Belushi’s Bar

In a city abounding in intimate, cosy and charismatic bars (where ‘intimate’ and ‘cosy’ are all too often euphemisms for ‘cramped’ and charisma is defined by rude bar staff and filthy toilets) it’s great to see a bar like Belushi’s breaking the mould.

A huge space just off Plaça Catalunya, Belushi’s is a modern and airy London-style venue that brings something a little different to the city’s bar scene. By day pretty young things take a break from shopping to sip mixers on comfy tobacco-coloured couches, office workers grab a coffee on the interior terrace, and hungover hostel dudes slouch over ottomans whilst tucking into recovery comfort food (Belushi’s kitchen does a fine line in burgers, sandwiches and wraps).

By night things rev up a notch as punters take a perch on an adventure playground of wooden crates for a view of live sports, or simply get chatting and mingling at the bar. Boasting the city’s longest happy hour (between 5pm and 11pm, you can buy iced buckets of 5 beers for just €10), and with next door’s St. Christopher’s Inn youth hostel funnelling young international clients into its folds, Belushi’s is a great place to party with a fun-lovin’ international crowd.

They’ve now added another reason to pop down, as Thursday nights are student nights with paella and live DJs, and a great chance to mingle and meet new people. Check in with their Facebook page to stay in touch with what’s going on.