C/ de Sant Pau, 77 :
Liceu 
Tel. 626 587044
: 
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
