Irish Culture

Guinness in Barcelona: Where to find the best pint

A potentially unrealiable guide to the best Guinness in Barcelona

Guinness
Guinness
Avatar Aoife Byrne
Avatar Shannon Kenny

There is a huge Irish community in Barcelona, and therefore, there are numerous bars around the city that claim to provide a genuine Irish experience. Presented here is a guide to finding the perfect pint of Guinness in Barcelona. If it’s possible… As many say, “Guinness doesn’t travel”, let’s find out if it’s true.

A picture of the front door of the George Payne Irish Pub in Barcelona

1. The George Payne

The George Payne is located on Plaza d’Urquinaona in Barcelona city centre. It is a well-designed pub with a great atmosphere and good music. It is a great place for Erasmus students as you will find people from all over the world inside its doors.  Its large staircase and bright colours really bring an uplifting feel to the place, however, it does not give off a typical Irish pub vibe. It is one of the more expensive Irish pubs in Barcelona but it is definitely worth a visit to enjoy the great atmosphere. On the other hand, the same can not be said about the Guinness. The Guinness was very thin and watery. The pint was missing the classic creamy and thick texture. It wasn’t the worst Guinness on this list but definitely not the first place we’d recommend. This pint was rated 6/10.

2. The Fastnet 

The Fastnet Pub on Passeig de Joan de Borbó is a cheerful and warm pub that makes you feel right at home. Due to its tourist-filled location at Barceloneta beach, you can often find a lot of Irish and British customers filling the seats. The Fastnet Pub has a great view of port Vell and you are greeted by friendly and welcoming staff. The Guinness here is definitely the best pint to be found on this list. It was perfectly nice in a non-Irish way. It had an acceptable creamy texture and is highly recommended for two or three pints if one is feeling homesick. This pint was rated 8/10.

3. Flaherty’s

Flaherty’s pub, located just around the corner from Temple Bar and just off La Rambla is the perfect place to find Irish people of all ages, upbeat music and staff that make you feel like they’ve known you for years. Another great spot to watch sports but sadly not a great place for a Guinness. The taste was very similar to Temple bar, like the tap is only used once per annum, maybe it is something in the water… A great pub with a great atmosphere with great cocktails but the Guinness does not live up to the famous name. This pint was rated 3/10.

4. Temple Bar

The fornt door of the Temple Bar Pub

Temple Bar Barcelona

Fourth on the list is Temple Bar, located just off La Rambla in the gothic quarter of Barcelona. It is a small but authentic replica of a classic Irish bar with friendly staff. In true Irish fashion, going to the pub to watch sports and knock back a few pints of Guinness, Temple Bar seemed like the perfect place. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Whilst Temple Bar has all the sports for viewing, their Guinness was more than disappointing. It was a flat pint that you would think was left out for the whole night before being served. The taste was far from the standard pint and not recommended. This pint was rated 2/10.

5. Scobies

Last on the list, and certainly not one to be ignored is Scobie’s Irish pub located in Universitat. Scobie’s has great Guinness, a very close second to The Fastnet pub. However, it is a shame that the atmosphere is not as good as the Guinness. It is a dark and gloomy pub with an older crowd that doesn’t exactly make you feel very welcome. If you want good Guinness and to be left alone, this is the place for you. This Guinness was rated 7/10.

An article about Marc Oliveras, whose professional chef career began in Ireland, stated that Irish people typically choose quantity over quality when it comes to food and drink for instance. However, This is not the case for Irish people and Guinness! The so-called Irish pubs have a lot of living up to do before they are acclaimed for their Guinness, maybe this video can give them a few tips on how to make the perfect pint!

How Guinness is made

A video explaining how to make the perfect Guinness.

Aoife Byrne

Aoife is a student from Ireland studying communications and international business. She is interested in food, fashion and lifestyle!