All articles by Rafael Dujarric (20)

Partying the whole night long just beginning the week might sounds quite irreverent, but it happens every Monday in Apolo.

It’s in the tiny and fragile border that separates mainstream clubs from the underground indie scenery, but still not that spoiled though.

Apolo is one of the last icons alive in downtown Barcelona where you can ride undaunted music sessions, now that authorities consider a gambling den or lousy joint every place where you can enjoy a sip of authentic bohemian mood.

Behold… the bar prices are not that indie though. Hence its better to go to one of those bars in the Gothic Quarter offering a happy hour until 22h, stuff yourself with mojitos and then start marching in single file to Apolo around 23:30.

Try to be there before 00:00, because afterwards the line would go around the block.

Whoever want to escape from the main room psychedelic Dance-Rock sessions have an alternative at La [2] de Apolo with New Electro & Fidget House with  Hip Hop flavor.

But Apolo is not only filthy on Mondays, now a new sprout has grown from his brother in arms, the crappy Tuesdays! … more indie and Electro Pop though.

As well as the Canibal sound system on Wednesdays, Powder room on Thursdays, The Nitsa club everyday Friday and Saturday… and if a burlesque experience is what you are looking for go to Taboo at 22:00 some Thursdays and Sundays (check schedule).

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Apolo | Bars, Music | Entrance & drink before 01.00 € 10.00
Nou de la Rambla 113 | El Raval
21:00 – 06:00 daily

As good and bad as being open after the closing time of most bars in the city.

Beer dropsicals, party ragers, sleepwalkers, zombies, city owls, suffering from insomnia, or just eager to sprawl into the urban warp of mundane noise and sinful raven-like shadows of the barcine epicure night paths… they all know that, despite the fact the gate is half closed after 3, the party goes on until 6 or 7 in the morning!

Besides its mild opening hours, this temple of dark hectic life, rough pirouettes, restless somersaults, upheaval contortions and scrambled trapeze peripeties is popular for their low prices on drinks: € 2,50 a beer or € 4.00 -5.00 for a long drink.

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Bar Kentucky | Bars | Beer € 2,50
Arc del Teatre 11 | El Raval
Wed – Sat 22:00 – 06:00

This place is located in an amazingly dirty and noisy street full of drunk daydreamers. But once you pass the gate you find yourself in a cosy and a little bit retro atmosphere either to eat at the restaurant, have a drink at the bar or hear good music and even dance at the lounge time.

I could not afford to have dinner there myself, but at lunch time they have a good menu at a price I would be able to pay once a month.

I personally recommend their home made desserts. Just like grandma’s!

Just when they close the kitchen, the dj session starts. It lasts until 03:00.

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Before | Bars, Music, Restaurants (lunch) | Beer € 3.50
Santa Monica 2 | El Raval | +34933013503
Mon – Wed 13:00 – 16:00, Thu – Sat 13:00 – 16:00 & 21:00 – 03:00

This is one of the few centrally located places open for live performances of emerging bands in Barcelona!

It was opened in 1992, the year of the Olympic games, big hotels and huge impersonal malls. Fortunately it was also understood that the bohemian mood was something that gave the city its popularity.

In order to play there, bands must pass the filter of the bar manager, a frenetic indie music fan who is quite aware of his roll as a gate keeper for bands that have to struggle their way into this fortified jungle of commercial mass. No wonder there was a comedian representing the country in an international music contest.

Either a jam session or a concert, there is live music every night, except for Tuesdays that now are hosting theater performances and plays!

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Big Bang Bar | Bars, Music | Concerts € 3.00
Botella street 7 | El Raval
Tue – Sun 23:00 – 03:00

If you happen to be around, take a minute to go to Carrer del Bisbe – one of those typical narrow streets of the Gothic quarter, starting at plaza nova in the cathedral avenue.

If you are lucky enough and the weather is good, you’ll find street artists at the two alleys that cross the backyard of the cathedral (Carrer de Sta Ilucia and Carrer de la Pietat).

The best time of the day to get teased by the enticing sounds of a bandoneon or a harp player, the melancholic mood of an opera or tango singer, or the infectious melodies of a flamenco guitar player is the end of the afternoon.

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Carrer del Bisbe | Music, Relaxing
Carrer del Bisbe | El Barrio Gotico
Daily

Oscar Wilde once said that “with the first drink of absinth you see things as they are not, with the second one you see things as you wish they were, and after the third cup you see things as they really are, and it was the worst view ever”.

So if you want to stick with the second drink of the so called aphrodisiac of the soul, with all the ritual of melting the sugar cube with the proper spoon then don’t be frightened … no harm will come to you.

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Casa Almirall | Bars | Absinth € 4.50
Carrer de Joaquín Costa 33 | El Raval | +34933189917
12:00 – 03:00 daily

What you see is what you get! Nor fancy outfit neither gourmet extravaganza, just warm and family atmosphere, hospitality, gentle touch, interesting chat, contagious mood, great Mediterranean food and better prices.

