Lonely_Planet_India_-_October_2019

2 apparentoffspringofadrunkenliaisonbetween
abarandadeli.Mostly,whatitservesarebottles
ofitsownhigh-qualitysparklingwine-forjust
ahandfulofeurosapiece-andvariouscutsof
ham.Thejamónserrano,eatenwithfingersor
hookedonatoothpick,issotenderitmelts
inyourmouthlikewarmcheese.Theplace
iswildlypopular,meaning,thateveninthe
earlyevening,allIcandoissqueezeinand
hopesomebodyclosertothebarwillpassme
myplateandglass.Thisorchestratedchaos
iswhatgivesititscharm.

“Thisisaperfectplace

tostartthenight,right?”

saysAlbertTorras,whosefatherAntoniopened

LaXampanyeriain1969.“We’reinthemiddle

ofeverything,butit’stheatmosphereherethat

makesitspecial.It’seasytomeetfriendshere,

andtomakenewfriends.”

8PMNewfriendsareonething,buttheonly

musichereisthenoiseoftheirvoices.Heading

backupLaRamblatoPlaçaReial,Ifindthe

staircasethatleadsdowntoJamboree.Opened

in1960,itistheoldestjazzclubinsouthern

Europe,anditsintimatestagehasbeentrodden

bythelikesofChetBakerandOrnetteColeman.

Tonight,it’stheturnofBarcelonanativeMagalí

Datzira,whosingsspellbindingversionsof

standardssuchasGeorgiawhilebackedbyher

six-pieceband.Thehushedaudience

1. Magali
   Datzira onstage
   at Jamboree


2. Crowds
   waiting for
   a space at La
   Xampanyeria
   Facing page:
   Sparkling rosé
   in front of the
   counter at La
   Xampanyeria

THE WINTER LIST BARCELONA, SPAIN

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