Best bar in the world, Paradiso has 800 drinks a day and a line at the door

Have you ever thought about going to the bar and ordering a drink filtered with earth? Or a cocktail with a nutritional base used to grow bacteria in laboratories?

These and other sensory adventures are proposed by Paradiso, elected best bar in the world last October according to the 50 Best Bars ranking, a sort of Michelin guide to bars, defined by 650 experts from around the world.

The Paradiso, located in the bohemian neighborhood of Born, in the historic center of Barcelona, ​​could go unnoticed by the most distracted if it weren’t for the invariable line of people waiting outside.

Created in 2015 by Italian Giacomo Giannotti and partners and named after the gelateria handcrafted by his family in Tuscany, the bar has a facade that borders on the ordinary: it looks like a tidy pub where pastrami sandwiches are sold. and other gourmet snacks.

The real magic, however, happens when you open the antique fridge door next to the small counter — that’s the entrance to the real bar.

Paradiso is one of Barcelona’s first secret bars or “speakeasy”. The name comes from the hidden establishments that sold alcohol during Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933), and which are now in vogue everywhere from New York to São Paulo.

Nowadays, it is estimated that there are more than 40 bars of this type in Barcelona, ​​between chic and casual, hidden in the back of markets, warehouses, closets, souvenir shops. Some even ask for a password.

The fun is in the feeling of entering a parallel world à la “Alice in Wonderland”, with the gratifying bonus of discovery and (relative) exclusivity.

In the case of Paradiso, when entering through the “refrigerator”, visitors are led to a long hall of dim light, whose sinuous shapes, made of wooden slats, pay homage to the sea in Barcelona and to Gaudí, the most famous in the Catalan capital, lover of natural and organic forms.

At the counter, a handful of young, agile bartenders spend the night preparing potions, sculptures, gardens.

The drinks – around 800 a day come out of there – range from renewed classics, such as a very Italian Negroni, with additions such as spiced chai tea and smoked whiskey, to unique proposals such as On Fire, a toasted version of the milk punch, which takes juice. of sweet potato and aromatic accompaniments, such as cassava cooked in squid ink.

Watching cocktails being made is entertainment in itself: towers of coffee foam on one side, smoke on the other, electromagnetic coils brushing the twilight with their neon glow.

On the night of the report’s visit, a Brazilian tourist from Goiânia was tasting a modified version of the Espresso Martini, with banana and toasted sesame foam, served with a… train.

“I was in line for two hours, but it was worth it,” he said, as he photographed the drink.

Like her, many tourists, attracted by curiosity and good recommendations, take turns at the counter or at the few tables at the back, surrounded by walls adorned with flowers — another organic detail of the decor.

The Paradiso’s themed cocktail list is renewed annually, the result of lengthy brainstorming that can take up to nine months, according to the owners.

“Like a pregnancy”, compares Aurora Almenar, the Venezuelan mixologist behind the preparations, along with Matteo Ciarpaglini, responsible for the side dishes for each drink and the bar’s gastronomic menu.

Almenar is in charge of the Paradiso Lab, a creation studio next to the bar, which looks more like a laboratory, with its beakers and apparatus for distillation and fermentation. She orchestrates the creation process together with Giacomo, Ciarpaglini and a team of around 40 people, mostly Italians.

This year, the chosen theme is the history of humanity. In the letter “The Evolution”, events such as the discovery of fire, the invention of electricity and penicillin are contemplated.

Roots, for example, a tribute to agriculture, takes verbena, lemon, roses and earthy notes. That’s right: the cocktail is prepared in front of the customer, with drops of water from peas and fertilized soil that are filtered through a little plant of sprouts with activated charcoal.

It may sound unappetizing, but the flavors of several drinks combine exotic touches with smooth, sweet endings, very welcome even for the most sensitive palates.

Like the Tesla, which comes with a Tesla coil that ignites the highball cup by electromagnetic induction coated with gas: more astringent ingredients such as Tanqueray and yerba mate are added to a delicate liqueur of sauco flowers and chamomile.

One of the best is Fleming, named after the inventor of penicillin, a fermented mixture served in a glass with a rim made of agar cultured for two days with tempe spurs.

The accompaniment: a kinkan bonbon filled with miso chocolate and covered in cocoa butter. It sounds surreal, but the result works — and surprises.

“It’s everyone’s project”, comments Giacomo. “Anyone can come up with a creative idea, and we encourage the entire team to participate in the process.”

In fact, the title of best bar in the world, he stresses, is not just because of the fetish around the address, with its “clandestine” vocation or the bold and inventive menu of cocktails. “The service, the atmosphere, the atmosphere, the cleanliness also count,” she says. “And, again, the harmonious work of the whole team.”

El Paradiso

Rere Palau, 4, El Born, Barcelona. Instagram @paradiso_barcelona