💎 Hidden gems🍽️ Gastronomic🌃 Nightlife🧳 Solo Traveler🗓️ Any Season🎭 Art & Culture🗺️ All-in-one
Upside down ✨
I follow my intuition for big life decisions. And moving to Barcelona after 15 years in faster-than-life London, it was a kinda big one. But also, in a way, a no-brainer. It took just a couple of visits for this place to hijack my soul; the rest just fell into place, universe in smooth sailing. 4 years later, I’m still wildly in love with this barcelonian blend of sunshine, sea energy, quirky hangouts, the mountains casually chilling in the background, and this laid-back, free-spirited culture that has you re-think your entire life.
Barcelona is pure joy, whether you’re here to live, visit or surrender to an inner voice that urges you to turn your life upside down.
This guide reflects my personal experience and taste. Yes it includes some inevitable must-do’s, but also features places with character and tiny touches that tell their own little stories.
Tapas / vermuterias 🇪🇸
Tapas and vermut are synonyms of everyday life in this dense little town. It’s thanks to the vermuterias that Barcelona holds the record of the city with the highest number of bars per capita in the world 🥃 and where is vermut there are obligatory tapas!
Who said vino? 🍷
I’m of the opinion that if you run a place that provides a wine list then you must pay as much attention to the dishes you serve along with it. Barcelona has plenty of wine spots but some are waaaay better than other
Bars + cocktails 🥃
When you finish with bars that you have to queue to get in, feel free to try these little gems. They all have something unique, whether tiny deco details, exclusivity, character or simply good cocktails, I hope you will find a little something to discover.
Coffee 🕰️
Barcelona stinks of specialty coffee places. They emerge like🪳 in every corner. And most of them are actually pretty good. This selection is made of grrreat specialty coffee (can’t get wrong with Nomad) and cute coffee spots with ok-ish coffee (e.g Salterio). So it really depends on what you are after, artisanal coffee or a charming spot to chat over coffee or tea? This list has both!
Brunch + cafe 🍳
Who doesn’t love a good brunch? This city has a sea of them but here are a few that won’t disappoint you.
P for Paella 🥘
You may not be in the birthplace of the original Paella (Valencia) but you can find plenty of decent paella spots in Barcelona.
Good steak alert 🥩
Short and sweet! Two options: the best steak at a reasonable price and a decent steak at a super affordable price.
Ice ice cream baby 🍦
No, not all ice cream places in Barcelona are good. But these are really really good.
Pizza 🍕
Pizza is big in Barcelona. Competition is fierce but these players know how to play to win 🏆
International flavours 🍲
I found late that Barcelona is a gastronomic destination, meaning that people come here to experience its culinary side which I had no idea it had. This is not a Michelin ⭐ list although you may find the occasional starry spot. Instead, the spectrum swings from Malaysian street style comfort food to upscale Lebanese, so come hungry and embrace the lack of coherence.
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