Meet the City: Barcelona

With its unique Catalonian culture, delicious tapas, and major architectural landmarks, Barcelona has long had a place on all kinds of tourist itineraries. Nearly 9 million tourists visited Barcelona in 2015 and many more come for work and study—and thanks to the city’s good vibes and good weather, some of them decide to stay. Italian and Chinese, Pakistani and Argentinean, they infuse an already easygoing population with an international mix of people who appreciate the good life.

Barcelona is huge—a sprawling city that climbs hills, spreads itself down boulevards, and pours itself into the sea. Its top sights, like the unfinished Sagrada Familia, the magical Park Güell, and the medieval-turned-hip neighborhood of El Born are worth a visit. But tourists curious about what Barcelona’s “good life” entails will have to get off Las Ramblas—the city’s tourist artery and a “great place to get pickpocketed and buy once-frozen paella with terrible sangria made from a mix,” according to one local.

Spend some time just hanging out, and here is what you’ll find. Shirts and sheets blowing in the wind on laundry lines overhead, alongside Catalonia’s unofficial “Estelada” flag for independence. Young people juggling and slack-lining in the park. Surfboards perched on bikes on their way to the beach.  

To get a taste of a neighborhood where people really spend their time, locals recommend the district of Gràcia, technically a suburb, but very much in the city. In Gràcia, scooters dart through skinny streets that open up into plazas lined with restaurants. This is Barcelona, so it won’t be easy to find one that opens its kitchen before 8pm, but by 10pm, you’ll find groups of families and friends enjoying the plazas every night of the week. Grab a seat and order some of the ubiquitous patatas bravas. Bedtime is later down here, and for those unaccustomed to the pace, it may feel like time has been suspended and the day extended. More time to enjoy the good life.

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I recommend...

DO

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Accept the challenge of ordering tapas for one. (You can't over-order.)

READ

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• "The World's Team," by Grant Wahl, Sports Illustrated, October 2012
• "Catalonia's push for independence from Spain," BBC, November 2015
• Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, 1938

EAT AND DRINK

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• Satan's Coffee Corner for lunch and a coffee
• Old Fashioned for a gin tonic served with style
• Bar Bitácora for tapas on a terrace by the beach 

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The City Guides You'll Meet

Join Sofia and the other locals chilling in Gràcia

Take a few escalators up a hill with Anahin for a perfect view of Barcelona

Get to know Barcelona by searching for the city's best coffee and cakes with Franca

Spend your entire day outside with Elias

Wander into the Gothic Quarter with Tanya until it spits you out

Go out with Guido one night and learn to bachata

Take Antonio's specialty coffee tour

Have a fun, free day with Ruth--then splurge on tapas

Getting to know the neighborhood with Sofia

What I like about Barcelona’s neighborhoods is, if you go to Barceloneta, it feels like a different city than Gràcia. If you go to Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia or Plaça de Sol in Gràcia, you can get great tapas and it’s more local, and less touristy.

Barcelona's skateboarders hang out in front of MACBA, Barcelona's museum of contemporary art.

There are other places that are also really cool, but maybe a little more touristic: Born and the Raval. There is a street called Carrer de Joaquín Costa? It’s a street with really cheap bars--you can get French fries for, like, one euro in the Raval. Afterward, you can go to MACBA. All the skaters gather there, and it’s really fun with all the bars around there.

You know, I don’t really know the names of any of the bars. Like for me, I’m gonna be honest, I just sit at the first place I see. Because I’ve never had bad food here in Barcelona. But maybe that’s just because I like food a lot, so it’s not fair. But I can’t tell.

I don’t live in a tourist place. I live in Gràcia. I love this place called Toyo. It’s maybe not the best sushi in town, but it’s local and it’s cheap. 15 euros, and you can eat whatever you want—it’s a buffet. I also eat a lot of hummus. It’s not Spanish, but I love it, I always order the hummus.

For me, Gràcia has a lot of spirit. It’s very local, and very…it’s different. During the night, in Plaça de Sol, everyone gathers and sits on the floor, just to hang out with friends, play music, drink something. For me, it’s more about the gastronomy and the little boutiques. You have Verdi Street, a pedestrian walk. You have any kind of food you want, a cinema, clothing stores.

