What to do, what to see and what to eat in Barcelona (in 72 hours)
If there is something that we tourists have verified over and over again, it is that there is nothing like traveling to Get to know a city from the hand of one of its residents.
The map is forgotten and ignorance disappears when someone guides you through the streets that he has been walking ad nauseam, even taking them for granted and knowing the secrets that are happening there daily.
Sites you never thought to enter: your favorites. Sites you always heard about: their ignored ones.
Nothing like knowing what moves the inhabitants of a city so that you can get a new perspective of a destination.
Step by step, bite by bite and unraveling the reason for the reason that has led them to fall so in love with the place that gives them shelter.
Does anyone have three days off to go to Barcelona? We have six characters to tell you what to do, see and eat (without wasting time).
Here it goes, Barcelona as you have never seen it before:
Maria Valls and Roger Estrada
DAY 1
We land (or get off the train) and we are received by Roger Estrada and María Valls. He is a full time communicator and agitator for minorities. He manages the social networks of several brands and he writes about cocktails at The Shaker & The Jigger.
"I like to eat so much that I have a weekly gluttonous column in the Ara newspaper and I can't live without music, so I've been writing for Route 66 for more than 15 years."
Maria, for her part, is a jewelery reference in Barcelona since she created her brand Mava Haze, which led her to work for Mango as a jewelry designer.
Trend hunters? Yes, but also praisers of the traditions of yesteryear, in which vermouth and a Saturday in the sun are all you need to be happy.
We get hungry and they are clear about it when choosing a place for us: Elena Farm _(Passeig de la Zona Franca, 228) _.
"Away from the tourist bustle, this small family restaurant is well worth the pilgrimage. On your knees, back up. The reward is enjoying what those responsible call 'neighborhood haute cuisine' . That is, the sublimation of a first class product with elaborations that shun the pomp of flourishes. Impossible to choose, everything is good, even what we have not tried", they tell us.
And they warn: "going through your Instagram every morning is a (masochistic) ritual".
That you don't feel like leaving the city center and want to get into the jungle of delicacies known as the Boquería Market? The Quim of the Boqueria _(La Rambla, 91) _ is the place you are looking for.
"In the epicenter of the hustle and bustle, a bar-temple of the best gastronomy is erected. With very fresh product direct from the most emblematic market of the city , Quim Márquez and his great team create wonders that blend indigenous flavors with others apprehended from his travels around the world" they count
"Their fried eggs with baby squid they are a must and their boneless oxtail stuffed with foie deserves several laps around the ring", they confess.
"Roger almost fell off his stool the day he tried it for the first time," laughs Maria.
Her last great discovery of him? bambarol (Santalo, 21). "A small, cozy place with Top quality tapas. Its scallops with jowls and wild asparagus and its rice, that exceed with note the degree of demand of a Castellón like María. We have seen on your Instagram a wagyu pump that bears our name."
What if we can't find a table at any of those? " extra-bar (Torrent de l'Olla, 79), the new premises of the creators of the Pubilla, one of the most requested restaurants in Barcelona. Casual, with the kitchen in sight, sharing work with other diners..."
"It is the only place where Maria has dared to eat cap i pota, And she has enjoyed it! The mix of pig's foot and ear with fried egg is crazy. Cut, mix and enjoy; food porn is this".
Full stomach: mission accomplished. Now it is more than fair and necessary to drop by some shops that few (tourists) know about, but they are not lacking in the perfect visitor's guide.
concept store is all you need to keep in mind to discover the new (and not so new) representatives of entrepreneurship design.
Proof of this, Maria's recommendations: " Nuovum _(Painter Fortuny, 30 & Boria, 23) _ has the best selection of accessories and design objects from Spanish brands".
Now there is a new one called Darial (Passatge dels Camps Elisis, 9), a multi-brand worthy of being in cities like Paris and London and different from what we are used to seeing in Spain, with special mention to its jewelry"
Next target? "Discover the store/studio of the designer Emma Pardos (Sant Gabriel, 8).
Beyond novelties, when night falls, the craving to go to a party usually enters those "lifetime" bars where they go out of style and the parishioners raise their elbows in unison.
Our favorite couple notes: "Our favorites are The Tano Vermuteria (Bruniquer, 30) : fresh beers or vermouth with siphon and gogo preserves to entertain gatherings in a small but lively winery, whose premises have more than 50 years of history. Whenever we go there are a few rounds of pinchitos of mojama of tuna and cheese and of artichoke and anchovy".
Option two: the tieta (Blai, 1). "A small cellar in the heart of Poble Sec where They have a small menu, but very careful, where you can find everything from premium preserves to a winter broth that brings the dead back to life. Special mention to his selection of wines and cavas and to a musical thread that animates an entire cemetery. We have a special affection for him; It is a meeting point with our friends and we have celebrated many birthdays there... Not to mention the charm and friendliness of its owner, Eli".
Now come on, you rock'n'roll-loving crooks, and tonight, where do we drop?
"It's already vox populi, but you have to go to ** Psycho ** (Piquer, 27), where it's more than likely that you'll find us having a Jack Daniel's with cola (Roger) and a Brugal with lemon (María), while We danced to some great song by New York Dolls, Black Lips or Sly and the Family Stone".
Well, nothing, we'll go there...
Bicycles, friends and Barcelona. You can not ask for more.
DAY 2
Still digesting last night's drinks, the alarm clock goes off to let us know that it's our turn to meet with the trio ** Plateselector, made up of Alba Yañez, Juan Navaza and Khaled Abbas.**
Your job is to be a showcase of restaurants, bars, cocktail bars and gastronomic events on the Plateselector.com platform and, therefore, they are always in the thick of the good eating and drinking scene.
