¡BARSALONA!

The intrepid imbiber's guide to Barcelona.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This blog is under construction
Posted by Bill Sinclair at 11:56 AM No comments:
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About Me

Bill Sinclair
I've been writing about bars in Barcelona for a good few years. You can read some of my stuff at Spotted By Locals - Barcelona and at the Guardian Travel City Guide for Barcelona. When commissioned to write up 10 Bars and 10 Tapas bars I realised I could easily have written about 10 bars in each barrio. I'd discovered my specialist subject. I write fiction too - if interested visit my website.
View my complete profile

My other blogs

  • Haarlson Phillipps

Gràcia

  • La Vermuteria del Tano

WELCOME TO BARSALONA

Hola y bon día.

This is your guide to some of the best bars Barcelona has to offer the intrepid imbiber.

I have visited all the bars listed here on at least three occasions; some I've visited over 100 times; and one I've called into at least 500 times - you'd be challenged to find a better informed English speaking guide to the bars of Barcelona.

Because I've spent too much time and money in Barcelona's least interesting bars means you don't have to.

The bars listed here encompass every type of bar and include: bodegas, cervecerias, chiringuitos, coctelerias, granjas, hotel bars, music bars, no-name bars, restaurant bars, tapas bars, tabernas and vermuterias. Check out the page: Definitions for more detail on what these labels mean.

TIME
Barcelona's bars are time-sensitive places.

Bars located in, or near, a market are likely to be buzzing at, say, seven in the morning, ram-packed at lunchtime, and closed by 8pm.

Local bars may open at 9.30am and only host three or four drinkers for much of the day ... then... pam!... at a certain time on a certain day ... will suddenly come alive.

Lounge bars may not open until 10 or 11pm and not get busy until past midnight.

AMBIENCE

Some of the bars listed here are great places to chill between errands, or while sightseeing, with or without a newspaper, laptop or notebook; others for meeting up with friends before or after dinner/the cinema/a gig/a club; others for a romantic assignation; others for a vermut, a tapa, a plato combinado or a menú.

SMOKING

In theory Spain now has the toughest anti-smoking laws in Europe. One consequence of this has been a 67% year-on-year increase of the number of bars applying for a terrace licence. Another consequence has been the massive growth, and subsequent taxation, on the sale of terrace heaters.

If you would like to smoke while enjoying a drink search the Index for Terrazas. But, don't come looking for me when it rains.

OTHER STUFF

As well as bars the guide features occasional articles on draft and bottled beers, wines, cavas and spirits, and notes on other aspects of food and drink in and around Barcelona.

COMMENTS & GUEST POSTS

Obviously as this blog is written in English it is intended as a guide to Barcelona's wonderful bars for English speaking browsers, visitors and residents of this great city.

However, I welcome comments and contributions from catalan and castellano speakers.

Feel free to comment and make suggestions. If you want to share your experience of a particular bar email me and I'll send guidelines.

LINKS

Barcelona has a lot more to offer than cool places to drink. And, there's a lot more to Barcelona than the Sagrada Familia, Les Rambles and les platges. Check out the links to interesting things to see, do and enjoy, and interesting people with something to say about Barcelona.


HOW TO USE THIS BLOG

You can find bars by:
a) TYPE: e.g. Bodega, Cocteleria, Cerveceria, Vermuteria etc
b) BARRIO: e.g. Gràcia, Eixample Esquerra, Gòtic etc.
c) METRO station, e.g. Liceu.
d) METRO line, e.g. L5 or colour, e.g. Blue.
e) BUS route number, e.g 55.
f) LANDMARK, i.e. by its proximity to a well-known site of interest, e.g. Sagrada Familia.
g) FOOD, i.e. type of food served, e.g. plato combinado, snack, menú del día etc.
h) FEATURE, e.g. pool table, big screen TV, wi-fi, dartboard etc.
i) TIME OF DAY e.g. after midnight.
j) DRAFT BEER, e.g. Almogàver, Epidor, Voll Damm.
k) WINE, i.e. bars which serve better than average wines.
You can also search for places which are open ALL DAY ON SUNDAYS.
And, if you search the Index, you'll see you can locate bars by a speciality, e.g. Almogàver beer, or noteworthy feature, e.g. wi-fi, pool table etc.

If you want to know about a particular brand of beer, or other drink, search the Index for the brand name, e.g. Estrella de Galicia, or drink, e.g. mojito.

To help you avoid confusion, and out of respect for our hosts, all street names are in Catalan. When referred to menu items will be in the language chosen by the hostelry and in Catalan.

BUS ROUTE

  • 55

Vermuterias

  • La Vermuteria del Tano

Blog Archive

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      • UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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