Best of Barcelona Guide | Travel | London On The Inside

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MANDARIN ORIENTAL

Passeig de Gràcia, 38-40, 08007 Barcelona, Spain Show on map

The Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona is situated in an elegant mid-20th century building in the heart of the shopping and food district. The rooms have great views over the city and some even have terraces of their own. The hotel design takes inspiration from its original Spanish heritage and mixes it with modern design for an uber-stylish finish.

There are so many things we love about the hotel. The fact that each room has a free standing bath, the restaurants, serving up both formal and casual dining experiences as well as some traditional, Catalonian cuisine and the modern Bankers Bar with outdoor terrace. But our favourite part of the hotel has got to be the roof top sun deck with plunge pool and views over the city, perfect for soaking up those rays. Read the full review here.

EL PALACE

El Palace, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 668, Barcelona Show on map

hotelpalacebarcelona.com

Refurbed hotels have something new hotels can’t offer, they have history and this combined with a face lift creates hotels to be reckoned with. El Palace in Barcelona is one of those hotels, from the minute you arrive you can feel the glamour and glitz of the roaring 20s whilst still having access to a host of mod cons of course…..Did we mention that this place used to be The Ritz?

One look inside and it’s easy to see why this is a fave. The interiors are timeless; velvet curtains, chandeliers dripping from the ceilings, deep sinking arm chairs, golden tables, lamps, plush carpets….we could fill pages just listing everything we love about this hotel. Find out more in the long read here.

LA MACARENA

Carrer Nou de Sant Francesc, 5, 08002 Barcelona Show on map

macarenaclub.com

A former flamenco bar turned club, La Macarena is a real underground gem. Tucked away down a side street off Las Ramblas, it has a capacity of just 80 people and the DJ booth is bang in the middle of the floor. Yes, you may find yourself falling on top of the DJ, but the music programming always cutting-edge, the atmosphere is great and the sound is top notch.

LA TERRRAZZA

Avinguda Francesc Ferrer i Guardia, 13, 08001 Barcelona Show on map

laterrrazza.com

La Terrrazza is the kind of venue you’d only get in Barcelona…an open-air club in the Poble Espanyol architectural village on top of the Montjuïc mountain. And yes, the views on the way up are something special. Designed like a Majorcan manor house and host to some of the biggest DJs and club nights, it’s a real mix of old and new. Given that there’s no roof, it’s only open during the summer season, and is home to some of the biggest nights during Sonar, with London’s very own secretsundaze taking over the terrace year after year.

PAX 49

Carrer del Rec, 49, 08003 Barcelona Show on map

pax49bcn.com

pax-49-loti

PAX 49 is another El Born cocktail bar that wants to serve great drinks rather than trying to re-invent the wheel. Their signature creations feature a PAX twist on popular flavour combos, perfect if you fancy something different rather than crazy, and their classics are spot on, especially the Old Fashioned. And with 18 different kinds of gin behind the bar, they mix up a mean G&T too.

PORTEÑO

Carrer dels Carders, 32, 08003 Barcelona Show on map

facebook.com/Porte%C3%B1o-Bar-1700747926812858

Porteño is a tiny cocktail bar in the El Born area of town and they’ve got it nailed. You won’t find any crazy concoctions on the menu; instead you get classics done very, very well..the Cosmopolitan, White Russian and Caipirinha were all excellent, and they serve one of the best Espresso Martinis we’ve ever had. Go for a quick one before dinner when it’s a little quieter and then come back after once more people have packed in.

MILK

Carrer Gignàs, 21, 08002 Barcelona Show on map

milkbarcelona.com

Cocktails starting at just €5 make Milk a good place to start your night’s activities but we think it’s actually better the morning after. With its plush decor, including plenty of cushions, and recovery brunch, featuring eggs in many forms, thick pancakes, smoothies and juices, Milk will help ease the hangover, no matter how hellish it is. Plus it’s home to one of the best Bloody Marys in Barca. This is how you want to start your day.

CUINES SANTA CATERINA

Mercado de Santa Caterina, Av. de Francesc Cambó, 16, 08003 Barcelona Show on map

grupotragaluz.com/restaurante/cuines_caterina

This all-day restaurant is located inside the Santa Caterina market, so you know what comes out on your plate is super fresh. Although Cuines Santa Caterina has tables outside, this is one of those rare occasions where you actually want to be inside. The place is huge, with an open tapas bar and kitchen running down the whole length of the restaurant, an LED screen displaying the daily specials above it, and long communal tables out on the floor…safe to say it’s buzzing. Good luck choosing what to eat too as the menu is stacked, with a mix of Asian and European dishes that are all well executed. The monkfish with clams and romesco sauce and tuna ceviche were both pretty spesh, so if you don’t mind a bit of mix and match, you’re in for a feast.

