Big Night Out: Barcelona

The vibe

The vibe

Barcelona nightlife buzzes from midnight till dawn and beyond, and is right up there with Madrid and Valencia in terms of style and energy. As always, it is important to adjust to Spanish time. Never eat lunch before mid-afternoon, always have a very long siesta till around 10pm, then do drinks around 11pm and dinner at midnight, so that you will be ready to go clubbing at around 3am when most hip venues get going. Book a day off when you return home to recuperate. Keep it simple: if you are here to party, then forget sightseeing. Taxi rides anywhere in the city should cost no more than £7. Words of warning: much of Barcelona closes for three weeks during August.

Liquid

The best bars tend to be tucked away in side streets off the main tourist track. A walk through the lively El Born area will reward with you any amount of excellent neighbourhood bars to sample. Café Schilling, C/Ferran 23, is a contemporary version of the grand café and is sedate by day, when it serves coffee, drinks and excellent snacks, but turns into a bustling bar after dark. For high style cocktails try Dry Martini, C/Aribau 162-6, all leather banquettes and cool lounge music. Stinger, C/Corsega 338, is an old favourite but still packs in hipsters of all ages. For the ultimate in cool, ring on the buzzer of Barcelona Rouge, C/Poeta Cabanyes 21, to be admitted to a world of beautiful people posing on battered sofas. Open till around 4am.

Refuelling

For seafood you cannot beat Botafuemeiro, C/Gran de Gracia 81 (00 34 93 218 4230), where fresh crustaceans are served up Galician style in a wood-panelled and tile interior. If you haven't booked you can usually queue to sit at the bar. Don't miss the lobster salad. About £50 a head. Abac, C/Rec 79-89 (00 34 93 319 6600), serves delicious platefuls of inventive cuisine such as tuna with caviar and broccoli cream. About £40 a head. Cal Pep, Placa de les Olles 8 (00 34 93 310 7961) is an unassuming institution. Dishes include calamari with onion and tomato, baked stuffed cod and fried sardines. About £12 per head.

Go native

Pay homage to Gaudi and go on a pilgrimage of his major sights, which look fabulous when floodlit at night.

Party

In summer the place to be seen is La Terrazza, Poble Espanyol, Avda Marques de Comillas, where the cool crowd dances under the stars in extravagant surroundings. In winter it all happens at Discotheque, Poble Espanyol, Avda Marques de Comillas, a fantasy space attracting top DJs and themed club nights. Expect bags of attitude. Gay boys and their friends strut their stuff at Salvation, Ronda Sant Pere 19-21, an industrial space with two floors. Follow those wide-eyed clubbers who just can't stop. Jump in a taxi and 20 minutes and £12 later you will find yourself at the mother of all after-hours clubs, Souvenir. Housed in a former factory in the industrial district of Vilacadens, Souvenir is a sweatbox that rocks until well after midday.

Munchies

Make for Paris, on the corner of C/Paris and C/Aribau, one of the few 24-hour snack bars serving up hangover damage-limitation fare.

Chill

Take a stroll in Park Guell for an overview of the city or hop on a train and within 35 minutes you can be sitting on the beach at Sitges.

Ian McCurrach

British Airways (0845 733 3377; www.ba.com) offers return flights to Barcelona from £89. Hotel Claris (0800 169 8817; www. designhotels. com) offers double rooms from £230 per night, excluding breakfast.

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