​
Transportation:
Taxi stands all over the city.
Metro is extremely efficient. We are on the blue line – take a right from front door on Calabria and left on Rossello. Metro Station Enteca is one block on your right-hand side. We take the metro a lot. It’s just so easy and convenient.
Buses are easy, and allow you to see the city and bus lanes mostly avoid traffic.
We use google maps. Enter the starting point and destination, then look at timing and route for public transport, taxi, (bicycle if you want to scooter) and even walking to see if you’d like to take the bus, metro, taxi or walk!
​
Transportation tips:
https://www.lasmorenasdeespana.com/blog/barcelona-transportation
​​
Museums and Attractions:
The Articket BCN allows you to skip the lines. You can pre-order online and pick up at any of the museums. Or, you can buy direct at the first museum you visit. There are some Artickets in the apartment that haven’t been fully used, so feel free to use up those if you like.
includes Miro, Picasso, CCCB, MACBA, Nacional, Tapies. Miro, Picasso and MACBA are our favorites. Nacional is fabulous if you have the time.
Outside of the Articket, you will need to separately book Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Parc Guell & La Pedrera https://sagradafamilia.org/en/home
Montserrat is a fabulous day or 1/2-day excursion. Well worth paying for a guide.
Girona is a good day trip, if you are an early bird, you can do Figures and the Dali Museum on the same day.
The beach towns of Costa Brava are incredible.
Sitges and Castelldefels are fun beach day visits you can do by train. As for Barcelona beaches, there are So many beaches and you can rent chairs and umbrellas at many of them, like Bogatell. When it’s hot you don't really need towels, often we will stop by the beach in the middle of our day and swim/ relax and then keep going with our plans whether it be a museum or lunch or errands or whatever! Just keep a bathing suit and pareo in your day pack. It’s a great stop off with the kids for sure.
We also suggest checking out availability for performances at Palau de la Música Catalana www.palaumusica.org
Favorite Bakeries: You really can’t go wrong. Bread bread bread….
Turris: https://turris.es/
Panadería Enrich: https://fornsenrich.com/es Rossello 54
Baluard Barceloneta https://www.baluardbarceloneta.com/en/
SUPERMARKETS:
The closest supermarket is Mercadona at Viladomat 279. Out the front door you go right on Calabria, right on Rossello and left on Viladomat. You can bring the roller bag and lock in at front of store and bring groceries back that way. We mostly shop at Ametller Origen which is slightly more upscale with a better selection of meals. We buy all our fruit and vegetables at the fruit market across the street Bona Fruita at Rosello 79.
The closest “Mercado” to the apartment is El Ninot. Mercado San Antoni is relatively close and the famous Boqueria on Las Ramblas is a great place to grab lunch and pick up some delicacies. Corte Ingles' have fabulous grocery halls on the basement floor.
SHOPPING
El Corte Ingles, L'Eixample. This is the largest department store in Spain. It's like an upscale Bloomingdales with a houseware and groceries department, along with clothes.
S'Avarca de Menorca, Barri Gotic. This small store carries only Spanish Avarca sandals, handmade in Menorca. They are well made and a wonderful reminder of Spain.
Atelier de Ballerinas, Baixada de la Llibreteria, 4, Barri Gotic. Amazing selection of ballet flats and simple, leather totes.
Adolfo Dominguez, L'Eixample. They have a very large standalone store further up on Passig de Gracia. Really beautiful, wearable stylish clothes that is affordable. The Spanish Queen Letizia wears clothes from this company and people go crazy since it's accessible.
Mango and Zara for kids L'Eixample. These are different than the ones in the US and super affordable cute clothes for the kids. Also, fun, inexpensive stuff for the house that are different than the Zara here.
Berska and Stradivarius are great for teens – it’s fashionable and extremely inexpensive.
Comptoir des Cotonniers, L'Eixample. This is the French answer to Banana Republic. Obviously, more stylish, better cut. They just opened their first US store in NYC.
Massimo Dutti – we love our Massimo!
​Le Coq Sportif- fun french sporty clothes.
Calle Diagonal has wonderful home stores and is fun to walk. Start near Diagonal Metro/ Gracia neighborhood and the area of Casa and Kave Home (diagonal 400) and make your way towards L’illa mall (diagonal 500) checking out stores and galleries. Honest Greens is a great lunch stop off.
RESTAURANTS
​
​La Balabusta, best Middle Eastern, C/ del Rosselló, 180. They take reservations.
​Bar Brutal, Carrer Princesa 14, www.barbrutal.com, Fabulous limited menu. You won’t get in without a reservation.
Casa de Tapes Canota, Carrer de Lleida, 7 https://casadetapas.com/en/ The restaurant is owned by the famous Ferran brothers. This is their casual eatery. Their really highly acclaimed restaurant is Tickets (considered one of the top/hot restaurants in Barcelona), but one would need to make reservations at least 1 month ahead.
Cañete Carrer de la Unió, 17 https://www.barcanete.com/ Amazing, amazing food and a fun experience. You must try the famous eggplant chips. You will not get in without a reservation.
Ciudad Condal, Rambla de Catalunya 18. If it's crowded, sit at the counters. The service is faster at the counters.
​Tapas 24, Diputacio 269 is our favorite location but there is one closer to the apartment at Diagonal 520. at them on Instagram if you want to check out some plates. Get the bikini in addition to whatever you order. Its special.
Mercat de La Boqueria or just La Boqueria, El Raval. All the food stalls are great. It's super touristy, as well as filled with locals, so be very, very careful with your wallet/purse. The food stalls are terrific. El Quim de la Boqueria is fabulous, but you can’t go wrong at any of the stalls.
Pla, Carrer de Bellafila, 5, in the Gothic is excellent. It is very near to the Picasso Museum and you can make lunch reservations.
Nacional is a food court Passeig de Gràcia, 24 https://www.elnacionalbcn.com/en/ .
For amazing Pizza near the apartment GUSTO, Rossello 108, phone 933-236-575 https://gustoristorantepizzeria.com/ They have good pasta too. You can order for pick up and bring it home or eat there. It is very authentic Italian. We typically order a pizza per person.
Paco Merlago, https://guide.michelin.com/es/es/catalunya/barcelona/restaurante/paco-meralgo
Boca Grande, Passatge de La Concepcio 12, upper Rambla in an alley from Rambla to Passig de Gracia. Upscale restaurant with mediocre expensive food, but great atmosphere and location.
​Cuines Santa Caterina, Avda. Francesc Cambo 16, near the catedral in Barri Gotic. Large dining room serving very fresh food from the neighbouring mercat. Good value.
Senyor Vermut, best bravas near the apartment- they don’t take reservations. Provença, 85 08029 Barcelona, Spain
Goliard, best lunch menu del dia. You can make a reservation. Carrer del Progrés, no. 6 (Barri de Gràcia)
DE CRUZ MORALES, in Mercat de Ninot, best steak. A few blocks from apartment.
Gelato:
Closest to the apartment: Cremeria Toscana C/ de Muntaner, 161 https://cremeriatoscana.com/
Our Favorite: DeLaCreme C/ d'Enric Granados, 15
Gracia Neighborhood: Anita
La Rambla (Nora’s favorite): Lucciano's Barcelona