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Paradiso

Barcelona

Surreal serves in secret, ship-like surrounds

Barcelona's proclivity for the surreal finds itself the dream locale in Paradiso. An incongruous pastrami bar is the first thing guests see at the address, along with a telling queue of punters displaying limited interest in the (very good) sandwiches. That's because the real magic happens behind the door of the shop's refrigerator which, once opened, leads to the speakeasy cocktail bar that landed the No.1 spot on The World's 50 Best Bars 2022 list.

Gaudí-esque wooden curves swallow guests into Paradiso's whale-like belly, where they are greeted with raucous enthusiasm from the dapper bar team. Things don't get any less fantastical once the cocktails arrive, as Giacomo Giannotti's theatrical drinks are threaded with more than a touch of Dalí. Vessels and garnishes range from floating clouds to glowing jellyfish, but whimsy is backed by both flavour-driven substance and technical brilliance. The Supercool Martini is a prime spectacle: liquid martini is poured from a bottle, solidifying into an upturned icicle in the recipient's glass, before melting gradually at pitch-perfect pace.

The science and art is honed in the Paradiso Lab just across the road in El Born, but Paradiso's brave new world can now also be experienced at its bars in Ibiza and Dubai too.

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