Sssssh…maybe I shouldn’t mention it, but the Pipa Club is one of Barcelona’s best-kept secrets - a haven of calm amid the madness that can be Plaza Reial, just off Las Ramblas.

While tourists, preyed on by prowling gangs of bag-snatchers, queue interminably for a table at one of the over-priced restaurants dotted around the square, you can take yourself off for a drink in the quirky surroundings of the HQ for Barcelona’s pipe smokers’ club, discreetly tucked away in the corner.

After you’ve found the buzzer, and walked up three flights of stairs, you’ll enter a converted apartment to find the English-style ‘Sherlock Holmes’ pub, decked with portraits, film stills and posters of the great eccentric detective, and you’ll find a small cabaret-style stage and dance space, a dining-room and a pool-table room.

As you wander the linking corridors you’ll see a quirky collection of pipes in various stages of manufacture, including a pipe that once belonged to Dalí, and a collection of old tins, pots and packets of tobacco, and you’ll find a league table of local pipe smokers. Yes, pipe smokers meet here, in the members only lounge area, to charge their pipes and puff away, hoping to be the one whose bowl lasts longest and score the points that will put them at the top of the table.

But it’s not just pipe smokers who meet here - the club hosts a range of meetings and activities. There’s a regular program of jazz gigs and tango and milonga classes. The movie actor Javier Bardem has been known to call in to chill out, as do a good few quite well-known writers.

It’s a cool, friendly, comfortable atmosphere to meet up with friends for a drink, a smoke and a chat.

Details about this spot
Pipa Club | Bars, Music | Beer € 3.00
Plaza Reial 3 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34933024732
Mon - Sat 18:00 - 03:00, Sun 20:00 - 01:00

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For those who love tea, there’s not another place like this one in Barcelona. Located in the Gotico, just behind the cathedral in the hearth of the Jewish neighbourhood, it’s the ideal place for a little break while visiting.

It’s also a good place to go when you have to study or the concentrate on something as it’s even more peaceful than a library! A good place too while raining outside: a good conversation and a good tea, there is nothing better to cheer you up.

The decoration is a mix between bohemian and oriental with a lot of coffee tables and comfortable chairs. The cups and the teapots are also very stylish. The light is subdued and the teas, prepared in a simple way are very high-quality. The music is relaxing and so are the colours.

Can be hard to find the first time you go but it’s worthy to try!

Details about this spot
Caj Chai | Coffee & tea | Tea € 3.00
Calle Sant Domenes del Call, 12 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34933019592
15:00 - 22:00 daily

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This friendly little bar, about the size of a lock-up or small garage.

It’s a cute place, almost like a shrine to the Costa Brava, its walls decorated with early 1970s photos and maps, and shelves packed with canned seafood, sauces and wines.

The specialties here are draft vermut and anchovies from L’Escala, and they serve a good range of cold tapas - sea-snails, prawns, ham etc. Football fans should know that the owner is a ‘periquito’ - little parrot - a supporter of Espanyol, so it may not be the brightest thing to do to go there wearing a Barça shirt!

The bar’s bigger brother - a restaurant where you can sit down and enjoy a larger meal - also called Cala del Vermut - is just 100 meters along the street. I really like this spot, a really good place for a stop-off when en route to or from El Borne.

Details about this spot
Cala del Vermut | Bars, Snacks | Vermut € 2.00
C/Magdalenes 6 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34933179623
Mon - Sat 11:00 - 16:00 & 18:00 - 23:00

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One of those typical narrow streets of the Gothic quarter, starting at plaza nova in the cathedral avenue.

If you happen to be around, take a minute to go to Carrer del Bisbe.

If you are lucky enough and there is good weather, you find street artists at the two alleys that cross at the back of the cathedral (Carrer de Sta Ilucia and Carrer de la Pietat).

The best time of the day to get teased by the enticing sounds of a bandoneon or a harp player, the melancholic mood of an opera or tango singer, or the infectious melodies of a flamenco guitar player is the end of the afternoon.

Details about this spot
Carrer del Bisbe | Music, Relaxing
Carrer del Bisbe | El Barrio Gotico (area map)
Daily

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This is a typical example of a shop where you find yourself buying things you actually don’t need at all.

But when something so colorful, so exotic, and so cute crosses your way, you cannot overcome the temptation.

Inflatable plastic pandas and elephants from Japan, mini tools for all occasions from Korea, kitchen accessories from the former GDR, Chinese thermos flasks, and posters of different sexy hair styling ideas from India will brighten up you or your friends homes once you are back.

