Reset Experience - New Club in Barcelona!

The clubs in Barcelona are always reinventing themselves. I often get asked which are the best clubs in Barcelona, and although I've been off the circuit for a while, I almost always answer that it's not the place but the people you're with. Some of the best nights I've had out in Barcelona have been the least "planned" and just a place we've ended up. In the same way, New Year's Eve is almost always the biggest let down of a night out (I learned this many years ago, and adjusted my plans each year!).




There are, however, some pretty special places which I hold dear when it comes to clubs in Barcelona. La Terrrazza is one of them (about 11/12 years ago, of course), The old Matinee afters down on the Port Olympic, Octupussy had its charm, and Discotheque always used to blow my friends away when they came to visit. It's had a few dodgy makeovers since then, and this Friday, there's a new inauguration of the new space -. now called reset experience.

The location is something a bit special, set in Poble Espanyol - a purpose built Spanish Village on the side of Montjuïc representing different architecture of the cities around Spain. During the day, it has artsy-crafty things going on, gincanas for the kids, puppet festivals, well, you get the idea. But at night, it's a special place to go, wandering the quiet stone streets past the plaça principal, to the corner into the local of what used to be discotheque.

So, by the looks of things from the youtube trailer above, and the website itself, things are very hush hush, and it'll be up to the revelers to test the waters and give the opinions. There are a few cool teaser photos on the Facebook page to get you in the mood, and there's a free bus from Plaça Catalunya from  midnight onwards, if you fancy it. Anyone going? Let me know in the comments!!

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Summer Nights with El Chiringuito!!

One of the best things about living in Barcelona is the al fresco lifestyle. There's nothing quite like having an early evening drink outside on a terrace somewhere with the heat of the day still around but the cool breeze of the evening starting to cool things down. Barcelona locals really don't know how lucky they are in that respect and I warmly welcomed the recent news from City Hall that there would be more licences for more terraces this summer.

However, sometimes you have to go with the best. Yes, it's great in a city terrace but what better place than the beach?! The Mediterranean in the background, some cool tunes coming from the DJ and drinks aplenty for the punters. There can be only one place - El Chirninguito. There are two chiringuitos  - just think "beach bar" - down in the Olympic Village at Playa Bogatell and also Nova Mar Bella. Not only are these places the coolest beach bars in the city (think hammacks, terrace, fruit juices, cocktails, etc.) but you can get a damn fine bite there, too. And not to mention Yoga, fitness schemes and just a pretty damn cool place to arrange a meet up with your friends.

Anyone who goes to any bar in the city will know the popularity of Gin & tonics this year, and the Chiringuito bars are no exception, with a great selection of Gins on offer as well as the usual brews and beers. A great way to relax in the summer heat, get yourselves down there!

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Fancy Partying this Weekend?

Well, it's looking like the rain is coming this weekend, guys, like it or not. It's held out so far all week, but looks like there's no stopping it this weekend - I hope I'm wrong of course! So with the "official end" of the great weather and the official end of the great parties we're left to ponder the Autumn and wait for "La Castanyera". Well guys, it's not all doom and gloom! This weekend sees the return of one of the best club nights in Barcelona (it's moved around a bit and changed names once) - Discotheque.



The locals and holiday party-goers have been wowed by the Discotheque crowd since 1997, and it was one of the best clubs in the city when it was located in Poble Espanyol up on Montjuic. Sister club La Terrazzza entertains the crowds in summer (when the neighbours don't complain), but Discotheque moved downtown and is currently housed in Calle Tarragona, 141 - the old Space venue. Confused yet? Don't be. Just know that if you're looking for a great night out, get your glad rags on and head down to Discotheque. There's a great VIP section, but for the rest of us mid-crisis, we can just do with the normal bar at the top of your picture, thanks!

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New Club in Town - Sunlife BCN

Is it just me, or have you also noticed a fair few pink posters out and about for the "new era" of clubbing which is "comming" to Barcelona tomorrow night? (no, that's not my typo, check the poster). Yes, Sunlife BCN is coming to town at The One Club. Don't bother clicking either link, as both websites are in the early stages of development and have zero information at the moment (OK, sorry, contact details, VIP, etc.).

Well judging by the location up in Poble Español on Montjüic, it's far enough away to be able to be loud enough to be a good club (just read that again if it sounded gobbldygook), and judging by past clubbing ventures there (ok, not tres torres, the other ones) it should be a great night. I'm pretty sure I know which "local" they're using, as I had a Christmas Party there about ten years ago as a teacher (we then went to Discotheque).

So it's all very hush-hush, and I also say, unlike Matinee group, I have never heard of Bsideworld the organisers (but that doesn't mean to say they don't know what they're doing by any stretch of the imagination). Entrance is free until 1:30am and there are VIP numbers you can call. However, I'd be interested to know the hype or security on this place - we attended the opening night of a club down on Parallel years ago (sorry, can't remember the name) and really had to battle with the door guys to get in - my wife worked for the company who supplied the beer, so we all got in only to be the only people in there almost the whole night...???!! (why bother, right?!)

Sooooooooooo.....anyone heard the buzz about this place, or thinking of heading on down ? Let me know!! Or if this turns up in your internet browser and it's been and gone, then let me know how things went!! And of course if the organisers get a whiff of this, you can always save me a VIP table for myself and a few friends...?! ;o)

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Barcelona Nightlife - Outdoor Clubbing Part 2.

