Landing in Barcelona can feel disorientating, with your copy of Lonely Planet proving insufficient to navigate you towards the best, hippest nooks and crannies the city offers. You can quickly feel out of the loop with regards to the coolest bars to visit, and the last thing you want to get sucked into the vacuum of bland, overpriced bars, only frequented by drunken 21-year-old tourists guzzling alchopops. You want to go somewhere cool, memorable, that’s frequented by locals, with good music, and where the drinks are a reasonable price.
Tourists or expats living in Barcelona could do a lot worse than check out one of the Manchester bars. One is situated just off Carrer D’ Avinyo at the heart of the Gothic Quarter and the other one is situated just off the trendy Joaquin Costa in the Ravel area.
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A Good Atmosphere
There is plenty of charm and uniqueness about both these bars. First off, if you (understandably) have a preconception that an English themed bar in Barcelona is tacky or low-brow, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Visitors will revel in the bohemian backdrop of dimly lit, red lighting while music aficionados will appreciate the wall decor – a montage of photos and posters of iconic Manchester bands, from Joy Division to the Smiths. You will hear good music, at a loud but sensible volume; you won’t have to shout your way through a conversation here! If Manchester bands aren’t your thing, fear not, they also play contemporary music from acts such as; Tame Impalla, Jamie XX, and Animal Collective, as well as classics from the likes of Blur, Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and Pulp. The music is definitely centered around guitar based indie-pop, so if that’s not your cup of tea, music-wise it might not be the best place for you.
Manchester Vs Barcelona
There will always be a cultural connection between Barcelona and Manchester because of the two great football teams. (Manchester united were once great) and their classic (if in recent years one-sided) European encounters. Perhaps the success of Bar Manchester reflects a mutual fondness between the two cities which transcends football and shows that musically, Barcelona enjoys the glorious bands who have sprung from Manchester in such vast numbers.
Even if you’re not a music lover, there are still plenty of reasons to visit Bar Manchester. You will be served by friendly bar staff, the drinks are fairly priced, and the atmosphere is upbeat, but not overbearing. There is a split of locals and foreigners, and an array of nice bottled cask beers such has Barcino, and mojitos to enjoy. Also, there is a fair amount of space, which can be a problem in Barcelona bars. They don’t serve food, but Bar Manchester is certainly a good place to start a memorable night out in Barcelona.
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