Having lived in Barcelona five years ago and having the opportunity to do the things I have missed most has been an amazing experience. Apart from all the must do's in Barcelona (La Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, Las Ramblas, Gaudí's houses, etc.) here are my top ten things I enjoy doing in this crazy city.
1. Ovella Negra
After a long day of walking around the city, meeting up with a group of friends over a beer in central Barcelona was one of my favorite things to do. Right next the Las Ramblas you can find this medieval-cave-like dive bar with a big open space and large tables. The prices for drinks are very reasonable for it's location. If you are visiting Barcelona with a big group this is the perfect place as you can order large amounts of beer and sangria (they have 1 liter pitchers to 5 liter dispensers). Here is also a great place to try out 'leche de pantera' (panthers milk) which is made of gin, water, and condensed milk with a dusting of cinnamon.
2. La Boqueria & Mercat del Ninot
Even though you will find in La Boquería all year round a large crowd of tourist it is still a must. You can try all types of fresh seafood, jamón serrano, freshly squeezed juices, exotic fruits, and Spanish spices. Here is a great place to have lunch and explore Barcelona's great culinary world. At the very back of the market there are a few places where you can sit down and enjoy a meal, we indulged ourselves with some mejillones, patatas bravas, croquetas, and beer. We also tried the oysters, jamón serrano, and chocolates for dessert. Everything was amazing but if you are looking for a market less crowded, Mercat del Ninot in Eixample is also a great place. Mercat del Ninot is a lot less crowded but less varied. Why one when you can try both.
3. Bar Marsella
Want to go back to the 19th Century? Bar Marsella was opened in 1820 located in El Raval. It's not only famous for its antiquity but for the people that have stepped inside it like Dalí, Picasso, Gaudí, Hemingway and many other artists and celebrities of the time. What makes it even more special, this bar is one of the few that still serves absinthe, the classical way. Absinthe is brought to you in a french absinthe glass, a spoon, sugar cubes, and water. You have place the spoon over the glass, put the cube on the spoon and poor a few ounces of water onto the sugar cube into the glass. Once the sugar cube looks a bit dissolved you can drop it and and stir it until it becomes completely dissolved. Absinthe has a a very strong anise taste which for sure is an experience. Bar Marsella hasn't been cleaned thoroughly making it the most interesting bar to look at and enjoy an absinthe with it.
4. Quimet & Quimet
Quimet & Quimet located in Poble Sec is a great place to try out tapas and montaditos. The prices range from 2-6 euros. It's a great place to share a few with friends to fully experience all their delicious foods at a great price. The place is small and gets pretty crowded, however the food is served fast and the service is great.
5. Barrio Gotico
My favorite area to walk around in Barcelona is hands down El Barrio Gótico (the Gothic Quarter). The medieval narrow streets filled with trendy stores, coffee shops, bars, and plazas is what makes this area so unique. The Picasso Museum is located in this area as well as The Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. Two cool bars to try out is Polaroid Bar and El Bosc de Les Fades.
6. La Barceloneta
Of course you can't visit Barcelona without paying a visit to its beaches. La Barceloneta is a great place to enjoy the sun if it's walking along the boardwalk, tanning on the beach, and enjoying a few tapas, paella and Estrellas right before sunset. We had dinner in a restaurant called Somorrostro had some great paella and sangria
7. MACBA
Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art is my favorite museum in Barcelona. Situated in El Raval you can go there and enjoy its current contemporary expositions. Their permanent collections is around 5,000 works, from mostly Spanish and Catalan artists dating from the 20th century onward. The architecture of the museum itself is beautiful, with its modernist style and big windows welcoming in natural light to the space. Worth visiting if you are feeling cultural, the works are very political and have a strong voice representing Catalonians history.
8. Los Bunkers
Want to take it all in? The Bunkers of Caramel have an amazing 360 degree view of the whole city. The Bunkers were originally an anti-craft warfare used during the Spanish Civil War to defend against attacks from the fascists and housed a number of guns. Today many tourist fill up the place as the views are breathtaking. This has lead the neighborhood to start protest due to current tourist "invasion". Make sure when visiting to respect the neighborhood and space, when I lived there it wouldn't be as packed as it is today.
9. El Raval & Carrer dels Tallers
Many of the places I have recommended are located in El Raval. El Raval has a bad rep in Barcelona as being sketchy and dangerous but I believe it has a lot of character and worth visiting. Carrer dels Tallers is a street I always enjoyed as it is filled with hip bars and vintage stores.
10. Day drinking Sangría
Barcelona has an amazing nightlife and the same goes for day drinking. For the nightlife I would recommend Razzmatazz, which is a big night club with a few smaller nightclubs inside which you can go in and out from all of them depending on the music you are interested in. As for day drinking I would recommend anywhere that has outside tables and serves sangria. We enjoyed a cold sangria after a hot day at Fabrica Moritz as well as a few bars in La Barceloneta. Barcelona is meant to be enjoyable and relaxing, it's made for enjoying its beautiful architecture, its culture, history, and kind strangers.
