Everybody loves Barcelona! It’s the darling metropolis of Europe and Spain’s most visited metropolis, idyllically sandwiched between mountains and seashores within the stunning northern area of Catalonia.Barcelona has its personal distinctive tradition, iconic landmarks like Sagrada Familia and galvanizing Gothic structure, beautiful parks, charismatic seashores with vigorous promenades and seaside bars, nice meals and – naturally – a wild nightlife. As probably the most gay-friendly cities on this planet, that nightlife features a wealth of homosexual bars to lose oneself in after a tough day’s exploring and sunbathing.
Barcelona can also be a metropolis neatly divided into two components. Within the nineteenth century, the partitions limiting the town’s development had been torn down, and a “new city” was in-built a slightly environment friendly grid formation. It’s on this new city that you just’ll discover L’Eixample, which, within the modern-day, is affectionately nicknamed Gayxample as a result of… properly, it’s very homosexual. Right here you’ll discover the overwhelming majority of Barcelona’s homosexual bars, in addition to all these comforting outlets promoting harnesses and Aussiebum underwear, that are the mark of any homosexual neighborhood the world over.
Nonetheless, Gayxample doesn’t have the monopoly on gayness in Barcelona. Again down within the twisting roads of the previous city, you may discover the bohemian and hipster space of Raval, which homes a few of Barcelona’s queerer and extra different homosexual bars. Let’s check out one of the best homosexual bars north and south of the divide.
L’Eixample
Punto BCN
Most likely the preferred homosexual bar in Barcelona – and positively one of many oldest – Punto BCN encapsulates Barcelona’s vigorous homosexual scene to a T. Right here you’ll discover a wholesome combination of ages co-existing in a spacious, modern-looking bar. There may be loads of seating, a raised indoor balcony space, and vary of drinks splendid to kickstart any evening in town. Café Bar Punto opens day by day, however will get particularly busy round 11 pm on the weekends. Being a part of the Area group, they’re the place to begin for these wishing to maneuver on to one of many three Area golf equipment in the identical chain – largely as a result of you will get low cost entry flyers on the bar.
La Chapelle
Should you’re searching for one thing with an edge in L’Eixample, you possibly can’t do higher than this oddity of a bar. It’s unquestionably probably the most distinctive cocktail bars within the metropolis, because you don’t often discover a homosexual bar bedecked with crucifixes and Catholic imagery. As juxtaposed with the homosexual world as this may occasionally appear, it simply provides to the ambiance, and certainly there’s all the time a pleasing ambiance in La Chapelle with pleasant enticing bar employees and a fair friendlier crowd drawn in by the novelty inside and fairly priced drinks.
Axel Lodge Barcelona: Sky Bar
The primary LGBTQ+ lodge in Barcelona additionally hides one of many coolest bars within the metropolis on its rooftop. You don’t must be a visitor to enter in the course of the summer season, and it’s the good place to sip away at cocktail whereas watching the solar set over the town. It is usually an awesome place to satisfy scorching guys from all world wide, each friends within the lodge and people trying to combine with them. The Sky Bar is a bit on the expensive facet, however then – if we’re being actual – you’re paying for the view and the corporate, each of that are properly value it.
Bacon Bear Bar
Bears have gotta eat, and Bacon Bear Bar is the basic hangout in Barcelona for the hirsute and their admirers – though there’s no precise meals, simply quite a lot of meat. The vibe is no-nonsense, with maybe probably the most welcoming bar employees and clientele on the town. The drinks are low-cost, together with totally different promotions like 2-for-1s on Thursdays and the second beer free on Fridays. Bears and fetish go hand in paw, so it’s also not unusual to see pups and leather-based wearers frequenting the bar on the weekends earlier than heading onto the fetish golf equipment close by.
Priscilla Café and Bar
The award for the good – and gayest – decor, nonetheless, goes to Priscilla Café and Bar. Firstly, it’s pink, and the partitions are stuffed with ornate mirrors and portraits of homosexual icons. The seating areas on the entrance are within the fashion of an previous hairdresser’s with spin chairs and pretend hair dryers. Evidently, it’s flamboyant and filled with character. The crowds are typically slightly combined, with gays of all sizes, shapes, kinds, and ages. It is usually each a bar and café serving meals from noon onwards. Most significantly, although, it’s the place to go to see one of the best drag reveals in Barcelona – in the course of the winter months there’s additionally drag lunch bingo. Priscilla Bar’s philosophy is ‘have time with out worrying about prejudices,’ and the way can one not get behind that sentiment? In addition they personal the close by Gingin bar and Consider Membership, working below a lot the identical beliefs and sass.
