Bar Marsella, Barcelona

Bar Marsella is the historic drinking house at Carrer de Sant Pau, 65, and Carrer de Sant Ramon, 1, in the Raval. It opened in 1820. It is Barcelona’s oldest bar.

Look at the worn mirrors, hanging lights, tiled floor, and marble tables: the interior retains its historic decoration, along with original posters displayed in the room. Signs banning singing and lingering at tables recall restrictions imposed during the Franco period to prevent clandestine opposition meetings. The bar became a gathering place for intellectuals, artists, workers, and trade unionists, including Picasso, Dalí, and Ernest Hemingway.

Its long-standing speciality is absinthe, prepared specially for the bar and served with sugar, water, and a small fork. In 2023, Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro filmed part of their “Vampiros” video here, appearing as vampires who order absinthe.