My good addresses in Barcelona

As you know, I spent September in my favorite city, Barcelona!

It felt really good to be there and to rediscover the city where I was lucky enough to stay for 1 year. I’ve experienced so many restaurants, dishes and places to visit, so I thought I’d share a few recommendations of places and restaurants I’ve discovered or rediscovered in the last few weeks!

If you’re planning to visit this city in the near future, this article is for you! Don’t hesitate to send it to your friends and family who are planning to visit!

MY FAVORITE PLACES:

1- El Born: my favourite district for shopping, getting lost in the little streets and eating well!

2- Casa Batllo: my FAVORITE house by Gaudi. Inspired by the sea and the ocean, the architecture of this bourgeois home will amaze you!

3- Casa Vicens: another must-see Casa during your stay in Barcelona!

4- Barcelona Cathedral: walk around it to see it from every angle, it really is an architectural masterpiece. The plaza in front of the cathedral always has a calm, pleasant atmosphere, where musicians frequently perform, making it all the more magical.

5- Sagrada Familia: I don’t think I need to explain this point. Yes, it’s touristy. Is it still worth it? YES, totally.

6- National Art Museum of Catalonia: one of the most beautiful museums I’ve ever seen!

7- La Boqueria market: a must for foodies! It’s packed with Spanish foods and dishes. A must-see! I recommend you try some of the little tricks you’ll find on the spot. However, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the restaurants that can be found there, as they are very touristy and not necessarily authentic.

8- Poblenou: this lesser-known district is well worth a visit. The atmosphere is relaxed, and there are plenty of cafés and wine bars to discover!

9- Palau de la Música Catalana: this concert hall is another modernist masterpiece to visit in Barcelona!

10- Montjuïc: this park overlooking Barcelona is a great activity to do if you feel like moving around a bit! My advice is to walk to the top of Montjuïc and see (not necessarily visit) the castle at the summit.

11- Gracia: Gracia is another neighborhood I love to walk around in Barcelona!

12- Musée Moco: this museum is really out of the ordinary, mixing modern, contemporary and street art!

13 – Parc de la Ciutadella: Barcelona’s most beautiful park! It boasts a breathtaking fountain, the fruit of collaboration between Gaudi and Jean Forestier.

SHOPS

1- Mango Outlet: before heading off to the Mango boutiques around town, I recommend a stop at the Mango outlet. The prices are really interesting!

2- House of Rowdy: a super-cute little clothing and accessories store!

3- Les Eines: I had to restrain myself from buying everything at this interior store… You know my love for beautiful dishes and decor, so you can understand that it was a good challenge!

RESTAURANTS

1- Bar Brutal: a modern tapas bar where you can drink good, natural wine! I loved the roast eggplant with red pesto and the smoked tuna, which really impressed me!

2- La Bodega Puntual: one of my favorite tapas restaurants in the El Born district. I recommend the padron peppers, the patatas bravas with their smoky flavour and the tomato, tuna and leek salad!

3- Honest Greens: my go-to for a quick, healthy lunch! They have plenty of dairy-free and vegetarian options too. A must when I’m in Barcelona!

4- Bistrot Levante: one of my favorite restaurants in Barcelona. The menu is inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine and I’m having a really hard time choosing among the options because everything looks so good! My discovery this year: their octopus hummus, DIVINE!

5- Oakberry: a little smoothie bar where I love to go for an acai bowl! My toppings of choice: double peanut butter, strawberries, goji berries, sliced almonds!

6- Flax & Kale: I recommend going to the one on C/ de Tallers, it’s the most beautiful! If the weather’s nice, go and eat on the terrace, which is so cute. The menu offers plenty of healthy, fresh dishes, and is really adapted to dietary intolerances/diets. There really are so many vegan options, including raw lasagne with zucchini, which is simply delicious!

7- Xavier Pellicer: probably the best restaurant I’ve ever eaten at in Barcelona. It’s not cheap, but I think it’s well worth it. When I’m traveling, I always set aside an evening to try a restaurant that’s a little more expensive, but which I’ve found to be extremely worthwhile. Xavier Pellicer was a real “coup de coeur” from the very first time. As well as being delicious, the chef offers plenty of dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan options.

8- Asian Ways: small, friendly Asian restaurant. I recommend the miso ramen!

9- Little Fern: the best brunch spot in Barcelona! You absolutely must try the harissa scrambled eggs! If I weren’t allergic to dairy products, I’d definitely try Turkish eggs too!

10- Amma: my favorite vegan dairy! Their pistachio ice cream is totally CRAZY!

11- L’Arrosseria Xativa: THE place to eat authentic paella. Since I can’t eat fish and shrimp, I had their Catalan paella with meatballs, sausage and chickpeas and it was really too good.

12- Tragaluz: an Italian restaurant in a magnificent setting!

13- The Green Spot: a magnificent vegetarian and vegan restaurant located near Barcelona’s port. You must try their sweet potato pasta with macadamia nut sauce and their beet tartar with grapefruit!

14- Mikan: probably my favorite supper of my entire trip. This restaurant is inspired by Northeast Asian cuisine, and it’s all delicious! My favorite is definitely the silken tofu and its spicy salsa. A truly memorable meal.

15- Pimentel: I ate some of the best tapas of my trip here! The staff is super friendly.

16. Fervor: this new vegan tapas restaurant is a great discovery! The atmosphere is relaxed and the decor super minimalist, I love it!

17. El Xiringo de la Barceloneta: I ate a delicious vegetarian paella there! The staff are really nice too!

18. Paninaro del Born: personally I couldn’t eat there since there are dairy products in most sandwiches, but my boyfriend loved it, so I thought I’d include it in my list anyway!