Xix

C/Rocafort 19 : Poble Sec :
www.xixbar.com
:
Cool bars in this neighbourhood? Surely nobody comes to this area for a good imbibing? Well you'd be wrong if you checked out this rather wonderful find! Situated nice and close to the metro this place is stylish, beautifully kitted out and provides a fab range of cocktails. A bar for local peeps and the more curious ex-pat (include myself in that category) that oozes nice decor, good music and actually feels like if you picked it up, popped it in your pocket and dropped it into El Borne it wouldn't be out of place. Of course the universe being what it is there is a 'catch' and that'd be the prices which are likely to suck dry your wallet if you're not careful! Standard beers are a hefty price, sitting at over 3 Euros however you get what you pay for in a bar like this and to be fair the cocktails are well priced. The building itself is particularly old and rustic-ish and the inside although not big has adequate seating space - if not you might find a place at the bar. The staff are friendly and take making cocktails seriously so if you fancy going somewhere special in the neighbourhood you won't go wrong here! Too expensive for alcoholics but recommended for the rest of us when we want a little more than a drink and a stool to park on!
N.B Fans of Gin will want to check out their website for some expert advice!
ZeroZero

Treinta y siete grados

Avinguda de Roma 114 : Hospital Clinic
Tel. +34 653 088 948
:
It's not every day in Barcelona that you find a bar which is stylish, spacious and soundproofed. Well, the day we discovered Treinta y siete grados was clearly no ordinary day. Compared to its local rivals, it's not as cheap as Mama's (pronounced "Mama! Ooo-oo-oooh!" to the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody), nor as lady-friendly (oh yeah, you know what I'm trying to say) as Mini USA, nor as easy to pull in as the nearby brothel. Treinta y siete grados nevertheless has its own charms, namely live music (hence the soundproofing), comfy English pub style seats and alcoholic drinks which you can pay for at the bar and then drink while sitting down and chatting to people you know. When they're not hosting live bands, they show football and other sports on a reasonably massive projector. Bars here in Barcelona tend to be long and narrow, as opposed to being wide and squarish like most bars back in the UK, therefore the most oustanding aspect of this pub is simply its spaciousness, something that we continued to remark upon way beyond the point at which it stopped being interesting, relevant or profound. This bar is probably way too far off the beaten track for tourists, but people who live nearby should give it a shot. If the mention of "Avinguda de Roma" doesn't make you go, "Avin' a what, mate?" then this bar could be right up your alley.
Paul

El Racó de Sants

Guadiana, 6 : Plaça de Sants
Tel. +34 93 421 6422
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An Irish pub? In Sants??? Yes, fear not, the hitherto Irish pub shaped gap in the Sants boozing market has been well and truly plugged with this dark, expensive, "atmospheric" (whatever the hell that means) drinking hole. Perhaps due to its location on the outskirts of central Barcelona, this pub is not the most authentic Irish pub you will ever come across, although it's certainly a step up from Taladro's which could be described as a bog-standard Spanish bareto with as much talent for disguise as a giraffe in dark glasses trying to get into a "polar bears only" golf club. El Racó de Sants combines all the classic characteristics of the typical Spanish bar (narrow shape, uncomfortable seats, shit service, etc) and adds a few cosmetic "Irish" touches such as dark oaky wood furniture, celtic music and lots and lots of ships (some of them in bottles, which to me is a bonus). I shouldn't be too harsh on this place as the last time I was there I accidentally smashed my beer bottle and the waitress very kindly cleaned up the resultant carnage without so much as a disparaging look in my direction. Believe it or not, I'd been on the zero zeros all night, so it just goes to show you gotta be careful with those non-alcoholic beverages. The moral of the story: drink more alcohol!
Paul

Tribal cafe

C/Blai 29 : Poble Sec
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Yet again the infamous ZeroZero has been out and about in Poble Sec working his little socks off - seeking out more dens of iniquity in order to pass away the somewhat more mysterious hours of darkness, after a day of soaking up the life affirming Barcelona sun. And here we have a place that'll serve that purpose. If a chilled, semi-lit ambience, hand crafted cocktails and puppets hanging from the ceilings are on your 'to do' list anytime soon then I've found the space for you! And what a space it is, with well placed tables and chairs, a large but not imposing bar, great friendly service and even an ante-room for those who need to smooch after ingesting the beautiful yet deadly she-beast which goes by the name of Mojito! Talking of which, these she-beasts are not cheap here compared to say B.O (a bar further up this street) but they are wonderfully created and the bar itself is certainly much more interesting when it comes to 'good vibes and atmos'. Definitely a place to take a potential suitor to add a spark to your night and with the magical cupid puppets watching over you, you might just find Mr Mojo rises!
ZeroZero

Maumau underground

C/ Fontrodona 33 : Poble Sec
www.maumaubarcelona.com : Tel. 934418015
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The idea of taking an old Victorian style warehouse (not whorehouse!) and turning it into a bar can't be beaten. The results are simply wonderful due to the flexibility of space and the fun that can be had with the ambience. In this case we have a HUGE bar (something that BCN regularly has problems with!) filled with sofas and projectors semi-illuminating the lovely old original brickwork of the building. Tucked away into a salubrious street in the lesser explored Poble Sec area, you'll find this bar simply magical when you walk in - feeling like you've found somewhere really unique and exclusive and this is partly due to the membership system that they run. Don't worry though as although it's possible to enter without signing up, I thoroughly recommend that you do so as for only 8 euros (per year) you'll receive discounts on all drinks. After spending one night here you'll have recuperated your fee if you stay for a couple of bevvies. Talking of which the bar has the usual array of beer, wines, spirits and cocktails although I wasn't able to confirm how 'artisan' the cocktails are. Music wise, the bar veers towards soul, funk and Motown (think old-school) and adds another unique element to this wonderful yet slightly tucked away establishment in Poble Sec!
ZeroZero