Big is the main word here. Big name. Big acts. Big events. Big club. The amount of times we have gotten lost in this huge club is uncountable (is that even a word?). They have 5 dancefloors separated between 3 floors. A terrassa, indy rock downstairs, house room, techno room and lounge room. Famous "alternative" gigs and big-name DJs are regulars at Razzmatazz. Stay a bit longer after 7am and mingle with the locals, you are sure to find stories, experiences and after-parties you won't forget. There is no dress code nor is it fancy. It's all about the music!

The true test for the multi-lingual lies not in the Escola Oficial d’Idiomes, but inside the cavernous “L’Ovella Negra” where you can meet the most foreign of foreigners over a pitcher of beer or sweet sangria, the latter of which is of dubious effectiveness. At l’Ovella, everyone is always talking, and table-jumping is rampant. It’s pretty common to spot the typical guy who sits down at different tables, striking up conversation, and then drinking from the communal brew without paying, then moving on to the next group. No one seems to mind, though, which says a lot about the place. Anywhere generous enough to make the common moocher feel at home is a happy place, which makes l’Ovella the Disney of guiri bars. Just remember that if your gallon of sweet sangria is promising to come back up, hit the streets. It’s all fun and games until someone gets puked on.

Another fashionable and fun bar to add to your list of “Places to go on the Rambla del Raval” is Raval 32. As the bar itself is not particularly big, this place invites intimacy and it is not rare to find a couple smooching on the couch or friends carrying on involved conversations. You can also set up things pretty much as you wish because the furnishings (couches aside) are just above gnome-sized and are easy to move around, making room for two or twenty. On weeknights it is a great place to stop in for a beer and, though taking your laptop to the Rambla del Raval is a little risqué, there are open wireless networks thanks to some great neighbor named “Oscar.” Weekends, like anywhere in Barcelona, you will find the bar more crowded and bouncy, but just as inviting.

Sifó is the best bar to exist in Barcelona on an unpaved road. Sandwiched between La Rambla del Raval and Sant Pau, Sifó sports a colorful array of sifónes, which you may know as spritzer bottles. It is generally full, but service is quick and friendly and turntable selections range from hip-hop to funk and back again. They have all your standard cocktails conveniently written on the wall for selection with ease, but the best is the Bloody Mary for 6€. Unfortunately a Bloody Mary tastes best for breakfast and Sifó doesn´t open until 21:00h. Well, depending on what you did the previous night...that could be breakfast time.

Not to be confused by The Simpsons' Moe's Bar :) Nice people, nice decor, nice food and a sunny terrassa in Barcelona. What else can you ask for? On match days, there is a giant screen to watch the football. But the best is Friday nights in this bar. Live music, a bit of salsa, rumba, flamenco and anything with that latin flavour that makes you bailar! Don't forget to bring your computer for that afternoon coffee - free WiFi as well! :)

Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Dire Straits. These are just some of the bands that have regular plays in Bar Aurora. If you were to walk by this bar located in the heart of Raval (off the Rambla de Raval), you wouldn't even know that there is much animation going on in there. It is a very well-built and sound-proofed bar that hides the great vibe going on inside the bar from the rest of Barcelona. Drinks are the average bar price (€2 for a beer), the music is great, a lot of locals and some internationals are regulars in this bar. It is places like this that make us love the nightlife in Barcelona. Happy hour till 11pm :)

Have you ever been to a flamenco sports bar? Shame on you! Just up the street from the old synagogue is where you are very likely to find a random flamenco jam session (mostly just guitars, though singing is not unheard of) interrupting slow fútbol plays on the small and constantly blaring TV. This is a strange place indeed to find impromptu flamenco, not just because Barcelona is, itself, an unlikely flamenco venue, but because there is not a single bit of flamenco memorabilia in the place. That said, it is located just down the block from Herrera Guitars (Marlet 6), a workshop specializing in custom made guitars, which explains the presence of serious and rather good local musicians. If you want to join in, go for it, but wait until your second visit. Spend the first tucked in a corner sipping your whiskey and taking it all in.

Ah, the guitar bar. Unassuming from the outside, this bar has its very own and very unique personality. Its love of the past can be seen by the yellowing photographs and newspaper clippings that cover the wall, and by the cache of old to ancient guitars hanging from the ceiling like patas de jamón. People come here for the music and the creativity that this space inspires. Though the spontaneous guitar jams are not as common as they were “back then” thanks to complaining vecinos, it is never out of the question to walk in and witness one going on at one or more of the tables. Sometimes things even promise to get a little rowdy, but overall, people are there to chill and listen to Billie Holiday over cañas or vermouth.

From the outside this place looks sexy and the sidewalk chalkboard reads “coffee, cocktails and fashion drinks.” Definite cause for a closer look. Inside feels a lot like Brooklyn as opposed to Manhattan: there is quite a bit of space and high ceilings, and the brick walls are decorated with strategically placed posters and pictures of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Charlie Chaplin, who unknowingly gave this bar its name. Charlot refers to the derby-hat-wearing protagonist of The Tramp. Despite the upscale-feeling décor and the fact that the foam on your tallat comes adorned with a delicate powdered cocoa heart outline, this place follows neighborhood pricing, so you get out with your coffee for just over 1€. Other drinks are more expensive and include trendy brands like Romántic and Firefly, rumored to be among the great hangover cures. Pity this place is closed on Sundays.

Live music in Gràcia?! Hell yeah! Go to Heliogàbal on Thursdays and Sundays for a great live show. You will find anything from jazz to rock to poetry slams (the latter being less attended but just as lively), and everyone is welcome. Of course, the house fills up quickly when a promising concert is in store, or when the artist is popular locally, but those are the best nights to meet people. The large front room is set up with chairs and there are always at least two rows standing, but if you work past that you find a smaller, more intimate space in the back equipped with table, chairs and another standing bar. It is a stonewalled atrium complete with real plants and antique gardening equipment, none of which looks the least bit out of place. And as they are savvy, this bar has a website where you can check out the performers: www.heliogabal.com. So plan your nights accordingly, and if you were ever wondering where the Catalan performers were, now you know.