Things to do in Barcelona
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MondoRent
MondoRent rents scooter.
reviewed
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Mauri
Ever since it opened in 1929, this grand old pastry shop has had its regular customers salivating over the endless range of sweets, chocolate croissants and gourmet delicatessen items.
reviewed
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Casa Almirall
In business since the 1860s, this unchanged corner bar is dark and intriguing, with Modernista decor and a mixed clientele. There are some great original pieces in here, like the marble counter, and the cast-iron statue of the muse of the Universal Exposition, held in Barcelona in 1888.
reviewed
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Restaurant Elche
With tables spreading over two floors, and old-world style in service and settings, this spot has been doing some of Barcelona's best paella (of various types) and fideuá (vaguely similar to paella, but made with vermicelli noodles) since the 1960s.
reviewed
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Can Majó
Virtually on the beach (with tables outside in summer), Can Majó has a long and steady reputation for fine seafood, particularly its rice dishes and bountiful suquets (fish stews). The bollabessa de peix i marisc (fish and seafood bouillabaisse) is succulent. Or try a big graellada (mixed seafood grill). Sit outside and admire the beach goers.
reviewed
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Xemei
Xemei (‘twins’ in Venetian, because it is run by a pair of twins from Italy’s lagoon city) is a wonderful slice of Venice in Barcelona. To the accompaniment of gentle jazz, you might try an entrée of mixed cicheti (Venetian seafood tapas), followed with bigoi in salsa veneziana (thick spaghetti in an anchovy and onion sauce).
reviewed
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Cometacinc
In this grand medieval space, the kitchen constantly produces a changing menu that criss-crosses all boundaries. The elegant candle-lit wooden tables over two floors set an intimate mood for, say, some tonyina vermella a la brasa amb confitura agre-dolça de albercoc (charcoal-grilled red tuna with chutney). It also has a fair range of tapas.
reviewed
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Best Of Spain
15 days (Madrid)
by Intrepid
Soak up art and culture in Madrid, Spend a fascinating day in medieval Toledo, Uncover the opulent rooms and lavish gardens of Alhambra Palace in Granada,…Not LP reviewed
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Els Quatre Gats
Once the lair of Barcelona's modernista artists, Els Quatre Gats exudes charm with its colourful tile and timberwork (and portraits of some of its former customers). To sample the atmosphere, a drink in the bar will suffice. Otherwise head out to the rear dining courtyard, where the 1st-floor veranda is the ideal spot to enjoy standard Catalan fare.
reviewed
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La Llavor dels Orígens
In this treasure chest of Catalan regional products, the shop shelves groan under the weight of bottles and packets of goodies. It also has a long menu of smallish dishes, such as sopa de carbassa i castanyes (pumpkin and chestnut soup) or mandonguilles amb albergìnies (rissoles with aubergine), that you can mix and match over wine by the glass.
reviewed
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La Tomaquera
The waiters shout and rush about this classic place, while carafes of wine are sloshed about the long wooden tables. You can’t book, so it’s first in, first seated (queues are the norm). Try the house speciality of snails or go for hearty meat dishes. The occasional seafood option, such as cassola de cigales (crayfish hotpot) might also tempt. And cash is king.
reviewed
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Los Caracoles
Run by the fifth generation of the Bofarull family, ‘The Snails’ started life as a tavern in 1835 and is one of Barcelona’s best-known, if somewhat touristy, restaurants. Several interlocking rooms (consider asking for the small medieval-looking banquet room), with centuries of history seemingly greased into the tables and garlic-clad walls, may well distract you from the rotisserie chickens and snails that are the house specialities.
reviewed
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Palau Güell
Finally reopened in its entirety in May 2010 after nearly 20 years under refurbishment, this is a magnificent example of the early days of Gaudí’s fevered architectural imagination - the extraordinary Modernista mansion, one of the few major buildings of that era raised in Ciutat Vella, gives an insight into its maker’s prodigious genius.
Gaudí built the palace just off La Rambla in the late 1880s for his wealthy and faithful patron, the industrialist Eusebi Güell. Although a little sombre compared with some of his later whims, it is still a characteristic riot of styles (Gothic, Islamic, art nouveau) and materials. After the civil war the police occupied it and…
reviewed
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Casa Roviralta
This fancy Modernista mansion is now home to a well-known grill restaurant.
reviewed
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El Corte Inglés
'The English Cut’ is Spain’s flagship department store, with everything you’d expect, from computers to cushions, and high fashion to homewares. The top floor is occupied by a so-so restaurant with fabulous city views. El Corte Inglés has other branches, including at Portal de l’Àngel 19-21, Avinguda Diagonal 617 and Avinguda Diagonal 471-473, near Plaça de Francesc Macià.
reviewed
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Future Zoo (Under Construction)
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Mercat de la Barceloneta
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MACBA
Designed by Richard Meier and opened in 1995, Macba (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona) has become the city's foremost contemporary art centre, with captivating exhibitions for the serious art lover. The permanent collection is on the ground floor and dedicates itself to Spanish and Catalan art from the second half of the 20th century, with works by Antoni Tàpies, Joan Brossa and Miquel Barceló, among others, though international artists, such as Paul Klee, Bruce Nauman and John Cage are also represented.
The gallery, across two floors, is dedicated to temporary visiting exhibitions that are almost always challenging and intriguing. Macba's 'philosophy' is to do…
reviewed
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Barri Gòtic
reviewed
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Gourmet Tour
reviewed
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La Fura dels Baus
Keep your eyes peeled for any of the eccentric (if not downright crazed) performances of Barcelona’s La Fura dels Baus theatre group. It has won worldwide acclaim for its brand of startling, often acrobatic, theatre in which the audience is frequently dragged into the chaos. The company grew out of Barcelona’s street-theatre culture in the late 1970s and, although it has grown in technical prowess and received great international acclaim, it has not abandoned the rough-and-ready edge of street performances.
reviewed
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Modernisme
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Montjuïc
Southwest of the city centre and with views out to sea and over the city, Montjuïc serves as a Central Park of sorts and is a great place for a jog or stroll. It's dominated by the Castell de Montjuïc, a one-time fortress with great views. Buses 50, 55 and 61 all head up here. A local bus, the PM (Parc de Montjuïc) line, does a circle trip from Plaça d'Espanya to the castell. Cable cars and a funicular line also access the area.
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunyais a broad panoply of Catalan and European art. The Romanesque frescos are truly stunning.
Fundació Joan Miró is the definitive museum showcasing Joan Miró's works.
A showcase of typical Spanish architecture…
reviewed
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Museu d'Idees i Invents de Barcelona
reviewed