One can find more than 300 weird and surprising products from more than 20 countries on display, chosen and collected by the owners themselves and their friends.

Don’t bring home flamenco dolls and bulls anymore. Get some weird souvemirs at “Fantastik”!

Details about this spot
Fantastik | Shopping
Carrer de la Mercè, 31 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34932954877
Mon - Sat 11:00 - 21:00

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I’ve been visiting this place since 1987 and I still can’t decide whether I love it or hate it.

It’s featured in my novel After Goya. Why would I hate it? Well, the museum has adopted a very traditional way of displaying the collections - all glass cases, broken pots and coins and very little interpretation - it reminds me of compulsory school museum visits.

And why do I love it? It has a fascinating, very extensive, collection of everyday bits and pieces and paper ephemera from the late 19th century.

Frederic Marès was a sculptor and an eccentric, avid collector of things - crucifixes, walking-sticks, opera-glasses, fans, dolls, toy theatres, pipes, cigar-bands, cigarette papers, printers’ handbills, business cards, tram tickets, it goes on and on and on.

As you wander through the galleries you’ll build a fairly strong picture of the leisure preoccupations of the moneyed classes of early 20th century Barcelona.

Through the museum’s omission of any mention of working-class existence you’ll begin to understand the simmering resentments which fuelled the class struggle that climaxed with the Spanish Civil War.

Another good reason to visit this curious museum is the courtyard and summer café - a lovely spot to chill out with an iced-coffee. Go there on Wednesday after 14:00, it’s free admission, though one of the galleries will be closed.

Details about this spot
Frederic Marès museum | Art & culture | Admission € 3.00
Plaça Sant Iu 5-6 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34932563500
Tue - Sat 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 15:00

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Gràcia Arts Project is a small, lively art gallery situated right at the heart of the city.

The gallery is run by a growing association of over 60 artists, designers, photographers, makers, writers, film-makers and performers.

Though it’s called Gràcia Arts Project, because that’s where its roots lay, the gallery is in Barrio Gótico, immediately adjacent to the Generalitat (Catlunyan government HQ). The association has a good multi-national mix, and includes members originally from the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Italy, Netherlands as well as Catalunya and Spain.

The exhibitions change every two weeks. The gallery also hosts music, poetry, film, spoken word and multi-media events every now and then.

It’s a good spot to visit to get a good, up close feel for the range, quality and sensibility of art being produced in the city right now.

I enjoy going along to the exhibition openings and closings - informal cava fueled affairs which spill out into the street - to meet and chat with some very talented, sparky artists.

There’s an air of creative possibility, and the association has exciting plans for a much larger arts center, including performance spaces and studios, to be based in Gracia. The association is very open to ideas and is looking to form creative partnerships with other artist-run projects across Europe.

Check out their website, take a tour of the virtual gallery, and maybe sign up to receive regular e-mail bulletins and invites to openings, closings and surprise events.

Details about this spot
Gràcia Arts Project | Art & culture
C/Honorat 11 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34671300638
Mon - Sat 10:00 - 20:00

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Sleep 8 hours a day, cook healthy, do the laundry, clean your house, and besides that work 8 hours a day, and still have a life to live … bull shit!

Unless you can find a way to make the days longer than 24 hours, there is no way to have a healthy and organized life and yet have time live it.

So forget about everything, just work to survive and seize every moment as if it was the last, and then rest and eat healthy during the weekends.

Hence as the Dalai Lama would say, just come to a jam session on any Tuesday in the Harlem and sing as if no one was hearing you, or come any other day to a concert and dance as if no one was watching at you, and then love as if you haven’t been hurt.

Details about this spot
Harlem Jazz Club | Bars, Music | Free Fri & Sa € 7.50
Comtessa de Sobradiel 8 | El Barrio Gotico (area map)
Mon - Thu 22:30 - 03:00, Fri - Sat 23:30 - 03:00

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Located in one of the most beautiful, romantic and hidden place of Barcelona, La luna de Jupiter is like a peaceful oasis in the crowded center of Barcelona. You can enjoy a nice tea or a glass of wine while listening to the birds chirping on the trees.

The decoration is very home style. A few tables with different tablecloths, a few chairs all different: armchairs, sofas so comfortable you almost could fall asleep. It looks kind of chaotic and first sight but the feeling of being home overwhelmed you totally after a few minutes.

They also make salads, sandwiches, and homemade cakes and maybe after eating you still can go to the Marina Maas (see this article) shop situated just in front of the bar.

