Avenue Bar (Torrent de l’Olla 159), recently featured on this blog as one of the best places to have brunch in Barcelona. Little brother to Timeline, also known for its excellent brunches, Avenue Bar is a small place, with lots of charm and a quirky sense of style. You’ll find it in a busy street in Gràcia, very close to Plaça Lesseps, which makes it a good place to stop by if you’re on your way to Parc Güell.
The first thing that stands out at first sight at Avenue Bar is its retro décor, which makes it a vintage lover’s paradise: ET on a bike, a radio cassette player that’s been converted into a lamp, a Super Nintendo console from the 90s and a miniature train which puffs along the roof… All these details give the place a colourful style and add a touch of authenticity to the place. Even the toilets have been given an original touch, with a crossword puzzle on the walls.
But we’re only interested in one thing: the food. Avenue Bar offers a varied menu, where brunch is the star. This includes a special brunch menu where you can choose a main dish, pancake, toast, coffee and unlimited bellinis or Buck’s Fizz for €17.50. Maybe there’s cheaper places to have brunch in Barcelona, but bearing in mind that there’s a wide range of dishes to choose from and unlimited (alcoholic) drinks, it’s a very well-rounded, highly recommendable option.
We had a brunch with eggs benedict and a bagel as the main courses, with corresponding portions of salad and potato wedges. The presentation, as you can see from the photos, was impeccable, and the eggs were excellent, with a touch of bacon that gave them a truly delicious taste. All this combined with unlimited Buck’s Fizz will mean you’re inevitably feeling pretty merry by the time you leave Avenue Bar.
Aside from brunch, Avenue Bar also offers a selection of delicious tapas dishes: patatas bravas, ham croquettes, nachos, brie in breadcrumbs, etc. Meaning it’s also not a bad option for going for tapas in Gràcia.
One of the things that stands out most about Avenue Bar is the friendly atmosphere at any time of day, whether you’re here for brunch, tapas during the afternoon/evening or mojitos and gin and tonics with friends at night. The approachability and hospitability of the waiting staff, who are always happy to help, is a great plus to this bar (or at least was when we visited).
We have yet to discover the terrace hiding above the bar, which is only open to members and we were unable to visit due to logistical problems, but it seems as though it would be a great place to celebrate a special occasion with friends or your partner.
The only downside to Avenue Bar is that, if you arrive there late, you might find that everything’s full and you have to wait for another opportunity to try out the magnificent brunch. So we advise booking, especially during the weekend. The place isn’t huge, so it can get full pretty quickly.
Avenue Bar is an ideal option for a date with friends (preferably with a smaller group) or with your partner – it can’t fail to turn out well.
Avenue Bar is definitely somewhere you should try within Gràcia, and is a great option for visiting duringthea weekend for a brunch or a drink at any time of day . Cosy atmosphere, pleasant feel and delicious food guaranteed.
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