Travel Guide: Barcelona
{About}
Barcelona has a definite buzz and energy to it. It also in some ways feels a bit like like a city that caters entirely for tourists.
{Stay}
We stayed at Casa Bonay which is an interesting conglomeration of bars, restaurants, a coffee shop and a boutique hotel in a great location. The rooms are very much on the aesthetic-forward end of the spectrum and practicality was definitely lacking but for a few days it was a lovely place to stay. I especially enjoyed the in-room yoga kits and the private roof deck for hotel guests was a great place to enjoy an afternoon breather or a picnic meal. Just down the street is Cotton House which is part of Mariott’s Autograph collection and blew me away from a design perspective. I can’t speak personally to the rooms but I would definitely consider staying here on a future trip.
{Eat}
El Nacional: This is a sort of very upscale food court with several restaurants and bars inside. It gets busy so I would recommend making a reservation at the restaurant where you want to eat and arriving early and finding a bar that looks fun for a pre-dinner drink. We ate at La Llotja which specializes in fish. It will also go down in my ‘best of’ book for the bread, chocolate, sea salt and olive oil dessert.
Restaurante Batuar at the Cotton House Hotel: Sit inside for more of an upscale dining experience or choose a table or lounge set up on the patio for an al-fresco lunch. The daily set menu is the way to go.
Federal Cafe
Little Fern
Bodega 1900
The Green Spot: Veggie food that will please even the meat-eaters in your life in a super chic, loungy space.
La Mar Salada: A lovely spot near the water for a nice dinner.
El Chigre 1769
Elsa y Fred
Gats: People watching and tapas right off Las Ramblas.
{Coffee, Juice and Sweets}
Nomad Coffee
Satan’s Coffee Gula Sana: Gluten-free bakery and restaurant
Hammock Juice Station: Great for a hearty breakfast or juice
Pulp: A fun DIY juice bar
{Do}
Gaudi Museum: Definitely book tickets in advance and book a tower tour if you can. We booked the Nativity tower but due to the high winds there weren't any tours the day we were there. {If that is the case they refund that portion of your ticket.}
Las Ramblas: This is the main shopping street in Barcelona and is dotted with international and local retailers
Casa Batllo: There are Gaudi-designed buildings dotted across Barcelona but this building right on Las Ramblas is particularly arresting.
Parc Guell: You can also book your €5 ticket for the famous mosaic benches in advance which cuts down on the wait and gets you a spot on a free shuttle bus to get you closer to town.
Palau de la Musica
Barcelona Cathedral: I initially baked at the €7 entry fee but it was well worth it. The interior of the cathedral itself is really impressive but if you go later in the day, the ticket also gets you access to the roof deck which has some seriously impressive views. The cathedral also features a very interesting garden on your way to the exit.
Santa Caterina Market
Born Cultural Center: Here you can see excavated ruins of the city from the 1700s.
{Museums}
Picasso Museum
Fundacion Joan Miro
{Yoga}
Glow Yoga
{Shop}
Clay
Beatriz Fuerst
Chandal
Altair Bookstore
La Comerical
La Manual Aspargatera
La Variete
Mercat de la Boqueria
Andrequ
Bonenfant
Eliurpi: The most chic hats you’ve ever seen