El Granuja

C/Vidrieria, 9 : Jaume or Barceloneta
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A nicer-than-average traditional-style Spanish bar just off Passeig del Born, this slightly secluded bar is the place to duck into for a swift bevvy when all the bigger bars in the Born are rammed. Chilled house music, well-judged lighting and friendly bar staff make this cosy enclave a fine choice for inclusion in a Born bar crawl. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this otherwise orthodox bar is actually the loo... in the sense that there's only one of them. Large groups of marauding hen-nighters or tanked-up footie fans beware! This is not the place to go for an evacuatory pit-stop if there are plenty of full bladders in the party. On the plus side, you cannot be accused of queue-jumping as no queue ever really materialises. If you´re having a heavy session, you'd be well advised to keep one eye on the bog door at all times, and when you see it open, pounce!
Paul

Elsa

C/Torrent de l'Olla, 78 : Fontana, Diagonal : Joanic
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As another night's mid-week boozing (that is to say, tireless drinkbarcelona research) drew to a close, we decided to pop into Elsa for a cheeky, and in fact completely unnecessary, final drink. Little we were to know that within this local Gracia bar lurked a Mexican film crew (if the term "crew" doesn’t overly flatter this amateur 2-man outfit) who were making a documentary about the bar and its apparently famous landlady, the former Cuban singing sensation Elsa. After a stilted and mercilessly brief "interview" in which I repeatedly slurred that I knew zilch about the bar other than that it always seems to stay open a crucial 30mins after all other bars in Gracia close, the blonde ex-diva rewarded us with possibly the fattest shots of whiskey I'd ever seen. The interview had clearly moved Elsa (though whether it was to tears or to vomit remains to be seen) and she decided it was time for a song, something I'm told she does regularly. The bar hushed, I sensed the cameraman silently glide into position over my left shoulder and Elsa proceeded to belt out, sin microfono, a song which sounded like the Spanish equivalent of "My Way", in a passionate acapella manner reminiscent of Barry's rendition of "Mustang Sally" in Extras. After 30 seconds or so of biting my lip and trying desperately not to giggle like a little girl, it gradually dawned on me that she was actually really rather good. The song ended with a round of applause and even provoked an encore. The two Mexican documentarians assured us they would be there filming for the next few weeks collecting vox-pop opinions on Elsa, so this otherwise bog-standard bar is the perfect place to go if you fancy grabbing your 15mins of fame or simply having a last-gasp cubata and shooting your shedded mouth off.
Paul

Iggy

C/ Princesa, 29 : Jaume I
www.iggy.es : Tel. 93 319 4906
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This is a new hip and trendy bar, definitely for the young and beautiful crowd, but well worth a visit regardless of your age. It's split level, with plenty of bar stools, chairs and sofas to relax on whilst you set yourself up for the rest of the evening. There's a fresh looking menu if you're a bit peckish and an excellent selection of beers, cocktails and wines. The bar has a modern, cool, minimalist, yet bright (if slightly Ikea) decor and is a tad pricey, but not too bad considering its central location. The ambience is rounded off with a great selection of classic funk playing on the unobtrusive sound system. If this bar were an actress, it would probably most resemble Keira Knightley - on the verge of being pretentious, but so fresh, young and virbant that you can't help but fancy a bit of it. All in all, a perfect pre-club bar in which to be seen before heading off to dance the night away.
Karma

Calexico

C/Torrent de L'Olla, 141 : Fontana
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As off-putting as this place is from the outside, I was pleasantly surpised by this bar! A local and very "Catalan bar", it has a little to offer everyone especially those who prefer their nights out to be down to earth, intoxicating, smoky and slightly disconnected from reality. This is no place to go and wine and dine your lover - more of a place to seek out your next one. What I liked most was the emphasis on fun without too much fuss. The bar plays fantastic music, think reggae, chilled dance, rock, and it has a big pool room. It also has a large, cheap bar and comfortable stools to rest your weary posterior on. Added to this you have a grungey-eclectic mix of people, a beautiful and antiquated original foosball table, moody lighting and peeps who just wanna have fun.
Cheap, fun and sleazy but in a good way!
ZeroZero

Teatreneu

C/Terol, 26-28 : Fontana
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Finally! A bar with space and high ceilings in Gracia! Don't get me wrong, I love this neighbourhood, but from time to time even I can get a little frustrated with the cramp and overcrowded conditions in most of the bars in this area. Teatreneu however offers a solution to that niggle of mine in that it sports two huge rooms and a small outside terrace. Other than that I must admit that although it's a nice bar it's not terribly exciting. The music is not particularly cool, but if you're looking for somewhere to hang out in a crowd or to sit at a comfortable bar then this just could be your place. It's also good for you non-smokers out there, as smoking is restricted to the upper floor so you can avoid all those dangerous fumes that we addicts habitually exhale into the atmosphere. Lighting is pleasantly ambient and all and all you'll find a mixed crowd here. Pleasantly enough you won't find lobster faced beer swilling, alpha-male inebriated tourists!
ZeroZero

