I’ve always said that this city was a great place for chameleons, but even a better place for night owls.

Myself, being a mixed breed of the two, I love life in Barcelona, especially the life after the sun goes down.

Here’s a quick reference guide of where to go from dusk til dawn, including food along the way to keep you fueled in three very different nightlife scenarios.

Pick your scene or try all three.  I’ve tested them all out an on any given night, you could find me at one of these establishments.

International Jetsetter (or Wannabe Poser)

Opium Mar

Ok, ok, so I keep it real.  As in any city around the world, wherever you find the jetsetter crowd, you’re sure to find in almost equal proportions, the wannabe crowd, it’s just reality.  If you can stand to be surrounded by the latter, then you wont be disappointed by any of these super glam joints.

Start of in the late afternoon having drinks poolside on a reserved bed / sofa at Wet Bar at the W Hotel, and enjoy the scene there until sunset.  At sunset, head downstairs for dinner at Pez Vela, not technically on the W Hotel property but below the hotel facing the sea.

After dinner, head over to CDLC where you’ll find an asian and middle eastern influenced, lounge setting, great for a few drinks before topping off the night.

Around 1:30 am, you’ll want to head to your reserved table at Opium Mar.  This place can be quite packed, so a table is a necessity in order to ensure a bit of breathing room and ease of drinks.

Bohemian / Hipster

Bar Foc

As this crowd is part tourist / part expat local, they typically flock to the more touristy parts of town, but find the more trendy unique spots within these parts.

This is a group who are perpetually out at cafes, bars, etc…sipping a coffee or glass of wine at any hour of the day and just taking in the moment, so it’s easy to start off your evening early with this scene.

Savor your last hours of daylight with a pitcher of one of the cava sangrias at Bar FOC Barceloneta, my personal favorite, the raspberry, and sit out on the terrace to enjoy the people watching.  After some chill drinks, head over to La Paradeta in The Born for some of the freshest seafood in town.  Perhaps, stop off at a bodega near the restaurant to grab a “roady” beer, as they don’t take reservations, and often the line outside can be up to an hour wait.  Once inside, order lots of everything in this market style restaurant, including plenty of wine.  It’s all dirt cheap and delicious!

Continue your party nearby along Paseo del Born, where basically you can’t miss with any of these tiny bars, characterized by the crows spilling over onto the pedestrian street.  Try a drink at few different places of your choice.

The last stop on this itinerary is Razzmatazz, a short cab ride away, on the other side of Ciutadella Parc.  Depending on the night, Razzmatazz hosts anything from live music, small concerts or dj’s in one of it’s 5 different venues within this larger, all, encompassing nightlife complex.

Local Preppy / Trendy

Slow BCN

Head for the hills in Barcelona if you’re looking for this crowd, unless it’s a special occasion, you won’t find them very far beyond the line that Diagonal draws from Pau Claris (Via Laetana closer to the sea), up to a few blocks beyond Francesc Macia plaza, but the mecca for this crowd at night is around Calle Paris.

No need to start out early if you’re looking for this scene, as everyone’s still at home, most having dinner in their homes in this neighborhood.

A hot spot for dinner and drinks for this scene is Cerveseria Catalana right off of Rambla Catalunya.  Start there around 10:00 pm and enjoy the crowd and food by dining on mixed tapas at the bar.

Once filled up, head over to Bar Velodromo, which is more typical French bistro style setting, but is great place to start off for cocktails, that has the typical “place to see and be seen” with this local crowd.  Another not to miss spot along the way is Slow Barcelona, the city’s only true mixology style cocktail lounge, where you can try a variety of their house cocktails as well as ask for any classic that you can imagine.  You’ll find slow a bit more intimate, so may want to stay there for a while.

The final destination on your itinerary is Sutton Club, so make it there by 1:30 and have your table reserved.  The setting is nothing to write home about, but it’s a more intimate club that has a great DJ and very selective doorman, so the ambience is all about the people.

Take my advice and make a rock star night out of one of these three scenarios.  If you’re a chameleon like myself, you’ll want to check out each one, so when visiting Barcelona, you’d better have your drinking shoes on.