The coolest cava tours in Barcelona

Can Paixano, also known as La Xampanyeria (the Champagne bar) to the Catalans, is a beloved tapas and cava bar located on a small side street in the seaside district of Barceloneta. It is renowned for its animated and buoyant ambience, and for being one of the best places in the city to get a taste of some traditional cava.

The bar offers various types of cava and local wines at an incredibly modest price, ranging from 95 cents to 1.40 euros for a glass. A delicious range of food is also available, from bocadillos (sandwiches) to tapas. The bocadillos can be created with a stunning choice of fillings, whether its sausages, cheese, Serano ham, pork from the grill, and more.

A standing-only bar with no tables, the venue is typically packed– so if crowds and cava tickle your fancy then this is certainly the spot for you. The bar is open from Monday to Saturday at 09:00-22:30.

Can’t get enough of their cava? Simply buy it onsite or arrange to get it delivered to your hotel.

Named after the Catalan word for sparkling wine, El Xampanyet is a long-standing traditional bodega situated just a stone’s throw away from the Picasso Museum.

If you’re looking for a place to sample the delights of cava, El Xampanyet offers an extensive variety of cavas served by the glass or bottle. The Barcelonese tend to pack the venue out on the weekends, where they kickstart the night with some bubbles and tapas before heading out to the clubs. The bar is open from Tuesday - Saturday.

One of the most beautiful locations in the Gothic quarter, La Vinya del Senyor, is situated on the square facing the iconic Gothic church, Santa Maria del Mar. Inside, the bar is relatively small, yet its gorgeous terrace makes it the perfect spot to soak up the Barcelona sunshine over a glass of fizz.

This wine and tapas bar offers bubbly well worth imbibing, with its lengthy wine and cava list focusing on the good stuff rather than the cheap. If the fizz and views aren’t already enough, La Vinya del Senyor also have a delicious selection of traditional tapas and nibbles on offer.

Wanting to keep your cava experience cheap and cheerful? At El Rincon de Cava, glasses of the Catalan bubbly are available for under one euro a glass, with bottles priced at approximately 4 euros.

They also serve a good range of tapas, including salami, cheese and patatas bravas (a potato dish native to Spain), with plenty more to choose from. This authentic neighbourhood bar is located in Barcelona’s Poble Nou district and is open Monday – Saturday.

Codorniu is a cava tour that offers visitors arguably the most unique experience that trumps any other cellar tour. Codorinu is steeped in history, with its family-run wine business dating back to the 16th century. In 1872, Josep Raventos produced cava for the first time in Spain, forming an entirely new industry in the Alt Pendes region, where 100,000 bottles of cava were being produced a year.

Today, Codorinu continues to put on a show that impresses both the locals and the tourists, offer a spectacular range of options for visitors to choose from. Not only is there a cava and wine tasting course available, but visitors also have the chance to tour the amazing underground tunnel system and dine with the wine-making family themselves.

The full-day tour costs around 150 euros per head, with private transfers to and from Barcelona included. This is a must-do tour if you’re looking for a more authentic and exclusive experience of cava.

This Catalonian winery is one of the largest wine producers in the Spanish region. Freixenet offers wine tasting visits and a train ride through the cellars, where visitors can sample cava and dig deep into its history.

Freixenet also caters for family tours, providing grape juice for children. The price for this experience is 12 euros for adults, 8.50 euros for children aged 9-17, and free entry for children under 8 years-old.

For those who are eager to extend their knowledge even further, food pairings are also available with a selection of chocolates and cheese.

This family owned, traditional winery dates to 1790 and produces high quality wines and cavas. Much of their grapes come from the mountains of Penedès, with others coming from the estates that surround the vineyard.

Pares Balta offers a unique experience:  visitors are introduced to the techniques of biodynamic farming, followed by a visit to the barrel room and cava cellar to discover the production processes and how the vineyard blends its wines. To top off the experience, mini snacks of fuet and manchego cheese are served with your samples of fizz. 

Gramona is renowned for its idyllic surroundings, and its continuing prestige rests on cavas. The company owns 70 hectares of vineyards and organically grows its vines, yet more recently began applying biodynamic techniques to top their cavas.

A tour of the Gramona winery includes tasting of the highest quality cavas and sparkling wines - which has received press recognition, with recommendations from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. 

For something a little bit different, Recaredo offers a mesmerising tour. This small boutique winery produces all of its cavas by hand -  there are no machines, chemicals or fertilisers involved in the production process. A passionate guide will give you an insight into the cava-making process, with the tour finishing in a stunning tasting room. 

Looking for a Barcelona hotel in the heart of the action? Hotel Barceló Raval is a cosmopolitan hotel ideally situated next to the Rambla del Raval with some of the city’s best restaurants, bars and shops on its doorstep.