La Champagneria Barcelona – Cava at La Xampanyeria Barcelona

For someone who loves sparkling wine, just hearing about a bar called La Champagneria sent tingles down my spine. I am not one of those fancy people who only drink “Champagne.” I love all sparkling wine and am always looking for a good cava bar in Barcelona that doesn’t break the bank. That is exactly what La Champagneria Barcelona, or La Xampanyeria Barcelona, is. It might not be a Champagne Bar in Barcelona in the traditional sense. But it’s a great bar for cava, and still fits the bill for one of the cheap bars in Barcelona, Spain.

We’ve been visiting the Barcelona Champagneria for three or four years now. Although this is one Barcelona cava bar that has changed a bit over the last several years, La Champagneria Barcelona Barceloneta is still a great place to visit. This post will explain all of our tips on how to visit and get the most out of La Champagneria in Barcelona Spain.

Check out more tips in our Ultimate Spain Food Guide – How To Travel in Spain

La Champagneria Barceloneta, or in Catalan La Xampanyeria, or by their other name Can Paixano, is an institution of sorts. When you research La Champagneria online, there seems to be a split personality of sorts. Is it a wine shop? Is it a cava bar? Is it old school and traditional, or a tourist stop?  The answer is yes. It is all of the above. It’s still one of the top sites to see in Barcelona and a unique experience. 

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What is Cava in Barcelona?

Cava Bar in BarcelonaCava is a Catalan version of champagne, made in the traditional method, meaning the second fermentation takes place inside the bottle. That’s the technical stuff.

I’ve been told that cava was once called champagne, and was happy to continue down that path. Unfortunately, the Champagne region in France filed suit against them to prevent the cava makers from using the designation champagne, which is now reserved only for sparkling wines that are made in the Champagne region. So, sparkling wine that is produced outside of that region of France can in no way be called champagne. That’s the history stuff.

I, personally, don’t care what they call it. I love cava, and it is like champagne, but a lot less pretentious. You could say it’s the champagne of Barcelona. In Barcelona, it is possible to find a glass of cheap cava pretty much any time of day for as little as €2, and sometimes even only €1. That certainly elevates cava in my book as one of my favorite things about eating in Spain and Catalonia.


What is La Champagneria Barcelona?

La Champagneria bar cavaCan Paixano Barcelona has been in the cava and sparkling wine business for over forty years. La Champagneria is located in the Barceloneta neighborhood, which was traditionally the typical fishing quarter of Barcelona. The cava bar started as a shop to sell and distribute cava within Barcelona. Now, La Xampanyeria Barceloneta is more bar than shop, although they still sell cava to go, along with other items in the back of the bar. 

In addition to the shop in the back, they operate as a traditional bar. They sell glasses of cava for pretty cheap. They also sell bottles of cava, including their Can Paixano rosat, a rose cava that is very popular. All cava is served in traditional champagne glasses or cava glasses, just like in the movies from the 1940s. This just makes it seem a lot more old school. They also serve loads of food, including jamon, grilled sandwiches, and other typical Catalan tapas.

What It’s Like to Visit Can Paixano – La Xampanyeria Barcelona

Can Paixano La Xampanyeria is an old shop, behind huge wooden barn doors. When visiting it’s almost as if nothing else exists on this small alleyway. When walking up to La Champagneria Barceloneta there is nothing else on the block. But you know you are in the right place because those big wooden doors are open and laughter and noise billow out into the street.

It is a little intimidating walking into the old school wine shop and bar, with an enormous high, arched ceiling. People are often spilling out the front door, particularly during prime times, like Saturday lunchtime. It’s a pretty popular cava bar in Barcelona, particularly now for tourists. 

La Champagneria serves up some decent sparkling wines at next to nothing. From brut cava, my favorite, to a sweet sparkling pink cava, or rose cava, which was, well, not my favorite. Brut sparkling wine tends to be less sweet, and my preference. You can order glasses or bottles to drink at the bar or to take away. If you order a bottle, you must also purchase two tapas or sandwiches. This is their way to avoid people getting too drunk on cheap cava.

During our first visit, a glass of cava cost a little more than €1, and an entire bottle cost a little more than €5. Prices have gone up a good amount in the last few years, but La Xampanyeria Can Paixano still offers a good value, particularly for bottles of cava. And it’s a good way to save money when traveling in Barcelona.

La Champagneria de Barcelona is incredibly fun, being surrounded by that many people, all stopping in for some cava surrounded by the history of La Champangeria, with the sun still streaming in through the enormous doors. There is just a buzz about the place that I love.

Eating at can paixano la xampanyeria barcelona

How Much is La Xampanyeria Barcelona Spain?

This is a great question because the prices at La Champagneria have increased dramatically in the last few years. It’s still an institution. It’s still fun. And, it is definitely worth a visit. But, it’s a little more pricey now than it used to be.

Currently, as of 2018, La Champagneria Barcelona starts selling glasses of cava for €1.50. This is still a good price. Bottles of their Selecte Can Paixano sell for €8.45. This is their base level cava. The famous Rosat Can Paixano is €8.60 a bottle. The higher-priced cava is now between €10-15 a bottle. Again, still a good price for cava.

In order to purchase Can Paixano cava by the bottle, now the bar requires that you also purchase two tapas. This can be any two food items, like sandwiches, or even just a plate of jamon and plate of olives. This makes the experience a little more expensive than it used to be. I think they’ve had too many tourists come in too drunk and they want to make sure they are eating as well. We are guilty of being tourists like this.

FAQs -Can Paixano Barcelona Tips

What is Can Paixano Barcelona?

When we first learned about Can Paixano, it was referred to as La Champagneria. I still call it that today. In Catalan, it is called La Xampanyeria. The door to La Xampanyeria Barcelona reads Can Paixano, which is the name of the cava bar and cava company that originally distributed sparkling wine from the shop.

Where is Can Paixano Barcelona Spain? 

 La Champagneria is located at Carrer de la Reina Cristina 7 in Barcelona, Spain. It can be hard to find, down a quiet street off of the old fishing port that has become La Barceloneta. But, it’s a fun place to go wine tasting, so it’s worth it.

When is La Champagneria Barcelona Open?

La Xampanyeria is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 10:30 pm. The shop closes at 8:00 pm, but the cava bar stays open. La Champangeria is closed on Sundays, on holidays, and during Semana Santa, or Easter Week. They do not close during summer vacation.

La Champagneria Barcelona

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The Most Unique Cava Bar In Barcelona

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4 thoughts on “La Champagneria Barcelona – Cava at La Xampanyeria Barcelona

  1. Rikard says:

    I was in Barcelona 2016 and had this place recommended. Loved it (even though I’m a vegetarian and there were meat all over…). Loved the pink cava (hard not to order a few for that price, tasting that well) which along with a sandwich or two served as breakfast. Arrived at the beach just after quite.. ‘happy’ ,-)

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