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. 

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.