Evening Barcelona
Conversely, if you happen to’re searching for motion of one other kind, then Evening Barcelona may very well be extra your fashion. On its floor, it’s a vigorous men-only bar with loud home music and common advantages similar to a contented hour on Thursdays. Nonetheless, the erotic artwork on its partitions offers some clue to the bar’s important draw: a darkroom replete with cabins, cruising space, and glory holes. Briefly, Evening Barcelona is a well-liked hangout for many who wish to combine a bar ambiance with some raunchy enjoyable.
Raval
Madame Jasmine’s
Barcelona’s worst-kept, queer secret, Madame Jasmine’s is what Raval is all about: it’s edgy and eccentric in all the suitable methods. For such a small venue, it blows the thoughts the sheer variety of retro ornaments and antiques crammed onto its partitions. Zebra print partitions, free nail varnish on the bar, and an unapologetically queer crowd full the ambiance, with pleasant bar employees and native legends like Monica de Raval frequenting the place. Discovered instantly in entrance of the panda statue midway down Ramblas de Raval (an underrated space itself filled with quirky cocktail bars), Madame Jasmine’s will get very busy in the course of the weekends as it’s a agency favourite amongst locals.
Bar Olimpic
This lengthy hall of a bar is a extra trendy tackle the Raval bar, however nonetheless filled with hipster gays and people rocking the Raval look. The tiled inside has a couple of comfortable armchairs inside, however you’ll should kill to get one because it will get extraordinarily full. Greater than possible, you’ll end up standing both inside or in entrance of the bar’s doorless entrance. This, nonetheless, is all a part of its bohemian attraction, greater than made up for by their nice cocktails and funky, but welcoming, vibe of Bar Olimpic.
La Casa de la Pradera
La Case de la Pradera is certainly the bar with the good identify in Barcelona, translating as “little home on the prairie,” just like the western – and barely camp – TV present from the ’70s. The charismatic bar has a big terrace, which is usually the assembly spot for an eclectic combine of other and queer folks – homosexual males and homosexual ladies combine right here in a approach you’d by no means discover up in L’Eixample. There’s a small bar at its entrance, and the again is house to a dance flooring with DJs taking part in indie and electro in the course of the weekends – and enjoyable themed nights. La Casa is tucked away on a backstreet not removed from the Ramblas of Raval however is value in search of out for these wanting to combine with native individuals who have that Barcelona different vibe to them.
El Cangrejo
There are literally two El Cangrejos in Barcelona, however it’s the one within the “Chinese language neighborhood” alongside Raval that has the strongest persona and is steeped in historical past. For a begin, the legendary drag queen Carmen de Mairena grew to become infamous for performing right here regularly, as produce other Spanish legends. These days, a homosexual clientele mixes with a straight one, all out to benefit from the frequent drag queen reveals and different performances going down on this cozy venue. When the present is completed, the seats are moved apart on the weekends to disclose a dance flooring, the place pop DJs play until the early morning. Entrance is free, making it an awesome different for these wanting to bop however not wishing to decide to a heavy evening out at a membership with an entrance payment.
La Federica
Artwork and alcohol! La Federica is the right marriage of the 2. The partitions are stuffed with footage and pictures created by native artists, they usually even host common artwork exhibitions in the course of the week. This makes it a preferred selection for these uninterested in the extra sometimes homosexual bars of L’Eixample and for many who like slightly tradition round them as they drink. La Federica is technically not in Raval however within the adjoining space of Poble Sec. On the weekends, it is without doubt one of the busiest bars within the space, filled with scorching hipsters and simply down the street from Apolo, a preferred membership choice for LGBTQ+ individuals in Barcelona.
Bonus Spherical: Down by the Sea
Chiringuito BeGay
Additional but to the south – proper on the seaside, in actual fact – there’s one other in style homosexual bar value a point out. “Chiringuito” is the Spanish phrase for “bar on the seaside,” and certainly Barcelona’s promenade is stuffed with them. Chiringuito Be Homosexual (given the lovable nickname “Chiringay” by these within the know) is discovered on Marbella, the homosexual seaside, and it’s the “homosexual place” to be on a sunny day. There are both tables or loungers to calm down at/on and luxuriate in their cocktails and finger meals, whereas concurrently perfecting a tan and eyeing Barcelona’s trademark muscled our bodies parading across the seaside. What extra may you ask for?