Alfa

C/Gran de Gracia 36 : Fontana
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Arguably more of an effort at a disco than a bar, I've decided to pop this place into our guide for two simple reasons: One, it'll cause petty arguments with Karma and two, in my mind it's just too good to miss. OK, joke aside and in my favour, this place is certainly no nightclub. Really it's a bar with a very good dance floor and simply fab music. Well, when I say fab I mean it's a sweaty place to go and dance to the likes of The Smiths, Hendrix, The Strokes (and no Coldplay or Keane!) and just about any other classic piece of guitar based rock that has assaulted our ears since the sixties. Prices are not cheap, but it does offer a lot more than a bar can and for the entry price you also get a free beer or large spirit of your choice! Full of locals and more than a handful of ex-pats you'll certainly feel at home here. Don't come here if you want a quiet drink or are not at home in a hot, sweaty, quite simply 'rammed' bar, but do come if like me you can't stand electronic car alarm music and want to boogie your buttocks away to all the classics that still hit the spot and then some!
ZeroZero

Sol de Nit

Plaça Del Sol, 9 : Fontana
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Peacefully co-existing with the barrage of bars forming the backbone of this plaça, Sol de Nit is the best bar for those of us who have grown out of 'doing it large' at the weekends. That's not to say it's a boring bar as it certainly has its fair share of charm and interesting art pieces gracing its old walls. Offering a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere inside with comfortable tables, and an outside terrace appropriately situated in this famously sunny square; whether you pop here for a quick beer and a spot of afternoon sun or venture in for a chat, a bite to eat or a few beers, this bar won't fail to disappoint. Music is also chilled enough to put you in a socialable mood without being overbearing or too 'in ya face' to enjoy a pleasant natter. All in all this is a rather more mature bar but with enough qualities to please all but the most fussy of punters and a good place to start drinking in the sun before moving inside to lubricate the tonsils until the night's frivolities draw in!
ZeroZero

Cafe de l'Ópera

La Rambla. 74 : Liceu
www.cafeoperabcn.com : Tel. 93 317 7585
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This modernist style cafe at the midpoint of the Ramblas is about as well-known and central as a bar can be. In case you haven't twigged from its name, it is directly opposite the famous Liceu opera house and if you grab a seat upstairs you will have a glorious view of both the ornate architecture of the Liceu and the canary-flogging, street-performing, pickpocketing madness below. If you're on holiday in Barcelona and you want a taste of a typical Catalan bar, then Cafe de l'Ópera is an easy choice. Fancy acid-etched mirrors, somewhat less fancy chandeliers and the obligatory hard wooden chairs make this bar feel at once typical and yet classier than the norm. Unlike the majority of the bars on the Ramblas, this cafe is frequented by just as many Catalans as holidaymakers and this 50-50 mix gives it a unique vibe. In addition to a spacious main bar downstairs, there are two rooms upstairs which are similar in decor but are significantly cosier and comfier with long, padded, inexplicably shiny, seats. While upstairs, you can also stock up on the latest English magazines and there's even a rare payphone in case your mobile is on the blink, or heaven forbid, you don't possess one. One of the few traditional bars in Barcelona which is always busy and buzzing even in the afternoon, Cafe de l'Ópera is the best bar on Barcelona's most famous street.
Paul

The Quiet Man

C/ Marqués de Barberà 11 : Liceu
Tel. 93 412 1219
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If ever there was a pub that well and truly lives up to its name, it must surely be the Quiet Man. A short stroll from the Ramblas into the Raval, this authentic pub is very laid-back and affords you the rare pleasure (or displeasure depending on the quality of the company you keep) of actually hearing every word your drinking buddies splutter. The Quiet Man fulfills its main obligations as a pub by serving cider and Guinness as well as a variety of lagers and bitters and showing plenty of mandatory football matches. In the back room there are two pool tables and a foosball table to satisfy those itchy trigger fingers. This pub very much holds its own with the other local pubs and is the perfect place to go if you fancy breaking away from the tourist throng for a few "quiet" ones.
Paul

Ambar

C/ de Sant Pau, 77 : Liceu
Tel. 626 587044
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The Raval may be near universally frowned upon as the dodgiest barrio in Barcelona (although there are some that inexplicably love its scuzzy charm), but there's certainly nothing "chungo" about Ambar. This oasis of style in a desert of trash scores heavily on ambience, music, and, perhaps most importantly, price! At around 2€ for a bottle of beer or a glass of wine and 4€ for a cubata (spirit plus mixer), your wallet will for once be saved a downtown pummelling. When I was there recently the bulk of the music seemed to be Spanish cover versions of classic songs by the Smiths and the Cure - not that there's anything wrong with that! Ambar attracts quite an international crowd, so ex-pat residents will doubtless bump into old acquaintances and tourists will find plenty of fellow English speakers with which to mingle. Chilled in the afternoon, suitably buzzing at the weekend, this bar is about as good as it gets.
Paul