I love Barcelona. A lot. To the extent that I have considered it as an alternative to London, my current city.
I love Barcelona because you can walk it, tube it or pick up a Vespa from the side of the road and park it somewhere else - the service is called Yego, download the app here (iOS - Android) - use code LAAJIOXR5T to get €5 in credit!
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I won’t bore you with what to do in Barcelona but I am a musician and from my point of view here’s a list of places you should go to if you like live music or you wanna jam with local musicians. For anything else use the Get Your Guide link above, they have the best tours and the best prices out there!
WHERE TO STAY
Before we do that, let’s have a look at where to stay.
SUPER CENTRAL
The last time I went I stayed VERY central, in a place called Amfores Boutique Guest House, lovely place, really really cool spaces, newly refurbished, a stone throw away from the Palau de la Música Catalana. Check availability here (Expedia) - here (Agoda)
Another very central hotel is Hostal Bcn 46. I stayed here in 2022, and it’s so central I basically walked everywhere from there. Back then there were no Vespas but only those electric scooters that I have never trusted and never used!
Look how central it is, literally blocks away from Passeig de Grácia and Casa Batló. Check availability here (Expedia) or here (Agoda).
Plenty of coffee shops and restaurants nearby, specifically, super close to the Barcelona branch of the world famous Antica Pizzeria da Michele straight out of Naples. Must’ve had 5 pizzas in the long weekend I was there, awesome!
LUXURY
In 2023 I stayed at this one called SB Glow 4 Sup, really amazing hotel, super new, very beautiful and quite expensive but I joined some friends from London that were staying at this hotel as it’s near their Barcelona Office.
Check the availability here (Expedia) or here (Agoda)
The hotel is really close to the Gloriés underground station which means Plaça Catalonia is just a few stops away.
From here you can totally walk to the Olympic Park and the beach, there are a few abandoned building and does feel like it used to be an industrial area of Barcelona, so a lot going on, some clubs, some very cool cafés and a slight suburban feel. Always felt super safe anyway.
A 3 star but super nice and with a killer position is May Ramblas Hotel. Tucken in the Barrio Gotico, 50 metres from La Rambla, super close to the Lyceu stop, Plaça Boqueria, near Placa del Pi and a block away from Plaça Reial. I mean, you can’t be more central than this, specially if you like hanging around el Barrio Gotico as much as I do.
Check availability here (Expedia) or here (Agoda)
Enough hotels, believe me, any of these you’ll be fine, use my travel shop to find more
Live Music Bars (also with Jam Sessions)
Let’s start with: Harlem Jazz Bar, Carrer de la Comtessa de Sobradiel - small venue, quite intimate with a tiny stage but lots of great music.
Every Thursday you’ll find Mr Shingles there, hosting the blues jam after an initial set with his House Band. There’s a piano on stage so yours truly has spent many a Thursday jamming up there.
Big Bang - is another “music first” place, they have live music every night with Open Mics Sun-Mon-Wed-Thu, local bands on Tuesdays, Jazz Jam Friday and Saturday. A must if you’re visiting Barcelona!
El Paraigua - beautiful venue, you can catch gigs here but they also have a variety of events going on. Every Friday for example they do Flamenco!
Jamboree - another MUST GO venue, so pretty, it’s downstairs in a basement but their arches only add to the experience. They do a Jazz Jam on Mondays but it’s open the whole week, it’s also a night club if you fancy a late one.
Craft - this one has been a late discovery of mine but I got sucked in like a lesser Ulysses in a sea of singing mermaids. This place has an upstairs area which is a really nice bar but again, the basement is where the magic happens. There’s another bar but also, tucked in on the right wall, at the entrance of what must’ve been a cella in the past, is a little stage. Here the jamming is raw, you’ll get songwriters presenting their new lyrical inventions, as well as others performing some classics, in the end, every night is a lot a fun, and yes, it’s ON every night.
Marula café has a place in my heart, forever. Yes there’s a FUNK/SOUL jam on Thursdays which sometimes clashes with the aforementioned Harlem Jam, but this one is later, it’s hot and sweaty, it’s funky as hell. In this place I’ve seen incredible bands, I have played, I have danced, I have passed out I’m pretty sure… So yeah, Marula hits the spot (for me at least).
It’s very easy to miss as during the day it looks like a garage door, the address is Carrer dels Escudellers, 49, Ciutat Vella.
Diobar - for an Italian the name is enough to pay a visit, there’s music here every night too, sometimes they do live Forró, if that’s your thing, check it out!
Places to drink:
Jai-ca Bar - Barceloneta - historical bar, have some tapas and vermut here! it’s always packed though so good luck! :)
ØlGod - Carrer de l’Hospital 74 - Dutch inspired brewery - all beers brewed on site!
Can Paixano, Carrer de la Reina Cristina, 7 - all about CAVA!
El FilFerro - also great for eating!
Mercat de la Boqueria - obviously, always packed with tourists but I always enjoy going round, getting some food, a few drinks a la Boqueria, why not!
Special Mention to:
Pipa Club - this hidden gem is tucked away in the palaces overlooking Plaça Reial. Apparently you can book your spot, I got taken there by a bunch of local musicians and artists after a late late jam at Craft and people were literally trying to sneak into the opened door.
Where to eat:
ok, when it comes to eating I am VERY demanding, with this small selection I think you’ll be fine, also they’re spread across the Barrio as well as Barceloneta so hopefully you can enjoy one or more of them!
Can Maño - Barceloneta, family run restaurant near Jai-Ca Bar mentioned above
Aguelo Taberna - this one has been around for 70 years, it’s in the Barrio Gotico, not far from the big road near the beach
La Principal - near Universitat
El FilFerro - Barceloneta
Fernando Hostal - good tapas, super central
ALI OCAKBASI - this one is Turkish but AMAZING nonetheless
Ok, well, I'm sure i’ll go back to Barça soon so I might update this article when I do, or maybe create a new one. In any case, if you’re going soon, know i’m jealous but I also want to know if you have used this info so let me know if you’ve used any of it. Also negative feedback is welcome, always!
Salud!
I was there in the 90s and loved it. I hope to get back someday. I really want to see the Segrada Familia in its current state