Here are a few of my favourite places to eat and drink, and cool things to see and do in Barcelona.
If you plan on visiting La Sagrada Familia or Park Güell make sure you BOOK YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE.
Cool Spots/Things To Do
- Street Art/Graffiti Workshop: in this workshop, local artist Anderson takes you to a legal graffiti wall and shows you how to spray paint/create your own street art.
- Sunset Boat Trip: hop on a small sailing boat and watch the sunset over Barcelona (the boat can be quite wobbly, so if you get sea sick I would skip this one haha)
- Moco Museum: If you are a lover of modern art (like me!) then definitely visit this museum. They have pieces from Banksy, Basquiat, Andy Warhol and more.
- Censored Art Museum: another one for art lovers. This is the first museum of it’s kind in Spain as it’s dedicated to art that has been censored, banned or removed from other exhibitions.
- The World Begins With Every Kiss Mural: a great spot for pictures. This mural is made from 4,000 small tiles made from pictures submitted by Barcelona’s residents.
- Climb to the top of Barcelona’s Cathedral: it’s tough on the legs, but definitely worth it for the views from the top. You can see all the way to the beach, La Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló.
- Visit the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar: it’s in the Gothic Quarter and completely free to enter (very similar style to Barcelona Cathedral if you want to save some money and visit here instead)
- Watch the light show at the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc: every evening between 8 – 10pm (check their website for exact timings) there is a free light show set to music.
Art Galleries
- Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter and El Born is known for it’s many art galleries, here are my faves:
- Maxo Gallery: they have a few locations around Barcelona, and their art prints are super cool.
- Maison Cactus: a tiny art gallery run by local artist Corim.
- Base Elements: a lovely art gallery with pieces from artists born in or living in Barcelona.
Markets
- Gothic Market: every Thursday in front of Barcelona’s Cathedral – they sell vintage photos, stamps, jewellery etc.
Bars
- Dux Gin & Cocktail Bar
- Rooftop Ohla Barcelona: this is one of the fancier rooftop bars in Barcelona (very bougie) and there is always a queue, but it’s definitely worth it!
- El Cercle: a small terrace near Barcelona’s Cathedral. They do food but I would say its best for a cocktail and some tapas (patatas bravas, pan con tomate etc).
- Carlos and Matilda: this bar has lots of tables outside on a quiet square in the Gothic Quarter (embrace the bad service…).
Brunch
- Granja Petitbo
- Billy Brunch: popular brunch chain with various locations across Barcelona.
- Zenith Brunch & Cocktails
- The Coffee House
Random Restaurants (lol!)
- These restaurants don’t serve traditional Spanish food, but I’ve had a great time here:
- Festin – Burgers & Beers
- Pho Hanoi – authentic Vietnamese food.
Ice Cream
- DeLaCrem: three locations across Barcelona, they make super creamy Italian gelato.
Foods to try
- Cacaolat – a chocolate milkshake which originated in Catalonia. The best place to try this is:
- Granja M. Viader – an old-fashioned cafe, open since 1870.
Beaches
- The most popular beach in Barcelona is Barceloneta Beach. I try to avoid this beach, due to overcrowding, pickpockets etc. I recommend these instead:
Walking Tours
- I’m not the biggest fan of free walking tours (as the guides are only paid on tips, and I believe they should get a living wage). BUT this one run by Andy is amazing (leave him a tip if you do go on it!):
Google Map of all my recommendations:
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