Bodega

O sea, que alguien ya lo ha comentado por aquí, ¿eh?
Es un secreto a voces de una zona muy escondida pero supercéntrica del Born. No tiene nada de otro mundo, pero te hace sentir como en casa. Su dueño es muy majo, tiene siempre «mini-​exposiciones» de artistas amigos, hay libros que te puedes llevar de forma gratuita, buen vermut y la gente que lo frecuenta sabe a lo que va. Para pasarse un buen rato charlando en una bodega auténtica, de las que hacen barrio.

My boyfriend was more than a little disturbed when he asked about my review for this place and I mentioned «dive bar.»
«This isn’t a dive bar! This place is great!»
I had to explain that in «Americanisms,» «Dive Bar» didn’t necessarily mean a bad thing, like a sketchy place. In fact, all the wonderful attributes one can put to a dive bar, Bodega has them in spades.
I keep retyping the name because we know it as «Santi’s,» the owner operator. It’s a local haunt and Santi welcomes his patrons with open arms, a joke and a glass of cheap beer or wine. (Off season prices are here again! Whooooo-​hoooo! Yay for 1 € plonk!)
This place is quite a find because few Catalan run bars are so open to foreigners. (Especially since my Castellano is merely passable and my Catalan dismal.) The Catalans are often accused of being closed, but I’ll alter that to «insular.» They have their friends. They have their family. Who, the heck, are you? I’m sure if there is a Catalan word for «gregarious,» it’s wildly negative.
Come early, because it closes at midnight. Santi’s got a life too you know. If there’s a big Barça match it will probably be closed as well, with Santi at Camp Nou or in a near-​by pub watching the game. Be prepared to mix with local foreigners, Catalans and an American with a fluffy little dog.