Barcelona Gràcia

Gràcia is all about busy-but-intimate bars—the kind of venues where you run into friends and have to raise your voice to talk with them. Some of them have modern, relaxing decor, and colored lighting—Vinil is orange, Nictalia purple—while others, like Cafe del Sol and Blues Cafe, leave it to their clients and the drinks to make the ambience. If you feel a bit more adventurous, head to Plaça de la Revolució de Septiembre 1868 or Plaça del Sol and take it from there; in this young, vibrant neighborhood, you really can’t go wrong.

Vinil, C. Matilde, 2 (☎669 17 79 45; www.vinilus.blogspot.com). This bar’s dim orange lighting, mismatched pillows, mellow background music, and screened daily movies make you never want to leave. Beer and wine €2.70. Mojitos and caipirinhas (the only mixed drinks served) €6. Open in summer M-Th 8pm-2am, F-Sa 8pm-3am; in winter M-Th and Su 8pm-2am, F-Sa 8pm-3am.
Cafe del Sol, Pl. del Sol, 16 (☎932 37 14 48). Fontana. Walk down C. Gran de Gràcia, make a left on C. Ros de Olano and then a right on C. Cano/C.Leopoldo Alas. Locals pack the 8 tapas bars around Pl. del Sol every night and spill out into the plaça. This mainstay offers perfect tostadas (€3-5) and tapas (€1.70-5) as well as beer (€2-3), wine, and mixed drinks (€5-6). Come for lunch and take your tapas out into the plaça. Open M-Th and Su noon-2:30am, F and Sa noon-3am.
Nictalia, C. St. Domenec, 15 (☎932 37 23 23). Fontana. Walk down C. Gran de Gràcia to C. St. Domenec and make a left; Nictalia is 2 blocks down on the left. Step into this intimate bar and feel the magic—it’s got blue fairy lights, purple walls, and colorful chalkboards (not to mention a buzzing crowd of locals and cheap shots). Beer €2-3. Mixed drinks €5. Shots €1.80. Open M-Th 6:30pm-2am, F and Sa 6pm-3am. Cash only.
Sol Soler, Pl. del Sol, 21-22 (☎932 17 44 40; www.myspace.com/solsolertapas). Fontana. Walk down C. Gran de Gràcia and make a left onto C. de Ros de Olano. Follow the noise and make a right onto Pl. del Sol. This beloved corner bar is on Pl. del Sol, the center of Gràcia’s nightlife. Also open during the day, Sol Soler is a longtime local favorite and unquestionably the real deal. Crowd in with students around tables, shout to be heard, and feel like a local. Open M-W noon-1:30am, Th-Su noon-2:30am.
Bar Canigo, C. Verdi, 2 (☎932 13 30 49). Fontana. Walk down C. Gran de Gràcia and make a left on C. Ros de Olano. Keep walking (about 6 blocks) until you hit C. Verdi. A classic student haunt. Bar Canigo has cracked mirrors, pool tables, and a young, fun-loving clientele; noisy tables of friends jumble happily around long faux-marble tables to guzzle beers (€2-4). Mixed drinks €5-6. Open M-Th 8pm-2am, F-Sa 8pm-3am, Su 8pm-2am. MC/V.
Café del Teatre, C. Torrijos, 41 (☎934 16 06 51). Fontana. Walk down C. Gran de Gràcia and make a left onto C. Montseny. Walk 8 blocks; it’s on the right. This corner bar has Modernista stained-glass accents, green lighting, alluring if slightly eerie statues of black cats behind the bar, and a prime location. The mojitos are especially good. Open M-Th 10pm-2am, F-Sa 10pm-3am. Cash only.
La Cervesera Artesana: Pub-Brewery, C. Sant Augusti, 14 (☎932 37 95 94). Diagonal. Walk down C. Corsega and then make a left onto C. Sant Agusti. It’s up ahead, on the left. The only bar in Barcelona to brew its own beer, the Cervesera has long been making locals proud. Try the peppermint home brew (a pint €4.90); you might like it so much that you will take a case home with you. Pica-pica also served. Open M-Th 6pm-2am, F-Sa 6pm-3am, Su 6pm-2am. MC/V.
L’Astrolabi, C. Martinez de la Rosa, 14. Diagonal. Walk down C. Corsega and then make a left onto C. Sant Agusti. This street turns into C. Martinez de la Rosa. L’Astrolabi is shortly up, on the right. A crowd of intimate regulars gathers at this nautically-themed bar to listen to and play live music 7 nights a week. The scene is more campfire than rager. Beer €2-4. Mixed drinks €5-6. Live music from 10pm. Open 8pm-2am. Cash only.
