80 Best Bars in Barcelona, Spain

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. And they taste absolutely delicious. In 2022, Paradiso snagged the top spot on The World's 50 Best Bars list, so prepare to stand in line for an hour or longer to get in. 

Situated in an upstairs apartment, this somewhat secret bar is decorated in Victorian-style, with wood-paneled rooms and ornate chandeliers, but serves contemporary premium spirits. Enjoy a creative cocktail in a nook by the window overlooking Plaça Reial. It's technically a members club, but visitors are generally granted access in the evenings. 

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 photos and posters 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. There are also occasional live concerts.

A musical LGBTQ bar with billiards tables, this mid-Eixample hub is a clearinghouse for all persuasions and tastes, with women often outnumbering the men, pool tables or not.

Drawing crowds from all over the city, this enormous industrial warehouse turned dance club and concert hall is multiple clubs in one. DJs spin nightly and live acts run from local bands to 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.

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.

If there's anywhere you should dress up to get past the door, it's here. If the international see-and-be-seen crowd converges around the seaside clubs below Hotel Arts, their local equivalent come to Sutton. The club is segregated into several bars and dancing areas, playing R&B, hip-hop, house, and the occasional live performance. Not as happening as in its mid-2000s heyday, it still merits a visit, if anything to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Sutton is like a Vegas club in Barcelona: it may not be classy, but it's always entertaining.

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.