Zaragoza, located about an hour from Barcelona, feels like a return to the good old Spain with a mix of modern and particularly tasty elements. The locals love to go out and have fun (and start late), so you’ll find that Zaragoza has one of the highest concentrations of bars in Spain. All this, combined with a variety of alcohol-related events and food throughout the year, makes Zaragoza a fascinating entertainment hub that you shouldn’t miss! So, if you’ve exhausted Barcelona and Madrid a bit and feel like eating and drinking in a “Old-Time” Spanish style, put something nice on and let’s go out.
Every area has its own vibe
The best way to enjoy Zaragoza is simply to get lost in it – which is a pretty sweeping recommendation for any country in my eyes, just like that you can experience and try without thinking if it’s a recommendation from someone from the country or if you saw it on Facebook. So just start wandering, stop at all sorts of places that smell good to you, sit down and enjoy a tapa or two, have a glass of wine or a vermouth, maybe gin and tonic because the selection is huge, beers or even a nice cocktail – an area in which Spain has developed a lot lately.
The beauty of Zaragoza lies in the balance between old and new. Because it still maintains a classic charm, you can enjoy tapas in a ten-year-old bar one evening, served classic tapas dishes from the local kitchen with blood sausage on a piece of bread alongside a beer, and then continue that evening to hang out until late in the hipster bars that serve plates with pieces of fish and mini decorations alongside crazy cocktails with thick beards, and finish the night in the small hours in clubs with crazy house music.
This rich variety has created areas, complexes for all types of entertainment. We’ve lined up some of the areas for you, and all you have to do is go out for a drink and enjoy. Important to know – the evening in Spain starts very late, so it’s recommended to start in the quieter places and eat something and then move on to the trendier places that only start at midnight.
The Old Town and El Tubo
These are the two most famous areas for tourists in Zaragoza, but they are also leisure spots for locals so don’t worry about tourist traps. “EL TUBO” in the city center, is a center full of tapas bars and small restaurants, so there are many more food options there. To fully enjoy it, just move from one tapas bar to another, nibble on something, have a drink and move on. El Casco, located in the old quarter, is a trendier area. You will find plenty of bars and fashionable clubs there with a variety of music styles and cool people.
Bretón University Area
This is a quiet area, located next to the university and next to Calle Tomás Bretón. It has bars and pubs and fewer clubs, so it’s a great area to start the night quietly, also to eat something and mainly for hanging out with friends over good beer and less parties until the wee hours of the night.
Royo or Moncasi area
In these areas, you will find a younger crowd, the dominant music is hip-hop, techno, and house, and the bars are less tapas-oriented and more for drinks and dancing. Famous places in this area are Amuleto with trendy pop music / Buitaker with Spanish music / Chelus with rock music.
Doctor Cerrada (LGBTQ+ community)
This area is famous among the proud community alongside the salsa scene, so you can find many lesbian and gay bars there, and parallel to learning salsa or just enjoying excellent local music and live performances.
La Zona
This area is in a quarter created by the meeting of the streets Paseo Damas, Paseo Constitución, Cesáreo Alierta and Camino de las Torres. The audience who hangs out and enjoys themselves there usually is around the age of 30, more hipster, and accordingly the bars and pubs are trendier and more fashionable. This is a good area to start the evening.
Reggae in La Magdalena
Located near Plaza de la Magdalena, this is the area to listen to reggae (and of course to chill) in one of the clubs or bars in the area. The audience is very diverse, as befits reggae fans, so everyone feels at home there.
Chill out at “las riberas del Ebr”
The riverbank area of the Ebro River is dotted with cool terraces and bars that will provide you with a relaxed atmosphere and chill vibes that will blend perfectly with the drink and snack against the backdrop of the sunset.
So, where are you going?
If you haven’t decided which area you want to go to tonight, here are some cool recommendations we’ve gathered for you. Our recommendation is just to try and slowly understand which area suits you best.
Juan Sebastián Bar
Juan Sebastián Bar, open since 1982, is one of the oldest and most famous pubs in the Bretón area, and with good reason. Its design is cool, the music is great (rock, blues, and jazz), its mojito is known to everyone, and all this, combined with the fun atmosphere, makes the evening in the place unforgettable. On Wednesdays, there are beer tastings, on Thursdays and Sundays there are guest evenings and monologues. On weekends, you can learn and dance tango and of course enjoy plenty of live performances. Very hot recommendation.
El 35 Gin Club
Our gin lover discovered this cool place called El 35 because it contains about 35 different types of gin and plenty of tonics. Definitely not to be missed. Open from 16:00 until the wee hours.
La Terraza
One of the trendy places in the Bretón area, with a cool green terrace and particularly worthwhile opening hours (17:00-02:00). La Terraza is one of the bars you should visit, the audience is trendy, the music is cool, and of course there are snacks.
Coconut Cocktail Bar
With a tropical atmosphere, cool glasses, tiki cocktails, and lots of energy, Coconut is one of the fun cocktail bars to hang out in. Cocktail prices range from 7-15 euros, the audience is mostly local and ranges from 25-40.
The Old Negroni
A tapas bar that combines the classic Negroni cocktail served here with several variations, up to tapas with local ingredients. Older audience, average prices, and a particularly fun place for Negroni enthusiasts.
Café Escocia
A Scottish tavern serving a huge variety of beers from around the world, and of course, local ones. Café Escocia is open every day from 3:00 pm to 03:00 am.
Bodegas Almau Wine and Tapas Bar
Established in 1870, this wine bar is one of the oldest in Zaragoza. Located in the “El Tubo” area, Almau Wine and Tapas Bar specializes in preserved anchovies and has a breathtaking terrace overlooking the surroundings and the events taking place.
In summary, Zaragoza is a world of old and new, providing you with a taste of old Spain alongside the trendiest spots. It’s cheaper than Barcelona or Madrid, the people are lovely, and Israelis haven’t taken over yet. It offers a huge selection of alcohol and food alongside clubs and bars. In short – perfect.