Hook 30s / 40s / After Work / Artistic Professionals / Chill / Classic Rock / Conversational / Creative / Art / Music Types / Downtown Chic / Eclectic / Moderate / Non-mainstream / Oldies / Pop / Rock / Smart Casual / Tourists / Trendy Casual / Cocktail Bar

My Take: Antique and silhouetted fairy lighting illuminates this homage to Peter Pan. The life-sized pirate figurines, old maps, and model ships make it seem like you walked into a cross between a Hollywood prop room and a tenured professor’s office. The aptly named Hook’s walls are littered with other pirate paraphernalia and it is hard not to be captivated by the impressive decor as nearly every inch of wall is covered. An upside down carriage hosts one lucky couple and helps to create an intimate, parlor like setting that makes Hook one of the best theme-bars in Barcelona and a great place to step outside the box for a date. The Scene: The music is at first inexplicably soft and disappointingly not in accordance Hook’s pirate theme. Once you get settled however, you realize that the mostly 70s and 80s classic grooves play to Hook’s tenor as an excellent place for a date. In addition to Hook being a great place to strike up a romance, it also has a great mix of students and 50-somethings enjoying its cocktails and taking in its fantastical aura. Cocktails & Cuisine: Hook is a cocktail bar and serves all the classics like Mojitos, San Francisco’s, and Caipirinhas. They also have wine, beer, and champagne (Cava). If you’re hungry, get one of their delicious ham and cheese or chocolate and banana crepes. Prices: Bottles of beer are 2.50-3 euros. Cups of Cava or wine are 2.50 or you can buy bottles for around 10 euros. A pitcher of Sangria is 12 euros and large cocktails cost 6.50. Crepes are around 5 euros. What to Wear: Despite the waitstaff being dressed in pirate attire, you don’t need to follow suit. Hook has a relaxed atmosphere, casual dress is acceptable. Insider Info/When to go: Space is limited and this isn’t the type of place where people crowd around the bar. While seats are constantly in flux, it’s easier to find a place to sit earlier in the night before 10-11 when Barcelona’s nightlife really kicks off.

Hook is a crazy, off the wall Peter Pan-themed bar in Barri Gotic that is great for meeting friends for drinks after work or just chilling after a long day at the beach. My friends and I stumbled upon it by chance once and now we’re hooked! (bad pun I know, but I couldn’t resist, sorry). For some reason Cava seems to be the drink of choice here but I’m not complaining seeing as how it’s a good quality Cava that’s not expensive at all - €2.50 a glass, or €10 for a bottle. If you’re a stickler for a bargain like me do yourself a favour and take a bottle – you get more bubbly for your dime. We got there early which meant we got a nice big table for the six of us, settled in and started a game of cards. Pretty soon the place started filling up, confirming rumours that it is wildly popular amongst curious tourists as well as non mainstream, creative and artsy locals. Whilst the spectacle value is worth checking out I’m pretty sure most won’t end up regulars once the novelty wears off. Our table got more boisterous as the card game (and the bottles of empty Cava) increased, but the young waiter, clad from head to toe in pirate rags didn’t seem to mind and just kept bringing us more wine and peanuts, adding oil to the fire so to speak. The playlist ranges from old school rock to golden oldies like Shirley Bassey, David Bowie and Tina Turner – in fact, they have one whole wall dedicated to the diva. This eclectic bar is a treasure cove filled to the brim with maritime paraphernalia as well as showcasing all the characters in Peter Pan, including Captain Hook himself. Every chair, table and wall is different from the next – there is not a single bit of open space left in this busy bar. Hook is a great bar to visit if you are in the mood for something different and magical.