The Gimlet, Barcelona

Barcelona is a non-stop, twenty four hours a day Bar City. There are the classic "bodegas", dark, smoky hang-outs in the Barrio Gottico like El Portalon, where rough red wine is still stored in ancient wooden barrels, or the packed, hole-in-the-wall Can Paixano, which serves up a dozen different varieties of "cava", the distictive local sparkling wine. Then there are the tapas bars, the best being El Xampanyet, where three generations of the Esteve family prepare the best anchovies you have ever eaten. Or down by the port, you'll still stumble upon a few sleazy "tascas", sailor's bars, or the venerable Marsella, where absinthe afficianados slowly drip water over a sugar cube into a cloudy glass of the legendary hallucinatory liquor.


After midnight, the streets of the Catalan capital are crowded as people head to more fashionable spots, like Benidorm, La Confiteria or the funky Pitin. But one bar simply stands out from all the rest, and surprisingly, there is nothing traditionally Spanish about it. The Gimlet is nothing less than a classic cocktail bar. But here in Barcelona, it is in a class by itself, oozing the kind of style and elegance you'd usually find in a downtown New York cocktail lounge.


The Gimlet is not the easiest bar to find. Although it is in the hot new neighbourhood, El Born. the bar is tucked away down an anonymous sidestreet, with just a discreet neon sign outside, no windows to peek in through, and a heavy, anonymous door. Walk in though, and the atmosphere is immediately electric, the long wooden bar crowded with the hippest elements of Barcelona society, the statuesque barman calmly shaking a perfect cocktail.


The name Gimlet was inspired by the favourite cocktail of Sam Spade, the enigmatic detective created by cult American novelist, Raymond Chandler, and played to perfection in the movies by Humphrey Bogart. In fact, seated on one of the high bar stools, nibbling a peanut and sipping a Gimlet - a potent mix of two thirds Gordon's Gin, one third Rose's Lime Juice, slowly stirred, never shaken - it seems just a matter of time before Bogart or Cary Grant, immaculately attired in a black tuxedo, saunter in, accompanied , say, by Bette Davis or Lana Turner, seductively dressed in a slinky, low-cut cocktail dress. One thing is sure, you won't find many tourists making it to the Gimlet. This is the preferred haunt for Barcelona bar owners to come to relax on their night off, enjoying a Whisky Sour, Manhattan or ultra Dry Martini. There may be actors, artists, musicians or politicians, but this remains essentially an anonymous, locale, where no one takes any notice of celebrities, even if Pedro Almodovar were to walk in.


But like any cocktail bar, the Gimlet is also the perfect place for someone visiting Barcelona, as it is a natural meeting point, where pretty soon, you'll find yourself chatting to the person sitting on the next stool, or getting a feel for this pulsating city from the genial barman, Guillermo, who seems to speak every language.


No city can compare to Barcelona when it comes to the creative use of interior design in its bars, restaurants and night clubs, and the Gimlet is no exception. It is the ultimate example of minimalist chic. In fact, there is no decor, just sober wooden panelling, no tables, just a dozen leather stools lined up alongside the long bar. Having a drink here is like being invited in for a cocktail in the exclusive private bar of the Captain on a luxury cruise liner. Just behind where the barman stands is the one and only decoration, a single 'tablea', a kind of "ex voto", where a local artist creates a small installation every two months. The minimalist concept is not just confined to the decor, as the Gimlet serves no wine or beer, no food, and even the background music - a sultry Juliette Greco chanson or a romantic Spanish ballad - is kept to a minimum. And no one would ever allow their portable telephone to ring in the Gimlet, so thank God there are still some bars in the world offering a refuge from the intrusive beeps of the cell phone.


Like any great cocktail bar, the Gimlet changes personality like a chameleon, depending on what hour you turn up. The doors only open at 7.00 in the evening, while the last customers don't depart till the early hours, any time after three in the morning. At some moments, the bar is so packed you can hardly get in, while at others, there are just a couple of regulars seated at the bar. My own favourite time is just after 8.00pm, the perfect moment for an aperitif, when it is a delight to watch the perfectionist art of the two barmen as they meticulously prepare any drink a customer might request. And I reckon that if any writer should spend enough time propped up at the bar of the Gimlet, he could write a whole book dedicated to "cocktail etiquette".

GIMLET the COCKTAIL
Ingredients
2 ounces gin or vodka
2 ounces Rose's lime juice
2 ice cubes

Method
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir well. Strain into a cocktail glass. Serves 1. This recipe may also be prepared without ice, although this is unusual today. If fresh squeezed lime juice is preferred, add 1 teaspoon sugar to 2 ounces lime juice.

Serves 1.