The Best Jazz Clubs in Vila de Gracia, Barcelona

A cozy bar and live music venue, Soda Acústic is one of the best places for live music in Barcelona’s Gràcia neighbourhood and is especially recommendable to those who enjoy jazz manouche and experimental jazz. The venue has a playful retro-feel complete with a 1950s-style bar bursting with colour and wonderfully kitsch wallpaper. Performances change weekly so check out their Facebook page for details of upcoming shows.

From the outside, JazzMan is everything you’d expect of a jazz club: a narrow wooden door, a single lightbulb guiding the way and a few posters pinned to the wall telling you what’s on. Open since 1979, the venue has hosted a number of international musicians as well as local talent such as Pere Ferre or Elisabeth Raspall. Expect plenty of classic jazz music but some soul and blues music as well.

Famous in the city as one of the most famous private smoker’s clubs, the Pipa Club originally stood on the iconic Plaça Reial in the centre of the city before relocating to Gràcia when rent became unaffordable. As well as being a place for smokers to revel in their favourite pastime, the club has long been at the forefront of the live jazz music scene in Barcelona, with live acts offering a variety of music every weekend. Although the Pipa Club is a private member’s club, you can join relatively easily at the front door for no fee.

The Café Vienes, or Viennese Café, is a lounge-bar in the five-star Casa Fuster hotel, located on Barcelona’s luxury shopping street, the Passeig de Gràcia. A stylish building with marble floors, velvet sofas and soft lighting, the Café Vienes puts on a jazz night every Thursday and if you’re looking for a chance to dress up then this is the time to do so. Previous shows have featured none other than Woody Allen, Conal Fowkes and the Yoshida Brothers.

Defying all expectations, Café Tenderete is a vegan tapas bar and artisan cocktail bar with some rather impressive alternatives to the typical Spanish meat and cheese options. But there’s more to Café Tenderete than meets the eye as the venue also regularly puts on live music making it one of the best places to enjoy dinner with music in this part of town. What’s more the craft cocktails are pretty darn good and all the sirups, infusions and bitters are home-made.

La Sonora de Gràcia is one of those quirky venues which reflects the diversity and richness of this neighbourhood. A live music venue and even a mini-theatre, La Sonora de Gràcia’s program is a mix of jazz, funk, soul, blues but also salsa, rumba and even reggae. Jazz fans need only check out their website for details of upcoming shows or turn up on a Wednesday for the Loqueterroting weekly jazz jam session.

Right at the heart of cultural life in Gràcia, Heliogàbal is an association which began twenty years ago with the aim of promoting music, theatre, poetry, photography and more in the neighbourhood. As far as music is concerned, Heliogàbal have always worked to help promote local talent and this is a great place to hear some of Barcelona and Catalonia’s finest artists, although there are performances by international artists as well. This is a real locals’ spot and a great place to meet fellow music lovers in the city.