BAR BITACORA

C/ Balboa, 1, 08003 Barcelona Show on map

A few streets back from Barceloneta, Bar Bitacora is the ideal place for lunch when a jamon y queso sandwich on the beach just won’t cut it. There’s an open kitchen and bar where you’ll find the locals during the day, and a covered terrace out the back, which is where you should aim for. Classic tapas is the name of the game at Bitacora and they don’t mess around; the portions are big, so order in stages. That being said, the grilled sardines are worth doubling up on. It does gets much busier in evening, so be prepared if you plan on heading here after dark.

LA CANDELA

Plaça de Sant Pere, 12, 08003 Barcelona Show on map

lacandelarestaurantbcn.business.site

Tucked away is probably the best way to describe La Candela…it’s a small restaurant in a quiet square that requires some backroads navigation to get to but that means it still has a hidden gem kinda quality about it. Service is on the more relaxed side and you’ll be wanting one of the al fresco tables, so there’ll probably be some waiting and it’ll definitely be worth it. The menu is a mix of classic and modern tapas dishes…the squid pops are a particular fave…and even with many, many bottles of wine, it won’t break the bank.

MERCAT DE SANT JOSEP DE LA BOQUERIA

La Rambla, 91, 08001 Barcelona, Show on map

boqueria.info

Yes, it’s one of the city’s biggest attractions, and yes between hungry tourists and locals trying to get a bit of shopping done, La Boqueria can get mental busy, but it’s worth braving the crowds for. Not only can you check out all the amazing goodies on show, and pick up a little inspo for your own kitchen, but you can get cones of jamon, chorizo and manchego for five euros, enormous oysters at €1.50 a go, croquetas, coconuts, juices and all manner of other treats to eat as you’re walking round. And if you’re prepared to wait for a spot, there are small tapas bars in the market itself, putting all that fresh produce to good use.

PALMITO

Carrer de Ramon Trias Fargas, 2-4, 08003 Barcelona, Spain Show on map

encompaniadelobos.com/en/palmito

The Port Olimpic end of the beach can be very touristy, but Palmito is well worth a pit stop. With lots of palm trees (shock), wide umbrellas and comfy sofas, it’s a got all the makings of a great beach bar/ With light, fresh lunches, including a burrata and tomato salad that comes with an entire ball of burrata, and Aperol Spritzes for six euros, you can’t go wrong.

MOTEL ONE

Passeig de Pujades, 11-13, 08018, Barcelona, Spain Show on map

motel-one.com/en/hotels/barcelona

Motel One is a budget design hotel that looks good, is super comfortable and is conveniently located a short walk away from the beach in Barcelona…what more could you need on a city break? With natural tones, concrete tiles, huge pendant lighting and modern furniture in the lobby plus a plant and nature theme running throughout, first impressions of the space are great.

Arguably one of the hotel’s best features, the terrace offers amazing views of the city as well as being a place to unwind, relax and lay about thanks to comfy sofas and day beds. The terrace also makes for a perfect vantage point for when the sun goes down and at night a bar swings into action.

Motel One is modern, cheap and looks amazing. You can’t go wrong.

CAFE MENSSANA

Calle Sardenya 48, 08005 · Poble Nou, Barcelona Show on map

cafemenssana.com/index.html

Like most places in Barcelona, we stumbled upon Menssana and were intrigued by the menu. Located by Parc de la Ciutadella, Menssana is designed to appeal to everyone with vegetarian and vegan options on show, and takes inspiration from a variety of world flavours, serving up Burgers, Salads, Brunch and much more. We got stuck into the shredded chicken, refried bean and sour cream tacos which we literally amazing; super fresh, crunchy and tasty.

SOPA BOBA

08009, Carrer del Bruc, 115, 08009 Barcelona, Spain Show on map

facebook.com/thesopaboba

From it’s stylish, stone-wall interior to it’s flavoursome dishes, Sopa Boba perfectly represents the upmarket, modernista disctrict of Dreta de l’Eixample. Delve into some regional dishes, such as the deep fried squid or LOTI’s personal favourite, the freshly caught cod, served in a rich creamy pepper sauce. Amazing. Oh, and don’t leave without trying their incredible tiramisu. This place is seriously popular, so make sure you book ahead!

CAN DENDE

Carrer de la Ciutat de Granada, 44, 08005 Barcelona, Spain Show on map

candende.com

Described as both Brazilian and American inspired, Can Dende offers a selection of brunches, lunches deserts and coffee, based in Barcelona’s industrial Poblenou district. They serve perfectly presented coffees, pancake stacks, burgers and does an excellent eggs Benedict on salmon.

ESTETICA DEL BORN

Carrer Trompetas 3, 08003 Barcelona, Spain Show on map

facebook.com/Est%C3%A9tica-del-Born-Barcelona-216461341827678

A spa and beauty parlour located right in the centre of Barcelona. They offer massages, body treatments, manicures, pedicures reflexology and waxing. All products are certified as free from testing on animals and many of the reviews rate the facial scrub very highly. The interior is spacious with a relaxed, Mediterranean feel mixed in with some Buddhist decor.

BARCELONA

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