A casual weeknight out at the cinema on Carrer de Verdi.

Gràcia is full of short, narrow streets that welcome pedestrians with restaurants and shops. Lively in the evening, totally asleep in the afternoon.

For me, Gràcia is all about promoting another side of Barcelona. You know? Sometimes you’re gonna want to spend 10 euros more for a jacket that’s not from H&M or Zara, and they do that here. It’s more cultural, and they really push the neighborhood. Everyone helps each other, the food is really good. Just, on Sundays a lot is closed, and everything closes for siesta from 2pm to 5pm.

The thing about Barcelona is that locals are really pushy about keeping the local culture. Las Ramblas is very touristic, but it’s like, in Barcelona, they are keeping their originality through different neighborhoods. For example, around Sagrada Familia, you can walk like the two blocks around it and you have all the craziness. But it’s still a local neighborhood outside of those two blocks. Barcelona people really want to fight to keep something, to just keep it like a little place. And that’s Gràcia. You can experience one day, a couple of hours in Gràcia, and take the bus to Las Ramblas, and you’ll feel like you’re in a different city. And that’s the charm. 

Exploring Montjuïc with Anahin

Mies van der Rohe's marble-covered Barcelona Pavilion was designed for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition as Germany's national pavilion. It was disassembled the next year, but reconstructed in the 1980s because of its architectural and historical significance.

I think the only place that people tend not to explore too much when they visit Barcelona is the Montjuïc area, which is really great.

There’s the CaixaForum. Right now they have an Egyptian exhibit, and it’s really good. Right in front of that is the Mies van der Rohe pavilion. He was the founder of the Bauhaus movement, and is my favorite architect. He’s the one who coined the expression “Less is more,” and that’s the house. He’s just such a minimalist. The pavilion was built for the Barcelona International Exhibition, and they just kept it up.

Ascend to the gardens of Montjuïc via escalator and you'll find hilariously opulent waterfalls--and a great view.

Then there are the gardens of Montjuïc, and on top you have such a great view of everything in Barcelona, down to the sea. All the gardens have names. Then on top of everything you have the Olympic rings, and everything that was built for the ’92 Olympics. There’s hours of things to do there, and it’s not as crowded. You can see the whole city. On the weekends, they have Piknic Electronik, on a hillside. They have food trucks that come in, and electronic music. After the summer is over, they have Brunch Electronik instead.

Then, on the walk down from Montjuïc, down the Parallels, there are a whole bunch of restaurants and cafes. It’s a good exploration.

The best coffee and the best cakes according to Franca

Breakfast of banana bread and a latte at Onna Cafe, tucked away on a quiet street in Gràcia.

I always want to try all the cafes in Barcelona. I love coffee, and I love cakes, so I always go with my roommates around to try the cafes. I am still exploring myself, I’ve lived here for just three months.

I really like Onna Cafe, in Gràcia. I like the baristas, they’re really nice, and the atmosphere is really relaxing. It’s very small, and a lot of locals go there, which I like about places. I go there everyday now, so it’s like, we talk a little bit and they know me, so that’s nice. The coffee is delicious, and you should take the banana bread and get them to heat it for you. Onna might be the best in Barcelona, for coffee. For cakes, Spice Cafe has the best cakes. If you love cakes, you have to go there and get the carrot cake. There are so many cafes in Barcelona. It’s like, it’s really important here. And at Onna, they know about coffee, and they can explain why they do what they do. 

For other things to see, the bunkers. Park Ciutadella. Montserrat, if you have time for a day trip. I love Montserrat. It’s in the mountains, so it takes a little while to get there because you have to take the train and the funicular. The views are just amazing.

What do you love about Barcelona?

I like the lifestyle. It’s so different from where I lived before, in Holland. Of course, the weather makes people live more outside. For Spanish people, the important thing is family and friends and enjoying together, and people are so friendly and warm. I think people are less stressed here. In Holland, it’s like there’s a tight schedule, and you have to go to this, and that, and this obligation, that obligation, and here, it’s more relaxing.

