Caribbean Club on Carrer de les Sitges in Raval is the windowless rum bar opened in the 1970s by the family behind Boadas, with vintage Cuban cocktails like the Canchánchara and a brass-porthole front door.
Tip: Easy to miss; look for the porthole on the door of a 12th-century building. The Canchánchara and the thrown Negroni are the orders.
Address: Carrer de les Sitges 5, 08001 Barcelona
Arena Madre on Carrer de Balmes in the Gaixample is the Grupo Arena flagship gay club with commercial house and pop on the main floor, a Sunday drag-and-pop night and Monday striptease shows.
Tip: Doors at 00:30; the room fills after 02:00. Sunday drag show and Monday striptease are the long-running fixtures.
Arena Classic on Carrer de la Diputació is the Grupo Arena Gaixample club programming pop and commercial remixes for a mixed gay-and-straight crowd, with regular drag shows on weekends.
Tip: Same Grupo Arena wristband works across Arena Madre and Arena Classic on weekends. Doors at 00:30; the room peaks 02:00 onwards.
Metro Disco on Carrer de Sepúlveda in the Esquerra de l'Eixample is the long-running all-gay club with two rooms, five bars, a darkroom and a videolounge running seven nights a week.
Tip: Open every night; Sunday is the drag show night, Wednesday is the Latin-pop night. Universitat L1 L2 is the nearest metro.
Punto BCN on Carrer de Muntaner in the Gaixample is the veteran neighborhood gay bar with pool tables, a regular local crowd and an unpretentious early-evening room for warming up before the clubs.
Tip: Doors from 18:00 every night; it is the standard pre-club meeting point for the Gaixample. Friendly, no door check.
Boys Bar BCN on Carrer de la Diputació in the Gaixample runs go-go dancers, themed parties and a small dancefloor in a modern-design room, opening from late morning through the late night.
Tip: Go-go shows from 23:00 most nights; weekends run themed parties advertised on the venue Instagram. Cash bar is faster than the card till.
Átame on Carrer del Consell de Cent in the Gaixample is the old-fashioned gay bar paying homage to the vintage drag scene, with the Gram Show led by veteran performer Patrik Transformita the headline draw.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday until around 03:00; the Gram Show with Patrik Transformita is the weekly fixture. Spanish pop heavy.