Gay scene in Barcelona

Kitsch, camp, fantastically trashy and endlessly fun, El Cangrejo is the gay dive bar you’ve been looking for. Guaranteeing “the most fun” in the whole of Barcelona, El Cangrejo hosts drag nights, lip-sync performances and occasionally theater plays that have RuPaul turning in his diamanté-encrusted pajamas. It’s raining men!

Great for a cocktail and a dance among the handsome Spanish fellas, it’s a staple Saturday night for the locals. Get your dancing shoes on queen, as DJs spin classic ‘70s, ‘80s and Spanish pop hits to help you let your hair down and boogie the blues away. A friendly vibe and cute bartenders make El Cangrejo an unmissable stop on your LGBTQ+ club list.

Make sure you hit it up in the cooler months though, as it gets hot as hell in the summer. Now, vogue baby!

Located just off the Rambla de Raval in the Filmoteca de Catalunya, La Monroe isn’t your obvious queer bar. Serving as more of a low-key space that is welcoming and friendly to all, La Monroe takes the artsy vibe of Raval and creates a bright, busy bar that LGBTQIA+ folk will feel totally at ease within.

There are a few signals that give away the queer vibe – whether it’s the black-and-pink, baggy, genderless dungaree uniform or the camp references to Marilyn Monroe, you’re bound to feel at home. But make sure you come early. This bar fills up quicker than a Grindr inbox. Serving 12 kinds of tapas, sandwiches and aperitifs, we’d especially recommend the vegetable burrito au gratin, complete with eggplant, pumpkin, broccoli, cheddar and more, washed down with a classic vermouth.

Delicate combinations of flavor mixed with exquisite presentation and an upbeat, welcoming vibe make La Monroe an unmissable stop in the Barcelona queer scene.

A gay bar in the heart of the Raval, Madame Jasmine embodies all of the neighbourhood’s charms, queerness and eccentricities. You may think you’ve stumbled onto the set of Pink Flamingos. This bar never fails to provide an inexpensive evening of cocktails, flamboyant décor and a plethora of rambunctious, interesting and sociable new people to meet, especially at weekends, when it can get pretty crowded. Be prepared to end up in deep conversation with the next table over.

Although there’s no food menu, you’ll enjoy the relentlessly kitsch and retro ornaments and zebra upholstery, occasional live music and waiters dressed in drag. It’s a cozy, often overlooked, hole in the wall which will surprise and delight you, and a must-visit in Barcelona for those looking for an alternative night without the attitude – plus delicious vermut.

In 2015, La Penúltima had to change its Facebook page status to “permanently closed,” since the gay bodega was shut down over license issues. A great loss to Barcelona’s gay nightlife. But hey, just as we’d moved our online social lives to Instagram – #instagay – around the same time that La Federica by Alberts opened its doors.

The locale was bought by Albert and Albert who maintained the previous owners’ retro-modern décor; they just gayed things up a notch. In addition to drinks, wines and cocktails, the bar offers excellent tapas such as embutidos from Garrotxa, award-winning shepherd cheeses and Argentinean empanadas. They’re also a busy LGBT events agenda.

The Alberts are clearly not just in pursuit of your likes: they want to make you feel completely at home at their little LGBT locale in Poble Sec. Make sure you check in soon.

Before we used to hit the club, I’d do tequila shots with my friends at Barcelona’s sleaziest queer bar, La Bata de Boatiné. But after the bar’s festive funeral in 2014, I was left an orphan – until I rediscovered Bar Rufián.

Its current owners, the charming couple Deryck and Oliver, put a rainbow sticker on the front door, upgraded the bar’s soundtrack to electronic hipster and started organizing pre-parties before queer events at Apolo and Plataforma, located right down the very same street. Order a pint of their own special beers Rufián (a black and tan) or Surrealista (which has a roasted-sweet flavor), or try their summer drink, Gingermouth (white vermouth with ginger ale). They’ll also prepare some great tapas and sandwiches to still your hunger. Don’t miss their legendary Vermut Party.

This homey hangout in Poble Sec stepped out of the closet and straight into my heart.

The Axel Hotel in Barcelona is a gay hub for locals and tourists alike. The rooftop bar, open from April (weather permitting), takes center stage for every self-respecting gay man or boy for miles around, especially for its Friday night early(ish) drinks.

