My two brothers and I (all in our 20's) will be staying in Barcelona for 5 days in March. We are hoping to find those quintessential Barcelona bars/restaurants that exude character, history, atmosphere...places where you could sit and converse for hours. Of course places with good food or drinks are great too, but the atmosphere of the place is important to me.

I would love to hear from some people who have been to Barcelona before. What were your favorite spots? Did you visit any places that fit my description from above?

Thank you in advance for sharing!

We love Vinya del Senor, a wonderful winebar in the El Born area right in front of the Santa Maria del Mar church. Serious wines but a very nice, laid back vibe. Lots of other places in El Born area, hip trendy area of BCN. One of the most characterful places there is El Xampanyet (sp?) but because it's so characterful, every tourist must go in and see it, and the place is constantly mobbed. Too bad. That's what happens.

Bookmarking as I want to keep my eye on this thread for our June trip!

My favorite hang outs in El Born:
As does Julie, I love La Vinya del Senyor, also El Xampanyet (when it isn't mobbed, which is not often), Boss Born on the Plaça del Palau.

Another wine bar on my list to try is Va de Vi on Banys Vells 16 (metro Jaume I), opened by a sommelier with more than 1,000 labels on the wine list. Also serves artisan cheeses and hams. Open 6 pm-1 am, Mon.-Wed. and Sun; from 6 pm-2 am on Thurs. and from 6 pm-3 am on Fr./Sat.

Julie and Maribel, thank you for sharing your opinions. We'll definitely add those bars to the list!