Els Sortidors del Parlament - New Bodega in Town

To be honest, anyone brave enough to open a new business in today's Spain is either a few gambas short of a paella or has found a niche. Today's post is about the latter. Some friends of mine have opened a new Bodega in the Sant Antoni neighbourhood, called Els Sortidors del Parlament.

These guys have years of experience in the import/export of beers and the general hospitality industry, and have created and sold on some quality establishments in the past - some pretty cool bars in El Borne and the Gothic Quarter, so trust me when I tell you they know what they're doing.

The place itself is decked out very very cool, with plenty of rustic furniture and artwork by one of the owners, Kim, as well as a fantastic selection of continental beers, wines, and other drinks.

The wines are at a particularly good price, with a de-corking price as you usually get in these kind of places, meaning you can enjoy some bloody lovely wines at a very good price (like half what you'd be paying for the same plonk in a restaurant). They also have wine in barrels for tasting or just by the glass, beers on tap and in bottles, and they are developing a Gin and Tonic menu to rival some of the best bars in the city - I'll confirm when I've tried them all ;o)

If that's not enough, they've got some delicious finger food to accompany your drink of choice, typical Catalan specialties and conserves and preserves of the highest quality from all over Europe.

At the time of writing, the guys don't have a website yet for me to link to, but they can be found on Carrer Parlament, 53 (almost touching Ronda Sant Pau). Their opening hours are Tuesday from 17h-23h, Wed to Sat 11h - 23h and then Sundays from 11h - 16h. Sundays closed. Go and check them out !!

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Guest Post - My Favourite 3 English Pubs in Barcelona

English and Irish pubs are popular all over the world with traditional ales and stout on sale, and it is no different in Barcelona. With a large ex-pat population, the city has a host of 'traditional' English pubs that are popular with locals and tourists alike. Below are three of the best in the city:

The George and the Dragon - When it opened in 1998, The George and the Dragon was one of the first English pubs in the city. Bringing together the best of England and Catalonia (of which Sir George is also patron saint), the pub sells traditional English cuisine such as fish and chips, as well as lager and ales. It is also a sports bar with two large TVs showing the latest football games and results. Extremely popular with locals due to its location in the heart of the city, this is a great pub for expats.

The Queen Vic - Situated just off Las Ramblas, The Queen Vic is a traditional English pub that has everything you'd expect – popular lagers such as Heineken, Strongbow and Stella and large TVs for the footie! The Queen Vic describes itself as the only pub in the city to have access to every single Premiership game and thus is extremely popular with visiting Brits and the ex-pat population. The bar also caters for stag and hen parties and, should you need it, has free Wi-Fi.

The Black Horse English Pub - Found in the Ribera district of Barcelona, The Black Horse English Pub is distinctive due to its exterior – a traditional 16th century building. As such, the pub exudes a form of authenticity that many British pubs do, making many visiting tourists feel immediately at home. As it is quite close to the Picasso Museum, you can often find the pub packed with tourists enjoying a pint after viewing the local culture.

Guest blog by Paul Symonds - Paul is involved with Barcelona Travel and Car rentals in Spain.

Rooftop Cocktails in Barcelona Hotels

There's something very cool about wandering into a 4 or 5 star hotel, and heading striaght for the lift without the staff or consierge batting an eyelid. Oh, and if they do, you just slip them a "I'm just going up to the bar" and receive a nod. Well, it's the height of summer, we're heading for some great parties already this wekeend. But if you're not in the mood for an all night dance fest and fancy some cool cocktails, then there are some great places you can try out.

One of the most central locations is the Gran Hotel in the gothic quarter, right in front of the Plaça Sant Jaume (metro Jaume I). Stunning views of the Cathedral and the sprawling streets of the maze that is the gothic quarter below provide a perfect backdrop for your drinks.



