BarCo: Live Music and Full Bar

BarCo is the kind of place that Madrid is good at, a small locale on a winding street playing jazz until five in the morning, the kind of place that makes up for its simplicity with a good atmosphere. Not that it lacks good musicians or a fully equipped bar—or in fact a small downstairs dance room—, it just doesn’t fuzz about with the details: it’s all one big room with ample walking space but little seating choice, one polished bar at each end and a stage where five or six musicians can play comfortably.

It’s jazzy alright, but darker and a bit less big band style than the jazz cafes around town, and with its centric location and late night hours it always holds up as a good place to end up in. Enough to say it’s a couple of streets parallel to calle Fuencarral, near the Gran Via metro—just pass the drunken teens, take a right at the Chinese beer vendor, a left where the prostitute gave you the eye and you’ll be there in a jiff!

Barco is not expensive but not terribly cheap either, but one thing it’s got to account for is dependability of good service and quality live music. Many musicians and bands play in Madrid’s large bar and club circuit, and the ones that filter to here are not exactly amateurs. Although the tendency is to have jazz bands they’re not the only thing that’s in store: it’s not surprising to find rock (sometimes pretty loud) and jam bands on the stage. Wednesday nights are for the sesiones subterraneas held in the basement, where DJ’s make it happen from one to five in the morning. On Thursdays during the same hours the dance floor becomes a place for flamenco shows and dancing.

As for drinks, all beers cost 5 euros while mixed drinks and cocktails cost 8 or 9 euros, one of these drinks is included with the bar’s entrance cost, which is constantly subject to change. Usually Wednesday’s and Thursday’s are free entry while the one drink minimum charge is applied on Friday’s and Saturday’s, but this depends: if a certain band is playing on a weekday  then there is chance there will be a cover charge. At least it’s the entrance, not the bar, that’s a gamble.

BarCo
Calle Barco, 34
915 317 754
Hours:  Sunday’s to Thursdays 22:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. / open until 6 a.m. on Friday’s, Saturday’s and holidays
Metro: Gran Via / Chueca / Tribunal / Noviciado / Callao

By Daniel Sznajderman