Things to do in Barcelona
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Dalí
One of the best things about this collection is its superb location in the Royal Art Circle building just near La Catedral. This somewhat hyped display offers 60-odd little-known sculptures by a man who was largely renowned for his paintings. Documents, sketches and photos by and of the artist complete the picture. If you can’t visit his museum-mausoleum in Figueres, this is no substitute, but does provide some clues to the life and work of the mustachioed maestro.
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Hisop
The hippest entrance on this restaurant-jammed uptown lane definitely belongs to Hisop, an elegant dining option where flavour and service are a priority. Black, white and burgundy dominate the dining room décor. Consider the four-course seasonal tasting menu – you might wind up with a melt-in-your-mouth deer sirloin done in truffle, and for dessert a light chocolate and olive-flavoured ice-cream biscuit with a froth of tofu. The wine list is impressive and service immaculate.
reviewed
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Girona and Costa Brava Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
11 hours (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
On this day trip from Barcelona, you will visit the city of Girona in the north east of Catalonia before continuing to the Coastal region of Costa Brava. On…Not LP reviewed
from USD$105.92 -
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El Rincón Maya
Getting a seat in this Mexican eatery can be a trial. The setting is warm, modest and simple. The pocket-sized serves of nachos, guacamole and fajitas all burst with flavour. You’ll also discover lesser-known items like tacos de pibil (pork tacos) and tinga, little pasta pockets of chicken. There are also more substantial dishes for €9.50. The owner-chef spent much of his life in the restaurant business in Mexico City.
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Sense Pressa
Tiny tables for two await in this split-level basement eatery. It serves up exquisitely prepared Spanish dishes, with a wide range of meat and fish options, depending on the season and chef’s whim. You might start with mini-carxofes saltejades amb pernil (sautéed mini-artichokes with ham) and follow with the fetge d’oca al vi d’Oporto (goose liver in port). Splurge on a suquet de llamantiol amb mongetes grosses (lobster and bean stew).
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Can Travi Nou
This expansive 18th-century mansion has several dining areas that stretch out across two floors . The warm colours, grandfather clock and a wholesome, rustic air make for a magical setting for a Catalan splurge. The risotto de formatge (cheese risotto) makes a hearty starter, but the generous mains will please you even more. The arròs caldós amb llamàntol i cloïsses (rice stew with lobster and clams) is irresistible and it also does some tender grilled steaks.
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Cuines de Santa Caterina
With a contemporary feel and open kitchens, this multi-faceted eatery inside the Mercat de Santa Caterina offers all sorts of food. Peck at the sushi bar, tuck into classic rice dishes or go vegetarian. They do some things better than others, so skip the hummus and tarte tatin. A drawback is the speed with which barely finished plates are whisked away from you, but the range of dishes and bustling atmosphere are fun. Reservations aren’t taken, so it’s first come first served.
reviewed
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Xalet Golferichs
This quirky mansion is an oddity of another era on one of the city’s busiest boulevards. Its owner, businessman Macari Golferichs, wanted a Modernista villa and he got one. Brick, ceramics and timber are the main building elements of the house, which displays a distinctly Gothic flavour. It came close to demolition in the 1970s but was saved by the town hall and converted into a cultural centre. Opening times can vary depending on temporary exhibitions and other cultural activities.
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Jordi Labanda Store
Uruguay-born and Barcelona-raised cartoonist Jordi Labanda made a name for himself with his colourful pointed portraits of contemporary 30-somethings in top-flight magazines and newspapers, and murals in the Sandwich & Friends fastish food chain. Now he also does original women’s clothes, in which he has toned down the colours but remains playful in design. In all his work there is an element of biting social commentary, so these are thinking-women’s clothes!
reviewed
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Barcelona Super Saver: Montserrat Day Trip and Barcelona Gaudi Tour
9 hours (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
Montserrat Day Trip and Barcelona Gaudi Tour including Sagrada Familia combines two best selling tours at a discounted price. Start the morning with a tour to…Not LP reviewed
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La Bodegueta Provença
The ‘Little Wine Cellar’ offers classic tapas presented with a touch of class, from calamares a la andaluza (lightly battered calamari rings) to cecina (dried cured veal meat). The house speciality is ous estrellats (literally ‘smashed eggs’) – a mix of scrambled egg white, egg yolk, potato and then ingredients ranging from foie gras to morcilla (black pudding). Wash it all down with a good Ribera del Duero or caña (little glass) of beer.
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Casa de l’Ardiaca
Across the lane from Capella de Santa Llúciainto is the 16th-century Casa de l’Ardiaca, which houses the city’s archives. Stroll around the supremely serene courtyard, cooled by trees and a fountain; it was renovated by Lluis Domènech i Montaner in 1902, when the building was owned by the lawyers’ college. Domènech i Montaner also designed the postal slot, which is adorned with swallows and a tortoise, said to represent the swiftness of truth and the plodding pace of justice. You can get a good glimpse at some stout Roman wall in here. Upstairs, you can look down into the courtyard and across to La Catedral.
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CaixaForum
The Caixa building society prides itself on its involvement in (and ownership of) art, in particular all that is contemporary. Its premier art expo space in Barcelona hosts part of the bank’s extensive collection from around the globe.
