City breaks can be tiring, and who of us can say they’ve never stopped for a quick drink in a bar to recuperate? Of course we have! In fact, being at peace with sitting alone in public is a great skill, and many experts claim this act of independence benefits social relationships and builds confidence. It can even improve your personal ability to handle tricky social situations.
These benefits aren’t good enough justification for some bars in Barcelona’s city centre, however, as Time Out Barcelona have reported that some bars have taken to turning away those after a table for one, prioritising their space for larger groups – which are often made up exclusively of tourists.
This trend has become more prominent since the pandemic, when bars needed to spread their tables out to ensure they could keep their customers safe. Although we have (thankfully) moved on from this era, it seems the attitude to solo customers is here to stay.
Bars in popular tourist areas are particularly strict when it comes to space on their outdoor terraces, and apparently, it is often groups of older tourists who are prioritised. Areas popular with tourists such as Poble Sec, Eixample and Garcia are particularly guilty.
Barcelonians are not happy about this shift in attitude. Barcelona is the second most-visited city in Spain, and many locals are feeling the negative impact huge numbers of tourists can have on their day-to-day lives. It seems like it’s not just city centre bars prioritising the needs of tourists – apparently, restaurants and cafes have adapted their food service times to better suit the hours that tourists tend to want to eat.
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