Minusa

C/Valencia, 166 : Hospital Clinic
www.minusaclub.com
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Minusa is a strange bar but in a good way! The best I can say about it is that it's the closest to a genuine pub without trying to be. Whilst perched on a bar stool I felt like I could have been in a typically cool bar in the centre of London. Maybe this was because unlike virtually every bar in Barcelona, this place actually cares about music and fortunately so do I! They have a DJ who early on in the night who plays Indie/Alternative tunes and later - once the bar really hots up and packs out some rather cool dance beats. Prices are normal for BCN although you could find cheaper in this neighbourhood. However, it's definitely worth paying a little bit more for the great decor, fantastic furnishings (armchairs and the like) and of course the music. This is the kind of pub that you pop in for a quick drink and find yourself glued to your seat until the sad demise that is closing time. More, more, more like this please. Check out their website for live music info!
ZeroZero

Retruc

Gran Via De Les Corts Catalanes, 399, 08015 : Placa Espanya
Tel. 934231569
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Placa Espanya is a popular place for tourists and those visiting the plethora of trade fairs in this area. There are a lot of hotels and tourist friendly restaurants so you are likely to find places where English is spoken - at least at a basic level. Although I wouldn't say this bar is one of those, it's certainly a great place to go in large numbers and to spend the night playing pool (four good quality tables), darts or even ping-pong! This is a large bar for Barcelona, the drinks are nice and cheap and the music is lively although a little 'young' for my taste. If you get peckish during your evening, there is a good menu with plenty to chose from and if you are one of the modern breeds of non-smokers you'll find this place nice and toxic free! All in all it's a very good bar, not eclectic or particulary special in a Barcelona way but likely to be rammed with plenty of locals, ex-pats and tourists alike. Highly recommended!
ZeroZero

Daytona

C/Entenca, 85 : Rocafort : Placa Espanya / Tarragona
Tel. 646458993
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If you happen to be in this rather less touristy and 'cool' part of town and fancy a drink, this place isn't at all bad. Positing itself as a kind of American bar with neon signs, confederate flags and an on the whole bikers feel, you might find yourself too intimidated to step in. However don't fret as I found this place very friendly, reasonably priced and although my ears witnessed some rock tunes, they also played some rather more jazzy and soulful numbers. As bars go, this place is not really anything special, but it is a surprisingly laid-back kind of place and offers a pool table to boot! All in all, one of the better, more intersting places to drink, chat and play pool in this down-to-earth neighbourhood.
ZeroZero

Xampanyet

C/Montcada 22 : Jaume I
Tel. 933197003
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Fancy a bit of 'old skool' Catalan quaffing of cava? If so, this is the place to go! To call this place 'functional' would be an understatement but despite its lack of interesting or in fact remarkable furnishings, this bar is great if you really want a truly local experience. Music is non-existent and the lighting like a basic living room in an old flat. However the charm of this place is its 'down-to-earth' simplicity in that it does exactly what's said on the box! It provides excellent local, basic cuisine in the form of hams and cheeses and ridiculously well priced and even better tasting cava. Besides this, there really isn't much else to say as you'll either warm to its fundamental charm or perhaps find it a bit too brightly lit and busy to get into the groove. In my case, I can honestly say that it's a fantastic place to liven up your night and will definitely get you into the spirit of real Barcelona. You can almost imagine this lovely old place full of the intelligentsia, discussing politics or citing the next philosophical theories during Franco's era of repression or you can forget the past and celebrate the present in this wonderful old traditional drinking den a stones throw away from the famous Picasso museum. The choice is yours!
ZeroZero

Bosc de les Fades

Pasaje de la Banca : Drassanes
www.museocerabcn.com : Tel. 933172649
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Bosc de les Fades (Forest of the Fairies) is to be found near the bottom of Las Ramblas, behind the Museu de Cera (Wax Museum). This is one of Barcelona's more unusual bars, to say the least and is quite clearly aimed at the tourist market. As an attempt to create a bar with a mystical, fairytale theme, it's a success - but whether it really works as a place you want to go to for a drink is a different question. I suspect some will love it, whilst others will find it's kitsch organically shaped tables, gnarled fake plastic trees and tree trunk ledges just a step too far. The bar is a dark, dimly lit place, where the windows have been replaced by weird, illusionary mirrors to perhaps represent the mist beyond the trees or vertical, stagnant, silvery pools of mystery. Lanterns hanging from the branches provide the internal light amongst the trees. Just when you think that it couldn't get any stranger, you'll spot another anteroom in the corner of the main bar area that is decked out in the style of an old colonial bar, with tables chairs and wooden cabinets. What's more, snacks are available via a vending machine, or you can go the more traditional route, and chose one of the cakes, peanuts or savouries on view underneath the glass counter at the bar. The ambience is further enhanced by the background noise of forestry sounds, distant storms, insects and wild animals. Ideal for fans of fairytale creatures, ghostly woods, or just about anybody else who fancies a drink in an unusual surrounding. No visit to Barcelona is complete without a visit to El Bosc de les Fades, but its eerie strangeness (and tourist prices) rather rule it out as a popular favourite for expats.
Karma