Visit Up is the name of the rooftop bar at the Pulitzer, just off Plaça Catalunya. This bridges the gap between the old and new, just on the border of the old town and the "new town" of Eixample. August has a limited access, and September jumps straight back in where it left off (open every night bar Mondays - pun intended!). Both locations so far are a nice summer walk away from each other, and if the thirst gets the better of you in between, then you could always stop off at the next place.



Hotel 1898 on Las Ramblas has Bar Isabela where you can book tables for some snazzy grub, or nip up for a quick cocktail, too.




And although not strictly a rooftop bar, the wet bar at the W Hotel in Barceloneta is well worth a mention. There is also a 26th floor bar (indoors) if you fancy the view, but Wet Bar has the best of both worlds with style, DJs and the Med right next to you!



For more outdoor drinking tips, check out my other posts from last year. And if you're coming to the city this summer, and fancy your own terrace, why not check out these Barcelona apartments for rent, with a selection of central apartments, some with terraces and balconies.

Great Bars with Terraces - Part 3

Never one to let the arrival of September influence my decision on sitting out on a terrace for a drink, I will keep going with a few more recommendations for great terraces in the city for having a coffee of a drink as and when I can remember!



Today's post is a great little place to combine with the cable car which leaves Barceloneta. If you've been down by the beach area, then head on down to the cable car tower close to the beach. Take the cable car ride over the sea and cruise ships to Miramar which is the opposite side, and perched on the edge of Montjüic. apart from a great cable car ride over there, you can walk up the steps and have a sit down at the adjoining cafe/bar which offers some of the best views of the port and the nearby old town.



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Open Air Drinking in Barcelona - Part 3

OK, I'll be honest. I made a list of a couple of cool places I thought not everyone would have thought about going this summer when it comes to Open air drinking - apart from one big obvious one. This list was made in early June, and I've had this next place pencilled in to go and check out and take a few photos to add to the blog, etc. and it's half way though August and I still haven't been!! So I thought I'd better just get the bloody thing down, so you lot can all go and check it and and let me know if it's as good as it looks!!



So what am I talking about?! Well, despite featuring in the local and national press over here, I'd still say that la caseta del migdia is a pretty well-kept secret. It's a groovy looking little house up on Montjüic with a fair bit of woodland around it, and it's like an outdoor pub overlooking the working port and the Mediterranean. Sounds cool? Well, it' certainly looks it!

Open on Thursday and Friday nights from 8pm till 2am, Saturday from 11am till 2am and Sunday from 11am till 1am. There is food on offer from chef Marc Ros, and different DJ's spinning the decks on an evening - check out the website for full details and programme. You have until late September to check it out - if you get there before I do, let me know how it goes!!!

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Great Barcelona Bars Part 5 - The Black Sheep

One of the best bars in Barcelona to meet people is L'Ovella Negra - the Black Sheep. This bar is located just off the top end of Las Ramblas near Boadas Bar on Carrer Sitges, which is a little alleyway, typical of Barcelona's Old Town.


The reason why it's such a great place to meet people is because of the size. Most of the bars in the old town are small and narrow, but - depsite the appearance from the door outside (you almost have to stoop to get in) - The Black Sheep is big. The website calls it a Tavern, and I suppose you could say that's right, with the old stone walls and huge trestle tables and benches. The waiters will only serve you at a table (or a barrel) and serve big jugs of beer or Sangria. You can also get spirits at other drinks at the bar but mostly the big jugs go down well. It's inevitable that you sit down next to a group of people, or newcomers will ask if they can squeeze on your table, so exchanging stories and meeting both locals and international travellers is really easy! There's a table football area towards the front and a pool table in front of the bar, too. Many of my best nights out when I first arrived here started at the Black Sheep. Check it out.

For your accommodation needs in the city, try apartments for rent in Barcelona as a great alternative to hotels. And for more city information, check out this great Barcelona Guide.

Great Bars with Terraces - Part 3

OK, the sun is shining, you're in the centre of Barcelona's old town and fancy a nice drink outside but not on the crowded streets of Las Ramblas - or maybe something else as well, like some food. Step in Rita Rouge.


