La Colmena

Pastry shop · Barri Gotic

La Colmena

Pastry shop · Barri Gotic

1

Plaça de l'Àngel, 12, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

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Highlights

Award-winning cakes, chocolates, cookies & pastries since 1849  

Featured in Eater
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Plaça de l'Àngel, 12, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona, Spain Get directions

pastisserialacolmena.com
@pastisserialacolmena

$$

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Plaça de l'Àngel, 12, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona, Spain Get directions

+34 933 15 13 56
pastisserialacolmena.com
@pastisserialacolmena

$$

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Sep 14, 2025

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Barcelona’s Best Traditional Catalan Baked Treats and Where to Find Them | Eater

"Known for xuixos, the celebrated deep-fried pastry filled with thick pastry cream and rolled in sugar; this recognized local specialty uses an elastic dough that is left to rise before frying and carries both culinary and folkloric origin stories." - Chris Ciolli

https://www.eater.com/22631112/catalan-pastries-bakery-guide-barcelona
View Postcard for La Colmena

gastroservet

Google
The pastry culture in Spain is very different from that in Turkey. This is an old pastry shop. The products are like homemade. They won't surprise you when you eat them, but I still think you should definitely go and buy something. The products I bought were delicious.

Sara Govero

Google
Dessert in the morning of course. This bakery has been around longer than your family drama, over 100 years, to be exact. We had the xuxu, which is pronounced like shoo-shoo. It’s a sweet, cream-filled pastry that was basically an early morning hug in dessert form. Think flaky outer layer and vanilla custard happiness inside.

Analyn Romero

Google
One of the best and oldest bakeshop in Barcelona...city center gem!! Must try all the pastries, cakes and sandwiches...reasonable price, aal delicious and coffee to go at the counter. Great customer service.

Chelsea Downey

Google
We visited here twice during our visit to Barcelona in mid-March. Once on the recommendation of a friend and once during our Secret Food Tour. On our own I learned that there were plenty of treats for me to eat with my dairy allergy. One of the saleswomen spoke good English and helped me pick out a half dozen little pastries like panellets de pinyons, a giant chocolate meringue cupcake-thing, truffle-sized marzipan-based pastries (some with filling), and sweet fruit candies. We also got a small bag of honey candies for the friend that recommended the bakery. Everything was packed up nicely and cost us less than €20.

Hilarion Martinez

Google
Want a fresh delicious pastry? I got two; one with cream & one almond croissant…they call it marzipan. The bakery is beautiful in that it’s traditional with wonder helpful staff. The prices are good too.

Sofia Prochna

Google
Desserts are amazing in this place. Service, atmosphere and the sweets are all perfect. Prices are high, but I can say it’s fair

Nabil R

Google
Get the Chuchu de crema, a local Catalan favorite. Pretty much is a sugar coated fried dough with cream inside. It goes excellent with your coffee in the morning. I will say that a lot of the pastry is too sweet for my palate but that is subjective. I reckon local Catalans have a very sweet tooth judging for the local selection. Staff here were polite, courteous, and quick!

Mousa Shammas

Google
La Colmena, located at Plaça de l’Àngel 12 in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, is one of the city’s oldest and most esteemed pastry shops. Established in 1849, it has been delighting locals and visitors with traditional Catalan sweets and pastries for over a century.  The shop is renowned for its handcrafted confections, including a wide variety of pastries, cookies, chocolates, and marzipan treats. Visitors often praise the quality and authenticity of its products, making it a must-visit for those seeking an authentic taste of Barcelona’s sweet traditions.
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Sara G.

Yelp
Dessert in the morning of course. This bakery has been around longer than your family drama, over 100 years, to be exact. We had the xuxu, which is pronounced like shoo-shoo. It's a sweet, cream-filled pastry that was basically an early morning hug in dessert form. Think flaky outer layer and vanilla custard happiness inside. Quick service and the cutest sugary shop. What a vibe.
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Yarn Y.

Yelp
You can feel this place has been around when you just step in - lots of tradition and great vibes We got a recommendation from our guide to try out the traditional xioxo (I think that the name ) and the other one that looks like a little ball and filled with cream The xioxo was excellent - soft dough (a little like a donut ) filled with custard and some orange flavours . Really good (4/5). The other one was not great - we did get the chocolate filling (they make the same one w white cream ) but the dough felt very dry and not very tasty (3/5). A nice experience to try if you're in Barcelona
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Emily R.

