These are a few of my favorite things – Barcelona recommendations from a local
One of my colleagues is visiting Barcelona with her friends and she asked me to share some recommendations. If you plan to visit Barcelona or you’re already living here and want to discover more, here is what I shared with her.
Barcelona is a superb city — you’re going to have a great time! I’m sure you’ve already made a list of places to visit and things to do. Here are a few ideas and places I like, maybe a bit less well-known.
In general, all the tourist spots are worth seeing. Gaudí’s houses are extraordinary, and so is the Sagrada Família. Don’t forget to book your tickets online in advance on the official websites. There are many sites that sell tickets, but they’re often more expensive, or sometimes even scams. The best thing is really to go through the official site.
For shopping: Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla Catalunya (one of my favorite places — there are lots of terraces and local shops).
Palau de la Música Catalana is impressive. You can visit it or book a ticket for a performance. It’s really very nice.
A touristy but very good restaurant (also on Rambla Catalunya) is Cerveceria Catalana. There’s often a line, but it’s worth it to try the tapas. For dessert, I love torrija — it’s a kind of French toast.
For something quick and very good, I like Honest Greens. There are several locations in the city and they offer healthy food. The brand is mostly plant-based, but they also have chicken, salmon, and beef. Yummy!
Idea for a day outside the city center
A bit outside the center, there’s Tibidabo. It’s very nice to go there, you can climb up the church and the view is magnificent.
On the way back down, it’s worth going to eat at Asador de Aranda. It’s a beautiful and very good restaurant on Avinguda Tibidabo, and the neighborhood is also very pretty. From there, there’s a direct metro to Plaça Catalunya. In the area there’s also the Science Museum, where they’ve recreated an impressive Amazon rainforest.
If you want to go dancing, there are several nightclubs in the Barceloneta area (Pacha, etc.). It’s not bad, but it’s very touristy, with lots of drunk tourists. Barcelonans prefer clubs on Carrer de Tuset, right in the center.
I really liked Sutton. Also take into account that people here go out very late — often after 1 a.m., so the atmosphere really starts around 2 a.m.
For a cocktail, you have to go to Paradiso. It has been voted best bar in the world several times, and the cocktails are a real show.
For paella, I really liked 7 Portes. It’s also very good at Mana 75 or on the beach, Pez Vela is very nice.
Two small negative points about Barcelona
I really don’t like Las Ramblas, especially right now when everything is under construction.
Be very careful with your belongings, especially in tourist areas. Never leave your bag unattended.