Also, Alba is a lover of local design, so if there's a shop, designer or artisan to watch out for, she knows them. And no, they don't keep that much knowledge to themselves, so we win.
If you are looking for a place to eat, Alba insists. "We have to go to flower thing _(Spools,18) _. Khaled and I have been going for years, we love the deal his creamy stracciatela, a killer rillette and he always has some heart-stopping stew. Also, there you always feel that you're on a continuous date."
"EITHER Rooftop Smokehouse _(Consell de Cent, 159. Local B) _. It is not a restaurant to use because they only open certain days for dinner or lunch in his workshop at the Lehman factory, but as soon as the dates appear on his website, BOOM! depleted. Even George Clooney went to dinner on one of his last visits."
Juaniyo, on the other hand, recommends the 2017 hit, brawl bar _(Provence, 230) _. "Delicious dishes accompanied by wonderful natural wines".
For vegetarians, Khaled, without being any of that, chooses Green Spot (Queen Christina, 12). “Just eating there makes you consider being a vegetarian!” he says with a laugh. "The food is very good and tasty, despite not having any meat. Whatever you do, don't get lost the black pizza.
But that's for when they want to pay homage, because when they want to go down to the bar for a drink or get closer to the cafeteria of a lifetime in which everyone knows them they usually approach mabel farm (Navy, 114).
"You can go eat a sandwich of the day and a coffee for breakfast, you can also go eat an incredible menu (yes, you have to book or you will find it rocked) or even a few beers after work," says Khaled.
"Since we moved our office to Poble Nou, we go there almost every day for breakfast. We love its owner Jordi", exclaims Juaniyo.
WHAT TO BUY?
Juan recognizes that it is increasingly more complicated to buy in the small business in Barcelona, being the big brands the ones that are "devouring this little treasure of the cities".
To remedy this, he recommends going through the Gothic to shops like Rent Shop _(D'Avinyó, 12) _; al Raval in a second-hand shop on the street River Baixa. "In El Born I really like the sunglasses store Ethnicity Barcelona _(L'Espasería, 1-3) _ its terrace is spectacular".
Alba opts for local talent with authentic jewels such as the clothes by Paloma Wool , the shoes by Ari from About Arianne _(Pallars, 84) _ the pieces by Gabriela Coll _(Pallars, 85) _, the jewelry by Lucia de Apreski _(Vigatans, 11) _ and "of course, my soulmate Mar del Hoyo and her Levens Jewels. I also love shopping at vintage showrooms like the one in Nadia De Los Feliz or Paula from **Alabama Clothes".**
Flagship Store Etnia Barcelona
WHAT TO SEE?
Beyond eating and drinking, there are other routes that Juan, Alba and Khaled offer us.
"He freaks me out 'Flatiron' de Poblenou, a building on the corner of Pallars and Pere IV. Or the Ciutadella Park. I cross it very often by bike and I like the mix of people who enjoy it: foreigners, old people, young people, children, explains Khaled.
"Next to the park there is a street that fascinates me, it is Wellington Street. Especially the lower part, the one that goes from the zoo to Meridiana. Oh! And the Prawn from Paseo Colón. I love it because it brings back memories of when I was a kid and I was just starting to hang out," he continues.
"In fact, under the Marshal Prawn, there was a disco! Some will remember", says Khaled before saying goodbye and leaving us in the hands of an afternoon of walks and rest.
The Prawn of Barna.
DAY 3
Last sprint and this time we met with Naila Tahbaub from the communication agency Lamaga.
Passionate about gastronomy and in love with her city, she was also a fundamental part of the creation of the guide
One, two, three, answer again. Restaurants that, according to your criteria, we have to know yes or yes?
- Silver Bistro. A bistro with hints of a tavern. Victor, the cook, has only one helper. You can see him from your table and he is so abstracted that it makes you envious. His brother, in the room, is a friendly host who makes you feel like family. elaborate recipes taken from the most traditional cookbook in the simplest way possible. I call him spontaneous market cuisine, They buy weekly and daily. There is no menu and every day the recipes for that day are projected on the wall (Sepúlveda, 23) .
**- The Tavern. ** An Argentine with spectacular quality. The empanadas and pasta are handmade by them every day. My favorite is the meat pie, grilled vegetables and the Nebraska beef rib. Pure butter! _(Roc Boronat, 70) _.
-Your "lifelong" bar?
-Il Giardinetto. From my friends Poldo Pomés and Marta Feduchi. This place is a historic Barcelona. Personally, it welcomed me very well at a certain time in my life and now every time I go I feel at home.
It is a reference Italian restaurant in Barcelona. It is a very cozy corner with a classic cut that recalls more elegant times. Opened in 1974 and winner of the FAD award for interior design, the history of Il Giardinetto is closely linked to the creative Barcelona of the late 1960s.
In 2004, Poldo Pomés, son of the founder, Leopoldo Pomés, took over the reins of the restaurant, with two clear ideas in mind: restore the letter and be faithful to the aesthetic magic that made it emblematic.
At Il Giardinetto the temporality of the products is respected, like with its artichokes with eggs in winter, or tagliatelle with white truffle in autumn.
It has a bar that overlooks the street, the central point of the place where very crazy nights have been lived. Another point of value is the pianist who, day after day, accompanies the nights and dinners.
Spectacular pasta, if it is with truffle better; and the eggs in any of their versions, the best being the Ous en Panet (Eggs in the Nest). _(La Granada del Penedès, 28) _.
-If you had to choose a person to put a monument in Barcelona, who would it be?
- Without a doubt ** Norman Vilalta . Shoe craftsman.** Simple, frank and honest man with a high sense of aesthetics. That he takes beauty as truth almost in the Platonian sense. A lawyer by profession, he left everything to dedicate himself to making shoes from scratch.
Norman Villalta.