Yelp
This was a little bakery we discovered on a food and wine tour of Barcelona. We stopped here as the bakery had historical relevance with a plaque outside marking the history. While we didn't stop inside to try pastries, I did go back another day since our hotel was right across the street. I went specifically to try the coca de San Joan. There was no seating inside, so everything was to go. I ordered a piece of cake and took it back to my hotel room. The service was quick and well organized as the inside was very busy. The cake itself was pretty good. It was sweet, but not overly sweet. I also ordered the millefeuille, but was more disappointed as I found that cake to be rather dry. Overall, I thought it was pretty good and I was glad I was able to try it, especially with the historical relevance.
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Chris F.

Yelp
A must stop if you are in Barcelona as it is one of the original pastry shops in the city. If you are taking a walking tour or near the Gothic Quarter, you will be able to either walk in front of it or are already nearby. The window display of all the pastries and deserts is by far the best in the city and is definitely what draws everyone in. The staff was mostly elderly ladies and as I only speak some Spanish, they were extremely nice to me. The old point and smile works great for pastries and they were able to help me with the few questions on items I had. They have everything from classic pasties that near no other shops make to the homemade version of the cookies and pastries you can pick up at the chain stores. They had a few items that my mother grew up on and had not been able to find outside of making them so that was a great sign of the level of care they have in keeping the classic deserts alive.
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john j.

Yelp
This is a beautiful place to get the most incredible pastries, cookies and chocolates. They are award winning and worth the visit and the calories!!
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Cin C.

Yelp
I wanted to try a xuxo while in Barcelona and found this place close by our lunch restaurant. So glad I came as it is a classic old pastry shop that displays their variety of pastries by the window to draw in customers. You go in, order what you like, pay and they speed wrap it using a sheet of paper for you to eat as you walk. The Xuxo de crema is my kind of pastry. A thin dough pocket encasing a slightly sweet creamy catalana filling. The outer dusting of sugar gives it an extra hint of sweetness and texture, but doesn't make it overly sweet where you need a drink also. The perfect on the go snack as you explore Barcelona!
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Shirley B.

Yelp
One of the oldest pastry shops (pâtisseries) in Barcelona - since 1868 - conveniently located on Plaça d'Àngel, facing Via Laietana, a few steps down from Plaça de Sant Jaume. Gorgeous window display to draw you in. Lots of lovely pastries and delicate sweet treats. They even have some wonderful gift boxes with various options to fill it with. And they offer to gift wrap at no extra charge. Pastries are also wrapped with care. Highly recommended this spot if you have a sweet tooth or are just planning to bring home authentic souvenirs from Barcelona. No seating, so takeaway only. They take cards and cash.
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Mark S.

Yelp
An amazing pastry and sweets shop in a great location. It might be impossible not to go in once you have seen the expertly created pastries in the window. It is beautiful inside as well, with excellent and charming service. We all enjoyed our pastries & their apple tarts (Full Poma) were the finest I have ever experienced.
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kim p.

Yelp
My favorite patisserie in Spain! The first time I visited Barcelona in 2017 we went every day. This second trip was the same. I braved the heat and humidity and Catalonia Independence Day crowd to make the 8 minute walk. They make a beautiful assortment of Catalan cookies and cakes, as well as delicious hand wrapped homemade caramels. My favorite part about the shop is the way they wrap up everything for you. Whether it's twisting the waxed paper around a croissant or tying up a little paper bag of caramels, it looks like a pretty gift! Great souvenir to bring home.
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Lynn F.

Yelp
I wish I could post 10 STARS!!!!!!!! I highly recommend La Colmena. I live in the United States and they were absolutely wonderful in helping me send a gift to my daughter living in Spain. I especially want to thank Ina who was an absolute delight to interact with. She was SO VERY helpful and her charm literally rang through the phone!!!! Sylvia was also extremely helpful in my payment and arranging everything for me. I wasn't able to sample their delicacies personally, but my daughter just raved about how delicious EVERYTHING was!!!! Thank you again for everyone's help to make my gift giving a success. I cannot wait to return to Spain again where I can thank them in person!! If you are ever in Barcelona, be sure to swing by this amazing bakery. They will not disappoint you!!! They truly care about their patrons and their food is AMAZING.
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Geoffrey S.