El Otro Bar, Travessera de Gràcia, 167 (☎933 23 67 59). Fontana. Walk down C. Gran de Gràcia until you reach Trav. de Gràcia. Make a left. Even on weeknights, this Irish pub bustles. Colored chalk boards in the street advertise drink specials. Open M-Th 9pm-2am, F-Sa 9pm-3am, Su 9pm-2am. Cash only.
DeDues Cocktail & Bar, C. Torrent de l’Olla, 89 (☎934 16 14 96; www.dedues.es). Fontana. From the Metro, walk down C. Asturies until you hit C. Torrent de l’Olla. Walk 5½ blocks down C. Torrent de l’Olla. This posh cocteleria (the walls are bedecked with orange floral swirls) specializes in mojitos and caipirinha (€4). Open M-Th 8:30pm-2:30am, F 8:30pm-3am, Sa 6:30pm-3am. MC/V.
Mond Bar, Pl. del Sol, 21 (www.mondclub.com). Fontana. Walk down C. Gran de Gràcia and make a left onto C. Ros de Olano. Follow the crowds or the noise to Pl. del Sol. The sign above this bar’s door reads “Pop Will Save Us.” True to this, Mond Bar is your pop oasis in this happening but electronica-dominated plaça. iPod battles Th. Open M-Th 7pm-2:30am, F-Sa 7pm-3am, Su 7pm-2:30am. Beer €2-4. Mixed drinks €5-6. Cash only.
Mi Bar, C. de les Guilleries, 6. Fontana. Walk down C. Gran de Gràcia and make a left on C. Montseny. Continue for 6 blocks, then make a right on C. de les Guilleries. This hideaway bar is glam-meets-graffiti; the walls are scrawled with red and black paint, but chandeliers and mirrors add a touch of class. Pool table in the back room. Drinks €3-8. Open M-Th, F-Sa until 3am, and Su 11pm-2:30am. Cash only.
Velcro Bar, C. Vallfogona, 10 (☎610 75 47 42). Fontana. Follow C. de Asturies to C. Torrent de l’Olla and make a right. After 3 blocks on this street, make a left onto C. Vallfongona. White tables, lilac twinkle lights, and a location away from the madness of Gràcia’s plaças makes this a favorite with young locals. Movies are played nightly on the back wall. Mixed drinks €5-8. Open nightly 7pm-2:30am. MC/V.
Stinger, C. Corcega, 338 (☎932 17 71 87). Diagonal. This bar, which is located between the student zone of Gràcia and the 5-star hotels on Pg. de Gràcia, straddles the line between cozy and classy. Convenient to the Metro, it’s a good place to drink your first round. Mixed drinks €6.20-6.90. Open M-Th 6:30pm-2:30am, F-Sa 6:30pm-3am. Closed Aug. MC/V.
Enigma, C. Martinez de la Rosa, 27 (☎695 27 91 82). Diagonal. Walk down C. Corsega and make a left onto C. Sant Agusti. This street turns into C. Martinez de la Rosa; Enigma is on the left. Not much mystery here—this bar has a pool table, cheap drinks, and a clientele of would-be punks. Games of pool during the week free, weekends €2. Shots €2. Open in summer daily 8pm-2:30am; in winter daily 6pm-2:30am. Cash only.
Flann O’Brien’s, C. Casanova, 264 (☎932 01 16 06; www.flannobrienbcn.com). Diagonal, L3/5. Authentic, boisterous Irish pub with barrels for tables and rugby shirts hanging from the ceiling. Popular with locals and Barcelona’s English-speaking expats for almost 2 decades. Top off your evening with a Guinness or a mixed drink (€6). Live music Th-Sa 11:30pm. Open M-Th and Su 6pm-2:30am, F and Sa 6pm-3am.
La Baignoire, C. Verdi, 6, (☎606 33 04 60). Fontana. From the Metro, walk down C. d’Asturies past Pl. del Diamante until you hit C. Verdi. Locals gather around busy La Baignoire’s elegant, high tables to chat, drink cava, and sip mixed drinks (€6) before heading to more raucous venues. Open M-Th 6pm-1:30am, F and Sa 6pm-2am, Su 6pm-1am. MC/V.
Blues Café, C. La Perla, 37 (☎93 416 09 65). Fontana, L3. Follow C. Astúries to C. Verdi, turn right, walk 2 blocks to C. Perla, and turn left. Plastered with photos of blues legends. Plenty of cheap beer (€2) to go around. Mixed drinks €4.50. Open Su-Th 6:30pm-2:30am, F-Sa 6:30pm-3am. Cash only.
