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Not all bars are after the same thing. A sports bar is for watching the game, a nightclub for dancing, a cocktail bar for the mixology, a rooftop for the view and an audio bar for listening to music with real quality. Choosing the right type of bar is the difference between a great night and a so-so one.
Looking for the last category? You can experience it at a bar in Medellín where sound is the main character.
In Colombia “going out to a bar” can mean very different things. There is the person who wants to shout a goal surrounded by screens, the one who goes to dance until dawn, the one looking for a well-made cocktail and a quiet chat, and the one who wants to sit down and listen to music the way it should be. They all say “let’s go to a bar”, but they are talking about almost opposite plans.
That is why it is worth knowing the most common types of bars in the country: it saves you the frustration of ending up in the wrong place. Here is the guide, from the loudest to the most carefully crafted, with a special focus on the audio bar, the category the fewest people know about.
What are the most common types of bars in Colombia?
Although each city has its own flavor (the nightlife in Cali is not the one in Medellin or Bogota), most of the country’s bars fall into a few categories according to what they put at the center: sport, mixology, dancing, the view or the music. This table sums up the landscape before we get into detail.
| Type of bar | Why you go | The main character |
|---|---|---|
| Sports bar | Watch the game in a group | The screens and the beer |
| Cocktail bar | Drink well and talk | The signature mixology |
| Nightclub / club | Dance until late | The dance floor and the DJ |
| Rooftop | The view and the after office | The scenery and the atmosphere |
| Audio bar | Listen to music with quality | The sound and the curation |
What is a sports bar?
The sports bar is the bar of sport. Its reason for being is the screens: you go to watch the football match, the Champions final or the fight of the moment, surrounded by people shouting the goals with you. The atmosphere is informal and loud, the menu revolves around beer, snacks and food to share, and the volume goes up or down depending on the minute of the game.
It is the perfect plan when what you want is the collective energy of watching sport in a group. It is not the place for an intimate conversation or for listening to music with attention: there, the broadcast is in charge.
What is a cocktail bar?
In the cocktail bar (or mixology bar) the main character is what you drink. There is a bartender who works like a chef: technique, fresh ingredients, carved ice and signature menus that change with the season. The atmosphere is usually calmer and more intimate than a sports bar, designed to savor the drink and talk without shouting.
A cocktail bar is not just a bar that sells cocktails. The difference is in the intent: there is a thought-out menu, a technique behind each drink and a service that treats mixology as an art, not as an extra.
What is a nightclub or a club?
The nightclub (or club) is the bar of dancing. Everything is calibrated to move the body: the wide dance floor, the lights, the high volume and a DJ who sustains the energy all night. The music is loud and continuous, meant for dancing, not for listening to in detail. The plan runs late into the night, with the dance floor at the center of everything.
The rooftop, for its part, is more of a location than a type of bar: it sits on a terrace or rooftop and its hook is the view of the city. It can be calm at sunset for the after office or ramp up at night, but what it sells is the scenery and the open air.
What is an audio bar and how is it different?
The audio bar (or listening bar) is the least known category and, for many, the most special. Here the main character is not the screen, nor the drink, nor the dance floor: it is the music and how it sounds. An audio bar has a high-fidelity sound system, a person who curates what plays and in what order, and an atmosphere designed for attentive listening while you have a drink.
It sits at a very particular midpoint: it is not a nightclub where you cannot talk, nor a silent cafe where no one talks. It is a place where music is the main character and the volume lets you converse, but also invites you to fall quiet and listen when that track you did not know comes in.
- Define what you want that night Watch sport, dance, have a nice drink or listen to music. The answer tells you the type of bar before you choose the place.
- Check the atmosphere, not just the menu A sports bar is loud on purpose and an audio bar is careful on purpose. Look for the atmosphere to match your plan.
- See who is in charge: screen, dance floor or speakers It is the dance floor for the club, the screens for the sports bar and the sound for the audio bar. That defines the night.
- Book if the place fills up Audio bars and cocktail bars with good curation fill their best nights. Secure your table with time to spare.
Choose the bar where music is in charge
Vinyl, a high-fidelity system and a curation that guides you through the night, in the heart of Medellin.
Reserva tu mesaMala: the group’s audio bar in Medellin
If your plan is the last one on the list (listening to music for real, not having it in the background), Mala is an audio bar in Medellin where high-fidelity sound and the musical selection are in charge. Vinyl, a carefully built audio system and a curation that guides you through the night, with the bar and the atmosphere supporting without stealing the spotlight.
The nights with the best selector rotation fill up, so secure your spot and come ready to discover: it is the category of bar you have to experience to understand.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common types of bars in Colombia?
The most common ones are the sports bar (to watch sport), the cocktail bar (for signature mixology), the nightclub or club (to dance), the rooftop (for the view and the atmosphere) and the audio bar (to listen to music with quality). Each one puts something different at the center of the experience.
What is the difference between a nightclub and an audio bar?
In a nightclub the goal is to dance: the volume and the lights are calibrated to move the body. In an audio bar the goal is to listen with quality: there is a high-fidelity system, a musical curation and an atmosphere that lets you talk while also enjoying the music as the main character.
What is a cocktail bar?
It is a bar where mixology is the main character. A bartender works with technique, fresh ingredients and signature menus, in an atmosphere designed to savor the drink and talk. It differs from the usual bar in the intent and the care behind each cocktail.
Where is there an audio bar in Medellin?
Mala is an audio bar in Medellin focused on high-fidelity sound, vinyl and musical curation. You can book online and experience firsthand the category of bar where music is in charge.
En resumen
- In Colombia several types of bars coexist according to what they put at the center.
- Sports bar (sport), cocktail bar (mixology), nightclub (dancing) and rooftop (view).
- The audio bar is the category where music and its quality are the main character.
- Choosing the right type of bar defines whether the night is the one you were after.
