Caring for yourself in Barcelona (beyond wellness)
February 5th, 2026. Written by Clara De Nadal Trias
Taking care of yourself is not just about eating well, training, sleeping eight hours or going to therapy —though all of that matters too. Taking care of yourself is something more complex, more daily, more inclusive and, often, far more pleasurable. It’s knowing when to stop, choosing wisely who you spend your time with, gifting yourself conversations that don’t watch the clock (or the phone), and places that help you reconnect with your body, your mind and your mood.
In Barcelona, wellbeing isn’t always found in a gym or a silent retreat. Sometimes it appears around a shared table, at a bar where time dissolves, in a vinyl record that starts playing without warning, in a dessert you eat without justifying it, or in that bar you walk into for one drink and end up staying because you feel good. Dressing to please yourself, eating without guilt, drinking something delicious, listening to music attentively, walking without a destination. All of that is health, too.
That’s why most of the places featured here are either recent openings or projects that have gained particular relevance since 2025. And although they don’t present themselves as wellness spaces per se, they practice care through the everyday, the social and the sensory. In other words: what truly matters, and where everyone is welcome.
Eating well, alone or with others, but without rushing
01. Cervecería 640
Avinguda Diagonal, 640 · 08017 Barcelona · Sarrià–Sant Gervasi
Cervecería 640 —the new gastronomic project by Eugeni de Diego— brings back the traditional beer hall as a genuinely social space. A lively bar, full tables, familiar dishes (like the Colmado Wilmot tortilla skewer) executed with care, and well-poured beer. Here, taking care of yourself means sitting down without haste, ordering several dishes to share —or not— and letting the conversation set the pace. It works just as well for eating alone, watching life go by, as it does for long group meals. No forced narrative: just good taste, good food and everyday life done right.
02. Bar Fischer
Carrer d’Aribau, 135 · 08036 Barcelona · Eixample
Bar Fischer is one of those places that doesn’t need to explain itself. Well-treated ingredients, dishes designed for sharing and an atmosphere that blends neighbourhood regulars with people who come here on purpose. The noise level is just right, the service flows naturally and the table becomes a meeting point. Eating here is a simple and highly effective act of urban self-care. Treat yourself to it from time to time.
03. Pompa
Carrer de Sèneca, 25 · 08006 Barcelona · Gràcia
Pompa is, above all, a restaurant devoted to wine, with more than 600 references from around the world. From there, it builds a careful, precise cuisine designed to be enjoyed without solemnity, in a relaxed atmosphere that invites unhurried meals and lingering conversations. In line with the idea of caring for yourself in Barcelona beyond wellness, Pompa proposes wellbeing without proclaiming it: an intimate, adults-only space where wine, food and ambience function as a whole, and care appears naturally, almost silently. Sometimes that feeling is reinforced by Nora, the house dog —a discreet presence that reminds you, without saying a word, that enjoyment is also a form of care.
Eating well, alone or with others, but without rushing
04. CUB Café
Carrer de l’Espanya Industrial, 15 (entrance via Calle Masnou 24) · Sants–Montjuïc
CUB Café is a neighbourhood café known for its calm atmosphere and its commitment to good coffee and neatly presented square-shaped desserts. Prices are honest, and the space offers a pleasant setting to chat or simply enjoy a pause in the middle of the city’s rhythm. Taking care of yourself here can also mean gifting yourself time —without inflated expectations— in a place that delivers on the essentials: good coffee, good bites and a serene environment for everyday relaxation.
05. Apurado Café
Carrer Roger de Flor, 253 · 08025 Barcelona · Gràcia
This café has grown into a welcoming place where coffee quality and the everyday experience matter just as much as more typical wellness trends. It’s not about grabbing a quick coffee, but about doing it with attention to detail: a variety of well-prepared coffees, hot drinks and light accompaniments served in a warm, calm setting, perfect for taking a break. In a world where “self-care” is often associated exclusively with fitness and strict routines, stopping to enjoy a good coffee is also a form of wellbeing —a moment to breathe, taste, connect with the present or with others, and recharge without rushing. Whether you come to work, chat with friends or simply savour a well-made espresso, Apurado Café shows how small pleasures —like good coffee— are part of a holistic approach to self-care.
Allowing yourself a treat.
Carrer del Torrent de l’Olla, 90 · 08012 Barcelona · Gràcia
Alterna Mostrador defines itself as a plant-based artisanal workshop. It creates vegan desserts with technique and intention, without dogma or discourse. Here, indulgence doesn’t need to be justified: it’s meant to be enjoyed. Thoughtful textures, balanced sweetness and a calm atmosphere that invites you to slow down. Ideal for a conscious mid-afternoon pause or as a light ending to dinner.
Listening to music as an experience
07. La Rola
Carrer del Comte Borrell, 35 · 08015 Barcelona · Eixample
La Rola fits perfectly here: music as experience. It’s a bar that celebrates vermouth (and other drinks) and vinyl records, where music truly matters. Well-balanced drinks, a carefully curated musical selection and an atmosphere that invites you to stay. It’s neither a club nor a place you rush through —it’s somewhere to listen to an entire track, talk without hurry and let the night unfold naturally. Night-time wellbeing, low lights included.
But if what you want is to return to the body
08. Maison Evo
Av. de Pau Casals, 7 · 08021 Barcelona · Sarrià–Sant Gervasi
Maison Evo appears in this selection for a reason: it is currently one of the most recognised aesthetic and wellness centres. It was also awarded by Men’s Health in 2025 for the creation and formulation of Rove Vital, the first supplement to guarantee the energy, clarity and wellbeing needed to reach one’s full potential. As a wellness centre, it understands care through precision, excellence in treatment and silence. Specialists in thoughtfully designed facial and body treatments, without excess or unrealistic promises. You don’t come here to transform yourself, but to return to your body: to slow down, reconnect with your skin and leave with a clear sense of balance. A place where physical and mental wellbeing meet without artifice.
Choosing the rhythm
Now it’s your turn to choose. Taking care of yourself in Barcelona is not about doing things “right”, but about choosing well. Choosing where to sit, which conversation to extend, which music to let play and which small indulgence to allow yourself without asking permission. The city continues to offer spaces where wellbeing isn’t formulated as a literal concept alone, but practised daily, without making too much of it. Like empathy, self-acceptance and paying attention to what truly matters.
Selection, text and translation by Clara De Nadal Trias