Balius Bar
Fodor's choice
Sporting the original sign and glass shelving of the pharmacy that once stood here, Balius Bar has retro-chic decor, great music (check out the live jazz sessions on Sunday evenings), and top-notch cocktails.
8 Best Nightlife in Barcelona, Spain
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Once the sun goes down, Barcelona streets are filled with carousers out to play, often late into the night. Many an evening begins with a cultural fix: the latest art gallery openings, theater performances, concerts at the cabaret-inspired Milano Cocktail Bar, or opera at the 19th-century Liceu. After midnight, rub elbows with locals at Rubi Bar, a cozy hidden tavern nestled among the posh lounges that pepper Ciutat Vella’s labyrinthine streets, or try one of the organic wine bars of El Born and Gràcia. Be sure to stop by Poble Sec’s Casa Martino, a rising star among the growing selection of evening vermuterias (vermouth bars).
In the urban-hip Eixample district, mixologists whip up classic cocktails with a twist at the ritzy Solange. Poblenou—a neighborhood that has remained defiantly unchanged for years—has experienced something of a renaissance with haunts like the retro Balius Bar, where gin and tonics are served with a jazz chaser. After 2 am, explore the city’s incandescent club life, from the moody dance halls of La Rambla’s hell-raising Plaça Reial, to a selection of glamorous seaside venues in Port Olímpic. Whatever you choose, one thing is clear: Barcelona never surrenders to the night.
Elephanta
Gràcia
Fodor's choice
Diminutive in size but huge in personality and warmth, Elephanta is that rare neighborhood spot that offers a little something for everyone. Patrons enjoy an extensive menu of quality gins and seasonal fruity cocktails in a dimly lighted retro space peppered with comfy mismatched furnishings. Music varies though the ambience is always chill.
Old Fashioned
Gràcia
Fodor's choice
Reminiscent of a '50s-style gin joint—black and white with red quilted booths and framed prints—this small-but-swanky bar regularly draws in the crowds due in large part to entertaining master mixologists (nattily dressed in suspenders and ties) and their out-of-this-world experimental takes on cocktail classics.
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Absenta Bar
Barceloneta
Checkerboard floors, mismatched antique furniture, and a profusion of vintage lamps and quirky paintings set the appropriately esoteric scene at this absinthe-themed bar, with more than 20 types of the potent spirit on offer. Beer, wine, and cocktails are also available. It’s a favorite late-night Barceloneta haunt, staying open until 3 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
El Paraigua
This restaurant's stunning Moderniste facade, an exquisite vintage cash register, and other delicate reminders of its former incarnation as a turn-of-the-20th-century umbrella shop—is usually enough to lure newcomers inside for a closer look. For night owls, the real attraction is downstairs in the exposed-brick club, offering first-rate cocktails and often live music.
Madame George
Everything about this stylish bar is a happy contradiction: the chandeliered space has large gilded mirrors and polished chocolate brown stools that curiously complement the rickety antiques and quirky touches (check out the bathtub sofa in the back room). Cocktails run the full gamut from classic to creative.
Negroni
This cocktail bar, pared down to mostly black decor and a shiny varnished bar, is for no-nonsense sophisticates of all ages. What sets Negroni apart and keeps it popular year-in, year-out is the talented barmen’s dedication to the art of cocktail creation; no menus, just reveal your favorite spirit and have a little trust.
Pipa Club
Situated in an upstairs apartment, this somewhat secret bar is decorated in Victorian-style, with wood-paneled rooms and ornate chandeliers, but serves contemporary premium spirits. Enjoy a creative cocktail in a nook by the window overlooking Plaça Reial. It's technically a members club, but visitors are generally granted access in the evenings.