Yelp
One of the oldest cake and confectionery shops in Barcelona. The minute you walk in, you're transported to an era where everything is made by hand. Macro batches, not mass produced. Clearly they're the masters of their craft, and it shows in everything that the have to offer. You'll not find more patient employees. My Spanish isn't that great, but they do speak some English. Together we were able completely understand one another :) If you're in Barcelona, don't walk, RUN to this location. Or you can also check out their website: https://www.pastisserialacolmena.com You can find this establishment listed under my Yelp Barcelona Collection http://bit.ly/EliteBarcelonaGems
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Toshi I.

Yelp
Old school pastry shop. They were ok with my horrible Spanglish. I ordered a capp along with a delicious custardy pastry. Son had a chocolate filled one. I took one bite of it and realized how literally heavy this pastry was. There is an orange zest flavor with the chocolate. Definitely for the sophisticated palate. Conveniently located right out of the metro stop as you enter the Gothic Quarter. We ate our quick brekkie on the benches right outside the bakery.
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Janice C.

Yelp
You know how they say, there's a light at the end of the tunnel? Well, in my case, it was a bakery. Immediately to your right when you walk up the stairs at the Jaume subway station is La Colmena. We were headed towards Museo Picasso but we went the wrong way. (bad sense of direction or serendipity?) The display windows showcasing pastries made me run towards it. I was still on a croissant binge (thanks to being in Paris 2 days before we got to Barcelona) so when I spotted the "xuxos de chocolat", the Catalan version of a chocolate croissant, I knew I had to get that. At only 1.80 euro, I knew I hit the jackpot: flaky and sweet, it made for a great afternoon treat. Inside you'll find cakes of all shapes and sizes, but their specialty here are the bon bons. If you're on your way to Museo Picasso, make the "wrong turn" and stop by here first.
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Allie S.

Yelp
Wonderful old fashioned pastry and confectionery shop right next to my hotel in the Gothic area of Barcelona. While they had some cakes and pastries I tried their chocolate and bought enough to last me a couple days while traveling. The chocolate was affordable yet high quality, particularly their dark chocolate. Would recommend for anyone looking for sweet treats to take with them home.
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Rebecca K.

Yelp
Came here on a food tour. This place is amazing in fact we came back after the tour to enjoy more of the baked goods.
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Araceli G.

Yelp
Good quality for the price and friendly staff. Unfortunately, the tiramisu (which is my favorite dessert) tasted a little like freezer-burn and didn't even have coffee in it. However, the other pastries we tried were great. Would still recommend.
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Kara P.

Yelp
Jaume I metro stop brings you right up to Hotel Suizo and this pasteleria store front where your eyes send hypnotic signals for some galletas. I asked for a variety and my favorite were the sandwich looking cookies which I though were dulce de leche. After the wonderful lady behind the counter said they were a praline center, I added them to our mix. They were nutty caramel hint of praline treat. My wifi code from the cappuccino place worked outside in the patio area.
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Pauline L.

Yelp
Cute old school pastry shop with fancy chocolates and sandwiches. We grabbed some jamon on a baguette sandwiches and they were really good. Crunchy bread and thin-sliced ham. Perfect for a quick lunch. There is no seating so we sat outside in the plaza. It's in a middle location near the center of the old city and El Born. Lots of shopping nearby and the Picasso Museum.
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Trisha G.

Yelp
Honestly the cutest little artisan like place with old ladies manning the counters. And cases and cases full of desserts and sweets. It was cool just to walk Ina browse My friends got a bunch of "caramels" that ended up being hard candies. Not expected and not as fulfilling as we hoped. (I blame us for our lack of knowledge). But there were rows and rows of other things to try. A must stop even if you're not going to buy anything.
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Ann T.

Yelp
Location: On the edge of the Gothic district. The place: Very small shop. No seating. The goods: They sell pastries and chocolate. I couldn't find a place to have breakfast and I was on the verge of losing my sh*t if I didn't eat something so there I went. I was looking at the display if goodies when I saw a tray of something behind the counter. So... I asked the food woman what those might be and she said 'cream-filled chucho.' OK, let me tell you something about these - we're not talking skinny pastries such as churros. We are talking about a pastry that's a bit smaller then a soda can, stuffed with custard and sprinkled with sugar. Dear god. It was so good, I was glad to be sitting down otherwise I would've fallen to my knees and wept. Just go. Service: Good. Price point: 2.50€
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Andrea W.

Yelp
Right next to Jaume I metro, La Colmena is very accessible. There are so many pastries, but they're known for the xuxos de crema, which I got on my visit. For €2 each, they're a bit pricey (well, Barcelona might just be expensive), but they're quite tasty. The pastry has cream inside and there's sugar coating the outside, and the pastry is good. It's a bit sweet though. The people here are quite nice, and they take credit card!
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Jackie S.