The setting is a completely renovated former factory, the Fàbrica Casaramona, an outstanding Modernista brick structure designed by Puig i Cadafalch. From 1940 to 1993 it housed the First Squadron of the police cavalry unit – 120 horses in all.
Now it is home to major exhibition space. On occasion portions of La Caixa’s own collection of 800 works of modern and contemporary art go on display, but more often than not major international…
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Dboy
With pink laser lights and dense crowds of fit young lads, this is one of the big dance-club locations on a Saturday night. Electronic music dominates the dance nights here and, in spite of the 6am finish, for many this is only the start of the ‘evening’. You need to look your gorgeous best to get in past the selective doormen.
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Cinc Sentits
Enter this somewhat overlit realm of the ‘Five Senses’ to indulge in a tasting menu (from €49 to €69), consisting of a series of small, experimental dishes. A key is the use of fresh local produce, such as fish landed on the Costa Brava and top-quality suckling pig from Extremadura. Less ambitious, but cheaper, is the set lunch at €30.
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Ommsession Club
Hanging out in certain hotel bars has become cool in Barcelona. So much so that locals like to hang out in some of them too! The ground-floor lounge Bar Moodern in Hotel Omm is one of the places for beautiful people to preen and be seen. When you’re finished lounging around upstairs, you can head into the basement Ommsession Club, a smallish but fashion dance venue, straight downstairs from Bar Moodern.
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Patagonia
An elegant Argentinean beef-fest awaits in this stylish restaurant. Start with empanadas (tiny meat-crammed pies). You might want to skip the achuras (offal) and head for a hearty meat main, such as a juicy beef medallón con salsa de colmenillas (a medallion in a morel sauce) or such classics as bife de chorizo (sirloin with spicy sausage) or Brazilian picanha (rump). You can choose from one of five side dishes to accompany your pound of flesh.
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La Pubilla del Taulat
Get inside the eatery in this late-19th-century building quickly, as you’ll find the bar has been stripped of all its tapas delights if you arrive much after 10pm. Tucked away in backstreets still partly lined with low-slung houses of another era, this place is a popular stop. All the classics are present: patatas bomba (spicy meat stuffed potatoes), mejillones al vapor (steamed mussels), chocos (lightly fried cuttlefish slices) and more.
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El Cangrejo Loco
Of the hive of eating activity along the docks of Port Olímpic, the ‘Mad Crab’ is among the best. Fish standards, such as bacallà (cod) and rap (monkfish), are served in various guises and melt in the mouth. The rich paella de llamàntol (lobster paella) is superb.
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Mercat del Born
Excavation in 2001 at the former Mercat del Born, a late-19th-century produce market built of iron and glass, unearthed great chunks of one of the districts flattened to make way for the much-hated Ciutadella. Historians found intact streets and the remains of houses, dating as far back as the 15th century.
Excitement was such that plans to locate a new city library in the long-disused market were dropped. Instead, the site will become a museum and cultural centre – the projected date is still undecided.
reviewed
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Cosmocaixa
Kids (and kids at heart) are fascinated by displays here and this science museum has become one of the city’s most popular attractions. The single greatest highlight is the recreation over 1 sq km of a chunk of flooded Amazon rainforest (Bosc Inundat). More than 100 species of Amazon flora and fauna (including anacondas, colourful poisonous frogs and caymans) prosper in this unique, living diorama in which you can even experience a tropical downpour.
In another original section, the Mur Geològic, seven great chunks of rock (90 tonnes in all) have been assembled to create a ‘geological wall’.
These and other displays on the lower 5th floor (the bulk of the museum…
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Air Raid Shelter
This air raid shelter was one of more than 1300 across the city during the civil war. The narrow and winding tunnels were slowly dug to a total of 200m over two years from March 1937. The half-hour tours (generally in Spanish or Catalan but you can book ahead for English or French) provide some fascinating insight into life in wartime Barcelona. Just being inside here and imagining bombs dropping outside is enough to give you the heebie-jeebies.
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Artistic Barcelona Afternoon Tour
4 hours 30 minutes (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
lt;pgt;Discover fabulous architecture by the incomparable Antoni Gaudi on an afternoon tour of Artistic Barcelona. Accompanied by your professional guide, you…Not LP reviewed
from USD$58.99 -
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Alba Granados
In summer ask for one of the romantic tables for two on the 1st-floor balcony. Overlooking the trees, it is a unique spot, with little traffic. Inside, the ground- and 1st-floor dining areas are huge, featuring exposed brick and dark parquet. The menu offers a little of everything but the best dishes revolve around meat, such as solomillo a la mantequilla de trufa con tarrina de patata y beicon (sirloin in truffle butter, potato and bacon terrine).
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El Glop
Step inside this raucous eatery decked out in country Catalan fashion, with gingham tablecloths and no-nonsense, slap-up meals. The secret is hearty serves of simple dishes, such as bistec a la brasa (grilled steak), perhaps preceded by albergínies farcides (stuffed aubergines) or calçots in winter. Try the tocinillo, a caramel dessert, to finish. Open until 1am, it’s a useful place to have up your sleeve for a late bite.
reviewed