From park to park with Elias

Designed by Antoni Gaudí, Park Güell was meant to be part of a housing development in Barcelona's hills. Gaudí eventually ended up living there himself, and his home is today the Gaudí House Museum. Today the park is a municipal garden and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts swarms of selfie stick-bearing tourists--but still offers pockets of quiet.

OK, the first thing that I would do is Park Güell. It’s by far the most crowded thing ever, but it’s so worth it. Of all the Gaudí things in Barcelona, and there are a lot, Park Güell is the one you should go to. It’s also the cheapest, like 10 euros, and you just get a sense of Gaudí's style and flavor. It’s really fantastical. Also, it’s nice to just be outside instead of in a building. I’m more outdoorsy, so I like the parks here.

Park Ciutadella is a relaxed open space full of jugglers, slack-liners, and the kids who love to watch them.

I’d rent a bike, also, and bike through Park Ciutadella. They have a fantastic fountain there that looks like it belongs in Vegas, but it’s here—which is awesome. It’s always busy there, but never too crowded. It’s a nice place to watch life and watch people.

From there, bike to the beach, and just see how well manicured the boardwalks are. During the summer, it’s a really nice place to swim.

Then I’d head to the Gothic Quarter or Gràcia to grab something to eat. Cal Pep is really good, but the wait is long. It’s Basque style pintos and tapas. I like the service there, because they’re really generous with recommendations. Last time I was there, the waiter was cheering us on when we were finishing our food.

There is also a place called Cervecería Catalana, one of the most popular places in the city. It’s always crowded, but if you’re OK sitting at the bar, you can generally get seated in ten minutes.

There’s another place called Gata Mala. You have to make a reservation, though. They’re one of the few places that still does the free tapas with beer thing. Best patatas bravas I’ve had in the city, by far. Anything on the menu is really good.

Most delicious thing you’ve eaten in Barcelona?

Navajas are really good. Razor clams. It’s like a clam that has a more buttery texture. I never saw them in the States, but it’s pretty common here.

Lost in the Gothic with Tanya

I always tell people to just get lost and enjoy the architecture. You can find so many other sights in guidebooks, but Barcelona is a good place to just walk around.

I love the Gothic Quarter. It’s a good place to get lost. It has a special spirit, because it’s the old part of the city, and the architecture is different. In the Cathedral Square, if you go and turn to the right and go inside the Gothic Quarter, there are lots of small streets and squares. I still don’t recognize all of them. You can find cafes and restaurants everywhere. Just go and look for the smallest street you can—it’s like a labyrinth.

The Plaça Sant Felip Neri, a quiet plaza with a fountain and trees, was bombed during the Spanish Civil War in 1938. The scars of the bombing are still visible on the church. 

There is one place here that is my favorite. It’s a hidden square, with a church with a primary school. It’s a very calm place, so if you want to take time to think about something, it’s a good place to go. Everything else here is noise and people, and then you walk in and it’s very relaxing. 

What do you love about Barcelona?

I love that you can get anywhere walking, and enjoy the walk. The weather is also great, of course. And I like that it is a friendly, multicultural city--I’m Russian. The people are so nice, and open to help and to meet other people. 

Dancing and drinks with Guido

I personally like Latin American dancing. The Latin American dancing scene is quite big in Barcelona, quite popular, because there are many South Americans living here. What I like about it is, I like the expressivity of the soul. The soul of someone comes out completely when you’re dancing—body language comes out, totally. You deliver your emotions to others, by dancing!

Antilla has a bar, but people come for the dancing.

If you get out and enjoy the discotheques around the city—well, just know the ones by the beach are very touristic! 

Old Fashioned is a tiny spot in Gràcia serving up delicious drinks.