After the arrival of the great weather, and Sonar has come and gone, everyone is still in the party mood, leading up to Sant Joan this week and the Midsummer Madness that accompanies the hedonistic Barcelona nightlife.

Earlier this month, I touched on an idea of wanting to dance under the stars in some of the open air clubs in Barcelona and headed the list with Atlantida, due to open shortly after the post. So I thought I'd hit you with another (and there may be more to come, so tune in or subscribe on RSS for more!). And where better to start than La Terrrazza.


No, that's not a typo, Mr Fish and the crowd up on the club up on Montjüic in Poble Espanyol have been partying (almost) non-stop for 14 years. This is the place Madonna hired out for her party after the Drowned World tour in 2001, and is another big ole house converted into a club. Due to complaints from neighbours up on Montjüic (I don't know where, as it's in the middle of nowhere, in a purpose built Spanish Village on the endge of a mountain...?!!?) La Terrrazza has has a few summers of nothing, and it's sister club Discoteque (now Club D) was forced to take the reins while things calmed down a bit.

Well, the good news is that La Terrrazza is still as good as the first couple of years it was rocking, and offers a completely unique night out in the hills of Barcelona. The official blurb of the club is an...ahem..."atmospherical fun club" but don't let that put you off making your way up (in a taxi) to Poble Espanyol with your glad rags on for a night of dancing until the sunrise. Bring your sunglasses - no seriously.

If you're coming to Barcelona with friends, you might want to consider apartments for groups in Barcelona as an alternative to hotel rooms. Also, see this great Barcelona Guide

From Flamenco and Bongos to Posh Brothel - La Paloma

The streets of the upper Raval have housed a large nightspot for almost 100 years, located on Carrer Tigre, number 27. "La Paloma" was a big old theatre lined with Red velvet and had been entertaining the locals since as far back as 1904 with it's own orchestra (Gardenia Blanca) and was a traditional music hall similar to the nearby El Molino.


The introduction of a DJ and Bongo Lounge was born, and when I first got here (1999) the first night at La Paloma was one of the weirdest and most interesting nights out I've ever had here. The place used to open early (for Spanish clubs) and have Flamenco and Ballroom dancing with the old locals dressed to the nines - you would be forgiven for thinking you'd stepped back in time. Some of these older dancers would stay all night - so it was not uncommon to bump into a grandad in the toilet at some point in the night. As the night progressed, the music got a little harder, if that's the right word? i.e. you would have pop, Spanish music, then all kinds of dance music and house music, etc. Everyone dancing below the big chandelier in the middle of the room.

However, due to its proximity to locals' apartments, the complaints about noise and audio pollution were too much for the administration, who were forced to temporarily close by the local council. The owners and management were so confident of having the licence renewed and the ban lifted, that La Paloma continued to appear in all of the guide books published annually, such as Time Out. Rumours flew around the neighbourhood like...well a "paloma"? as to what would become of the space, whilst the local's balconies continued to display their banners in protest. A new Gym? Another club?

The reality is perhaps a little quieter, but surely nothing the locals will have really wanted. The new La Paloma is basically a posh brothel masking as a 2 star hostal. It's advertised as "luxury rooms for couples who want to treat themselves to limitless indulgence...rooms have International Adult Movie channels...discretion always present". There are 2 prices for rooms, 42 Euros and 52 Euros, with no time restrictions and even valet parking. It's a place to take a partner for some fun, so perhaps me using brothel is a little harsh, but I'd like to place a small bet that those prostitutes hanging around Ronda Sant Antonio know the walls a lot better than anyone else. I wonder what the neighbours think about it now?

Comments welcome as ever, guys. Did you go to La Paloma before the change? Can you remember it?! Let me know.

Looking for a good alternative to hostals such as La Paloma? Check out apartments for rent in Barcelona instead. And check out this great Barcelona Guide for a heads up on the main sights the city has to offer.

Thanks to THEFunkyman on flickr for Image of Paloma.

Barcelona Nightclubs - what you need to know.

I'm not going to detail a list of the best clubs in Barcelona in this post, just a few tips and pieces of information that you might need to know or that will be helpful when you go out to sample the nightlife in Barcelona.

First of all, you should know that while in English, it's normal to say "clubs" and "clubbing", in Spanish you say "discoteca". If you hop in a cab and ask the driver to take you to a "club" they'll take you to a strip joint (where the majority have those...ahem...extra services on offer, too). So, although it might remind you of when you were at high school or college, "disco" is the word.


Discos in Barcelona don't open until late, and it's often 1am before the doors open. However, most places don't start to fill up until around 2 or 3am, which is when most of the bars and pubs start to empty too.

It's also important to remember that spirits are not measured in Spain, so if you come from somewhere where optics or measuring cups are the common practice, beware, as drinks are fairly strong over here. If you usually have 3 vodka red bulls a night, you might only need 1. Clubs usually close at around 5 or 6am, and if you're still up for the party, then the "afters" will be outside with flyers, announcing the next place to continue the party.

Another big mistake people make is screwing up your entrance ticket and putting it in your back pocket for example.

Almost all entrance fees to a disco will include a drink in the price of the ticket - "una consumicion". You often either get in for free, or pay a fee (above it was 15 Euros for a recent trip to Razzmataz) with a drink included. So don't make the mistake of throwing away your ticket!


A great way to enjoy the nightlife is to rent Apartments for groups Barcelona and come along with all of your friends. For more information about Barcelona in general, and how to save money in the current crisis, check out this Budget Barcelona city guide.