Tandem

La classe.
Tandem es una coctelería refinada, seductora y con mucha clase. Ideal para dejarse aconsejar por los barmans y disfrutar de una noche tranquila (eso último depende de la cantidad de cocktails que uno se tome; resulta difícil resistirse a la sensualidad de los brebajes que preparan).
El hilo musical va acorde con el lugar; una larga barra con cómodos taburetes frente a las decenas de botellas de destilados. Al fondo, unas butacas de las de whisky y puro (y gato en el regazo).
En resumen, una de las mejores coctelerías que conozco en Barcelona, y sin el gentío habitual de ciertos templos del cocktail de la ciudad!

This place was close to our hotel and it looked good so we gave it a shot. We almost walked right by it as there is nothing impressive on the outside. I was surprised walking in as it was not what I expected at all. It’s a very classy, kind of quiet, speak easy type place. Luckily we were dressed nicely coming from dinner, but a little bit after a casual group came in and made us feel better.
The place is small with about 10 – 15 seats at the bar and a little seating area in the back. The bartenders were truly talented and professional, they put on a show for each drink they made. They have probably close to a thousand bottles of liquor on the wall. I read a review before going here that they don’t have a drink menu and you just have to tell them what kind of drink you’re looking for such as «dark and sour». While there wasn’t a drink menu that’s not really true, if you know what you want you can order it. The whiskey sours were incredible. The gin and tonics are huge! They literally poured like 3 shots of gin into a big glass and it took my girl friend over a half hour to drink it.
However, they take their time making drinks and you might have to wait a little bit if they are a little busy. Drinks were about 9 – 10 euro each but it is well worth it. The vibe is a little weird though as I felt like the bartenders were judging/​talking about everyone the whole time we were there and we felt a little uncomfortable. It was the best whiskey sour I ever had but I probably wouldn’t go back, but its worth a shot if your looking for a funky place with awesome drinks and maybe you’ll have a better experience.

The outside of the bar does not really give away anything. You can see it’s a bar, and that they seem to serve cocktails (the logo is two guys riding a tandem carrying a cocktail tray), but you need to open to door and go in to get the real picture. When you step in you enter a space that could be from the 60’s. Long mahogany bar with high chairs, the wall framed with mirrors and the back of the bar decorated with bottles of spirits. The lighting is dim but not dark and they play some old music (at a low volume). The bartenders are dressed up accordingly in white suits and they are very polite, and I mean old school polite with a big P. You can almost see Don Draper (Mad Men) sitting there with his whisky.
It was Mrs Gin and Mr Rum on the move again that night, keeping within our cocktail comfort zone. I ordered something fresh and sour, and my date something close to a Dark and Stormy. The bartender made the call on the ingredients. We ended up with two long cocktails, mine with cucumber, citrus fruit, basil and some soda water, and M’s with lime, soda and coke. Simple ingredients, but great taste. The spirits used were smooth with no bitterness whatsoever transferring into the drink. Both cocktails set us back only 9 € each, so I would say that is a bargain. I have previously also had some Cava here, and I recall the house sparkling being of acceptable quality.
All in all a wonderful bar, never empty but never too busy to turn us around at the door. It’s something of a special place to me and I hope you enjoy it too if you have a chance to visit.

Absolut empfehlenswert — in jeder Hinsicht. Erstklassiges Personal, über 60 Gin-​Sorten und Regale voll edler Whiskeys, etc. Wer authentisches Bar-​Feeling und einmaligen Service erleben will ist hier genau richtig. Die Drinks werden fachmännisch zubereitet und serviert, man wird in vielen Sprachen kompetent beraten. Und auch wenn es keine Karte gibt, absolut faire Preise. Meine Empfehlung in Barcelona. Ohne wenn und aber!

Old-​fashioned Cocktailbar mit riesiger Auswahl auch ausgefallener Spirituosen.
Wir haben nach Gin gesucht und wurden nicht enttäuscht — 80+ Sorten und eine Empfehlung des Barkeepers, die genau den Geschmack trifft.
Genug zu entdecken für mehr als einen Besuch.

This was perhaps one of the best random finds in Barcelona. An upmarket bar that is not that expensive. Its one of those places where there are no drinks menu’s, so you have to talk to the barman about what you want. We tried to count, but we think there are over 800 bottles behind the bar.
It gets a mixed crowd. There is a strange mix of young professionals and a much older crowd. It was a nice place with around 4 – 6 friends who want to grab a cocktail/​nice drink that goes beyond the gin tonic.

espectacular barra e impresionante botelleria. cocktails de nivel y profesionalidad. 100% recomendable!

Mi sueño de amor, hacer el Camino de Santiago en tandem. Cuando vi, después de haber pasado unas 300 veces enfrente, que existía un cocktail bar con el mismo nombre de este tipo de bicicleta romántica, me emocioné. Sin embargo, tarde unos meses más en dar el paso. Más de una noche soñé en el interior cirquense del susodicho lugar.
Demasiadas expectativas. Tandem es un clásico entre el sector, precisamente cumple 25 años en servicio. La puerta de madera, advierte un local de madera, donde podríamos encontrar perfectamente a Sherlock Holmes tomándose un Bourbon. Nos aconsejan, sin carta predeterminada, barmen 40 años más jóvenes de lo que había figurado, acabo pidiendo una copa larga, ¡craso error! lo sirven en vaso de «cubata», ¡nooo! Llevaba tanto tiempo imaginándome como Audrey Hepburn, este vaso no… la próxima vez trago corto, que se presenta con la mítica copa dry Martini. El ambiente no nos convence, nos aburrimos de escuchar la fuerte, aunque trepidante, conversación de los de 2 taburetes lejos. Nos vamos, nos despiden amablemente y con una grata sonrisa. Probar de acercaros un fin de semana, quizás la cosa se anima.