One of the latest chic clubs to pop up, Solo is puzzling on-lookers at the long lines of a mixture of Catalan cava empire offspring, well-off middle-aged men and women, and modely types. Even Custo has been rumored to be among the crowd. Walking past on a typical Saturday night, there are three different and distinct clusters outside. There are the new arrivals primping before braving the clipboard clad doorwoman with military-precion bangs. People on line waiting to be beckoned forward and drilled, a la Studio 54. Finally, the ‘riff-raff’ at the corner who couldn’t talk their way in and find solace in Xibeca forties.

So, what is going on in Solo? For one thing, it’s great for people watching, like a zoo that cages in the rich and beautiful. The owners, Robert formerly of Danzatoria and Opium Mar, and Christian seem to have the secret formula for these places. First the glamorous are ushered in, then everyone else yearning to get close to them. Apart from the standard superstar DJs spinning house, r&b and hip-hop and expertly mixed drinks, Solo is also a restaurant. A dinner highlighting the preferred flavors of the owners, Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean and more, will set you back €35-40.

Still one wonders, why now? Especially with the crisis. It comes back to an obsession with being next to something bigger and better. It’s a rush to live in a more priveledged world, far away from the mortgage payments headaches.