Tucked away behind the famous Boqueria Market, just next to a car park doesn't sound like a great location for your early afternoon cervesa, right? Wrong! Rita Rouge is a great place to sit out with the locals, and nibble on some nachos or even treat yourself to a Menu del dia.

It's privileged location means it enjoys a whole load of sunshine almost all day, as it's facing the sea and has no buildings in front of it (just the car park) so nothing blocking out the sunlight. It's also extremely central, and close to two of my other favourite places for an outdoor drink in the city, Mendizabal and Bar Lobo. (If I keep going at this rate, I'll be inventing my own Barcelona Pub Crawl !) Rita also has a ...ahem...sister not far away (her words) in Rita Blue, which is a great place for an evening drink too.

A quick mention of the nearby Boqueria market, too - you can pick up many of the Top 10 Barcelona food and drink items in here, such as the great Iberian hams. Prefer to eat in? Renting your own Barcelona apartment also offers you the chance to cook in the kitchen or prepare some tapas-style snacks, too.

Great Bars with Terraces - Part 2

With the un predictable weather Barcelona is having recently, it's important to have a few options for when the sunshine does finally break out, especially if you're only here for a short break and it's been raining for most of the time! So sparked on from my post a couple of weeks ago, here's another great bar with a terrace.

Just just off Las Ramblas on the corner of Pintor Fortuny and Xuclà(and not very far from my previous reccomendation of El Jardi) is Bar Lobo.



Bar Lobo is part of the Hotel 1898 on Las Ramblas, and also combines "El Japones" restaurant which runs the length of the corner from Las Ramblas to the corner of Xuclà. The cool thing about El Lobo is that it can be any place you want it to be - morning coffee spot, lunchtime place for sun and a book, afternoon tea/beer break, and cocktail spot on an evening (and while you're downstairs, why not check out the excellent La Isabela rooftop bar, inside the hotel too!). Despite being leterally 10 seconds walk from the busy Ramblas, the terrace of El Lobo is usually fairly easy to get a table, or you don't have to wait as long. And there's no goldfish bowls of flat coke here, like on Las Ramblas terraces!

Like what you're reading? Have any other places you'd like to share? Please feel free to leave a comment and anywhere else you may have stumbled upon on your travels through the city.

For your accomodation needs in the city, try self catering apartments for rent in Barcelona - many of which have terraces too.

Great Barcelona Bars with Terraces

This is a bit of a twist on the last few posts I've written about Great Barcelona Bars, and has been heavily influenced the sunshine finally making an appearance this Easter week! It was great to see the terraces fill up today, and as I strolled through Barcelona's Old Town with my family, we took a short cut through the Catalonian Library on Carrer Hospital, which has a great indoor patio, with a very unknown bar with a terrace called "El Jardi" (the Garden).


El Jardi is a great little place tucked away from the crowds, but still very close to the main sights, such as Las Ramblas. El Jardi offers some Tapas style snacks, and a nice, sunny terrace to enjoy a cold beer or a coffee.
The actual "patio" of the Catalonian Library (an old Hospital to the sick, giving it's name to Carrer Hosptial) is a beautiful extensive open space with a great little fountain, surrounded by mandarin trees, which crosses the patio. At least I think they're mandarins!

On the opposite corner to El Jardi, another little terrace has popped up, which I haven't noticed before. This gives you another option for a quiet drink away from the crowds (and high prices) on the nearby Ramblas terraces. Both are a great place to start the night or for an early afternoon drink. I recommend you visit one (or both) next time you're passing by.

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The Coolest Bar in Barcelona - literally

It's not often you can step out of a hot summer day in Barcelona into a bar for a nice cool cervesa and have to put a fur coat on. In fact, you'd never ever do that - even if the air-con was on full. That is unless you happen to be in the Olympic Village and down at the Barcelona ice bar.



