Can Paixano “Champañería”

Can Paixano, which opened in 1969, best known as the “Champañería,” is an old bar located in an old warehouse in the heart of the Barceloneta neighborhood (Barcelona). It is known for its sparkling wines (select or pink) and cavas (extra brut or brut nature).
While you eat standing up, you can see dozen of hams hanging and the cured smell is intense.
This place is always so busy that is not easy to order, however, it’s worth it!
There is a rule at the Champagneria, you must consume food every third glass of cava. In this way they try to avoid having people completely drunk by lunchtime.
Not sure it is working!
If ordering a bottle of cava, the rule is to consume two “entrepans”, which is the Catalan word for sandwich.
The menu consists of cold sandwiches (ham, camembert, loin-cheese, bacon and peppers), grilled sandwiches (smoked pork chop, blue cheese and pickles, spicy sausage with Roquefort), sausage (chorizo, sausage, blood sausage) and tapas (tuna, Serrano ham, Manchego cheese & croquettes) – all very good and cheap.
The skill of the servers is noteworthy, which is always spot on, despite the noise and the amount of people..
If you want to take home some treats or a souvenir champagne, there’s actually a small shop in the back. But you’ll have to brave the crowd to reach it.

Without a doubt, Can Paixano is my favorite place for an aperitif in Barcelona!