Dear Hiro & family
It was a pleasure to meet you all and i will be there tomorrow to check everything so you can really enjoy your stay! 🦾
Here I send you a little list of my recommendations about how to move around. I am missing many places but it’s difficult to keep the list short when you are just in the center and almost everything is worth a visit.
I also have a colleague, official tourist guide, that offer many tours in the city and around. In case you are ever interested on doing some exploring out of the city please let me know and I will ask her for a list of her tours.
I hope you have a great time during your stay and i will do my best to make sure about it 😊
Let’s keep in contact!
My best regards for you
Merce
AT THE APARTMENT & AROUND
Supermartkets:
-Carrerfour: https://goo.gl/maps/gA76V1y7hSKfzz6M6
-Mercat Santa Caterina (💜) :https://goo.gl/maps/fQwcLajacwHEg9fY7
-If you want to live the full local experience, this tiny place sells cooked beans to prepare your dishes at home. Very little things in the city are more traditional than this. You would find this little shops around the corner but this one is the best. Their cheakpeas are like nothing i’ve ate before (Now that i read what i am writing i think i sound a bit crazy 😅): https://goo.gl/maps/dgtYhFDfUkh8TELu8
-Coffee
- La Torna; This little place in the Market it’s really nice and if you are lucky enough you could meet the owner and her moody attitude, part of the charm of the city 😅. They also make quite good bread: https://goo.gl/maps/3YAuQmUWdE5dVREX7
-El café del Born: Coworking vibes in the morning, and nice after work vibes in the evening: https://goo.gl/maps/qytH55WDfmg5Cx5B8
-Plaza Comercial; Around this area there are many places to eat, to have tapas, to have a drink in terraces…https://goo.gl/maps/HfeP7gBZN48zjev79 Basically anything you can need would be at a very close distance. This is the area where everyone likes to live (i live here too 😊)
-Brunells: coffee place + patisserie + sometimes they make the best bread in the city: https://goo.gl/maps/MJRRnVFZcX7vHQL49
TO MOVE AROUND
To use PUBLIC TRANSPORT this card gives you 10 trips. It can be used for metro and bus, even to combine trips. The name is T-Casual
One card/person.
You can also buy individual tickets on the bus directly, but they cost €2.40 and you can not make any transport combination.
You can buy them at any metro station
https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-fares-metro-bus/single-and-integrated/t-casual
UBER here it’s CABIFY. It works the same. You just need to download the app:
https://apps.apple.com/es/app/cabify/id476087442
Taxi service is quite efficient too. The only difference with Cabify is this one is easier to book in advance.
TO VISIT
Here is a list of places you can visit with links to their own website so you can book tickets directly avoiding extra fees from intermediaries providers. They all offer audio guides but you can also hire private tours
La Sagrada Familia: https://sagradafamilia.org
Palau de la Música: https://www.palaumusica.cat/en (50m away from the apartment)
Casa Batllo: https://www.casabatllo.es/en/
Casa Ametller: https://amatller.org/en/ (It was the home of a famous chocolatier, they sell an amazing chocolate here!)
La Pedrera: https://www.lapedrera.com/en
Poble Español: https://poble-espanyol.com/en/
Museo Picasso: http://www.museupicasso.bcn.cat/en
Montjuic Castle: https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/castelldemontjuic/en
Parque Ciutadella (the closest public park) https://goo.gl/maps/RdBtofp4RbmgaXUz7
Santa Maria del Mar (gothic Church): https://goo.gl/maps/uCU9Usjyg9WWCEvE6
Plaza San Felip Neri: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaça_de_Sant_Felip_Neri
TO EAT
-Traditional Restaurants loved by everyone, locals and visitors
Restaurante 7 Portes (💜): https://7portes.com/en/
Botafumeiro: https://www.botafumeiro.es/en/home
Els 4 Gats: https://goo.gl/maps/fKoRdbcHibr3WFLB7
Barceloneta: https://restaurantbarceloneta.com/en/the-restaurant/
El Cangrejo Loco ( = The crazy crab 😅): https://www.elcangrejoloco.com/en/home/
-A few modern recommendations that keep the the traditional vibe
Chicha Bar (💜): https://goo.gl/maps/vLiERGWBHKdjK7179
El Nou Ramonet: https://grupramonet.com/en/
Cinc Sentits ( it means = 5 senses): https://cincsentits.com/en/
Disfrutar (it means = To Enjoy): https://www.disfrutarbarcelona.com (I 💜 This one)
My Way (very stylish 💅): https://goo.gl/maps/x4HfUJFiQZeASHgJA
-International Cuisine
Best italian food, although the decor is quite “something”😅 (💜): https://goo.gl/maps/ibauKmgP5yUGWBNQ9
Le Cucine Mandarosso (Equially good Italian food 🧐) Around the corner of the apartment: https://goo.gl/maps/qu6RWVTGSca1SzJY7
Dos Palillos (Asian 💜 ): https://www.dospalillos.com/en/the-restaurant/
Ikibana (Japanese/Brazilian fusion): https://ikibana.com/home-eng/
Irati Taverna Vasca (Pintxos, so technically not “international”): https://goo.gl/maps/R662fFjDvFUq32Y4A
Xemei (Italian, SO good 💜): https://goo.gl/maps/7TtoHnwdFxSDrHHt5
-Nice places to go for a drink
Paradiso (very cool place if you can get there early. If not, very long waiting line, and I don’t have the patience to wait 😅): https://goo.gl/maps/gP3hEqzxB84CBiMX7
Alchemix: https://goo.gl/maps/SQbBbMC1cTHwp3CQA
Dry Martini: https://www.drymartiniorg.com/?lang=en
Eleven BCN (Located in a rooftop, which always a plus if the weather is nice): https://goo.gl/maps/d44FN1VMneHvSZ9s6
Boadas Coctails (Tiny cool place. My favorite 💜): https://goo.gl/maps/wb4vvVGLDRQgYfBbA
-The best for the end: Sweets and desserts!
Hofmann (best Croissants 💜): https://goo.gl/maps/VQf1Bx5JK1HkuDTS8
Hofmann (best Croissants 💜): https://goo.gl/maps/VQf1Bx5JK1HkuDTS8 Some days the have special creations: On Thursdays they make the best croissant i’ve ever tasted. The name is “Sacher” and if you like chocolate and apricot jam you would love this 💜💜💜💜💜 ( I am obsessed with this place as you can see 😅)
All pictures taken by me 📸*