Your intrepid drinkBarcelona reviewer recently found himself sheltering in Scobies from a torrential downpour. Any port in a storm, as they say, but what a port Scobies is! A better place to sit out thunder and lightning must be hard to find in the center of town. Scobies is a simple, open and spacious pub with plenty of seating, both around the bar itself and further back where there's room for larger groups. A couple of big TVs are placed strategically in the center of the pub to cater for the sport loving customer. Music is classic rock & pop that's set at an entertaining level that encourages conversation. According to the website, there's live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Overall the ambiance hits a good balance and works for both couples and larger groups who want to socialise rather than be entertained by TVs and loud music. That said, Scobies isn't a quiet pub (unless, like me, you dive in there at 7pm to avoid the rain) and it gets busy come 10pm on the weekend - the extra crowds of people being a good mix of locals, ex-pats and tourists from around Europe. Scobies is Irish owned and run, with very friendly and conversational staff - it's a proper pub, through and through. Like Obama just round the corner, Scobies is perfectly placed, being close to three metros and Plaça Catalunya. However, you won't need to take out a second mortgage on your house in order to drink a few pints of Guinness (or whatever your tipple happens to be). At under €5 for a pint of the black stuff, Scobies offers excellent value in these harder times. And it's a good pint of proper Irish Guinness - since the closing of The Celtic Cross, Scobies is now my #1 recommendation for a top pint. If you're in the center of town and you fancy a decent pint in a good pub then put a visit to Scobies on your list - highly recommended!