It’s located in the heart of the gothic quarter, at 3 minutes walk from the city hall and 10 minutes from the gothic cathedral.

Don’t miss their falafel and humus wrap.

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El Cocinero de Damasco | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants | falafel / wrap € 3.50
Templers 2, corner with Palau | El Barrio Gotico
Tue – Sat 11:00 – 23:00

Sleep 8 hours a day, cook healthy, do the laundry, clean your house, besides working 8 hours a day, and still have a life to live … bull shit!

Unless you can find a way to make the days longer than 24 hours, there is no way to have a healthy and organized life and yet have time to live it.

So forget about everything, just work to survive and seize every moment as if it was the last, and then rest and eat healthy during the weekends.

As the Dalai Lama would say: just come to a jam session on any Tuesday in the Harlem and sing as if no one was hearing you, or come any other day to a concert and dance as if no one was watching at you, and then love as if you haven’t been hurt.

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Harlem Jazz Club | Bars, Music | Free Fri & Sa € 7.50
Comtessa de Sobradiel 8 | El Barrio Gotico
Mon – Thu 22:30 – 03:00, Fri – Sat 23:30 – 03:00

Maybe you have spent your last holiday savings on that sombrero in the tourist shop in the Barceloneta with your friends questioning your judgement and now, with your new found treasure, you find yourself a little short on cash.

Or perhaps you are just a frugal spender looking to make the most of your stay. It could be you are visiting Barcelona from abroad and sink your head when you look at the exchange rate.

This is the restaurant for you. Even those of you who have bank accounts where the money flows like water, will enjoy this genuine, friendly tapas restaurant in Horta. The price is low, the quality high.

Get there before 21:00, even on a weeknight, as the lines have been known to go to the end of the block. Plates of fuet, a staple food in Spain and outrageously delicious meat, are only 75 cents. If you want a cup of wine, they just leave a bottle on the table, take what you want throughout the meal and sum it all up later. No having to waive down your waiter for another cup ever again!

If you have yet to try a “clara”, half beer and half lemon. Is it healthy? Of course not. It has more sugar in it then a candy bar, but what the fuck?!

Whoever invented it deserves the an award. And who knows, after all these cheap eats you may just have enough money left over to get one more sombrero.

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La Esquinica | Snacks, Restaurants (Tapas) | Meal € 15.00
Passeig Fabra i Puig 286 | Above diagonal | +34933582519
20:00 – 03:00 daily

Though it may sound a bit chauvinistic: you will have fun with the typical macho wrestler bartending and teasing the chacha maid that plays as waitress.

All in one in a centric spot at the very heart of the city and, most importantly, at an affordable price.

Don’t miss the frituras trajineras: a dish of fried plantains with apples coated in breadcrumbs with black sugar and cinnamon.

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La Trajinera | Bars, Restaurants (Mexican) | Frituras trajineras & flautin € 10.00
Gran via de les corts catalanes 459 | Eixample
Sun – Wed 13:00 – 00:00, Thu – Sat 13:00 – 03:00

If you are a nighthawk, just wear your pair of vintage Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers and be yourself enjoying music with personality and other fellows willing to enjoy the black gold of the night life in Barcelona, dark atmosphere, drinks at good prices and keen bartenders.

The place to meet people and have short distance chats.

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Manchester Bar | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.00
Carrer de Milans 3 | El Barrio Gotico | +34663071748
20:00 – 03:00 daily

Actually this is more a club than a cafe.

A pleasure dome filled with cheerful black music that combines elements of house, disco, funk, soul, hip-hop and rare grooves.

It has the perfect atmosphere to reach the state of being completely carried away by unreasoned passion and unrealistic expectations of blissful rapture without positive relationship growth or development between an obsessor and an object of desire with a playful behavior intended to arouse the courtship dance.

As if there were not enough doomsday parties during the week, now Marula has just come up with their “My black is beautiful”, with soulful music and FREE entrance every Sunday!

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Marula Cafe | Bars, Music | Entrance (after 02:00) € 10.00
Escudellers 49 | El Barrio Gotico
Sun – Wed 23:00 – 05:00, Fri – Sat 23:00 – 06:00

There are things that don’t depend on the eyes of the beholder. Red is red no matter who might claim it’s otherwise.

Even though music might be a little relative to one’s taste, at some point pride and prejudice should allow us to admit when good music is good, even if its techno, house or electro.

The best part is the minimal mood with which the dj starts heating engines when the hall is half empty around 1am… better if not Friday or Saturday.

Most Wednesdays they have an international dj.

In order to get in for free just go to bar Manolo on the corner to get the flyers and have a cheap beer, but be aware that the flyers are only valid until 01:30.

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Moog | Music | Entrance on Wed € 10.00
Arc del teatre 3 | El Raval
00:00 – 05:00 daily

Nakupenda is an exotic salads, sandwiches, soups, cocktails and smoothies day and night/ summer and winter bar.

