Lee put together a really terrific list and a Google Map of our favorite old-school cocktail bars in Barcelona. A lot of them happen to be very close to the hostel. They're the perfect place to feel like you're in a 1920s version of Barcelona complete with tuxedo-clad bartenders, cigar smoke and classy decor. These bartenders are serious about their craft and will recommend drinks suited to your tastes.

Ideal

C/ Aribau 89

Ideal is a very refined space, hidden from the street traffic by velvet curtains. The cocktails are expertly shaken (or stirred) and the Scotch selection is on point.

Jordy's Cocktail

C/ Casanova 91

This smaller bar seems to be a neighborhood hole in the wall but brothers/owners Jordy and Joan proudly display the signed headshots of famous patron barflies.

Boadas
Carrer dels Tallers, 1

This smoky bar is right off of Las Ramblas but manages to remain under the radar of the party crowd. Founded by a bartender from the Cuban bar, La Floridita (made famous by Hemingway,) the cockteleria has been around for ages (look for , Joan Miro's work on the wall) and the barmen are pros. Try the cava coctel del dia or the mojitos.

Harry's

C/ Aribau 143

Harry's is a good spot to stop in and have a proper cocktail after Dry Martini leaves you thirsty with only a few euros in your pocket. Drinks aren't necessarily cheap, but they're generous in their proportions. You'll feel like you've stepped into another era when you enter.

Xampany

Carrer de València, 200

While this is more of a cava bodega than a cocktail bar, the ambiance is charming and the place makes for a low key start to an evening. Don't be intimidated by the wine shop in front. There are a few tables towards the back and shopkeeper Ramon is happy to keep both the cava and conversation flowing.

Closed Sundays and closes daily at 10pm

Dry Martini

C/ Aribau 162
This might be the first cocktail bar the young crowd would add to this list. It's definitely a scene with local men and their, ahem, partners for the evening crowding the bar. The drinks are relatively weak for the price.

Talk to the barman to get the secret password for the backroom restaurant, Speakeasy.

Stringer's

Corsega, 338

This is probably the most modern of the bars and the diverse cocktail list reflects this fact. This place is popular with the middle aged Catalan crowd. Be sure to try the odd barsnack of salty nuts and sour gummy bears. I don't get it but it makes the place memorable.

Belvedere's

Passatge de Mercader, 3

This bar is classic in appearance and on one of the most charming streets in L'Eixample. The trellised garden out front is the perfect place for a cold cocktail on a warm Barcelona day.

Bar Marsella

C/ Sant Pau 65

This is the spot for absinthe in Barcelona. The place is packed, so stake out a table and elbow your way to the bar for your absinthe kit. Observe the locals for technique.

Pastis

C/ Santa Mònica 4

You'll feel like you're in mid-century Paris in this spot, as the owner is obsessed with Edith Piaf. The anise-flavored namesake is the drink of the house.