Mention Bar Bodega José to Blanes locals, and they’ll know what you are talking about. Most of them can lead you to this popular pub blindfolded.
Bar Bodega José is, after all, a Blanes institution.
Bar Bodego José: Catalan Pub Food At Its Best
Founded in 1962, this pub has gained and kept an excellent reputation for 60 years.
A reputation for what, you ask?
Well, there’s the famous roasted chicken. Rabbit done to perfection. Finger-licking good pork chops. The classic Catalan botifarra sausage (Spanish: butifarra). Succulent gambas, and freshly fried calamares. With or without good fries (chips, for you British folks) and alioli.
Generous portions of good — no, excellent — food, at friendly prices.
And then there are the ’70s and ’80s Music Videos
Bar Bodega José has a fantastic, informal atmosphere. Family-friendly, too.
Locals tend to go here with family or friends — the more people, the better. Of course you’re welcome to come by yourself or your partner.
The bar features three rows of long tables, with wooden benches and chairs. Overhead there’s an odd collection of interesting, seemingly unrelated knickknacks and “antiques.” The walls are lined with photos and record covers featuring singers and bands from the ’70s and ’80s.
Television screens throughout the pub feature a non-stop stream of music videos from those decades, and it is not uncommon for people to sing along.
Bar Bodega José History
Bodega José was founded in 1962 by José Solà. The pub was located across from Blanes’ town hall on Passeig de Dintre.
In 1964 the bar moved to Carrer de Joan Burcet, 17, where it has been located ever since.
In the 1960s and 1970s Bodega José — together with the “El Cortijo” nightclub (then one of the most famous discos in the Costa Brava), the pubs “Mister Ed“, “Caballo loco“, “Can Setmanes” and other bars — formed the party area in Blanes. Bodega José saw many live performances at the time.
In the 1980s Blanes briefly saw a decline in tourism. Many of the bars and nightclubs closed. But Bar Bodega José continued, now under ownership of Kiku, as he is affectionally known.
What’s up with Bar Bodega José’s website?
Bar Bodega José has a website, but it hasn’t been updated since the end of 2009. The password was lost, but for some reason the website hangs on.
Why no new website? Well, as Shakespeare said, “Good wine needs no bush.” (Something good does not need to be advertised.
Map to Bar Bodega José, Blanes
Bar Bodega José
Carrer de Joan Burcet, 17, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
Phone: +34972335078
Opening hours:
Summer: Every day, 7 pm – 11 pm (19:00 – 23:00)
Winter: Friday-Sunday, 7 pm – 11 pm (19:00 – 23:00)
Blanes Tourist Information
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