The Best of Barcelona Nightlife: Cocktails, Tapas, Music
Thanks to its all-night hours, young crowd, and great food and wine, Barcelona, Spain is known as one of the top nightlife destinations on the planet.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a wine snob or a club-until-morning kind of person; Barcelona caters to every kind of traveler who loves hitting the town at night.
Best Cocktail Bar in Barcelona
Known for its immense collection of alcohol and Jazz Age vibe, Old Fashioned – Gin & Cocktail Bar in the city center is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike. Almost every drink combination you can think of is on the menu here, and it’s all delicious. The classy décor and bartenders dressed in old-time garb, complete with suspenders, create an unforgettable experience.
Best Wine and Tapas in Barcelona
A lot of trendy, modern wine and tapas bars have opened up all over Barcelona, and most of them are absolutely magnificent. Quimet y Quimet has a more authentically Catalan feel. There are no super-modern, angular designs and expensively dressed staff here. Instead there are friendly, neighborhood men and women who have worked here for years and really know their wines (and tapas). Quimet y Quimet stands out because it’s happy, loud, friendly, familiar, and true to Barcelona.
Best Dance Clubs in Barcelona
It’s hard to pick just one when it comes to Barcelona’s pumped-up dance clubs with their infectious all-night energy, but Sala Apolo and Razzmatazz are at the top of the list. DJs play everything from electronica and pop rock until 6 in the morning, and as the night goes on, the crowds just get wilder. If you can’t decide what genre of music you want to listen to, head to Razzmatazz, where there are five different spaces with five different styles: tech, electro, indie rock, and more.
Best Rooftop Bar in Barcelona
Start off your night with amazing 360-degree views of Barcelona at La Isabella at Hotel 1898. Enjoy a cocktail and tapas on the rooftop before 10 pm, and take in the amazing atmosphere of the vibrant city that surrounds you.
Best Live Music in Barcelona
Jazz and blues reign at Jamboree, which is considered one of the hottest cultural and artistic gathering places in Barcelona. Listen to some truly talented international and Spanish musicians do their thing in the Placa Reial neighborhood, and stay late into the night to watch the whole venue become one fun club.
Best VIP Experience in Barcelona
If you want to mingle with Barcelona’s rich kids, personalities, and the occasional football player, head to CDLC. But be prepared to dress way up and drop some serious cash. The club is located right on the beach, so you can finish up your night with a dawn stroll along the water, or check out one of the neighboring clubs, like Opium.
Best Unpretentious Late Night Spot in Barcelona
Sometimes you don’t want to get dressed up and sip expensive cocktails; you just want to go out in our flipflops and dance all night with a cool crowd. That’s when you should head to Sidecar. There’s usually indie rock playing here (sometimes with a live band) and a crowd that doesn’t care about who’s who because they’re too busy swinging to the music.
Barcelona has so many different, incredible spots, each with its own unique atmosphere, that it would be almost impossible to truly pick only a few. So try out the spots on this list, and then do what should come naturally in Barcelona: Get out and explore!