Head to the top floor of the hotel at around 10pm to check out the fantastic views of the city. You don’t have to be a guest to drink at the Sky Bar, although dress to impress – this is where the glamorous boys go to see and be seen. There are tons of great cocktails to be had, and generous measures of ice-cold gin ‘n’ tonic. The music is chilled, with a mixture of funky, electro and house.

There are plenty of places to sit around the terrace, or next to the small but perfectly-formed pool, including some comfy sofas and quieter nooks and crannies for kissing your man of the moment.

The gay sauna is a staple of any big city scene, and Barcelona is no different. However the Sauna Casanova, part of the Grupo Pases chain, isn’t out of the way or seedy – it’s a proud feature on the gay map. The after-hours offerings in Barcelona can be a bit hit or miss. If you’ve still not pulled by the time the lights come on at the club, heading to the Sauna Casanova is one of the best ideas.

It’s got the feel of a club, even if everyone is wearing a white towel and flip-flops – there’s a DJ area and two bar areas, with plenty of beers and spirits flowing to keep you in the party mood. There’s a huge jacuzzi / swimming pool, a number of steam rooms and saunas, and tons of cabins for taking your latest conquest. Spread out over three floors, this is a labyrinth of gay sexiness.

This bar and pre-club club is a palace of kitsch, with over-the-top chandeliers, sculptures and ornate pictures and mirrors. There are a number of small rooms to saunter through, with high-tech video screens playing a wide range of music videos, sometimes in sync with what the DJ is playing, sometimes not.

This is a popular spot to head to before the big club Metro, just a few steps away down the street. Museum is a great place to bring your girl friends or straight friends – it’s laid-back and low-key, despite its glamorous surroundings.

Expect generous drink mixes and plenty of pop remixes, along with some of the swankiest bathrooms on the gay scene. There are often special entry tickets to Metro and other clubs at this bar, so talk to the bar staff nicely and you might just get lucky.

This is probably one of the skinniest gay bars you’ll ever visit, but also one with the most charm and atmosphere. La Chapelle is in the heart of Barcelona’s gay district and is a great place for a few drinks as part of your night out.

The walls are covered in religious icons such as crucifixes and statues of Jesus and Mary. They give the bar a kitsch, arty atmosphere rather than look tacky or insensitive. This is a good place to meet people, whether you’re a lone traveler or in a group. You’re likely to be standing so close to someone it’s hard not to strike up a conversation with him.

The bar staff are friendlier than most and happy to take requests for music. They might even play a track direct from your iPhone. The drinks are pretty cheap. It’s almost always full, unlike some other bars in the area that can be hit or miss.

This is a popular spot among locals, so expect to see plenty of handsome, beardy Catalans in this centrally-located dance bar. The walls are famously covered with gold crabs, which goes well with the general sailor/nautical theme (“El Cangrejo” means “The Crab” in Spanish).

It gets rammed in here and it’s pretty dark, but with everyone singing along to the mash-up of cheese, pop (the Spice Girls came on twice when we were here), show tunes, house and traditional Catalan and Spanish pop – often in big circles – it’s as brash as it is friendly. There’s a decent-sized bar, but most of this space is set aside for dancing.

It’s loud, masculine and one of the top spots in the gay district. It’s especially popular on Friday and Saturday nights. Its older brother, El Cangrejo in the Raval, is a historic locale that attracts a mixed crowd.

There’s no rainbow flag flying at Casa Jaime, but it’s an LGBT hotspot in Gaixample. The owners, the lovely couple Ramón and Wei have been spoiling me and my boyfriend with homemade Catalan dishes with a modern twist for a long time. They are wary of Ferran Adrià-esque cooking. Do not expect deconstructed Spanish tortilla or spherized olives. They simply add an extra ingredient or use a different dressing in grandma’s traditional recipes.

Casa Jaime is big enough to keep the action at the bar and terrace interesting (no need for gay hookup apps here), but with enough romantic corners you can find a quiet moment with that special one – gay, straight, whatever. You won’t be the first person here to propose marriage. El Berro and El Bierzo a Tope, you better watch out girls. You’ve got some fierce competition.