Carles Mampel is the award-winning pastry chef behind the haute chocolatier bubo and his new-wave tapas bubo bar. His adjoining establishments are near the Basilica Santa Maria del Mar in the El Born district. At Bubo, glass cases hold glittering macaroons, exquisite stacks of chocolate confections and sugar-encrusted marshmallow bonbons. But the house specialty is the Xabina chocolate cake, which was named the Best Chocolate Cake in the World in 2005. Xabina is composed of four layers: a sponge of olive oil with spices, a crisp layer of praline with cocoa beans, capuchina sponge soaked in Madagascar vanilla; and a light, creamy chocolate mousse. All of this is covered in a chocolate glacier icing. Bobo Bar next door serves possibly the best sangria in town. Nicely presented in two colors (the orange juice at the bottom, the red wine at the top), this sangria has a secret ingredient that makes it better than other sangrias in town: Cointreau! Instead of a sour aftertaste, it is beautifully sweet (but it gets you drunk faster, too). The glass is relatively large, so depending how much you usually drink, it might be a good idea to get one to share.