Elephant - the most lavish nightclub in Barcelona

Elephant is without doubt the most lavish nightclub in Barcelona. In fact the club doesn’t really have the feel of a loud dark nightclub with strobes and lighting but more of a summer ball in a very elegant marquee. It’s situated in the most expensive area of Barcelona, Pedrables, between the Royal Palace and architectural gems made by Gaudi for the Guell family.
 
Elephant boasts 4 different areas: the chill out area of 200 sqm which claims to squeeze in 200 people who can relax on the wooden hand-carved oriental sofas and chairs. The Torre room of 160 sqm is set inside the tower which is attached to the main area. The 2 floors of the tower are all decorated with Indian style blue velvet sofas, small tables and large hanging blue velvet drapes. There is a Dj spinning commercial house independently from the rest of the area and one bar.
The Jaimas room of 450 sqm is the main area and is quite spectacular for first time visitors and well worth a visit. It is basically a large red oriental style marquee adorned with numerous oriental and Asian statues, sofas chairs, cushions and other paraphernalia. Interestingly, it is an open air space in summer and in winter it is covered by a large tent and heating is on so that everyone feels comfortable.

The mix of colours works really well with reds mixed with white sofas, golden Buddhas and eastern elephants, wooden floors and silver lanterns. The main bar is in the centre of the marquee and there is another bar next to the dance floor.
One can really tell that a great deal of thought was taken over the design of the club.

Finally the VIP area overlooks the main room and again it is excellently decorated with blue velvet sofas and chairs and exotic plants strategically placed to add extra authenticity to the area.
 
As for the clubbing experience as I stated earlier it does not have a night club feel so to speak. There is a lot of lighting so one can see from one side of the main room to the other. There is a small dance floor next to the DJ and people do start dancing around 3 A.M. but it’s not really a dancing club.

The music is typical commercial mix catering for the average person who has little or no musical preferences. People generally run around the place almost not sure what to do! Should I dance, try and meet new people or stick with my friends… I personally go there either with a partner (as the atmosphere is quite romantic and intimate) or bunch of friend to have a few drinks when I want a more relaxed night out in beautiful surrounding.

Bar prices are not over the top and again are standard Barcelona club prices. Around 6 euros for a beer and 10 euros for a long drink. Cocktails are not served.
In general you have to dress up to get into the club but at least a little bit of self expression is allowed and a shirt and shoes are not essential clubbing wear. There are a lot of webpages that offer free entrance so google the club to see what’s on offer. Otherwise entrance is 15 euros with a drink.

It’s no surprise that major companies like Porsche and Beefeater use Elephant for private functions. It is without doubt the most opulent club in Barcelona. However don’t expect a crazy night of debauchery as it’s a cool place. It seems to be a favourite for the Americans who are here studying so expect a lot of English speakers and posh locals from the area. So if you fancy impressing someone from the opposite sex or a few chilled drinks with your friends you could do a lot worse than go to Elephant.

Address: Passeig dels Tillers 1, Pedralbes

How to get there: the best way of getting there is surely by taxi though you can also take a metro Green Line L3 – Zona Universitaria stop.

Webpage: www.elephantbcn.com

Email: info@elephantbcn.com

Phone: (0034) 93 334 0258

Working hours: Thurs – Sat from 11 P.M. till 05 A.M.

The Sutton Club

The Sutton Club is probably the most up market nightclub in Barcelona. It’s situated in Tuset Street, between Balmes Street and Muntanter in the smarter end of town and from Thursday to Sunday there are queues of clubbers trying to get into the club. But before I tell you how to get in and whether it’s worth it, let me describe the interior of the club.

The club’s entrance has numerous “shop windows” on the right hand side with expensive clothes and drinks all safely protected by unbreakable glass.

On the left hand side you will find the cloak room and a few metres more on the left is the first of 2 dance floors. This smaller room is decorated with over sized light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and numerous plasma TVs showing mainly Bacardi drinks promotions.

