Your guide to Barcelona
With all-you-can-eat bocadillos, Spanish architecture, cava/cocktails and panoramic sunsets, BCN is seriously a feast for the soul.
This city is amazing in every single way. The fashion — like Tokyo and Berlin — is so creative. The food is delicious. The wine, and the cava, is cheap. The vibe is impeccable. I have family ties to Spain (specifically Madrid and the Canary Islands which I have yet to visit) and honestly Barcelona just felt like… home.
Read on for some restaurants, bars, hotels and activities I loved as well as a couple suggestions from friends. I don’t know a single person who’s experienced Barcelona who isn’t dying to go back ASAP.
Eat
Your belly and heart will always be full here. A few faves for me:
La Boqueria - an indoor, open-air market that has the best ham and cheese cones you can eat while walking. Also Meson del Champinon (open since the 1960s next to Boqueria)for mushrooms, bread, peppers and drinks.
Can Paixano is the perfect pre- or post-beach stop to wash down little pintxos and sandwiches with cava. It’s a tiny, often crowded watering hole hidden in a quiet alley block near La Barceloneta. Don’t think you’re going to relax here. It’s standing room only, so guests often line up outside as they wait for a spot at the bar. Order a toasted bocadillo (sandwich) with ham, cheese, onions and peppers, a couple croquetas and, of course, a glass (or two or three) of cava. You’ll get your fix for 5 to 10 euro.
Satan’s Coffee in the Gothic Quarter is located at the lobby level of Casa Bonay. It’s fun people watching and just really aesthetically pleasing with killer coffee. Order a latte and a Japanese breakfast, followed by a beer.
Another coffee option (this one’s in the Gracia neighborhood) is Onna Coffee, a cozy little spot that roasts its own beans and sells pastries, too.
Stop in at the art-filled Cafe Cometa in Sant Antoni for fresh juices and salads.
Alsur Cafe - There are a few different locations to choose from for a Latin fusion-style meal (i.e. nachos and guac made with plantains instead of tortilla chips) plus a cheap bottle of cava or a cocktail (have you noticed yet that Spaniards like their cava?) .
Your next stop is El Nacional—a beautifully designed, fancy-ish indoor market that was once an automobile warehouse. Though a little pricier than other restaurants in the area, El Nacional has a variety of bars and food options to choose from. The ambiance alone is reason enough to stop in for a snack and a drink. This is also a good late-night option.
A friend visited the city just a few months ago and couldn’t stop talking about the food at El Pescadito Frito so that’s 100% on my radar for next time.
Drink
There are gin and tonic bars, as well as vermouth bars, all over Barcelona — it’s said that the best G&Ts are found/made in Spain so you can never go wrong ordering one here. My personal favorite at Old Fashioned in Gracia, though, was the mint julep. The bar is best known for its craft cocktails and bartenders who wear tuxes and shake up libations with names like Anything Goes and Al Capone.
Do not and I repeat DO NOT SKIP a visit to Boadas, Barcelona’s oldest cocktail bar. Off Las Ramblas, Boadas was founded in 1933 by Miguel Boadas, a man who learned from the greats at Havana’s famed El Floridita (which Ernest Hemingway used to frequent). This “cockteleria” attracts tourists and locals at all hours of the day and night with its classic cocktails, cheery bartenders and dark, sexy decor.
Instead of ending the night at a club (I wasn't a fan, Ibiza is likely better suited for after hours parties), head to intimate local bar for a nightcap. I loved, loved, loved one called El Tabernito, which we found by just walking around after dinner one night. Sadly, it didn’t make it through the pandemic, but I’m hoping to find other cool, local lounges on my next trip. Any favorites for you? LMK.
Stay
Hotels that double as restaurants offer the best of both worlds.
The Cottonhouse Hotel - Lovely for rooftop lounging, latte drinking and photo opps. Even if you’re not staying, you must swing by for architectural eye candy and a cocktail/coffee pick me up. Batuar, the hotel’s gorgeous rooftop bar has both indoor and outdoor spaces and the patio area is filled with plants, cabana-style seating and oversized rattan chairs.
Casa Bonay is an affordable and hip hotel in Barcelona’s La Dreta de l’Eixample neighborhood with two restaurants and a rooftop terrace (open seasonally). In addition to Satan’s Coffee, the historic building built in 1856 also houses a cocktail bar called Libertine and Bodega Bonay, which specializes in natural wine.
Casa Gracia is a hostel/hotel hybrid with a superb food menu. If you’re staying here, book a room with a city-facing balcony and make sure to snag a reservation at Casa Gracia Restaurant even if it’s just for patatas and drinks. I ate here a couple times — everything was fab. You can also sign up for free yoga Monday through Friday here and a few different types of walking tours. This is a really organic place to meet people.
Play
This feels a little far, but just do it. You will not regret taking the bus or a cab to Bunkers of Carmel at magic hour for a Griffith Park-style hike that leads to panoramic sunset views.
For shopping, Bimba y Lola; I also loved Boo, a small, artfully-curated men's and women's boutique in Gracia. Also Emma Pardos for beautiful, sustainable pieces and Apres Ski for unique, dainty necklaces/pendants and one-of-a-kind home goods.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Sagrada Familia, but there was no line (usually there’s a long wait to get in) so I’m glad I went and never have to go again. Maybe visit from the outside and snap some pics? It is visually stunning even if it’s not really my style.
Other (mostly) outdoorsy things: Gaudi’s House - Casa Batllo and La Pedrera/Casa Mila, Barcelona Pavilion, Jardins de la Rambla de Sants (an elevated walking park a la NYC’s High Line) and Park Guell.
Pro tip: Rent a bike for sightseeing. The city is too pretty to see through the windows of a cab.