STAY:
Eixample; I hate to be that person, but I am, I love to stay in the centre of town, and I love the wider boulevard of the Pasaig de Gracia. Any hotel there will do but when in doubt a H10 hotel is perfect and the have a fair few in Barcelona ideally situated. By the beach, the W hotel because just beneath is a fabulous place to have Paella. If you can splash out on it, the Hotel Art with the whale on top is also a good shout.
EAT:
El Pez Vela: beneath the W hotel by the beach is an excellent location for paella and it will come in a pan bigger than your head. It is a little fancy so come a little dressed up even if you are going to the beach later on.
Can Dende; whenever anyone asks me where to go for food in Barcelona, this is my first recommendation; I would board a flight just to have brunch here… EVERY DAY the food is sublime. The pancakes are so perfect it makes me week; wash down with a Rossini and you are in heaven. Get there early, and still be prepared to wait.
El Petit Princep is also a good spot for breakfast, and coffee and mornings generally.
Milk for brunch; I mean I think Can dende is superbly good but this place seems to think they do the best… they do a good one but between them and Can Dende it’s the Can Dende for me.
Arume; this place is sublime, this place is intoxicatingly fantastic… it’s like a wonderland with all the wonders possible. How utterly incredible. If you cannot get to El Pez, this is the place to eat Paella; its really good, they have a duck variation but the classic Galician option is perfect. .
CHOK; you want a good cookie? This is the best cookie I have ever had. A cronut too… this is the only place I want to have dessert in the world. Sorry Paris.
DISFRUTAR: Once in our lifetime we ought to go outside of the norm of dining for the sake of dining and dining to experience magic and Disfrutar is magic. It is possibly, arguably the best restaurant in Barcelona, the menu is thoughtful. It reminds me of dining in Nuremberg, Essigbratlein where the check explains every item on the menu because it matters to them that we know how much they take our being there seriously, that we leave never forgetting where we have been and you simply never forget Disfrutar… I mean at two hundred plus euros and 28 courses how could you? But the thing that will most impress you is that it is not matter of fact a flamboyant plate, this was quiet luxury before it became a thing.
La Pubilla: hop off the well-trodden path to Graćia for something a little more homely. Catalan dishes made with the freshest of ingredients, you won’t regret it.
SEE & DO:
GAUDI; everything about the city is wrapped up in the softness of Gaudi, from the Park Guëll to his home to the buildings, therefore walk the city and discover Gaudi’s love letter to the city. It is so obvious.
SAGRADA FAMILIA; even in its current state this church is truly breath-taking; the construction inside is like that of a forest with the knaves resembling the top of the forest. On the front is the birth of Christ and on the back is the passion. Every aspect of the church represents every stage in Jesus life. This is the place to take your time visiting. You will and should be there for hours it is well worth it. please book ahead.
NOU CAMP; If you are in town when a game is on, definitely muster the courage to watch; it’s an experience.
PICASSO MUSEUM: there is something about the work of Picasso that fills one with hope and there is plenty of hope here.
Alzuetta Gallery: for the more contemporary art lovers amongst us, this is the perfect gallery for you; its very moden with thought provoking pieces weaved through the theme of exhibitions on show here.
Espai Corbero Complex: designed by Xavier Corbero the dreamlike space is something to behold and worth seeing. It reminds me of an Escher painting where nothing is ever as it seems on first or second glance… it takes a few more glances to make it make sense or it may never. And that’s the thing about this labyrinth of 300 arches through nine buildings and twelve courtyards. This is definitely a case of art being subjective because some might think this an enormous waste of time and space and other think it a master piece and as for the artists it was simply a space to create that is never really finished. You be the judge when you do visit.