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New Chaps
As the name suggests, this bar is strictly for chaps - mostly mature, macho and suitably hirsute. It attracts a regular jean- and leather-clad posse, and has theme nights and a shadowy downstairs with very dark room, labyrinth and sling.
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New York
Until the mid-1990s, this street was lined with dingy bars of ill-repute. New York was one of them but has been reborn as a popular old-town club space. Friday night is best, with anything from reggae to rock steady.
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Otto Zutz
Beautiful people only need apply for entry into this three-floor dance den. Shake it all up to house downstairs or head upstairs for funk and soul. DJs come from the Ibiza rave mould and the top floor is for VIPs.
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Palau de Dalmases - Espai Barroc
Perhaps the most pretentious bar in town, this 'baroque space' occupies the ground floor of a handsome 15th-century palace. Like a Peter Greenaway set, it is often the stage for a little light baroque music or operetta - the perfect accompaniment to your outlandishly priced goblets of wine.
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Raïm
If you like your taverns unchanged since God knows when, with huge old wine barrels and a motley crew of punters from local guzzlers through to grunge Erasmus folk, this place could be for you. Judging by the wall-to-wall photos of Cuba, the owners have quite an affection for the island.
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Razzmatazz
Five clubs are crammed into one huge warehouse space to make this one of the most popular dance destinations in town. You can enjoy anything from rock and indie to garage, techno and '60s nostalgia. Headline acts also perform here regularly.
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Renoir Floridablanca
This cinema, handy for the nearby El Raval area, is one of the city's better locations for movies, mainstream and off the wall, in the original language.
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Sala Apolo
This former music hall is the scene of a fiery and eclectic dance and concert scene. Gigs range from world music to touring rock bands that you'll never again see in a venue so cosy. After the encores, the hall is cleared for the Nitsaclub dance bash (a DJ team doing house, electro, neo-trance and more) on Fridays and Saturdays, Powderroom DJs on Thursdays and a mix of others on other nights.
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Sala Tarantos
Locals and tourists get hot and steamy with flamenco, Latin and salsa sessions here. They put on a middling flamenco tablao (show), usually between and . Later on it converts into a club with Latin sounds. You can wander over to Jamboree (with which it is connected) next door.
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Salvation
Salvation is the place for a big, happy, gay blow-out. Two vast dance floors hammer house and mainstream dance chart numbers for wiggling and watching. The gleaming torsos of the staff are part of the attraction, but there's strictly no touching.
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Schilling
No it's not new, nor is it hidden away anywhere, and increasingly it is filled with out-of-towners rather than locals. But this gay-friendly favourite remains a great place to sip on a glass of wine or two before heading out into a more adventurous night. Grab a tiny round marble table if you can and ignore the somewhat frosty service.
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Soul Club
This backstreet treasure (still known to many as Dot Light Club) has a cosy bar at the front for a chat or a snuggle (on the single sofa), and an equally diminutive, congenial dance floor out the back.
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Sugar Club
Get down to this dapper restaurant-club with DJ sounds (ranging from contemporary pop-rock to a little light house) and a snappily dressed crowd. The food is fusion funky and skipped without remorse, but the music served up can be top class, with such local DJs at the turntables as David Mas.
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Sutton Club
An uptown honey pot, this place doesn't get happening until surrounding bars start closing their doors. It's a den of coke-snorting beautiful people, and the central dance area (complete with go-go girls and boys), surrounded arena-style by seating and several strategically placed bars, will draw you in.
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Sweet Café
This illuminated red tunnel of a bar is an eclectic drinking choice. Gay-friendly but by no means exclusive, it attracts a broad spectrum of punters, some in search of the occasional live band or events such as the Bollywood theme nights and art expos.
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Tablao de Carmen
Named after the great Barcelonin bailaora (flamenco dancer) Carmen Amaya, this place features a lively flamenco show with a full complement of guitarists, singers and dancers. It's touristy, but not as bad as you might expect.
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Teatre Lluire
With two spaces (Espai Lliure and Sala Fabià Puigserver), the Free Theatre puts on a variety of quality drama, pretty much exclusively in Catalan. They also put on occasional local international acts, including modern dance and music. A restaurant and bar on the premises makes a night out here easy.
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Teatre Nacional de Catalunya
This hi-tech, classical-looking temple to Catalan theatre was designed by Ricard Bofill. It offers a broad range of theatre (mostly in Catalan), contemporary dance and a mixed bag of international performances.
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Terrrazza
Some of the biggest international names play at this summertime must, which can be relied on for some of the meatiest dance tunes on vinyl (including house, techno-trance and pop-rock) and a clientele comprising extremely high-quality eye candy. Move to 'the terrace' for rejuvenation when you run out of steam. In winter the club moves indoors and becomes Discothèque.
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Tinta Roja
You never quite know what might you might see in this tunnel-like space. Through a succession of spaces all suffused with reddish light, you penetrate to an area where anything could happen, from theatre to tango or acrobatics. The hushed atmosphere is always pleasant for a tipple.
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Verdi
This cinematic institution is highly regarded for championing creations left of centre and was the first to specialise in original-language movies. The location, surrounded by bars and restaurants, is an added incentive. They also run Verdi Park, making a total of nine screens between the two, in the next street over (Carrer de Torrijos 49).
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Zac Club
A top location for jazz, soul and blues fans, this uptown basement has undergone several name changes but remains true to its origins as one of the oldest live-music venues in town.
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Zentraus
Get down into this cheerfully bump-and-grind, semisubterranean dance club. Drum 'n' bass earlier in the week rises to a deep house crescendo on Saturdays, and drops back into a mellow mix on Sundays. They put on food, too. Only problem is they close just when you're getting into the swing.
