La Isabela is the year-round rooftop terrace on top of the historic Hotel 1898 on La Rambla, with 360-degree views across Port Vell, Montjuïc and Tibidabo and a small heated pool in the centre.
Tip: Open year-round, but the pool only runs April to October. Cocktails and tapas are served all day; sunset is the time to book.
Address: La Rambla 109, 08002 Barcelona
Terrat is the seasonal rooftop on top of Mandarin Oriental on Passeig de Gràcia, with a dipping pool, Mediterranean-Peruvian small plates and 360-degree views across Eixample to Tibidabo.
Tip: Open April to October only; reservations strongly recommended for sunset slots. The signature cocktail list is built around the rooftop pool deck.
La Terraza on top of Hotel Pulitzer on Carrer de Bergara is the off-Plaça-Catalunya rooftop bar with signature cocktails, live music nights through the summer and a hidden-garden feel in the city centre.
Tip: Live music and DJ sets run on summer evenings. The rooftop is small; arrive at opening for a sofa seat with a view of Tibidabo.
The rooftop at Hotel Casa Fuster sits atop the 1908 Domènech i Montaner modernist building at the top of Passeig de Gràcia, with an outdoor pool, signature cocktails and panoramic views of Sagrada Família and Tibidabo.
Tip: Day passes for non-guests are limited; book the cocktail-and-pool slot directly via the hotel. Cava and Spanish tapas anchor the menu.
The 360 Terrace wraps the entire 11th-floor circumference of the oval Hotel Barceló Raval on Rambla del Raval, with a small pool, cocktails and uninterrupted panoramic views across the old town.
Tip: No prior reservation required for the bar. The Thursday 19:00 to 20:30 acoustic-music slot from April to September is the value pick.
Azimuth is the eighth-floor rooftop at the Almanac Barcelona on Gran Via, with a pool, a zodiac-themed cocktail list and a small Mediterranean food menu running through the warm months.
Tip: Year-round opening, but the pool is reserved for hotel guests in winter. The astral cocktail list is the signature; book sunset slots ahead.
Paradiso is the Born speakeasy hidden behind the door of a working pastrami shop on Carrer de Rera Palau, run by Giacomo Giannotti and Margarita Sader and ranked the world's best bar at the 50 Best in 2022.
Tip: The pastrami counter at the front is the entrance; the bar is through a curved freezer door at the back. Walk-ins fill the room by 20:00; reserve online for a seat.