Barcelona Insights

Pesce freschissimo, prezzi onesti, è tipo self service, merita!

The trick here is to ignore the Paella Menu hanging ouside and share some Tapas with a vermut, a paella (the paella for two can easily feed three or four depending on how hungry you are) and some dessert. You can thank me later

One of the oldest xurreria in the city. The opening hours might be tricky sometimes but you will recognise it from the cue of people waiting to try the best churros of Barcelona

Just come here every morning and try the croissant of the day. On saturday they have the coffee cream one which would be a crime to miss.

THE MARKET. Way less touristy than "La boqueria" for the moment. The secret is to find the longest queue of old ladies, they know where the best produce is. Ideal both to eat here and to grocery shop, but also to find tasty souvenirs.

I know it is not tipical Catalan food but it's very Close to real thai food. When a traveller finds a really good restaurant they can't avoid but share it.

Very wide range of pinchos at a very accessible price.

The Boqueria Market, an unmissable stop for tourists, is probably the most photogenic market in Barcelona. Although people know the Boqueria for its proximity to La Rambla hardly anyone knows that it is just one of an impressive number of covered markets. The other markets aren't that Instagrammable, but they might be worth visiting to get a taste of the real Barcelona. The infallible method to find out which stall is the best? Pay attention to where the greatest number of old ladies are located. They know where the good stuff is, trust me. If you have read this far you deserve a prize. Did you know that the name of the market (as in many other cases) is actually the name of a convent that once stood in the same place? On the shield at the entrance you can still read Mercado de Sant José (Mercat de San Josep, in Catalan).

Daily menu for 15€, great value for money!

Home made, heartful dishes that will make you fall in love with Spanish food even more

Come here at lunch time on weekdays and task for "menu del dia". You won't regret it.

Believe in fairies (and get coffee) Once upon a time, near the Rambla of Barcelona, ​​there was a magical place where dragons, fairies and goblins were real. In which to get lost in origami clouds and forget for a second the infernal bedlam that in the height of summer breaks loose a few meters from there.

Vermutear The quintessential Barcelonian traditions. For Vermutear as it should be served -Vermuth (of the home made one, not the €5 per glass that they serve you in the most fancy bars, we are not so Posh), -a characteristic environment, -ice, -Orange - someone to share the experience with. Optional olives but in my opinion they should be included in the Vermuteo Starter Pack. The rest of the 101thingstodoinBarcelona on my guide

Kinda fancy restaurant, amazing to celebrate some special occasion!

One of the best bars in the world. What else?

The perfect place to go on a rainy day (or on a very hot day), especially with children. Just make time for it because when you are there you could be there for hours. La Cosmocaixa is Barcelona's science museum and in bad weather it's a safe option to spend a few hours having fun. If you are traveling with children you absolutely have to go there. The joy and enthusiasm that are released at the sight of the Submerged Wood (but also of the Focault pendulum, of the experiments that can be tried to understand how the world works, of the mega skull of triceratops and the search for the hidden caiman) are often irrepressible.

Even if you have no interest in the museum you might want to go to enjoy the cafeteria and a little peaceful corner of this -sometimes- overwhelming city.

Grab a couple of beers (or soft drinks if you prefer) and head towards the best sunset lookout of the city.

The view. Nothing else to say.

The views, if you're on a budget.

Relax like a local. Pack your lunch and a beach towel and enjoy the chilled down atmosphere of this lovely park. Can you find the real size mammooth?

ONE OF THE ONLY STREET IN BARCELONA WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A GOOD VIEW OF THE STATUE OF LA MERCE'

Go to Park Güell and get lost among Gaudi's crazy visions. In contrast to the general opinion I never liked it until I saw it empty. I always found it overrated and unattractive. But since I was able to see it with a little peace I have changed my mind. I finally understand what people find there. It is a bit like being in wonderland: wondering between stone waves and gingerbread houses. Among other things, here is the house where Gaudi lived for some time. Did you know that, in fact, Gaudì never had a home of his own?

📍Visit La Plaça d'Espanya Things that are found around this square: 🏟️The "Las Arenas" shopping center (ex plaça de toros) 🏛️The National Art Museum of Catalunya 🏰The pavilions of the expo ⛲La Fuente Magica 🏘️El Poble Espanyol 🚂The train to Montserrat In short, you can kill several birds with one stone. 💁And now the part that some would consider boring: it is one of the most significant squares of the Catalan capital, it was built during the Universal Exposition of 1929 on a project created by Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Guillem Busquets and executed by Antoni Darder. In the center of the square is the fountain designed by Josep Maria Jujol in 1928 in homage to water. Each sculptural group represents in fact one of the seas and oceans that bathe the Spanish coasts: the Mediterranean Sea, together with the Ebro River represented as an athletic young man surrounded by young people; the Atlantic Ocean, together with the Tagus and Guadalquivir rivers represented as two elderly with their respective courts of young people; the Cantabrian Sea, together with a group of teenagers who symbolize the short and fast rivers of its catchment area. The symbolism continues with the three large columns (representing Religion, the Arts and Heroism) and with the personifications at the corners of Navigation, Public Health and Abundance.

Reach the middle of the Horta Labyrinth Park, the oldest garden in Barcelona, and kiss your loved one(s) ​​under the amused gaze of the statue of Eros. The park, open to the public since 1967, has recently been restored and is divided into two parts: the first is in Neoclassical style (where the labyrinth is also located) while the second, in Romantic style, has all the elements to be a haunted place from ghosts at night and perfect for a walk with your sweetheart in the daytime. One of the characteristics of romanticism as an aesthetic idea is in fact the sublime: The sublime is linked to terror, and terror is all the more terrible if linked to the worst fear for man, namely death. This feeling of terror, however, must not be experienced firsthand, as it will no longer be sublime but real fear. That's why romantic gardens are always a bit decadent, they have to remind us of our fragility without making us realize it.

Amazing Street for tapas 

One of the 50best bar in the world

Good choices of wine and vermuth 

Traditional fans and Spanish clothes/dress