10 Great Barcelona Restaurants To Close The Deal
· by Stewart Masters
If I sum it all up, I’ve been living in Barcelona for just under 10 years and I still find it hard to locate a great bar or restaurant to have business meeting. They’re either too noisy, too uncomfortable, too small, too smelly or just too ugly.
When you place your laptop on the table and it falls off in slow motion as the table was built for Hobbits. When you put your papers on the table and they get covered in coffee as the table wasn’t cleaned properly. When you try and sign the contract but the table is made out of sharp hipster wood spikes so you get splinters in your hands and the wood protrudes through the contract. When the coffee machine makes a noise like it’s about to take off so you can’t hear anything but the machine launching into the stratosphere. When you see your poor MacBook dying a slow death but there are no outlets in sight. When you have to re-sign into the Wi-Fi because they only give you 30 minutes as who needs more than 30 minutes? When the person sitting beside you is so close you feel like he is in bed with you. And so on and so forth.
That said, I’ve searched the city high and low and because I’m such an amicable fellow, I’m going to share a selection of 10 bars and restaurants for business meetings to help you close the deal. I have done various A/B tests and have seen increases in conversion of between 28%-37% with this selection. Any donations are warmly welcome. I will let the pictures speak for themselves as my poor attempts at leaving restaurant reviews generally result in failure.
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Jaime Beriestain
Carrer de Pau Claris, 167, 08037, +34 935 15 07 82
This cafe/restaurant is located next to the Jaime Beriestain concept shop which houses everything from small design objects to furniture, books, magazines, and nice perfumed things. The food and service are always good (at least every time I have been) and it has some of the best cakes in town, the carrot cake being a must. The place is decked out nicely, it’s comfortable and the booths are distributed in a way so you can have conversations without any prying ears.
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Batuar – Cotton House
Gran Vía de les Corts Catalanes, 670, 08010,, +34 934 50 50 45
The Cotton House Hotel was opened back in January 2015 after a long period of refurbishment on the previous building. The hotel itself is amazing, the whole interior having been designed by the well known Lázaro Rosa-Violán. The design of the restaurant follows on from that of the hotel with an ample bar area, numerous private rooms and a huge terrace which can’t be missed. The quality-price relation is good, service is great and if it’s after work then get tucked into the wide array of cocktails on offer. This is the perfect place for closing a deal!
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Zero KM
Calle Ribera 18, 08003, +34 932 69 31 00
A new addition to the Born and a much welcome one at that. This restaurant lounge bar is currently only open from 18h onwards but will be opening for lunches soon. Based on the Zero Kilometre philosophy, all products are sourced locally from within 100km of Barcelona city. The food is great and well priced (the unique pizzas are a must), the seats are comfy, design is cool and it’s spacious enough so you don’t have to bump elbows with everyone. Later in the evening, the music turns up and it turns into a vibrant spot with some of the best cocktails in town.
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Pepito
Passatge Domingo, 3, 08007, +34 932 50 67 25
Located on a small street behind Paseo de Gracia, this intimate restaurant with a warm decoration is perfect for a business lunch or dinner. The service is top and the food also.
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Bankers Bar
Passeig de Gràcia, 38, 08007, +34 931 51 87 82
Located inside the Mandarin Oriental hotel, this bar is ideal for a casual drink or private conversation. Better to go during the day if you want a private chat as at evening time the DJs and crowds arrive.
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Botafumeiro
Carrer Gran de Gràcia, 81, 08012, +34 932 18 42 30
In the heart of Gracia, Botafumeiro is one of the great seafood restaurants of Barcelona. It’s not the cheapest but I always leave a happy man and have been here for many a successful business meeting. You’ll find the time slips away from you easily so be aware. That 2 hour meeting can easily turn into 5!
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One Ocean Club
Moll de la Barceloneta, 1, 08039, +34 934 84 23 15
A recent addition to the Port Vell area and very unique in design and setting, OneOcean Club is an exclusive combination of comfort and style. With views of the port and a contemporary designed interior coupled with a fantastic cuisine prepared by Executive Chef César Guillén, it’s the perfect spot to spend a business lunch or dinner with a drink in hand.
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Dos Torres
Via Augusta 300, 08017, +34 932 06 64 80
Located in an elegant building near the top of Via Augusta, Dos Torres is a perfect choice for a nice business lunch. There are numerous private rooms and an ample garden which makes it ideal for private meetings.
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Boca Grande/Boca Chica
Passatge de la Concepcio 12, 08008, +34 934 67 51 49
Whether you choose to eat downstairs in Boca Grande or wet your whistle in Boca Chica upstairs, this is a good bet.
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Flax & Kale
Calle Tallers 74B, 08001, +34 933 17 56 64
A huge space of over 800 square metres with a nice trendy concept. Offering up tasty vegetarian and vegan food combined with a stylish New York inspired design and good service. The fresh juices, smoothies and presses are definietly worth trying. It’s more casual than most of the other options but the crowd is good and for a less formal meeting this works well.
Et voila!
Which restaurants or bars do you recommend for business lunches or dinners?
Photo credit:
Pepito, Zero KM, Boca Grande & Batuar – Rodrigo Stocco