A travel guide to eating, drinking and chilling out in this quirky, cosmopolitan city
Barcelona is a city of juxtapositions. Tucked away beneath gloomy gothic facades, you’re just as likely to walk into a decade-old family-run restaurant as a modern art museum. The city revels in this clash of eras, keeping age-old culinary traditions alive while marching to the beat of Millennial institutions like nightclubs and kitschy hipster cafes. If you’re feeling a little lost, and perhaps a tad bit intimidated by a trip to one of Europe’s cultural capitals, fret not – we’ve got you covered with our bite-sized guide for things to do in Barcelona.
Eat paella and chow down on tapas
Many visitors unfamiliar with Spanish food have the mindset that its cuisine is a homogenous one. Owing to its varied geography and climate, as well as its complex history of invasions and conquest, Spain enjoys many diverse cuisines with its own nuances. For my first taste of Spanish food, I decided to try what is said to be the epitome of Catalonian cuisine: Pa amb tomàquet. Sure, it sounds fancy, but this dead simple dish doesn’t skimp on flavour. Dry, hard bread is toasted and drizzled in olive oil, before cut ripe tomatoes (the star of the dish) are rubbed onto its surface. Another iconic dish, best enjoyed with a cold pitcher of beer, is patatas bravas: Hot fried potato cubes served with a spicy tomato sauce. These dishes are Spanish staples so you’ll find them at practically every bar, restaurant and café.
Of course, the next dish I knew I had to try was paella, arguably Spain’s best-known contribution to the culinary world. My next stop was Can Lluis, an unassuming, family-run hole-in-the-wall restaurant. My friends and I ordered two massive pans of paella, one squid ink and the other a regular seafood paella. Both dishes were rich, soaked in broth from the seafood and an absolutely divine way to warm up in the cold weather.
Restaurant Can Lluís, 49 Carrer de la Cera, 08001 Barcelona, Spain.
Visit the Museu Picasso
I’m not the most picky patron when it comes to the arts, but I’ve always made it a point to visit museums when I travel, so there was no way I was going to miss out on the Picasso museum. My knowledge of this modern legend is rather scant, so the first room I explored offered a myriad of drawings and paintings that lacked that Picasso panache. For a second, I thought I’d walked into the wrong museum, but I soon realised the gallery was organised chronologically to show visitors Picasso’s less-surreal earlier work. As I delved deeper, I could watch his art pieces slowly start to resemble the work of the more mature Picasso, whose style is unmistakeable.
Museu Picasso, 15-23 Carrer Montcada, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
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Explore the Sagrada Família
Picasso isn’t all Barcelona has to offer to the art buff. Barcelona is also home to the legendary Antoni Gaudí. The artist’s magnum opus, however, isn’t one to be found hanging on a gallery wall. Instead, you’ll have to make your way to the Sagrada Família, Barcelona’s most iconic church and Gaudí’s best known example of architecture. Construction of the church began in 1882, and is still under construction today. While its age might suggest classical architecture, Gaudí’s mixture of Gothic and Art Nouveau styles has given the church a façade like no other. If you want to fully explore the Sagrada Família, set aside at least an hour to explore the interior and take in the view from the top of its spires.
Sagrada Família, 401, Carrer de Mallorca, 08013 Barcelona, Spain.
Roam Raval
Once infamous for its nightlife, prostitution and crime, the El Raval neighbourhood has cleaned itself up and made itself quite the hipster hotspot. Lovers of all things retro can peruse the aisles of Holala! and Chandal for vintage vinyl and kitschy knick-knacks. Laden with shopping bags, you’ll want to take a load off and grab a cuppa, so follow the inevitable sounds of obscure indie music and park yourself at one of Raval’s countless cafes. The donut store, Chök, immediately caught my eye with its colourful display of donuts, cronuts and assorted sweet pastries, but delve a little deeper, and you’ll find more peaceful cafes tucked away in quiet alleys.
Take in the nightlife
As a Singaporean who loves a well-made drink, going to Europe is an opportunity of terrific tipples at prices that won’t break the bank, so I made sure my nights were well spent at Barcelona’s most happening hotspots. My taste in bars tends more towards the grungy and dingy, so I found myself very at home at Nevermind. But, if distortion-drenched punk rock and sticking to the floor isn’t your idea of a night well spent, head down to Opium, the city’s premier nightlife destination. This swanky nightclub boasts ocean views and has played host to the likes of David Guetta, Tiesto, Avicii and even the Black Eyed Peas. Reason enough to add “party dress” to your list of packing essentials.
Nevermind, 68 Carrer dels Tallers, 08001 Barcelona, Spain.
Opium Barcelona, 34 Passeig Marítim, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.