The Best Bar in Barcelona, Spain

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.