The name means ‘I love you’ in Swahili, but if when courtship dancing or just flirting you share a huge cup of mango madness, banana kiss or vanilla sky smoothie with two straws words might become unnecessary. It could end up in the most wonderful and chaotic way of starting a relationship. But you take the risk of losing every breath of life at the gate of climax.

It may seem as something planned, and you may look like a brazen-faced, but there’s nothing you can do about it.

You can sit on the terrace when there is good weather or find that cosy corner inside.

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Nakupenda | Bars | Smoothies € 3.00
Av. Marques de Argentera 7 | El Borne | +34932680435
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 03:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 03:00

Mediterranean multicultural cuisine in a wide space to eat healthy and tasteful in a relaxing atmosphere.

Due the quantity they serve you, I wouldn’t consider it a gourmet meal. And if you go for the self service salad open bar you’ve got to bring your tupperware.

The vegan paella Boqueria is a must! And to reach the climax, get an holistic massage after dessert.

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Organic restaurant | Restaurants (Mediterranean) | Dinner € 15.00
Junta Comerç Street 11 | El Raval
12:00 – 17:00 & 20:00 – 00:00 daily

Before 1985 there were the ugly railways, as if the city was stabbed to death and was losing its bowels, but then an enlightened and visionary soul started turning it into a relaxing space.

This piece of Gaudian art was finished in 1991 by Beverly Pepper, who achieved the harmonic coexistence of nature and manly intervention to create a magic atmosphere that exerts a strange influence over people that go there for a picnic.  After eating, sooner or later, picnics turn into a kissing event in this park.

It is also said though, that there is a dark mob that operates in this park stealing dogs in order to sell them to some labs that need living victims for their sinister tests and evil experiments with chemical products.

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Parc de l’Estació del Nord | Relaxing | Free
Napols 42 | Eixample
07:00 – 23:00 daily

Feeling down and need something to raise your soul above the social mall? Or just need a break from fashion cocktails, top 40 lousy music, fancy high heels and naughty party ragers?

Whether in spring, summer, autumn or even in some good weathered winter days, at the end of Portal del Angel when going down towards the Gothic Cathedral there is a magic corner with the proper acoustic atmosphere for street musicians to perform outdoors on any season without the need of expensive sound amplifying gear.

Be ready for getting enraptured by the groove of an authentic blues singer or the captivating tunes of a world music quartet.  Well, perhaps at this time you would find musicians with heavier clothing but still… it’s a magic spot.

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Portal del angel Street | Music, Relaxing
Corner Carrer dels arcs & Carrer cucurrulla | El Barrio Gotico
From morning to late night

If you happen to be lost in the alleys and tiny streets of the gothic quarter, as if you were looking for your way out of yarn woven across the warp in weaving, and after spining around the whole afternoon you realized you were destined to enjoy sooner or later that sense of comforting warmth of a pilgrim shelter.

Yes, once in the back of the Palau de la Generalitat, the smell of incense, the wide range of teas, the really tasty pita sardos in any of their varieties and the charming music evoke the atmosphere of an old tea shop in any Mediterranean harbor and make you forget about that palace of politicians and their struggle to secure their welfare in order to perpetuate themselves representing simple pedestrians like us throughout eternity to try to return the favor for their wealth by making our pitiful fate a little less wretched.

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Salterio | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Turkish coffee € 2,50
Sant Domenec del call 6 | El Barrio Gotico
Sun – Thu 17:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 17:00 – 03:00

A playful atmosphere filled by Salsa, merengue, son, relish and good vibes, and friendly people.

It would be impossible to leave Shango without a new friend. Even when there is a language barrier, everyone understands the musical language.

For those with two left foots and a clumsy understanding between them and the waist, there are salsa lessons on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 23:00 to 00:00.

And if you’re in need of help to defeat shyness, they have a happy hour everyday just before: from 21:00 to 23:00!

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Shango Bar | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.50
Carrer d’En Groch 2 | El Barrio Gotico
Sun – Thu 21:00 – 02:30, Fri – Sat 21:00 – 03:00

Founded in 1969, Can Paixano still keeps the atmosphere of a traditional sailor’s tavern.

Its a place to enjoy a wide range of sandwiches and tapas as an excuse to drink the tasty rose cava (sparkling wine). They don’t serve you alcohol unless you eat something.

Anyway, you can always go to the store in the back and buy some bottles to take home. Just to take home, since they don’t sell you the cava at the proper temperature to start drinking it right away. They don’t want to be held accountable of any disturbance you might cause to the neighbors by getting drunk near the tavern with a bottle of their lovely rose cava.

Nevertheless, I wouldn’t miss the chance to meet others unconditional staunch cava lovers, and perhaps have a sip of some of that love.

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Xampanyeria Can paixano | Bars | Sandwich & Cava (3 cups) € 5.00
Carrer de la Reina Cristina 7 | Barceloneta
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 22:30, Sun 09:00 – 13:00