Highlights

• Park Güell
• La Sagrada Familia
• Arc de Triomf
• Camp Nou for Barcelona Football
• Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium
• Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
• Montjuïc Castle
• Fundació Joan Miró
• Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
• Arenas de Barcelona – former bull ring
• Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona
• Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
• L’Aquàrium de Barcelona
• Cable Car over the port
• Barceloneta Beach
• El Pont del Bisbe
• La Pedrera – Casa Milà
• Razzmatazz concert venue
• Picasso Museum Barcelona
• Palau Güell Museum
• Palau de la Música Catalana
• El Corte Inglés department store
• Plaça de Catalunya
• La Rambla
• Barcelona Maritime Museum
• Mercat de la Boqueria
• Los Tarantos Flamenco
• Christopher Columbus monument
• Cathedral of Barcelona
• Ciutadella Park
• Casa Batlló
• Street art

Before you go

• Spanish and Catalan (official language of Catalan region) are spoken
• Many people speak English but it is useful to know a few phrases
• Most places accept credit card
• The metro machine accepts physical cards but not contactless (as of 2026)
• Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for a lot of walking
• As I learned the hard way, the tiled and stone pavements are slippery in rain
• Book top museums and attractions online in advance
• Be aware of pickpockets
• Most people eat dinner late, starting from 20:00 onwards
• Football matches are late and public transport may be closed after the matches- plan ahead
• Weather is mostly good but spring autumn are ideal to avoid intense heat and the rainier season
• Many museums are free on the first Sunday of every month, and every Sunday afternoon after 15:00
• Tipping in Barcelona is not mandatory but will be appreciated
• Mercadona is a popular and prevalent supermarket
• Some smaller shops may take a siesta break and close for a few hours in the afternoon

Transport

• The international airport is Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport
• Public transport in the city is good and includes bus and metro; depending on how much you will use it you can get an unlimited pass or a pack of 10 tickets. Note that the airport ticket costs more
• Barcelona is walkable in different areas but the city is sprawling. Also, keep in mind that away from the beach, the city is very hilly
• Uber works well or you can use taxis

Accommodation

• While attending a conference, I stayed nearby at the Hotel Vincci Marítimo. It was perfectly fine, but outside of the city centre so only useful if you are going to the convention centre
• I’ve also used AirBnB with friends, but the rules for that have changed so that may be trickier now
• Recently, I have been able to stay with friends so I am less up to date on which hotels to recommend
• As usual I recommend checking reviews on Booking.com or using AirBnB

Food

Food and drink choices in Barcelona are really unlimited. Below are a selection of the ones I have enjoyed, although I find new places every time I visit.

Snacks and Desserts

One must visit the Mercat de la Boqueria for the atmosphere as much as the food and drink choices. My favourite thing to get is the fresh fruit. The bright fruit stands can be found throughout the market along with many other delicious treats.

Bombons Blasi is a good place for tasting and buying gifts of fancier chocolates and sweets.

Sugar Rush Bcn was a lucky find. I was searching for a cupcake to celebrate a friend’s birthday and I was running late from work. I didn’t find any cupcakes after running around town for 20 minutes, but I did find a scrumptious looking brownie cookie with lots of toppings here, and that looked great with a few candles in it!

Anyone who knows me will be aware that I can rarely resist ice cream as long as it is above 5C. Paral·lelo Gelato is fantastic with intense flavours and local variations including Crema Catalana.

I met a friend for breakfast at TÁTELE specialty coffee, and it is a cosy and friendly place. We both skipped the coffee but their tea and juice were excellent and the vibe was relaxed and friendly.

Pastisseria Faixat is a fancier bakery to find cakes, chocolates, and more for a special treat. Their creations are as beautiful as they are tasty.

Baluard Barceloneta bakery is an institution and most famous for their sourdough bread. However, I had the croissant as my run reward and it was perfectly crispy and light.

Finally, Mauri Cafe is a traditional cafe with delicious cakes. It’s sometimes difficult to find a table, but be patient as people usually do not stay too long. Their chocolate Mauri cake is a classic favourite!

Bars

Don Bar is a local bar that was near my friend’s place, and it is cosy with reasonable prices for cocktails.

Dry Martini Barcelona was a very classy bar serving many variations of martinis. The bartenders were elegant and gave service with style.

Hemingway Gin & Cocktail Bar is another classy bar choice if you like gin, and I do!

Somehow, I have been to the Opium Club several times, but over the years I have moved from the dance floor out to the restaurant area facing the beach. The club serves pretty good food as well as drinks, and if you want to dance then the dancefloor is usually packed after midnight!

Restaurants

El Nacional Barcelona is one of my favourite places to go and it has a number of restaurants and bars inside. It is not always possible to book in advance, but if you can you should try so you don’t have to wait. I recommend the seafood and tapas.

Corte de Manga is a great, local restaurant outside of the tourist area. We had a large group and enjoyed a variety of typical and “fusion” tapas. Also, they were very helpful in not only delivering a cake with candles to our table but also playing a birthday song while dimming the lights. Excellent service!

Restaurant Xiscarexantar was a late night find for us after a concert nearby. Reasonable prices in a very busy tapas restaurant. And the bathroom was a bit yucky but it was full of drunk concertgoers.

Atempo Restaurant is a one-Michelin star restaurant Eixample district of Barcelona led by head chef Iñaki Aldrey. It’s an experience from walking in the door when the host walked us to part of the kitchen to start our tasting. Then we were presented the rest of our creative and beautiful dishes at the table. Our palate-cleansing sorbet was presented in a lipstick tube, which was fun.

Xuba Tacos is a fast food restaurant with flavourful tacos that taste almost authentic. I had the al pastor and thought the spicing of the meat was very good.

Flamant Italian restaurant is a lovely place, especially if you want to have a break from Spanish food. An elegant setting with lots of plants to decorate the restaurant and bar.

La Flauta is a small chain around Barcelona with very reliable selections of tapas. Really good for groups, especially the branches where you can book a table.

Nikkei 103 is a Japanese/South American restaurant with fresh sushi and fish. They’re generous with the fish and it’s a relaxing, casual setting.

FiskeBar and The Chipiron both have great Spanish food and seafood in the Marina area by the Aquarium. Usually possible to book and a bit removed from tourist crowds with lovely views of the water.

Finally, Bodega Biarritz 1881 Tapas is an institution located in the Gothic Quarter. A very casual place where you can stop in for a snack or a meal.