English-friendly Barcelona

Milk's younger sibling from the same owners. Brunch and sharing plates near Parc de la Ciutadella, no reservations needed.

• Brunch
• Tapas

Breakfast and brunch through to tapas, with a street terrace, a few minutes from the Sagrada Família.

• Brunch
• Tapas
• Terrace

A laid-back bar-restaurant in a medieval building with stone walls and candelabras, serving tapas (with vegetarian options) and classic cocktails.

• Tapas
• Cocktails

A relaxed restaurant and bar in the Raval from the team behind Milk and Firebug, good for brunch.

• Brunch
• Bar

Opened in 2005 by an Irish couple, back when nobody in Barcelona did brunch. Its "recovery brunch" has a cult following, and it becomes a cocktail bar in the evening.

• Brunch
• Cocktails

A roomy, wood-panelled pub with full food menus, live sport and a back terrace looking onto the old Roman walls. Popular on rugby days.

• Sport
• Food
• Terrace

Just off the bottom of La Rambla, with sport on 11 screens, an all-day menu including Sunday roast, live bands and a sunny terrace.

• Sport
• Food
• Live music
• Terrace

A proper bar with matches on four big screens and a mix of locals and internationals. Drinks only.

• Sport
• Drinks only

Open since 2002 a few steps from La Rambla, with giant screens for live sport, burgers and tapas.

• Sport
• Food

A local favourite known for its Wednesday pub quiz, with solid pints and a short menu.

• Pub quiz
• Food

A short walk from Bogatell and Mar Bella beaches, with daily activities like beach volleyball and paella nights, and a relaxed, local neighbourhood around it.

• Beach
• Activities

A boutique hostel with a hotel feel at the top of Passeig de Gràcia: airy rooms, small dorms and a great terrace. Pricier, but very comfortable.

• Boutique
• Terrace

A big, design-led hostel in Gràcia with a bar and restaurant, live music and DJ sessions, women-only dorms and private rooms that suit families. No guest kitchen.

• Design
• Private rooms
• Bar

A small, quiet hostel in a bright old building near the cathedral — a calm base right in the Gothic Quarter.

• Quiet
• Small
• Central

One of the city's best-known party hostels, right on Plaça Reial in the Gothic Quarter. Games room, sangria nights and pub crawls — come for the nightlife, not the sleep.

• Party
• Pub crawls
• Central

Barcelona's GAA club since 2001, with men's Gaelic football and ladies' football. Training on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings; all nationalities welcome.

• Gaelic football
• Ladies football
• All levels

An international rugby club founded in 2023, with A and B teams, all levels welcome and summer beach training.

• Rugby
• All levels

The first school in Spain registered with the World Irish Dance Association, with classes for children and adults and céilí social dances.

• Irish dance
• Kids & adults

Bring an instrument or just a pint — the most dependable place in town to hear live Irish music.

• Trad music
• Weekly

Barcelona's secondhand English-language bookshop, with more than 40,000 titles. Near Fontana metro (L3).

• Books
• Secondhand