The best place for dancing is Mojito. There’s a good balance between the people, the level of dancing, the service, the kind of music. I found out about it just from Internet searching. There’s a big online community here. One big site is Udance. They teach different styles of dancing, like salsa, bachata. And they collaborate with Mojito. Another one is Dio Club. Dio, like God. That one is in Gràcia, it’s very good. Antilla is also very typical dancing, every Wednesday to Sunday night. Mojito and Dio are both Thursday nights

If you like cocktails, there’s La 9, a cocktail bar in Born. Another one that’s good is called Creps al Born. And another good one, a bit further from that place, just 100 meters, is Guzzo. They play hip hop, jazz, and funk music. It’s a very fancy place, I like it. Then, Dry Martini Cocktail Bar. Ocana. Makamaka, close to the beach, is nice. The service is quick, the price is friendly, it’s all good.

There’s another one that is very charming. It’s called Old Fashioned. It’s small—maybe 15 seats, no more. They have a huge cocktail menu, and a very professional one. 

Barcelona's new wave of coffee with Antonio

True Artisan

So, I can tell you where I get coffee. I usually do a small tour when my friends come to the city, and I like to show them the coffee places—and I like to drink the best coffees. At the same time that I do the coffee tour, we can visit the rest of the city. 

In Barcelona, there are maybe six places that do coffee. And this movement is really about having a new mentality about coffee. In Spain, there’s not a big coffee culture. There was not a high quality of beans, people didn’t know the taste. But it’s starting to change. 

Nømad Coffee

The culture started to change a year and a half ago, when the first specialty coffee shops started opening. The thing is, in Spain, people drink a lot of coffee…but it’s not important. The barista pushes a button, the coffee goes fast, like water, and they just drink it like a shot, like “Ugh,” and move on. But the taste of the coffee is, you know carbon? It tastes burned. For sure, if you try the coffees around Spain, you will understand. People burn the milk, so it just isn’t good to drink, and then when the big commercial roasters do the roasting, it’s dark dark dark roasting, and people put so much sugar in. Here, people don’t know V60 or Aeropress. They see it and they ask, what is this? So we have to teach them, and give them a taste.

Satan's Coffee Corner

I like to get coffee at True Artisan. It’s near Arc de Triompf. And Nømad is also nearby, in the Gothic Area. I also recommend you go to Satan’s Coffee Corner. There are a few more places. Animal Coffee Bar. Skye Coffee. Skye Coffee is really curious because they’re a—you know co-working? Under the co-working is an old silver bus, and the barista is inside the bus. It’s a cool concept. But the barista probably feels like they’re in a prison, right?

In London, there are a hundred coffee shops. But in Barcelona, we are five or six places, and we know that. So everyone works hard to be the best. It’s a good time to do a tour. I would also visit Cafés El Magnífico. This is the oldest coffee roaster in Barcelona. Oldest, but not the best—but if you do the tour, you have to go see them.

Barcelona for free with Ruth

The "L'Estel Ferit," or "The Wounded Shooting Star," by Rebecca Horn, is composed of four steel blocks and was commissioned for the 1992 Olympics in honor of the local Barceloneta neighborhood.

Part of (the free part of) Gaudí's Park Güell.

I always like to walk down to the beach, if it’s a sunny day. Free! It’s the beach, right, so it’s always free. Sometimes they also have free yoga or meditation sessions. Gaudí's Park Güell is also free if you don’t want to pay. Well, for the more touristy things, you have to pay to get in, but the park itself is free. It’s just a park on top of a mountain that has an amazing view.

If you want to avoid the tourists, go to Gràcia. There’s slightly more alternative stuff there, it’s a mix of things. There are some Japanese tapas places—one’s called Samsara. You know, they take some sushi, and they take some tapas, and put it together. 

Personally, I prefer the more traditional tapas. El Glop is a good one. Very traditional Catalan food, not too expensive. You can get paella, tapas. In January until about April, they have calçotada, with these giant green spring onions. You’re supposed to grill them and dip them in romesco sauce. You might find it outside of those months as well, around Barcelona, but I don’t know why. Personally, I don’t like them, because it just gives me indigestion, but it is a very traditional Catalan thing.

And if you don’t mind the tourists, La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter. But I tend to avoid these areas most of the time. My favorite neighborhood is Gràcia. I moved there 12 years ago, and I won’t move again. You can get everything you need there—shopping, movies, restaurants. It’s getting quite touristy, because there are a lot of hostels there, but the neighborhood is still there.