The nightlife of Barcelona is generally considered quieter than in Madrid, nevertheless the Catalan capital has much to offer also at night. In general, the venues near the Ramblas are attended mainly by tourists, the ones in the Born district, in the Barrio Gotico, in the Raval and the Barceloneta/Olympic Port districts are attended by a mix of people living in Barcelona (including Catalans, Spaniards and foreigners) and tourists, those in the Eixample and in Gracia are especially popular among the people living in Barcelona.
Bars
El Copetín
Passeig del Born, 19
Underground: Barceloneta or Jaume I
Hours: 7 pm to 2:30 am
Situated in the busy Passeig del Born, this is a perfect place to drink a Mojito and listen to salsa. Some people try to dance amongst the tables in spite of the small size of this bar.
Miramelindo
Passeig del Born, 15
Underground: Barceloneta or Jaume I
Hours: 7:30 pm to 2:30 am
www.barmiramelindo.com
This is the largest of the many cocktail bars situated on the Passeig del Born. It gets very busy on weekends.
Pastís
Carrer de Santa Monica, 4
Underground: Drassanes
Hours: 7:30 pm to 2:30 am
www.barpastis.com
Situated in the Raval district, in the area where the ill-famed Barrio Chino used to be, this is one of the historical bars of Barcelona. In spite of its small size, it offers live world music (Brazilian, Argentinian, French, etc.) 4 nights per week.
Bar Marsella
Carrer de Sant Pau, 65
Underground: Liceu
Hours: 10 pm to 3 am; closed on Sundays
Another historical bar of the Barrio Chino. Hemingway and Picasso used to come here to drink absinthe, which is still its specialty.
London Bar
Carrer Nou de la Rambla, 34
Underground: Liceu
Hours: 7 pm to 4 am; closed on Mondays
Another interesting venue in the Raval district. It was opened at the beginning of the 20th century and now regularly hosts jazz concerts.
Chiringuitos
Beaches of Barceloneta and San Sebastian
Underground: Barceloneta
Hours: 10 am to midnight
The many bars situated along the beaches of Barceloneta and San Sebastian, called chiringuitos, are an excellent choice for drinking a cocktail or a sangria and chatting in a relaxed atmosphere by the sea. The chiringuitos situated along the Barceloneta beach close at midnight. Along the beach of Nova Marbella, near the Forum, it is possible to find chiringuitos musicales, which turn into open-air discos at night.
Dostrece
Carrer del Carme, 40
Underground: Liceu
Hours: 1:30 pm to 3 am; closed on Mondays
www.dostrece.net
A pleasant bar and restaurant situated in the higher part of the Raval district, the trendier one. It occasionally hosts cultural activities such as the films in the original language.
Casa Almirall
Carrer de Joaquín Costa, 33
Underground: Universitat
Hours: 7 pm to 3 am
Joaquín Costa Street benefited the most from the regeneration of the Raval district through the construction of the MACBA contemporary art museum. Nowadays, it hosts many trendy bars. Casa Almirall, founded in 1860, is amongst those with more history and charm.
Síncopa
Carrer d'Avinyó, 35
Underground: Drassanes or Liceu
Hours: 6 pm to 3 am
This lively French bar is located in Carrer d'Avinyó, one of the busiest streets of the Barrio Gótico. Its specialty is the Especial, a cocktail based on cava, a Spanish sparkling wine.
Bahía
Carrer dels Escudellers, 46
Underground: Drassanes or Liceu
Hours: 12 pm to 3 am
In Orwell Square, the most alternative place of Barcelona's nightlife, you can find the Bahía, a bar with nothing Brazilian about it except for its name, but which offers a friendly and informal atmosphere.
Buda Bar
Carrer Pau Claris, 92
Underground: Catalunya or Passeig de Gracia
Hours: 9 pm to 3 am
Inspired by the famous Parisian Buddha Bar, this bar/restaurant offers lively theme evenings throughout the week. Tuesdays are its busiest nights.
Café del Sol
Plaça del Sol, 16
Underground: Fontana
Hours: 1 pm to 2:30 am
www.cafedelsol.cat
Plaça del Sol is the centre for the nightlife of the charming Gracia district. In the evenings, many young people, mainly residents of Barcelona, have a drink in the bars surrounding the square and in their terraces. The Café del Sol is amongst the most popular of these venues.
Eldorado
Plaça del Sol, 4
Underground: Fontana
Hours: 7 pm to 2:30 am
Disco bar situated in Plaça del Sol. This is a good place for having a drink and dancing to a mix of Spanish and '80s music during weekends.
