Bars in Barcelona

Restaurants in Barcelona

Clubs in Barcelona

Zsa Zsa C/Rosselló 156 (93 453 85 66) FGC Provença/bus 14, 54, 58, 59, 63, 64, 66, N3, N8. Open 10pm-3am Mon-Sat. Closed some days Aug. Credit V. A chic bar patronised by designers, media people and conventional types, who go to talk and sample a sophisticated range of cocktails. An innovation of designers Dani Freixes and Vicente Miranda was the lighting, which changes continuously and subtly, so the mirrored wall may appear completely black, and at other times be ablaze with colour. Penúltimo (del Borne) Passeig del Born 19 (93 310 25 96)Metro Jaume I/ bus 17, 19, 40, 45, N8. Open 10pm-2.30am Mon-Wed, Sun; 10pm-3am Thur-Sat. Credit MC, V. 'Cleopatra's milkbar' might be a better name for this dance-bar, with its bizarre hotchpotch of kitsch and modern design. Dance parties featuring soul, funk, acid jazz, latin and reggae mixes are staged at the weekend by DJ Marta. The atmosphere is infectious, the crowd is an eclectic mix and, on a good night, the place is an oasis of funky fun. Distrito Marítimo Moll de la Fusta (93 221 55 61)Metro Drassanes/ bus 14, 36, 59, 64, N6. Open Café/bar 11am-3pm, club 11pm-3.30am, Wed-Sun. Committed fun-seekers like to start here, at this modern outdoor bar overlooking the old port. At 1am on a Friday or Saturday, the place begins to gear up. Inside, it gets hot and crowded, but there's a good-sized terrace outside where you can walk, let off steam and watch the lights reflected in the water of the harbour. Distrito Marítimo generally serves as a crossroads bar for those heading for further dancing later on at Woman Caballero, Apolo, La Terrrazza or elsewhere. Octopussy Moll de la Fusta 4 (93 221 40 31) Metro Drassanes/ bus 14, 36, 57, 59, 64. Open midnight-3/4am Fri, Sat. Credit V. The most popular spot on the Fusta strip, Octopussy guarantees a waterfront party every weekend. The music is varied, with the emphasis on dance and house, and the smiley, trendy crowd actually remains civilised throughout the night, making it possible to sit outside at a table and enjoy a drink. The terrace is open all year. Tijuana Morning Café Passeig Maritim 34 (629 36 35 37)Metro Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica/bus 36, 100, N6, N8. Open 6-11am Sat, Sun. By 8am at weekends, this huge dance venue with 800+ capacity (at other times a Mexican restaurant) is a sea of gyrating, pulsating clubbers. The gay and straight clientele is mostly spill-over from the scene at La Terrrazza, which finishes when Tijuana starts; both are run by the same promoters. A beautiful wooden bar sweeps through the centre to meet a graceful spiral staircase, while dark curtains act as protection from the fact that day arrived long ago. However, décor is hardly the focus. Music is. The Ibiza influence is undeniable, with its beach front patio and pounding Balearic house sets. It's expensive (a bottle of water, 600ptas), but Tijuana keeps restless party-goers happy till 11am, at which point retirement to the sun-drenched beach is in order. Don't forget your Ray-Bans. La Terrrazza/Discothèque Behind Poble Espanyol, Avda Marquès de Comillas (93 423 12 85) Metro Espanya/bus 13, 50, 61E, 100. Open (La Terrrazza) June-Oct midnight-6am Fri, Sat; (Discothèque) Oct-June midnight-6am Fri, Sat. Admission (incl one drink) 1,300ptas. Surrounded by pines and next to a picturesque bridge, this summertime open-air space at the back of Poble Espanyol is one mammoth of a club. Big names in the house world play regularly (John Aquaviva, Sven Vdth, and Eric Morales in 1999), to an enormous crowd of exceedingly happy night owls. Between 3 and 4am is the best time to arrive, when you'll find a scene like something out of a Fellini film: podiums bearing wild-eyed beauties, gold-painted dancers wearing nothing but thongs, and a swathe of arms reaching up to the night sky. Its extreme popularity means that it gets crammed beyond belief, but once a reasonable dancing space is found it's difficult not to enjoy. Luz de Gas C/Muntaner 246 (93 209 77 11/93 209 73 85) Bus 6, 7, 15, 27, 32, 33, 34, 58, 64, N8. Open 11pm-4.30/5.30am daily. Admission (incl one drink) 2,000ptas. Credit AmEx, DC, MC, V. Red velvet with a touch of kitsch sets the tone for this live venue, which doubles as a disco after 2am. It's popular with an uptown, middle-of-the-road clientele. ZPartycular Avda Tibidabo 61 (93 211 62 61) No public transport. Open 6.30pm-2.30am Wed-Sun. Credit AmEx, MC, V. Pleasant all year, this enormous bar located in a mansion on the hill up to Tibidabo really comes into its own in summer. It has rambling gardens sprinkled with bars, from where you can look across to the lights of the funfair: there's plenty of space, beautiful people to look at, dance areas, tables for chatting and dark corners to be romantic in. If the weather's cold, the grandeur of the rooms still makes Partycular a good place for an after-dinner drink. All in all, it's a class act. However, we repeat, it's up the hill, so don't bother trying to get there by public transport; take a cab. Bikini C/Déu i Mata 105 (93 322 08 00) Metro Les Corts/ bus 15, 30, 43, 59, 66, N0. Open midnight-4.30am Tue-Thur; midnight-6am Fri, Sat; 7pm-4.30am Sun. Admission (incl 1 drink) free Tue, Wed, Sun; 1,000ptas Thur; 1,500ptas Fri, Sat. Credit AmEx, DC, V. If there were such a thing as a state disco, it would probably be like Bikini. Its institutional feel can be explained from its past: dating from the 1950s, the original Bikini called itself a 'multi-space' and had rooms for concerts and activities. A hub of late-1980s revels, it was closed when a huge mall, L'Illa, was built on the site. In 1996 the new, stately Bikini opened within the mall. It still offers three distinct spaces: a club, a Latin room and a cocktail lounge.