The Bars in Barcelona

For those of you thinking about making a travel to the beautiful city of Barcelona, I want to tell you a bit more about the bar scene here.

Of course you have the huge nightclubs that charge you 15 euro to get in and 10 euro for a drink (which you could make yourself at home for less than 2) and this is of course where all the North American tourists flock to because they don't know any better and these are the places that have advertisers standing in the middle of La Rambla, handing out flyers, complimenting every woman that passes even if her skirt is a small and she belongs in a plus. These places are generic, for the most part, and could pass for any club in any city because there is nothing remarkably special about them and the music they play is main-stream, top-40 type music, that again, you could hear anywhere. I could probably list you five clubs here and five clubs in Toronto that are perfectly interchangable, but I won't bother. I don't want to encourage anyone to come here and go to these places. There are much better places to spend your money and your time.

And then you have the Cervaiserias, which seem to be on every corner that a BraCafe (coffee shop) is not on. These places have chairs and tables outside all year round for those willing to sit in the nippy cold just to smoke their cigarettes, and those who like to sun themselves all summer long. The beer in these places is generally cheaper and generally only from Spain (Estrella Damm, Moritz, San Migel, etc.) and they generally serve a variety of "bocadillos" (or sandwiches- which are actually just bread rubbed with tomato and some kind of meat and/or cheese: no lettuce, no tomato, no onion, no sauce, no... flavour?) I realize that I used the word "generally" alot in my description of the Cervaiserias, but that is only because until you find one that has something just right, they are all for the most part, interchangeable.

There are the bars and restaurants in the tourist areas, which are again, mostly interchangeable, with almost always terrible service and likely very overpriced. These are the places along La Rambla, Barcelonetta, near Sagrada Familia (though, not as much if you're about a block away in any direction) and near almost every other tourist attraction in Barcelona and Sitges. I tell you now that the service is terrible, only because almost every place seems to be understaffed, and because it is not customary (or necessary) to tip in Spain, no one "works for their tips". Your table may sit for 20 minutes with no one seeming to pay any attention. I've waited half an hour for a bill once... that I asked for! It was very tempting to leave (if they don't give me the bill, that must mean they don't want me to pay, right?) but I, of course, did not. I waited and paid, and left feeling somewhat like my time had been abused that day. I won't say that ALL places are like this, just a lot of the places I seem to go to. Other places, like Cafe Zurich, which sits right at the top of La Rambla, beside Placa Catalunya and at the exit of about 5 major metro lines that run through the area, are very prompt about getting their money. They literally set your beverages in front of you and hand you a bill. They might walk to the next table to take an order or deliver another drink, but you can bet that they will be back before you can even think about gulping your beverage and taking off! Cafe Zurich, though not my favorite place in Barcelona, is a place I frequent because of its location and the many tables it has outside, which are perfectly placed for people watching.

And then there are the Irish bars. I'd like to go to Ireland someday, and have a Guinness in a pub, but I am starting to wonder if there is anyone left on that little land mass. It seems that every city you go to, you can find at least three Irish bars, all staffed with Irish people and all with Irish musicians. They serve Irish beer to the Irish (and English) partons and create a haven for the Irish who have gone out into the world and just need to have a taste of home again. It seems that North Americans also flock to these Irish bars, and I haven't quite been able to figure out why. Is it their accents that draw us in, or their beer? Is it that we feel safe with other English speakers? Is it that they change the T.V.s to English for the sports they show? I'll never know. Either way, there are a lot of Irish bars in Barcelona!

One thing I have noticed in my travels as well, is that while there are tons of Irish bars, and quite a few English  bars, there are absolutely no Scottish bars.. Anywhere. I'm starting to want to go to Scotland, just to see what's so special about that place that nobody leaves!

Mexican. There are only a couple of Mexican bars here in Barcelona (that I know about anyway), but the one's I know about are good. I personally have only eaten at one of them, but the food was delicious, even though the beer wasn't much better than Spanish beer!

This then brings me to the hole-in-the-wall places that are in every city, in places you wouldn't expect them, out of the way of tourists and likely frequented by locals and those brave enough to venture down dark, seemingly dead-end streets. In Barcelona, you will find many of these places in Raval, Gotic, Born, Gracia and other somewhat shadier seeming areas of Barcelona where the streets slimmer and trendier, hipper people hang out. These are the places that you'll find real character and real heart. Often these places are decorated in outlandish, bold, artistic, musical, thought-provoking ways. One place I used to frequent, had classic old wall-paper, a naked barbie, masked people and in the bathroom there were pictures of bondage and dominatrix situations plastering the walls like wall-paper. Last night, I was in a place that had sheet music covering the entire front of the bar because it is a place frequented by the staff and partons of a venue down the street. These are the places I like going to now. I prefer to sit and have a few drinks in an interesting place with interesting people, and listen to different music than I'd hear everyday.

Anyway, all of this was to tell those of you wanting to visit Barcelona what to expect in terms of the bar scene here. Oh, yes, and I should mention that public drinking is not nearly as looked-down-upon here as it is back home. Starting at about 8pm, there are people selling beer along La Rambla and all over the "downtown" areas, outside of bars, in different squares and placas all over the city. And I'm not sure what time this actually starts at, but when you come out of the club, you will often find someone selling some sort of food. In North America, specifically Toronto, this would be the hot-dog guy with the cart placed right outside the bar exit or about 5 feet up the street, making all his money from the drunken fools that leave the bar after having drank for the last 5 hours and just need food! That salty meat smell will get you every time (unless you've had too much to drink, in which case the smell makes you want to vomit). It could also be the chip trucks that you'll purposefully find a way to pass on your way home, outside of Nathan Philip Square to get poutine, because its some of the best in the city. Here in Barcelona, you will find people selling an array of foods out of a box they carry around. If you're lucky, its a fresh box, and the food is still warm. Sandwiches and spring rolls are among the items carried in such boxes, and my ever-favorite: samosas! They usually cost about a euro, so its a steal if you're just hungry enough to eat something sold to you out of a box at 5am. And that's another thing: bars here don't close until about 7am in the summer. The sun is up and you're heading home.

If anyone wants more info about bars in Barcelona, drop me a line and I'll do what I can to give you an answer!