Mas i Mas
Carrer de Marià Cubí, 199
Hours: 7 pm to 3 am
www.masimas.com/bar
A pleasant bar situated in the high part of Barcelona. It is advisable to catch a taxi to reach it from the centre.
Espai Barroc
Carrer de Montcada, 20
Underground: Barceloneta or Jaume I
Hours: 8 pm to 2 am
Very original bar situated in the Born district on the same road as the Picasso Museum. It is characterized by Baroque-style furnishings and classical music background. Every evening it hosts flamenco shows at 7.30 pm and at 9.30 pm, admission €20 inclusive of a drink. On Wednesday at 23, it hosts jazz concerts - with free entrance. On Thursday nights, it offers live opera shows at 11 pm - also in this case the admission is of €20 inclusive of a drink.
Discos
Bikini
Deu i Mata, 105
Underground: Les Corts or Maria Cristina
Hours: midnight to 5 am
www.bikinibcn.com
The Bikini is situated a bit outside the centre, near L'Illa shopping centre in Les Corts district, but is worth the trip as it is one of the best discos in Barcelona. It plays funk, R&B, hip hop, Latin and Brazilian music in its two dance floors.
Otto Zutz
Carrer de Lincoln, 15
Underground: Fontana
Hours: midnight to 5:30 am
www.ottozutz.com
One of the most popular discos in Barcelona, situated in the Gracia district. It has three dance floors where R&B, hip hop, funk, garage, and house music are played.
Moog
Carrer de l'Arc del Teatre, 3
Underground: Drassanes
Hours: midnight to 5 am
www.masimas.com/moog
Situated in the heart of the Raval district, this is a small but very trendy disco. It plays electronic music in its two dance floors.
La Terrrazza
Avenida Marquès de Comillas (inside the Poble Espanyol)
Underground: Espanya
Hours: midnight to 6 am
www.laterrrazza.com
A pleasant open-air disco situated inside the Poble Espanyol, which is particularly charming at night. It is open only during the summer.
Shoko
Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 36
Underground: Ciutadella-Vila Olimpica
Hours: midnight to 3 am
www.shoko.biz
This is one of the restaurants along the Barceloneta beach, near the Olympic Port, which after 1 am turn into disco lounges. After closing time (at 3 am), many of its customers move to the nearby Catwalk which is open until sunrise.
Razzmatazz
Carrer de Pamplona, 88
Underground: Marina
Hours: 1 am to 5 am
www.salarazzmatazz.com
A huge disco with 5 dance floors and a very young clientele. House, garage, and electronic dance music are played. It is also an important venue for concerts.
Live music
Harlem Jazz Club
Carrer de la Comtessa de Sobradiel, 8
Underground: Jaume I or Drassanes
Hours: 8 pm to 4 am; closed on Monday
www.harlemjazzclub.es
Charming venue situated in the Barrio Gótico, it hosts jazz, blues, and world music concerts every evening. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays there is an entrance fee, while entrance is free during the other days of the week.
Luz de Gas
Carrer de Muntaner, 246
Underground: Diagonal
Hours: 11:30 pm to 5 am
www.luzdegas.com
A big theatre situated in the Muntaner area, not far from Gracia. It hosts nice concerts for an audience that is carried away by the music. It turns into a popular and pleasant disco once the concert is over.
Jamboree
Plaça Reial, 17
Underground: Liceu
Hours: 11 pm to 5 am
www.masimas.com/jamboree
Historical venue of Barcelona's nightlife. It hosts live jazz, blues, and bossa nova concerts every evening. After midnight, it turns into a disco where black music, soul, and funky are played.
Palau de la Musica Catalana
Carrer de Sant Francesc de Paula, 2
Underground: Urquinaona
www.palaumusica.org
This wonderful theatre by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner is considered one of the masterpieces of modernism. It is worth going to a concert just to see it.
Gran Teatre del Liceu
La Rambla 51-59
Underground: Liceu
www.liceubarcelona.com
The Liceu, Barcelona’s opera house, has been completely renovated after being destroyed by a fire in 1994. The opera season lasts from the beginning of September to the end of July.
L'Auditori
Carrer de Lepant, 150
Underground: Marina
www.auditori.cat
Although not as charming as the Palau de la Musica Catalana, l'Auditori, endowed with two concert halls offering excellent acoustics, represents an excellent completion of the musical infrastructure of the city. It regularly hosts concerts ranging from classical to world music.