Outside Shoredicth: Looking for more personality in Barcelona ?

by Raquel Ferreño

We all agree, that if we want to know more about the city we are visiting we have to go outside of the centre and of course, avoid the tourist areas, because the most special places are normally hiding in the crowd. Barcelona has a very attractive centre, but being honest, if you are looking for something with more personality, it is not the best area to find it. Personally, I like to discover new shops, pubs or restaurants, which I can not find in a tourist guide and come back home with the feeling that not only I have visited the emblematic icons, but also the coolest places that only citizens may know. So, if you have the same opinion, keep reading, because I am about to open the door of one of the greatest bars in Barcelona.

When you go to Santa Caterina district to visit the Palau de la Musica, you will only need to walk a few steps to find the “Bar Pasajes”, which is located in a passageway between two streets, the Trafalgar and Sant Pere Més Alt. Years ago, this passageway was plenty of shops selling handbags and clothes. Unfortunately, with the arrival of big companies these shops have had to close and nowadays, the only thing you can find is the lottery store and the Bar Pasajes. You can still using the way to cross from one street to the other, but let me tell you that it if you do not stop at Pasajes you are committing a crime.

The Bar Pasajes has a beautiful entrance but it is a bit sober and it can be overlooked. Although the bar is narrow, it is also full of history and you can feel it by seating in one of its stools next to the bar and talking with Juanca, the barman. He will serve you a beer for 1’50 euros with a tapa and if you want something to eat, they have the most amazing hummus I’ve never tried. For the ones who have a more sophisticated taste, they also have a good selection of wines.

You might think that the only thing that makes it interesting is the pub’s location, but you cannot be more mistaken. The lottery store and the Bar pasajes are using the same lights from the passageway, but when the lottery store close, the lights go out and the bar has to switch on a second lights, which give a nice and comfortable yellow atmosphere. I can keep writing about more curiosities, but I thing that the best you can do is to check all of this by yourself. The open hours are from 17h am to 12h pm. Just to worn you, once you are in you will not want to leave.

https://www.facebook.com/bar.pasajes