, and thanks to a counter you can find out how many have been ordered over the years. At first the tally was kept by hand: the bar’s founder, Pedro Carbonell, noted down each Dry Martini as it was served. Today there’s an automatic counter which, although it clashes with the rest of the décor, has already passed one million Dry Martinis.

The bar was founded in 1978 by Pedro Carbonell, whom Javier de las Muelas, the current owner and a renowned ‘mixologist’, regards as his mentor. With its dim lighting, wooden furniture, green leather seating and soft, jazzy music, it’s a good place to enjoy a cocktail at your leisure with friends.

At the back is one of Barcelona’s first ‘clandestine’ restaurants, the Speakeasy, which we’ll devote a post to later on.

Open Monday to Friday, 1pm–2:30am. Saturdays and Sundays, 6pm–3am.

Address: Aribau 162, 166, 08036 Barcelona

Tel: 93 217 50 72

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