It’s the only smoking room in the club so do not enter if you are anti-tobacco as it’s extremely smoky. The room also has a bar with three bar staff and one never waits too long to get served. The music is mainly pop music from the 80s and 90s. It also has a glass wall where you can look onto the main dance floor.

The principal dance floor is big to say the least. It contains two large oval shaped VIP areas (Moët VIP area and Grey Goose VIP area) and only a few sofas for us peasants to sit down and rest. Each VIP area is guarded by a security guard and 150 euros will get you in.

So bring your AM EX if you really want to impress the opposite sex. However I must say by the end of the night most people abandon the VIP areas and are mingling with the rest on the dance floor.

There are 3 colour coded bars (red and blue among them), all with at least two good looking waitresses who are surprisingly friendly. Again there are more plasma TVs dotted around the room. Finally there is a stage overlooking the dance floor and the go-go dancers who are extremely attractive appear on the stage from time to time to liven up the night.

The music policy is strictly commercial dance and house music. The toilets are in the small smoking room I mentioned earlier and at the back of the main room. 

One strange phenomenon about Barcelona clubs is drinks prices. You can go to one bar in the Sutton Club (or many other clubs for that matter) and the bar girl will charge you 10 euros for a long drink but may be if you go to another bar you could get charged 11 euros. I guess it’s their way of earning a bit extra. In general I can’t be bothered to argue over one euro but feel free to do so.

And finally, the most important thing is getting into the club. There are numerous websites which offer guest lists for the Sutton club. But that does not guarantee entrance. Guys must wear a shirt and shoes. And girls should be glamorous.

This may seem too regimented but it is true, so forget about self expression and it doesn’t matter how much you paid for you new Dolce and Gabana T-shirt, you won’t get in wearing it.

And get there early. I mean at 1 A.M at least. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday the queues are ridiculous with all the middle upper class crowd pushing and shoving to get noticed.

The security staff is extremely serious and strict; one of the door pickers called Carlos, an old guy with a big Spanish moustache is the most fastidious. If he doesn’t like the look of you forget it, you aren’t getting in.

Curiously once I was banned from entering for wearing a T-shirt, pathetic I know but that is how strict they are.

The club is extremely popular especially on Thursdays and Saturdays. The crowd is a real mix in ages from 18 year old princesses to 50 year old rich Catalans. There is a good mix of local and foreign clubbers and the atmosphere is pleasant enough especially if you are lucky to get in during one of the parties such as Carnival which take place in the club.  It is definitely one of the best clubs in Barcelona and I am forced to say it’s definitely worth a visit and should be on your list of clubs to go to in Barcelona.

Address:  Tuset Street, 13

Phone: (00 34) 93 414 4217

How  to get there: by metro  Green Line L3 Diagonal; by FFGC (Ferrocariles Catalanes local train system from Plaza Cataluña) Gracia stop.
by bus Nº 16, 17 and 32.

Webpage: http://www.thesuttonclub.com
 
Email: info@thesuttonclub.com

Ribelinos - one of the newer clubs on the Barcelona nightlife scene

Ribelinos is one of the newer clubs in Barcelona. It hosts various clubbing events and caters for the richer older crowd, tourists and foreigners who live in Barcelona. Its stylish Website is a reflection of the nightclub and the information provided is comprehensive and informative but unfortunately only in Spanish at present. 
 
Ribelinos location is not the best. It is situated on the busy Diagonal Street which cuts right across Barcelona but at the far end at the exit point of Barcelona. It is connected by public transport (metro) and a free car park is on offer. But the best way to get there will probably be by taxi. The club has 3 areas and has the potential to be a driving force within the Barcelona´s nightlife.

You hit the main dance floor immediately once you enter the club. It’s a standard area without any special touches or decoration although there is a VIP area lining on side of the dance floor. On the opposite side there is the main bar and small smoking area.
The main attraction is the open air terrace at the back of the club which is open in the summer.

The DJ in the main room plays commercial dance and in the terrace one can hear mainly hip hop again more commercial than underground. The club, as stated, caters for an older crowd who just want to have some fun and dance to music they know. Ribelinos has recently opened their Sky room situated on the upper floor and curiously it is for people aged 25 and over.

