La Bolsa

C/Tuset 17 : Gracia : FGC
Tel. 932 022 635
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This is not a gay bar called "The Handbag", but rather a lively disco-pub based on the same pricing gimmick as the mega-popular Dow Jones. "La Bolsa" means "the stock exchange" in Spanish (as well as handbag), and instead of having a fixed price list, the cost of drinks fluctuates by the minute. Of course, when I say "fluctuates", I mean on a spectrum ranging from normal to expensive to extortionate. Last time I was there, a pint of Guinness cost a mighty six euros. To put that in perspective, that's the same cost as 12 litres of Don Simon table wine or two thirds of a slap-up menu del dia. Having said that, it's a great pub to go to at the weekend, with a young friendly crowd and there are plenty of attractive women (the chick/dick ratio is about 50-50, which is about as good as a straight guy can usually hope for). For what looks like a pub, it's actually quite clubby with a DJ and a small dancefloor in the back, so this sets it slightly apart from the Dow Jones which is more of a football and dry-roasted peanuts kind of pub. Good luck finding the loo in the dark when you're steaming as it's cunningly disguised in a way that I can´t really describe, so cunning is its disguise. Nevertheless, nice pub!
Paul

Cafe Ma'ma

Avinguda de Roma con Entença : : Entença
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This tiny bar near Plaza España is too far off the beaten track for tourists to bother with and it's not worth making the trek across town if you don't live in the area. However, if you happen to live close by it's a great place to knock back a few cheap beers. This bar has three great points in its favour: first, and most importantly, the beers are incredibly cheap (we're talking an unheard of 2.50 euros for a pint of lager - and that's not some kind of happy hour price, that´s all the time), secondly they play excellent music (they often show classic hard rock concerts on the projector, such as Led Zeppelin's classic gig at the Royal Albert Hall), and thirdly the general ambience is pretty nice (a scummy old man's bar this ain't). The decor is pretty tasteful up to a height of about 8 feet, from that point up there is a bizarre mural of naked cyclists (given the bar's predilection for classic hard rock, this could be a nod to Queen's Fat Bottomed Girls video) If you're in the area and on a tight budget, this is definitely the place to go. Once you're fully tanked up, it's customary to move on to Mini USA.
Paul

Sifo

C/ d'Espalter 4 : Paral.lel : Drassanes
www.sifo.es : Tel. 933296832
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Despite my snobby trepidations about this particular area, there's no denying that it really has life and soul, character and most importantly great places to get wellied in. In this case we have a bar which will provide you with the usual assortment of drinks and if you're feelng energetic a fab little room to dance in. Like most of the cooler places 'to wiggle your posterior', there is no entrance fee and although typically hot and sweaty, this place - like a multitude of others like it, is at least intimate and there's no chance of you protecting your personal space. That said if you feel like clashing body parts with the locals (in a good way!), this is a cool place to come!
ZeroZero

BigBang

C/Botella, 7 : Sant Antoni
www.bigbangbcn.net
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A great bar, with a great name - nestled in the darker depths of the city's Sant Antoni neighbourhood. Despite its name this isn't a place for old geezers looking for some hot grannies to boogie with, but a bar that places its musical emphasis on the 50's and 60's. This place has a great ambience: mixed between those who wanna rhythmically swing their hips at an attempt at some kind of sexual signallng to those who just want to drink, chat and soak up the down-to-earth yet low voltage electric atmosphere that oozes through the masonry of this rather unusual bar. You could do much worse than spend an evening here with friends, peers or anyone else that you manage to procure during your drunken wanderings! A bar for real people who like some 'old-school' spiciness mixed in to a good evenings imbibing! Oh, and by the way there is no entrance fee.
ZeroZero

Rita Blue

Plaça Sant Agustí 3 : Liceu
www.ritablue.com : Tel. 93 342 4086
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Rita Blue is a modernist themed bar in a small open plaça just off the Ramblas. As such it's a perfect spot to chill out from the tourist rush during the day, and a good bar & restaurant experience in the evening. The interior has a retro feel that includes 50's-style lamps and lanterns hanging from the ceilings. The front of the establishment has a curved bar with plenty of funky shaped stools along it and the glass front that overlooks the plaça with adjoining church. In addition, there's a small comfy sofas area in one corner, and behind the bar is the rather compact restaurant seating area. There's a dark basement dance floor complete with disco balls that gets crowded later on for live acts during the week and house and techno sets on weekends. There are plenty of tables available on the terrace in the square, however these are very popular and the outside service can suffer when the place gets busy. Food is pretty good Mexican and Mediterranean fare and the great drinks, especially cocktails, will get you grooving. Rita Blue is one of those bars that just has a really good vibe, and this is helped by friendly staff, many of whom speak good English. It attracts a fairly young crowd and so has a studenty, artsy, friendly atmosphere that is very endearing. This place is very popular with locals and tourists alike, and so it pays to get there earlier rather than later if you want to get a seat. All in all, Rita Blue is one of the better modern bars in the center of town, and well worth a visit.
Karma