Maybe some of you have come across those great shot glasses that are made out of ice, or even visited an Absolut bar somewhere in the world (Liverpool is my fave!) but this bar goes to the extremes! The bar boasts being the first ice bar on the beach and at a temperature of -8ºC inside, gives you fur coats and gloves before you enter! Once inside, you can order drinks or cocktails and the basic furniture is made from ice, as well as there being some ice sculptures from different artists. Following on from the hugely successful Ice Hotel in Sweden, IceBCN offers that unique experience in Barcelona and is a fantastic night out with friends (obviously just for one or two - if you want -8ºC you could very well have the hen weekend in Lapland right girls?!).



Like what you're reading? Want to hear more? Please feel free to leave a comment on this post or any of my others - I'm always glad to hear from you!

Also, if you're thinking of visiting the city, I can highly recommend Barcelona Apartments as a great alternative to hostal bunks or the usual hotel room. And for more information about the area around the ice bar see this Olympic Village guide to Barcelona.

Great Barcelona Bars Part.... No, Let's Make that Smallest Barcelona Bars

I've been wanting to post about these two bars for a long time, but one of the bars has been closed for ages, and I haven't had a chance to get a photo - the image used here is courtesy of virtual tourist.


Anyway, they are great Barcelona bars but also probably the smallest bars, too. Both located in the old town of Barcelona, the first one is Kiosko La Cazalla and dates as far back as 1912. It's located just off Las Ramblas on Carrer Arc del Teatre (fans of The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon will know the street as the location of the secret library Daniel visits.

The bar itself has seen various owners, and has also featured in the weekend magazine "Que Fem?" from La Vanguardia newspaper. I think it's a cool place and hope it re-opens soon.

The second small bar is located on Carrer Hospital, which I've also posted about in the past, too. It's got a great terrace across the road for people watching and it's next to the old Hospital which is now the Catalonian Library and a beautiful old backdrop for your cafe con leche.



If you're coming to Barcelona soon, then I recommend you check them out. Keep your fingers crossed the Kiosko La Cazalla re-opens again soon! Also, for your accommodation why not consider apartments for families in Barcelona - you can save a considerable amount when compared to hotel rooms, and have the added bonus of having a kitchen, etc. too.

Great Barcelona Bars Part 4 - London Bar

Time for another post on Barcelona Bars. It's been a while, so thought I'd update with a decent addition, which used to be one of my haunts, on a great pub crawl that I might end up putting on here one of these days.

London Bar is a Barcelona institution. It's been around for yonks, and has the fantastic floor plaque to prove it - looking particulary shabby, which I think is well fitting for the outside of a pub!


London Bar is a great place for Live music, and I've been in there many times without knowing a group would come on, and have seen some really coll acts - a couple of jazz groups, punk rockers, and some funky blues groups all squeezed on the "stage" at the back. To be honest, weused to go as it was one of the only decent places we found that didn't charge an entrance fee once all the other pubs had kicked out. Oh, and they've got becks on tap.



They've recently started showing Live Football on a big screen (something new as it used to be a locals place) which I suppose might be to draw the crowds from the newer English/Australian/Irish bars (just along from London Bar on the same street you have The Queen Vic and then on Ramblas itself there are Hogans, Sports bar, etc.) but I'd bet it would be a great place to settle down for the late kick-off and start the night there. It wouldn't surprise me if you ended up staying all night!

A great way to stay in Barcelona's old town is to rent a Barcelona apartment and feel like a local with your own placeYou can then explore the best Barcelona nightlife for yourself!

Comments welcome here guys, have you even been to London Bar? Anywhere else you'd like to see featured? Or have you been anywhere but can't remember the name/location?