Details about this spot
La luna de Jupiter | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Meal € 15.00
Placa Traginers, 8 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34933196432
21:00 - 00:00 daily

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Located in the South barrio Gothic, in one of the most typical street (calle de la Mercé) of Barcelona, you will find this very small place often surrounded by groups of people standing up in the street with a glass of wine in their hands.

There are two specialties in this bar but fair enough: fried sardines and tomato salad with onions and olives. To be eaten of course with a good glass of wine,

Inside the bar, the walls are decorated with blue azulejos (typical from south of Spain and Portugal) giving you a real feeling of being in Spain. Everybody shouting especially the waiters, everybody laughing and no matter how crowded the bar is, there’s still a crate left where you can sit on or someone to have a conversation with.

And after 5 bottles of wine, if you are good at negotiating, they might offer you a plate of fried fish for free?

One of my really favorite spot in Barcelona.

Details about this spot
La Plata | Snacks, Bars, Restaurants (Tapas) | Wine & tapa € 3.00
Calle Mercé, 28 | El Barrio Gotico (area map)
Mon - Sat 13:00 - 15:45 & 20:00 - 23:30

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Ok, this is not the most glamorous place to go or the cleanest one and you don’t want your mother to see you in this place but it’s cheap, hippy, bohemian and friendly.

Full of students, street musicians and dogs heading to have a good time, you can speak with almost anybody.

You can bring your own food and NO they won’t charge you for that and they won’t kick you out either. You might just have to share it with someone.

No rules in this bar just being nice, tolerant and open-minded.

Details about this spot
Los mariachis | Bars | beer € 2.00
Codols 14 | El Barrio Gotico (area map)
Daily

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If you are a nighthawk, just wear your pair of vintage Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers and be yourself enjoying music with personality, other fellows willing to enjoy the black gold of the night life in Barcelona, dark atmosphere, drinks at good prices and keen bartenders.

The place to meet people and have short distance chats.

Details about this spot
Manchester Bar | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.00
Carrer de Milans 3 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34663071748
20:00 - 03:00 daily

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Marina Maas is a very talented artist who has opened her own shop next to a lovely place in El Gotico.

Located in a street that looks like a fairy tale, you will find this lovely shop very similar to an Ali Baba cavern.

This incredible artist makes real masterpieces from almost any object. From a pan, a spoon, a fork or a breadboard, she creates wonderful pieces of art: paintings, collages, chairs, hat stands, tablecloths… Her very expressive paintings are mainly about women with big eyes and mouths. The whole shop is colorful, cheerful and happy. It gives you many ideas for decorating your house.

But this young lady does not have a regular schedule; you never know when she’s going to open her shop. Used to be around 9 -10 pm but anyway if the shop is closed, you still can go for a drink at the bar located just in front of the shop and who knows, if you are lucky enough she will open in the meanwhile…

Details about this spot
Marina Maas shop | Shopping | Art piece from € 15.00
Calle Jupi, 4 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34933106803
No regular opening times schedule: best to call

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If you have a shoe fetish like I have, I would recommend you a visit at the Museu del Calçat (shoe museum) on Placa San Felip Neri in the heart of the Gothic Quarter nearby the Cathedral.

Showing the historical development of shoe manufacturing, the museum also displays shoes of famous people like Columbus.

The shoe museum is placed in a beautiful renaissance building which used to be the Shoemaker’s guild in the Middle ages.

It is located on Placa de San Felip Neri, one of the most peaceful, shady and neat squares in the old city center which once was a medieval cemetery.

The Neri hotel has a stylish cafe outside on the square which invites you to have a refreshment and chill for a while in the shade.

If you wonder why an ancient square smells like strawberries and vanilla, you can just have a look at the gorgeous soap factory “Sabater Hermanos” on the square. The family business sells soaps in 40 different fragrances. A bar of chocolate soap costs about € 3.00.

The historic Felip Neri Church right opposite the soap factory reveals scars from the Spanish Civil War on its Baroque walls caused by bomb explosions and executions.

There is so many interesting things to discover on that tiny square but in the end it is a place to relax right in the middle of one of the most buzzing neighborhoods of Barcelona.

Details about this spot
Museu del Calçat | Art & culture | Entrance € 2.50
Placa San Felip Neri | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34933014533
Tue - Sun 11:00 - 14:00

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Located in El Gotico, this is probably one of the most beautiful places of Barcelona or at least the most peaceful and romantic one.

With a couple of bars and terraces, the Marina Maas shop (see this article) and the rest of a roman wall, you are probably in one of the best places of the town to spend a charming afternoon far away from the crowd.