This new area has 2 private areas and one bar and adds to the exclusivity of the club. There is also a restaurant which closes at midnight just in time to open the disco. Finally apart from hosting club events, Ribelinos is used by humorists who offer monologues to anyone interested in listening to them while dining. 
 
The staff work hard and attend their clients quickly and efficiently. The security staff is not over bearing and can even be seen to smile. This is a good tactic as the clubs strategy is to attract people with money, make them feel comfortable and not ostracized or unwelcome. The bar staff are also good humoured and serve drinks at a great pace. Being a more sophisticated club means drinks are not cheap. Again 6 euros or more for a bottle of bear and 10 euros and up for a long drink.  
 
Finally the club offers a number of extra services which indicates that the management is keen to offer their clients all kinds of extra touches like florists or photographers. I have spent a number of good nights in Ribelinos. The atmosphere is pleasant and everyone is having a good night. The staff are not intrusive and the security is not ever present but in fact quite discrete.

The music is fun and commercial and the crowd can be quite glamorous but by no means over the top. The only problem is getting to the club but taxis are not too expensive in Barcelona.
They do need more clubbing nights and a little more variety but in general it is safe bet and a descent club.

Address: Avinguda Diagonal 661 -671

Website: http://www.ribelinos.com

Phone: 934 486 875

How to get there: by metro  - Zona Universitaria (Green Line L3)

Email: info@ribelinos.com

Working hours: Restaurant 9 P.M. – 00.45 A.M.
Disco – from Tuesday till Saturday from 00.30 A.M. till 6 A.M.

Otto Zutz

Otto Zutz has seen many transitions over the years but always seems to pull in the crowds. In the late 90s it was the Nº1 club in Barcelona and home to many famous Spanish celebrities. Nowadays it does not have the same prestige but it is still one of the most important clubs in Barcelona.
 
Otto Zutz is quite a dark club and has an industrial warehouse feel to it. It has 3 floors and 4 different styles of music. This is a major plus for any clubber as they will at least like the music of one of the dance floors.
 
The first floor is now dominated by Hip/Hop, Rap and a bit of Reggaeton. The DJs don’t just play the hits but do try to influence the crowd by playing some more underground beats. An MC sometimes makes an appearance screaming down the microphone in Spanglish in order to get the crowd moving. It’s a very vibrant floor with a lot of gyrating and dirty dancing.

Climbing up the metal staircase to the second floor one can hear good quality house music and not too commercial. The other half of the floor has a smaller dance floor with more retro music and an anything goes music policy.

Finally the top floor is the VIP area. To get in you need to have contacts on the door or charm the security guard who in general does not let anyone in without authorization. The VIP area is small and intimate and a good place to rest before returning to the madness below. On any given Friday or Saturday the club is packed by 3am and there is normally a long cue so get there early. I must say that the clientele is not the friendliest. There seems to be a few wannabe gangsters aged 18 especially on the first floor but apart from them there is a general mix of locals and foreign clubbers.
 
The price on the door is 12 euros with one drink included. The drinks are standard Barcelona prices, 6 euros for a bottle of beer and 10 euros for a long drink. One can buy bottles in the VIP floor and in the VIP area on the first floor. Bottles go from 120 euros between 4 people.

The security staff is strict and keeps order well. They are especially conscious of noise on the street as the club is next to some residential apartments and in Barcelona the residents have a habit of closing down nightclubs.
 
Otto Zutz does not invest in any big name DJs or any special events. They rely on the fact that they have 4 different cancellers and a prestigious name. For me, the club has gone downhill due to the selection of people they let in to the club. People seem to be having a good time and it is worth a visit if you are staying in Barcelona for a long time. However if you are here for only a few days there are friendlier clubs to visit which should be higher up on your clubbing agenda.

Address : Lincoln 15

How to get there:  by metro L3 green line Fontana, by FFGC (Ferrocariles Catalanes local train system) Gracia, Plaza Molina     

Webpage: http://www.grupo-ottozutz.com

Phone:  (34) 932 387 324

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