This cosy bar tucked away in the heart of Barrio Gotico has plenty of character for a small place. The cocktails are a highlight, with extraordinary Mojitos that keep you coming back for more. The venue is more of a lounge than a club, with a varied retro music policy and a relaxed atmosphere that makes it a favourite amongst the locals. During the day they serve up fruit and veg shakes and a selection of sandwiches.

Jazz Si is run by the Contemporary Music School situated nearby, and as such has a scholarly take on the usual smoky Jazz bar. It has unfathomably high ceilings and light brick walls, and in the day is patronized largely by students delving deep in lively discussion. At night, the lights are dimmed and some great live music ensues.

In spite of the name, jazz isn’t the only variety of music represented here; schedules vary according to which performers are in town, but on an average week, one can expect to choose between flamenco, blues and rock as well as the compulsory jazz nights. On the rare occasions that there is an entrance fee, the blow will tend to be softened by a free drink waiting upon entrance.

The elegant White Bar Restaurant is attached to the Chic & Basic Hotel.

The restaurant’s all white interior provides a blank canvas to become colored with ambiance by the ceiling lamp in the middle of the dining area, which casts mute tones to bright magentas, creating a spectacular range of atmosphere.

The kitchen offers creative Mediterranean cuisine. Specialties include the delicately delicious “Rape con Compota de Tomate” (monkfish fish with tomato compote).

On weekend nights the White Bar is one of the Born district’s hot spot for the chic and beautiful. DJs spin soul, hip-hop and lounge rhythms.

Sidecar can be found on Plaza Real, one of Barcelona’s most hectic locations. How surprising, then, that it also yields a music venue with such a distinguished record for eclecticism.

There’s a sleek ground-floor bar with a permanent screen showing artful projections as well as an adjacent small terrace. Both make for an ideal breather from Sidecar’s real jewel, the downstairs club and live music venue. Dimly lit, with low ceilings and bare brick walls, this simple space forges a real intimacy between the act and audience. Its stellar reputation stems from its electronica and reggae club nights, and great live bands like local experimental rock set, Les Aus. Try the hilarious ‘Anti-Karaoke’ night on Monday evenings, where punters try their hand at an unlikely set of sing-alongs.

Formerly a gay bar and now home to a mixed bohemian crowd, La Concha boasts a diverse and spirited character. Its name is a sly salute to female genitalia, and the deliberate double meaning transmits to the bar’s customers, who enjoy their drinking with whatever extra flare they can derive on top.

The decor is dilapidated in the most appealing of ways, and pictures on the paneled walls pay tribute to Sara Montiel. A much-loved Spanish actress born in 1928, Montiel bravely bared all on the silver screen, at a time when widespread condemnation was all but guaranteed. Definitely one for the liberal drinker—but that tends to be true of all the best bars—La Concha certainly doesn’t lead you astray, unless that’s what you’re after.

This bar simultaneously serves as a kind of cultural center, attracting a diverse crowd of thinkers and drinkers on any given night. Casa Paco’s terrace is an obligatory stop for the alternative folk passing through Born. Surrounded by trees and a children’s playground, the pedestrian street location is the ideal place to try the bar’s famous caipirinhas, made on the spot by laid-back bartenders.

Fridays and Saturdays the party goes on until three in the morning, fueled by an eclectic mix of music from local and touring DJs.