I could divide a room of people based on whether they like Barca and think it's charming and fun or whether they think it's full of pretentious hipsters. Although I'm pretty close to straddling the line, I lean slightly more to the "I think it's charming" group. The walls are dark and red, and there's a nice stairway to the upstairs/balcony area that is lit by a string of white Christmas lights. Although I dislike the fact that I actually have to dress up a little, I don't mind being in a room full of well-manicured, social people; I just keep to myself and my own circle, though, so I'm not really bothered.
The reviews are true: Lines can be long for drinks. If you stay downstairs, though, you stand a better chance of getting served.
The upstairs area tends to get packed (PACKED!) and so standing around in the designated fire lanes can be dangerous. You'll either end up accosted by one of the bouncers/coolies/Barca bad guys or given rude looks by the waitresses. If you manage to find a seat next to said fire lines, you run a huge risk of having one of the people crowded around spill their drink right on top of you as the waitresses mow them down for being in their way. True story.
The drink lists are longs (they carry my framboise lambic!), the shots are tasty and I've never encountered any sort of cover. The atmosphere and crowds? Up to you to decide.
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