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The City Bar

Grand Hotel Barcelona

18.01.13

Located right in the heart of Barcelona in one of its most emblematic hotels, the Grand Hotel Central, a new multifaceted leisure, gastronomic and cultural space that also includes a mini art gallery, coffee shop and cocktail bar. The City Bar occupies 174 m2 on the corner of  Via Laietana and Pare Gallifa on the boundary between the Gothic quarter and the Born neighbourhood (the site was previously used as a banking office).

  • View from Via Laietana

    Interior designer Mª José Cabré and her team took their inspiration from the hotel originally built during the 1920s designing a space featuring tall ceilings and recreating the moulds and cornices of the period, with a strong connection to the exterior world on Via Laietana through the large display windows. Natural woods with strong textures have been selected for the internal finishes, doors and ceilings such as cast iron which lend it an industrial feel. The colour scheme is sober yet distinguished; black, gold and coral tones combined with the matt and glossy finishes of the furniture. The lighting has also been carefully considered with suspension lamps of differing sizes at different heights creating a sense of movement throughout. 


  • The ambience feels like that of a private club; sofas are mixed with individual and shared tables at which light snacks can be sampled or an urgent e-mail can be fired off.  There is a bar counter with seating for cocktails or tapas. The walls are lined with book shelves, mirrors are placed artfully throughout and a careful selection of design objects and glass ware add to the sense of comfort. The soft furnishings in dark and brown tones mixed with ocre and greens are combined with different textures in thick linens, leather, cotton and velvet fabrics.

  • View of the interior of The City Bar

    Adjacent to the café area is The Gallery a new multipurpose space that can be used for business meetings, presentations and private parties which will be permanently open with an updated agenda of exhibitions on a quarterly basis. A large and bright open space where the brilliant white walls are picked out with specific lighting for the works of art specifically designed to accommodate any other cultural events and activities here. All the technical equipment that a modern day art space might require is available; video equipment, screens, music etc.

  • The bar where diners can enjoy a tapa or cocktail