Zaragoza seems sleepy and low-key until after around 11pm, when things perk up. A good place to begin an evening's bar- and pub-crawl is Plaza Santa Cruz. A particularly animated bar belongs to a restaurant, Club Náutico, Paseo Echegaray y Caballero, in front of Plaza Pilar (tel. 97-690-02-05), which overlooks the muddy waters of the Ebro River.
A popular tapas bar worth a visit is Casa Luis, Romea 8 (tel. 97-629-11-67), whose array of shellfish tapas includes oysters, shrimp, and razor clams in little bundles. It's open most of the year (closed in June and last 3 weeks of Nov), Tuesday to Sunday 1 to 4pm and 8pm to midnight. A glass of house wine costs 1.20€ ($1.75), and the tapas range from 1€ to 4.20€ ($1.45-$6.10.)
If you just want to barhop and try different tascas, most of which aren't even identified with signs, consider a promenade along Calle Dr. Cerrada (near Plaza Pamplona), nearby Calle Dr. Casas, or Calle La Paz.
Other hot spots around town include Bull McCabe's, Calle Cádiz 7 (tel. 97-622-50-16; fax 97-622-50-16), hailed by its patrons as the best Irish pub in Aragón. It's spread across two floors, hawking pizza and sports on big TV screens. It closes down at 2:30am every morning. McCabe's is for boys who like girls. For boys who like boys, head to Mick Havanna, Calle Rámon Pignatelli 7 (tel. 97-628-44-40), with its long bar peopled by hotties and its zebra-striped wallpaper. Open daily 5pm to 2am.