St. Germain, C. Torrent de l’Olla, 113 (☎934 15 22 07). Fontana, L3. Turn left on C. d’Asturies and right on C. Torrent de l’Olla; walk 3 blocks; St. Germain is 3 block down on the right. On this bar’s cheerful red walls you’ll find framed, old-fashioned travel posters, a mini-mural of Picasso’s Guernica, and projected black-and-white movies. The bar is downright cozy. Beer €1.80. Mixed drinks €5.50. Tapas, crepes (€4-6), and quiche (€4). Open M, W, Th, and Su 6pm-2:30am; F and Sa 6pm-3am. Cash only.
Pippermint, C. Bori i Fontestà, 20 (☎932 08 00 00, www.pippermintbcn.com). Pippermint serves the largest drinks you’ll ever see—and they all come with straws. Cuba libre (rum and coke; 6L) €40. Beer (13L) €71. Sangria (13L) €98. Also has normal-sized drinks (1L; €12-14) for tamer (or smaller) groups. University Bar every Th. Open daily 4pm-3am. MC/V.
Amberes, C. Perla, 34. Fontana. Walk down C. Gran de Gràcia and make a left on C. del Montseny. The street turns into C. Perla. This bar feels like the trendiest living room you’ll ever step into with its blue walls, blue furniture, and a large mural of a Rubens nude. Beer €3.50. Mixed drinks €6. Happy hour M-F 7-10pm (2 mixed drinks for €10). Open M-Th and Su 7pm-2am, F and Sa 7pm-3am. Cash only.
Bamboleo, C. Topazi, 24 (☎93 217 32 60). Fontana, L3. A few blocks up C. Topazi from Pl. del Diamante. A good place to end the night. Cuban bar hosts salsa, techno, and rock DJs. Friendly, informal pool games and turns on the foosball table. Calimochos (red wine and coke), mojitos, and piña coladas €6 each. An unbelievably long list of chupitos (shots; €3). 2-for-1 drinks until 12:30am. Open daily 9pm-3am. Cash only.
Berlin, C. Muntaner, 240 (☎932 00 65 42). Diagonal. Take Av. Diagonal to C. Muntaner; Berlin is on the right. Dim lighting, cheerful orange and red walls, young clientele, outdoor seating. Also serves food throughout the day. Croquetas €6.50. Bruschetta €7. Beer €2-4. Mixed drinks €7. Open M-W 10am-2am, Th-Sa 10am-3am.
Chatelet, C. Torrijos, 54 (☎932 84 95 90). Fontana, L3. From Fontana, walk down C. d’Asturies. Make a right onto Torrent de l’Olla, then a left onto C. l’Or. Chatelet is on the next corner, on the right. This bar boasts dazzling chandeliers and a Mondrian-inspired wall. Delicious panini—come early in the evening for a quick bite and try the Provenzal (ham, goat cheese, tomato, and herbs; €4.50). Happy hour until 10pm (2 mixed drinks; €8). Shots €3. Open M-Th and Su 6pm-2:30am, F and Sa 6pm-3am. Cash only.

Clubs

Otto Zutz, C. Lincoln, 15 (☎932 38 07 22; www.ottozutz.com). FGC: Gràcia or Fontana. Japanimation lighting and 3 dance floors make this one of Barcelona’s most popular clubs. Named in honor of the legendary 70s club Autozut. Upstairs you’ll find local DJs playing electronica; downstairs, you’ll hear hip-hop and R&B. VIP access and private parties possible with reservation. Beer €6. Mixed drinks €6-12. Cover €10-15, includes 1 drink. Look for flyers at bars and hotels to get in free before 2am. Open W-Su midnight-6am. MC/V.
KGB, C. Alegre de Dalt, 55 (☎932 10 59 06; www.salakgb.net). Joanic, L4. Walk along C. Pi i Maragall and take the 1st left; to get a cab home, come back to Pi i Maragall. Techno and loud rock play to a mixed crowd of students and Soviet secret agents. Occasional live concerts 9pm. Beer €4-6. Mixed drinks €6-8. Cover €10, includes 1 drink. Open Th 1-5am, F-Sa and nights before public holidays 1-6am. Cash only.
Nick Havanna, C. Rosello, 208 (☎607 49 79 81; www.nickhavanna.com). FGC: Provenca. Spaniards and tourists looking muy pijos (very fly) dance beneath a metal, domed ceiling and rainbow lighting and grind to pop hits. Check out the rotating slide projections. Dress to impress (no sneakers). Drinks €6-8. Cover €10. Open Th-Sa, midnight-5am. MC/V.
Duvet, C. Córcega, 327 (☎93 237 43 22; www.duvet.es). Diagonal. It’s right on C. Córcega, across the street from the Metro. This live music venue and club has nightly events that range from dance lessons to live music to DJs. Dance lessons Tu. Ladies’ night W. The best of the 80s and 90s (with some modern hits) F and Sa. Ballroom Su. Open nightly. Cover and exact times vary by event, so check ahead online. MC/V.