Pastisseria Canal

It's not the oldest bakery in town – it opened in 1970, which is nothing compared to some of the city's jewels that started before the Spanish Civil War – but Pastisseria Canal plays an important role on the city's pastry panorama when it comes to artisan baking. They've come up with some classic cakes of their own creation such as their Martinica – with a summery flavour of coconut mousse, a creamy pineapple inside and cake made of pineapple chunks – and at the same time they've got an array of local classics such as round 'tortell' cakes and the politically incorrectly named 'braços de gitano' (gypsy arms) cream-filled pastries that the shop's neighbours stop by to pick up every Sunday morning.

Their croissants are a breed apart. In fact, they can boast the title of Spain's Best Artisan Butter Croissant in 2016, awarded by the School of Patisserie of the Union of Barcelona. They excel in all the requirements: a classic shape, with a pile of very thin layers of pastry, and an inner honeycomb that gives it an ethereal kiss of butter. Anyone with a sweet tooth will fall in love with their chocolate croissant, which is the kind of deliciousness people create fan clubs for.