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Once the sun goes down, Barcelona streets are filled with carousers out to play, often late into the night. Many an evening begins with a cultural fix: the latest art gallery openings, theater performances, concerts at the cabaret-inspired Milano Cocktail Bar, or opera at the 19th-century Liceu. After midnight, rub elbows with locals at Rubi Bar, a cozy hidden tavern nestled among the posh lounges that pepper Ciutat Vella’s labyrinthine streets, or try one of the organic wine bars of El Born and Gràcia. Be sure to stop by Poble Sec’s Casa Martino, a rising star among the growing selection of evening vermuterias (vermouth bars).
In the urban-hip Eixample district, mixologists whip up classic cocktails with a twist at the ritzy Solange. Poblenou—a neighborhood that has remained defiantly unchanged for years—has experienced something of a renaissance with haunts like the retro Balius Bar, where gin and tonics are served with a jazz chaser. After 2 am, explore the city’s incandescent club life, from the moody dance halls of La Rambla’s hell-raising Plaça Reial, to a selection of glamorous seaside venues in Port Olímpic. Whatever you choose, one thing is clear: Barcelona never surrenders to the night.
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.
Just off Vía Augusta above Diagonal, this nightclub and disco (dating from 1985) is a perennial Barcelona favorite that keeps attracting a glitzy mix of Barcelona movers and shakers, models, ex-models, wannabe models, and the hoping-to-get-lucky mob that predictably follows this sort of pulchritude. Hip-hop, house, and Latin make up the standard soundtrack on the dance floor, with more mellow notes upstairs and in the coveted Altos Club Privé (or "VIP section," to the rest of us).
Hidden behind the fridge door in an unassuming-looking pastrami shop, this speakeasy is one of the city's worst-kept secrets. Cocktail maestro Giacomo Giannotti’s creations are works of art, bursting with fire, smoke, and dry ice. People used to stand in line for hours after Paradiso snagged the top spot on The World's 50 Best Bars list 2022 but, these days, the bar has a more convenient (but equally slow-moving) digital waiting list.
This friendly LGBTQ+ bar in the heart of the "Gaixample" neighborhood opens in the morning and stays busy until late. Expect strong drinks and a fun, eclectic crowd of locals, visitors, and fabulous drag queens.
Plastered with memorabilia of legendary musicians and bands, this bar pays homage to all styles of rock-'n’-roll, with DJs spinning everything from old-school rock to punk to heavy metal. It's small, it's loud, and the staff really know their music.
Drawing crowds from all over the city, sometimes packed in at an uncomfortable level, this enormous industrial warehouse turned dance club and concert hall is multiple clubs in one. DJs spin nightly, playing everything from EDM to reggaeton, and live acts span local bands and huge international names in rock and pop.
The whimsical apothecary-like spirits cabinet, exposed-stone wall, and dramatic red lighting will be the first things to catch your eye, but the relaxed atmosphere and inventive selection of cocktails bring locals and expats back again and again. Check out the choice of home-brewed flavored gins tantalizingly displayed on the bar shelves in hand-labeled bottles.
Set across three levels and multiple rooms, Sala Apolo offers a variety of house/techno nights and intimate live music concerts. Two Sunday afternoons a month, it turns into Barcelona's hottest LGBTQ+ destination, playing host to the immensely popular Churros con Chocolate and VenTú! tea dances.
Once part of the music-hall scene along the Paral·lel, these days the beats come from an eclectic and varied program of international and local acts. The multilevel venue hosts a different-themed club night each day of the week, with DJs spinning everything from rock to reggaeton to dubstep.
Music described as "humana" (suggesting no teeth-rattling techno) keeps Sala B filled with the mid-twenties and thirtysomething set until 5 in the morning on Friday and Saturday. Just above the Diagonal near Luz de Gas, this veteran nightspot is an offshoot of the parent club as evidenced by the shared website. Concerts and DJ music for dancing alternate at this comfortable club designed for semicivilized nightlife.
This snazzy, high-ceilinged vermuteria has guests lining up to sample a generous selection of more than 40 vermuts served with traditional tapas. From bitter to earthy or aged in a barrel, the classic aperitif is the star attraction though other offerings include wine, beer, and juices.
Located just below Frank Gehry’s famous Fish sculpture, this swanky Asian-inspired restaurant and lounge morphs into a late-night party paradise featuring theme nights with international DJs ready to spin into the wee hours.
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.
Founded by Daniel Arévalo and Jota the Magician, Somnia is a signature cocktail bar hosting magic shows every hour on the hour. Boasting 20th-century circus-theme decor, Somnia fills up fast.
This grown-up cocktail lounge in the midst of busy Eixample is the ideal spot to take refuge from the chaos outside, cozy up in a big leather armchair, and order an expertly prepared classic drink from one of the waistcoated, bow-tied servers.
A hidden gem among the bustling bars on La Rambla, cocktails are inspired and named after famous Barcelona landmarks, complete with a mini history lesson. Snag one of their terrace tables to view the passerby below.
The interior of this Alice in Wonderland–like venue of checkered half-walls, a marble bar, and contemporary objets d’art rarely seen on ceilings is the first clue that you’ve landed somewhere special. Beyond that, with 50-plus flavors of gins and infusions, and a lounge-friendly 3 am last call on weekends, Xix turns conventional cocktail drinkers into card-carrying gin lovers.