Best Barcelona Bars - part 3

La Confiteria. Located on Calle Sant Pau, this is a bar unto its own, and is (as the name suggests) an old sweet shop. The windows on either side of the main entrance are rented out (very cheaply) to local artists and sculpters, who fare their trade with paper mache giraffes, mini theatres, and other such beauties as an enticement to get you into the bar. There are some really cool things on offer, with a great price tag.
The facade of the bar is amongst some great neighbours - the old barbers shop 2 doors down bought recently by English hair stylist Anthony Llobet, retains all the charm of a 50's barber shop and the bar "Ultramarinos" in between is another great example of old Catalan bars with the mirrored black shop front, and narrow wooden bar - this used to be an old style grocery store, with tins of conserve and canned fish behind the counter with your typical elderly and over helpful gentleman helping to fill your brown paper bag for you.


La Confiteria is also like a step back in time, with it's aging bottles of potions and grog on display behind the bar with the rock and roll owners happy to serve a cafe con leche or an aguardiente, depending on the time of day you visit. There have been 7 or 8 movie scenes and TV commercials shot in both Llobet's barber shop and La Confiteria over recent years (Gas natural was the latest) as Barcelona's taxes for films is lower than most and as their facility for film-makers increases, so does the already hip atmosphere running through Barcelona. Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" shot in Barcelona last summer, recently opened here.

La Confiteria is on the end of Calle Sant Pau with Ronda sant Pau, metro Paral·lel.

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Best Barcelona Bars - part 2

This post desrves just 1 bar, and it's one of my favourite bars in Barcelona which never fails to impress. The Forest of the fairies or "El Bosc de ls fades" in Catalan. This is perhaps the weirdest bar you will ever walk into. It's not very well known, really, and is right next to the wax museum of Barcelona, tucked away at the bottom of Las Ramblas. If you see the photo, you would not be blamed for missing this at all.

The bar itself used to be a lot smaller but has been recently extended (by recently I mean at least 2 years), but the original bar was such an experience. Inside they have Hansel and Gretel style TREES complete with funny noses and gawking expressions. There used to be a little waterfall with a fairy, but that kicked the bucket. There is also some very weird artwork dedicated entirely to Satan (not sure why) just through the Portcullis towards the back where the toilets are (yeas, you read right!!). The toilets too are also very odd, with the neon strip lights above (I've been told that this is so that junkies can't see their veins and therefore not shoot up in public toilets, which may be true, but in this case I think it's just cos it's odd and fots in with the bar!!).

As mentioned, it's also part of the wax museum, so there are trick mirrors and funny dancing maids with flying tea trays. I know you will find this very hard to beleieve, so just mosey on down, you won't be disappointed!!

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Some of my favourite bars in Barcelona.

OK, to be honest, I don't visit the bars as often as I used to - partly as I'm not out on the prowl any more (I'm happily married) but mainly as I have 2 kids (small) and the thought of a 6:30am wake up call and then all day with a hangover is not the most appealing one! HOWEVER, I'm still in touch with the nightlife to an extent, and wanted to share some of my favourite bars in case anyone's interested!

This will be an ongoing project! I'll try to include a mix of places, and they're part of a pub crawl that I used to do with friends which we finely tuned!

La Oveja Negra (Calle Sitges, just off Calle Tallers at the top of Las Ramblas). The black Sheep is a great place to meet people. They have long wooden tables and benches and the wiaters serve you jugs of beer or sangria (or whatever spirit you want), and you have to have a seat (or a barrel as a table) to have a drink, so you inevitably end up sitting next to some travellers or expats or even locals, and sharing stories.

Bar Marsella. This is on Calle sant Pau, neart to the rambla del raval, and the streets around are also the favourite haunt of the local prostitutes, but don't let that put you off. This is THE original Absinthe bar. Jean Genet wrote a book about his days here (rent boys, sailors having their worth of cheap gorg and drugs, and many a rascal) and frequented the bar. They have age-old bottles of absinthe on the bar ad give you the real deal with the spoon, sugar, etc. EVERYONE I've reccomended this bar to has been, and only half have managed to walk out (my best mate Rich, crawled out, and some recent Aussies spent the whole of the next day in bed!).

I plan on adding more to this list as it comes into my head and will also add photos as I see fit, but take it from me, you'll find some great places here!!

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