L'Eixample
Some formulas just work, and this place has been working since the 1970s. Set up some guitars in the table-packed back room, add some cheapish preprepared…
Must-see nightlife in Barcelona
Barcelona
This great little neighbourhood bar is a small slice of Barcelona history. It was here (and on the surrounding block) that the popular Olimpia Theatre…
L'Eixample
Beneath an artistic wooden ceiling installation resembling a forest of giant matchsticks, this brilliant craft-beer bar has 30 brews from around the world…
El Raval
A French-cabaret theme (with lots of Piaf on the stereo) pervades this tiny, cluttered classic, which has been going, on and off, since the end of WWII,…
Barcelona
A popular meeting point in the 'hood, Chatelet has big windows for watching the passing people parade and a buzzing, art-filled interior with decorative…
Barcelona
A theatrical elegance marks the interior of this small, chandelier-lit lounge just off the Rambla del Poblenou. Deft bartenders stir well-balanced…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
A drinking den that has undergone several transformations over the years now treats you to the sounds of great Manchester bands, from Joy Division to…
Barcelona
With its spacious light-filled interior of concrete floors and columns, rotating local art exhibitions on the walls and thoughtful touches (flowers on the…
La Cervecita Nuestra de Cada Día
Barcelona
Equal parts beer shop and craft-brew bar, minimal-decor La Cervecita has a changing selection of at least 15 unique beers on tap from around Europe and…
L'Eixample
Along fashionable Passeig de Sant Joan, modern-rustic El Viti ticks all the nouveau-tavern boxes – black subway tiles, soaring ceilings, open-brick walls,…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
For a dash of 1980s nostalgia, Polaroid is a blast from the past, with its wall-mounted VHS tapes, old film posters, comic-book-covered tables, action…
El Raval
This altar to kitsch is a dingy dance hall that has transgressed since the 1920s, and for years starred the luminous underground cabaret figure Carmen de…
Barcelona
Come summer, this re-created Balearic-style mansion attracts squadrons of beautiful people, locals and visitors alike, for a full-on night of music …
Barcelona
Named after the prized cocktail ingredient, this mojito-loving spot has an upstairs bar where you can peruse the first-rate house-infused gins (over 20 on…
El Raval
The dimly lit ship-like interior, with low wooden beams and cocktail shakers and literature displayed in glass cabinets, is just a taster at this elegant…
Barcelona
Bamboo fish and pots of herbs dangle from the ceiling at this barefoot-chic beach bar on Platja de la Barceloneta – a stylish setting for fresh juices,…
El Raval
In business since 1860, this unchanged corner bar is dark and intriguing, with Modernista decor and a mixed clientele. There are some great original…
Barcelona
At this fun, smart cocktail bar with vintage style (tiled floors, marble bar), wines are all natural and from Catalonia, while subtly creative cocktails (…
Barcelona
A glass cabinet piled high with ripe cheese (over 50 varieties), sourced from small-scale European producers, entices you into this small, white, cleverly…
Barcelona
With two adjoining if smallish dance spaces, Platforma feels like a clandestine location in an otherwise quiet residential street. Inside this friendly,…
L'Eixample
Summer seats on the corner terrace of this wide-open bar attract guys hopping between the area’s gay bars. Inside, metallic horse-saddle stools are lined…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
An old-school cafe filled with both locals and visitors, La Pallaresa specialises in crispy xurros for dipping in thick hot chocolate and whipped cream,…
Barcelona
Neighbourhood fave Bar Calders bills itself as a wine bar, with a range of Catalan drops gracing its selection (glass €2 to €4). At weekends it's…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
Named after the lift (elevator) doors that serve as the front entrance, this clandestine drinking hideout – with its brick ceilings, vintage mirrors and…
L'Eixample
A terrific, friendly little stone-walled spot for South American-style tapas and unusual wines, where local regulars linger over the likes of patates…
Barcelona
This joyful bar feels a bit like a lost cabin in the woods with its wood-panelled walls, tiled floors and old sporting photos. Once you've wedged yourself…
L'Eixample
To be sure of a little Catalan-Irish craic, this barn-sized, storming pub beloved by locals and expats is just the ticket. Traditional Irish music…
El Raval
This enticing corner bar near the MACBA is one of several standout stops along the student-jammed run of Carrer de Joaquín Costa. It puts together some…
El Raval
Good things come in small packages, as this dark, teeny cocktail bar shows. The bold black decor lures in a largely student set for personalised cocktails…
El Raval
Once a haunt of visiting US Navy boys, this exercise in Americana kitsch is the perfect way to finish an evening – if you can squeeze in. All sorts of odd…
Barcelona
Cold brews, flat whites and even your classic cafè amb llet (€1.50 to €4) are artfully crafted with beans from inland Costa Rica at laid-back Onna. Inside…
Barcelona
With weekend parties, rotating art exhibits, vintage decor and jazzy geometric-print walls, La Federica has become a favourite of the local LGBTQI+ scene…
Barcelona
Even the music hasn’t changed since this place got going in 1980. Those longing for rock ‘n’ roll crowd into this animated bar, listen to old hits and…
El Raval
A wonderfully low-key yet stylish bar on a street full of them, this busy industrial-chic place has excellent mojitos (€5 to €7), a fashionable crowd and…
Barcelona
This home of ron y son (rum and sound) has been going since 1992. A mixed crowd of Cubans and fans of the Caribbean island come to drink mojitos and shake…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
This long-running cafe – dating back to the 19th century – serves up thick, rich chocolate with doughy, sugar-covered xurros (churros in Spanish), as well…
L'Eixample
A long corridor leads to the dance floor of this venerable and popular club, located in a former 19th-century theatre. Music styles, from house and techno…
El Raval
Part of the recent explosion in the craft-beer scene, this cosy, beamed tavern has been given a new lease on life and now has 14 taps, featuring Spanish…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
You won’t believe this was once a tile-lined Andalucian flamenco musos’ bar. Now it's a dark, intimate dance space: sit at the bar, meet people around you…
Barcelona
An almost entirely barcelonin crowd spills out into the street from Bar Leo, a hole-in-the-wall drinking spot plastered with images of late Andalucian…
