9 Best Bars in Barri Gotic, Barcelona

Named after the modernist elevator car that serves as the bar's entrance, Ascensor is a go-to for classic cocktails like Dry Martinis, Gimlets, and Whiskey Sours. 

This tavern-esque basement spot hosts everything from open mike nights and comedy shows to jam sessions and monologues, and has dozens of handcrafted beer on offer, as well as a small food menu. There's a small outdoor terrace if you need a breath of air.

Located on a narrow tree-lined street with twinkling lights, this pocket-size club attracts patrons of all ages for live jazz, swing, rockabilly, and blues alongside creative cocktails in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Most concerts start around 10 or 11 pm.

In the heart of Barcelona’s former Jewish Quarter, this rustic charmer serves a wide variety of hearty national wines paired with regional cheeses, meats, and tapas. The antique carved-wood furnishings and candlelit setting makes for an atmospheric respite from the area’s chaotic pace.

After a decade in the business, Marula Café has remained steadfast in its ambitious quest to keep Barcelona grooving with funk and all its sister sounds. No electronic music will enter this slick, red-curtained venue with back-lighted glass walls: once past the bouncer, it’s just funk, disco, and Latin spiced up with Afro-funk licks. The crowd is a mix of funk-loving locals who come to dance and foreigners who’ve stumbled in from the tourist circuit off Plaça Reial. There is also a regular lineup of DJ sessions and concerts. Check out the regularly updated website. 

Resembling a prim parlor lounge with touches of kitsch, this cozy bar bistro with plush sofas, gilded mirrors, handmade knickknacks, and tastefully worn tapestry wallpaper has been a favorite hangout for young expats for more than a decade. Best known for its legendary brunch, night time here tends to be less crowded and more intimate. Try the Michelada, a dramatic alternative Bloody Mary reserved for the strongest constitutions: Corona beer mixed with hot sauce, Worcestershire, and tomato juice.

In a trio of ancient mansions on buzzy Plaça Reial's southern flank, this venue is dedicated to Jose Peréz Ocaña, a cross-dressing artist, LGBTQ activist, proud bohemian, and dominating figure of Barcelona’s post-Franco, alternative-culture explosion. Ocaña also has an underground club with live performances and the fiercest drag queen hostesses on the square.

A mainstay of the decadent nightlife centered on Plaça Reial, this long-running music club has never fallen out of fashion—in fact, it attracts new fans just as the old ones bow out. With a firm focus showcasing up-and-coming indie talent, the venue offers a way to discover new favorites in moody neon red surroundings.