Yelp
We somehow came across this bakery as we were exploring the area. We bought a massapa (a croissant with marzipan filling and topped with almonds) for 1,80 euros. Really cheap! The croissant was delicious. It was a good dessert place.
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Lissete D.

Yelp
The gorgeous window displays can literally be called entrapment! The lure you in by sight alone. The pastries and the entrepanes do not disappoint. Everything we tried was fresh and delicious. The prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly.
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Sonya W.

Yelp
This place has the most amazingly beautiful pastries, candies, and baked goods. The window displays draw you in with how incredible everything looks...you just want to try it all! I wandered around the shop and finally settled on a couple of different chocolates. I wish I could remember the names of them, but they were outstanding. One was a round ball covered in white chocolate and filled with a delicious creamy chocolate and that is the one that stands out most in my mind. It was so rich and tasty. I wanted 10 more, but at the same time I didn't because it was so rich and delectable. Perfection! The staff was very friendly and helpfully tried to explain items to me. I speak decent Spanish, but the employee who helped me only spoke Catalan and very limited English. Regardless, we were able to communicate just fine and I got exactly what I wanted from the shop. It gets very busy inside, so there is a number/ticket system and they will call your number to take your order. This place is a must visit! Yum!!
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Scott P.

Yelp
First time in Barcelona. You have to wait for just a minute for the beautiful old ladies to help you but once you are served, the pastries are incredible
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Shila B.

Yelp
OMG walking in here is like a museum of sugary goods, a sugar coma for the sweet tooth. The first thing you notice is how colorful this place is thanks to the array of awesome sweets laid out. Of course the window display does nothing sort of attracting customers in the most touristy square in Barcelona. Whether you're craving sweets or not, it's game over once you look at the pastries in the window. I bought some hard candies in flavors that have similar names to home but a different flavor take. Their take on Lemon, Lavender and Mandarin are very mellow and on the floral side which was unique. I was supposed to save these for home, however, finished all 6 pieces on the Metro on the way home. The lady at the til was super friendly and sweet and the prices were very decent. English is very limited, however, most of the item descriptions are in Spanish, therefore, just read what is on the sign and show them the number (quantity) with your hands. I was supposed to share the candy with my best friend but I haven't told him yet that I ate it all.
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Carlos C.

Yelp
Amazing place. Neat historic building with awesome pastries. A must if you are looking for good pastries and not a tourist trap even though it's a very busy tourist area.
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Brian R.

Yelp
A nice little pastry shop that also offers sandwiches and coffee. I ordered a jamon and queso sandwich and a much needed cafe americano. The baguette was really good and there was a good amount of tasty jamon and queso that made me happy I was in Spain. I didn't get one of the delicious looking pastries, but I did try some of my wife's and it was really good.
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Debbie T.

Yelp
Heaven on earth! Our guide Sergi highly recommended this place. He does not get a kickback recommending his favorite place for truffles. I had a an apple pastry and bought a variety of chocolates, including the truffles. I'm back home eating the dark chocolate hazelnut one as I write. Thank goodness, we did not come up on this place until our last day in Barcelona. I would have tipped the scales at the airport. this place is definitely on my list for a return trip. all kinds of sweets located in one cute little shop with 2 entrances. The staff was very friendly, especially since yo no habla espanol. Bookmark this place!

Duke L.

Yelp
This is an "old school pastry store. Display is nice and centrally located in a town square.
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Lauren S.

Yelp
This was my FAVORITE cafe in Barcelona. So sweet and really great coffee. Nice ladies who will help you. I went here every single day.
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K D.

Yelp
Love it that they sell tiny pieces of their thrones, teams, and mazapans for restricted taste testing. The size was generous for $2! Staff was friendly also during my visit. Nice packaging.
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JasonJennifer S.

Yelp
Great eats and classic old time feel.
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Lana M.

Yelp
This pastry shop offers tons of variety. I recommend the xuxo de xocolata and the cured ham and cheese sandwiches (my husband had two back to back). They offer cakes and gift items as well.

Alpha D.

Yelp
I had macaroons and they are delicious. The pineapple coconut sprinkle was very good. The place is about 170 years old and I just love the store.
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Mena C.

Yelp
favorite little artisan candy shop in barcelona. they have a huge selection of treats that range from merengues to chocolates, to cakes. it's been in business since 1894 and I'm sure it's a testament to their quality good and great service! the ladies who work there are very nice.