I love flamenco, but honestly the dinner/theater approach to it which seems to prevail in places like Tablao de Carmen, Tablao Cordobes looks touristy and over priced to me. I'm remembering sitting in a courtyard in Cordoba watching fabulous flamenco--for the price of a drink or two. Is there any such place in Barcelona? We will be there starting Oct 2 and leaving October 6. If you have any suggestions, please send them my way. Thanks!

On Oct 3 you should go to El Dorado Sociedad Flamenca in Centre Cívic Parc Sandaru in Carrer Buenaventura Muñoz, 21 (between the Arc de Triomf and the Ciutadella Parc). Local flamenco club and small or no entrance fee. Great flamencos perform here regularly. http://www.eldorado-sfb.com/

This night: Juan José Amador (cante) Luís Amador (guitarra), Antonio Molina "Choro" y María la Serrana (baile)
Juan José Amador: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMXiD0MbK4g

You are right that Tablao Cordobés and Tablao de Carmen are oriented towards tourists, but fabulous artists perform here.

Not much beat the dancers who perform in Tablao Cordobés on your dates, Pastora Galván, Karime Amaya, Paloma Fantova and Juan de Juan.

- Pastora Galván (Sevilla), voted best female flamenco dancer 2010 by Spanish critics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2SBUcrJgeQ
- Karime Amaya (Mexico City), grand-niese of the greatest flamenco dancer of all times, the barcelonesa Carmen Amaya (1913-1963). Karime's career on the Spanish flamenco scene is taking off right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzBE8ZX9UE4
- Paloma Fantova (Cádiz), here at this years London flamenco festival in prestigious Sadler's Wells: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck7hMzNH3b8
- Juan de Juan (Morón de la Frontera), here on Andalusian TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34PznKcoX38

The stage at Tablao Cordobés is separate from the dining room. Possible to just see the performance with one drink incl for some 40€.

This year is a very special flamenco year in Barcelona because of the numerous Carmen Amaya (1913-1963) celebrations during the so called l'any Carmen Amaya: http://www.ara.cat/cultura/govern-im...868713287.html

A recent documentary about the legacy of Carmen Amaya and flamenco culture in Barcelona. Her grand-niese Karime, who dances in Tablao Cordobés on your dates, comes in after one minute. http://vimeo.com/51519531

Thanks so much for this good information, kimhe. Maybe we will reconsider Tablao Cordobes, after all.We already have tickets for October 4 to hear Manuel Gonzalez play Spanish guitar music at the Palau de la Musica Catalana. But I really love flamenco dancing.

Flamenco reminds me of Jazz or the Blues in the US. It is a traditional art where great performances can be found in restaurants and tourist bars as well as in homes and neighborhood bars. Even traditional artists have to make a living, and if they are artists, they are doing it for themselves as much as or more than for the audience. Watch the interplay between the dancers, the singers and the musicians. If you saw the same group three times, you would see three different performances.

There is a lot of good flamenco on YouTube. It is always disconcerting to see the great canteor Camaron de la Isla dressed up like he is going to perform with James Brown but if you close your eyes, he is pure gitano and just as authentic as anyone in the back streets of Sevilla or Cordoba. You can see those performers on YouTube as well.