It’s delightful to come here in the summer around 19:00 when it’s not that hot anymore and enjoy a cold beer sitting in one of the terrace of the place.

It’s amazing to think now that a few years ago, this place was very dangerous because of the drug addicts staying at the foot of the roman tower. This was a long time ago and a proof that Barcelona is always changing…

Details about this spot
Placa dels Traginers | Bars, Relaxing | Entrance € 5.00
Placa dels Traginers | El Barrio Gotico (area map)
24 hours daily

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Feeling down and need something to raise your soul above the social mall? Or just need a break from fashion cocktails, top 40 lousy music, fancy high heels and naughty party ragers?

Whether in spring, summer, autumn or winter, at the end of Portal del Angel when going down towards the Gothic Cathedral there is a magic corner with the proper acoustic atmosphere for street musicians to perform outdoors on any season without the need of expensive sound amplifying gear.

Be ready for getting enraptured by the groove of an authentic blues singer or the captivating tunes of a world music quartet.

Details about this spot
Portal del angel Street | Music, Relaxing | Free
Corner Carrer dels arcs & Carrer cucurrulla. | El Barrio Gotico (area map)
From morning to late night

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I will talk this time about a treasure of peace located at Barrio Gótico; the best place to escape from tourists and the crowd. I have no doubts about it: the Sant Felip Neri’s Square is one of the most beautiful places of Barcelona.

Every time I go to to the place a feeling like discovering some virgin waterfall in the middle of the forest comes over me. It’s like a shelter or refuge, a forgotten corner away of the chaos.

At Sant Felip Neri’s Square you will find a small terrace (that belongs to the Neri’s Hotel) a huge tree and a fountain in the middle of it. The whole place is built over a medieval cemetery and you will find the Footwear Museum (see this article) and a big door that invites you to know the Sant Felip Neri’s baroque’s church.

I invite you to feel the experience of being there. You will love this place as I do.

Details about this spot
Sant Felip Neri’s Square | Relaxing
Sant Felip Neri’s Square | El Barrio Gotico (area map)
24 hours daily

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A playful atmosphere filled by Salsa, merengue, son, relish and good vibes and friendly people.

It would be impossible to leave Shango without a new friend. Even when there is a language barrier, everyone understands the musical language.

For those with two left foots and a clumsy understanding between them and the waist, there are salsa lessons on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 23:;00 to 00:00.

And if you’re in need of help to defeat shyness, they have a happy hour everyday just before: from 21:00 to 23:00!

Details about this spot
Shango Bar | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.50
Carrer d’En Groch 2 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34662105165
Sun - Thu 21:00 - 02:30, Fri - Sat 21:00 - 03:00

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The Bar Vasconia is located in a Barrio Gothic’s very small street. Hard to find it if you are not looking for it.

It’s a typical Spanish bar with tapas you can eat, classical marble tables and a lot of old-style paintings hanging on the wall giving you the impression that a lot of things has been going on and that the waiters could tell you more than one funny story.

Speaking of the waiters, they are Spanish men working in the same bar probably since the beginning. Not very good at speaking foreign languages but they are outgoing and friendly making conversations easy. My recommendation would be to have a pink wine “de aguja” (sparkling) and a tapa of dry cheese….Absolutely delicious…

Perfect to go there for a tapas dinner or also for “vermouth”. Prices are average.

Details about this spot
The Bar Vasconia | Restaurants (Tapas) | Plenty of tapas € 15.00
Calle Gignas, 13 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34933152156
Mon - Sat 12:00 - 16:00 & 18:30 - 02:00

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What can I say about this place that has been my second house for many years?

That the waiters are nice and friendly, that the cava (catalan version of the champagne) apple is incredible, one of the best things to drink at night, that for a long time I thought the secret manager was Manu Chao and was expecting him to appear in the bar anytime (never did when I was there…), that you can speak with almost anybody sitting around the long bar and have the weirdest conversations, that you feel like home any day of the week, that there are all kind of nationalities enjoying good conversations….

Yes maybe I can say all these things about my favourite spot in Barcelona and much more but I won’t then you will have to go and see by yourself… Enjoy!

Don’t be scary of the musicians and instruments hanging from the ceiling upside down. The optical vision is funny, especially after two cavas….(Speaking of cavas, there are a lot of different flavours: strawberry, orange, lemon…)

Details about this spot
The Sincopa | Bars | Cava apple € 3.50
Calle Avinyo 35 | El Barrio Gotico (area map)
18:00 - 03:00 daily

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