Alma

Sant Antoni dels Sombrerers, 7 : Jaume I : Barceloneta
Tel. 93 319 7607
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This "hole in the wall" bar is tucked away down a side street off C/Banys Vells and is a short walk from Rubi. The bare brick walls, subdued lighting, erotic art and small size of this bar enhance its intimate, bohemian atmosphere. The place is long and thin, with a small bar at the far end and basic low tables and soft furnishings in the minimalist, Ikea style. The ambiance is tickled by gentle, unobtrusive music that makes this a bar for nuanced conversation, rather than bawdy celebrating. Not really a good choice for large groups, but it is ideal for couples or small groups who want to escape the tourist crowd without leaving the center of town. Given the bar's general location in El Born, prices are very good value and the happy hour matches those found in St Germain, La Fourmi, Le Journal and other bars in the Gracia area. This is definitely a bar to drop into for a couple of your favourite drinks in order to break up your evening's itinery and escape the hubub of the Born area.
Karma

Cine Bar

C/ Torrent de l'Olla 53 : Diagonal : Fontana
Tel. 932177852
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Well I hate to repeat myself, but this is yet another above average bar in Gracia! Unlike most however, this is more of a bar than the typical table-and-chairs establishments that grace this neighbourhood. Sporting a huge TV and a smaller one above the bar, this is clearly a place for those who want to watch some 'hot Barca action' whilst perched on a stool, munching pork scratchings and sipping the night away. However if you are fortunate enough to pop in on a normal, non-soccer night you'll also find plenty here to keep you amused. There's a dartboard, fruit machine and pinball machine to keep you distracted whilst waiting to refill your glass and music to tingle your eardrums. The barstaff are friendly and speak good English. There's the usual array of beverages, including our old favourite assortment of cocktails. Being more of a bar than anything else there are no menus, but this is a place for drinkers not culinary quest seekers! A good bar, with plenty of entertainment, a good 'atmos' and plenty of space to drink and be merry.
ZeroZero

La Cigale

C/ Tordera 50 : Joanic : Verdaguer
Tel. 934575823
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Apparently the name of this bar is of French origin, although in Catalan it means something rather ruder! Still this is one of a family of five (soon to be six) bars in Gracia that do their very best to give you a good mix of chilled, yet at the same time not dull atmospheres. Although this is fairly similar to its sister bar 'La Fourmi', (literally around the corner) there are some important differences that make this place stand out and perhaps make it worth its own visit. Where it differs is in its much more electic food menu and size. On first entering you might wonder whether or not you'd even attempt to swing a kitten (never mind a full blown moggy!) in the initial bar area - but I'll tell you a secret - there's a huge, wonderful lowlit upstairs with sofas, armchairs and room to swing a tiger! The music here is also nice and subtle, enough so that you can have a decent conversation and of course (in parallel with its siblings) it has the usual range of beers, wines, spirits and cocktails. Those of you who are cider hunters will also not be disappointed. Back downstairs, the bar is of average proportions and there are plenty of stools in case you are unlucky enough to not get a nice table. Like most cocktail type bars in this neighbourhood, there's a projector, but I'm pleased to say it's fairly low key and hardly a distraction unless you want it to be. (People on blind dates take note!) Finally, for those who don't smoke I was pleased to spot an air conditioner and if that's not enough there is a special room upstairs for non-nicotine addicts. All in all, a surprisingly good all-round bar with enough to please even the fussiest of punters and nicely hidden away from the busier parts of Gracia. For me, the icing on the cake has to be the food menu, and as we found out last night, all of the staff speak English very well. For this reason you have no excuses not to check this hidden 'tardis' of a bar out when on one of your next drunken odyssey!
ZeroZero