- Barcelona
- (344)
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Spain
For uninterrupted views over Barcelona, take the tram up to Tibidabo and order an ice cold beer or a Mojito at Bar Mirablau (Bar BlueView in Catalan).
This city is hard to beat. It doesn´t cost the earth to get there (I just paid taxes), the weather´s great and for a foodie like me it is heaven, especially if you like seafood. Try Taller de Tapas on Rambla de Catalunya for lunch or Can Sole in the Born. Found this flat on IveBeenThere- renovated Art Deco place with a garden 5 minutes from the Gaudi houses on Passeg de Gracia
It's a restaurant event serving traditional breakfast and brunch in Barcelona.
I recommend it because of the great salads, amazing apple crumble pie, friendly service and cool music.
Spent three nights here with five girlfriends for a 'big birthday' in May 2009 and could not have been happier with the location, rooms, reception, cleanliness and atmosphere.
The hotel is in an old building and has an impressive huge carved wooden door, but inside all is modern and minimalist. The garden area behind reception is pretty with lots of steps to reach all the levels.
We didn't try the bar as there are loads of bars and cafes nearby. Helpful staff and loads of leaflets at reception.
We chose 'room only' as it is far cheaper to get a breakfast of anywhere choice in the city (Cafe de L'Opera round the corner is divine). Each of the three rooms we had were spacious and spotless, with big bathrooms and walk-in showers. Ours had a small balcony and all windows had blackout curtains as well as voiles. Like most hotels, it didn't have many hangers but that would be my only gripe. Each of the rooms had the facility to be turned into a family room, but the beds were discreetly folded up against the wall in all the rooms, sometimes behind a wardrobe area.
There was free internet access and a laptop in each room which was useful once we discovered how to get @ on a Spanish keyboard (Alt/Gr plus the @ key).
I'd stayed right on the Ramblas once before, but this was just far away enough to avoid the late night noise (except on the night when Barcelona beat Chelsea, ha!). Being so central the hotel is just near the Liceu metro station and within easy stretch of all the sights and shopping.
The street outside the hotel is pedestrianised, but is only about 25 yards from Las Ramblas, so not far to walk if you have luggage.
C/ La Boqueria 10
Junto A Ramblas 78
Barcelona 08002
Metro: Liceu
This is an absolute gem of a traditional Barcelona cafe, serving food and drink all day in the most charming art nouveau surroundings where you can rub shoulders with the locals reading the complimentary newspapers. The staff are unfailingly polite, even when the tourists have had a few too many of the wonderful Martinez brandy (7 euros a shot) and are getting rowdy... Delicious breakfast food, fabulous fresh orange juice squeezed before your eyes, and later a good range of traditional tapas and simple dishes. Proper alcoholic sangria served indoors or out. Favourite - a huge glass of the Cava sangria.
Las Ramblas, opposite the Liceu theatre
This is a great value Italian restaurant and pizzeria in the uptown part of Barcelona. The staff are very friendly and the food is authentic.
It's a cosy trattoria and if you want to try an authentic Italian risotto, this is a place to choose.
Av. República Argentina
268 08023
Tel 93 417 7772
Nearest metro station: Vallcarca (L3 Green) or Tibidabo (FGCC)
Bus stops:17, 22,
www.caffedisanmarco.com/Italian-pizzeria-in-Barcelona.php
As we were travelling with our young child, the apartment was very practical and the company provided us with a travel cot for free. Other companies we enquired with wanted to charge us €30 a night for this!
Thank you Apartime for your helpfulness and great service, little Layla had a fantastic time.
Fab flat in the centre of Barcelona with a garden which I found while searching on google. The owners have kept all the original features like the mosaic tiles so you really get into the atmosphere. We had a great stay- perfect for trying out all the restaurants in town.
The greatest hostel In Barcelona. Situated right on beautiful Placa Reial just off Las Ramblas, a really fun hostel, very clean, easy to meet lots of travellers and have a great time. Free dinner and breakfast, and a great happy hour are also a bonus. Staff were amazing and they provide great activities such as free walking tours and tapas nights. Definitely a place to party.
Placa Reial, Barcelona
I tried Cocktail making classes the other day and it is a great way to spend a few hours. Had a great laugh and met some great people.
The classes take place in various Barcelona locations.
www.barcelonaadventure.com/index.cfm/p/activity_cocktail_making for info
Surprisingly good vegetarian falafel place on Las Ramblas. Grab a falafel, fill it to the hilt with one or more of the supplied toppings, and watch the world go by on a sunny day.
On a street corner to the right (when walking down Las Ramblas from Plaça de Catalunya), just before the main entrance to Mercat de la Boqueria.
Highly recommend a multi-day transport pass instead of the official bus tour (although you can do that as well!). You get unlimited access to the whole Zone 1 network, (trains; to and from the airport, metro, trams, buses, funicular railways) for a cheaper cash outlay with a greater reach. For the real explorers out there, this is a great option.
From the tourist office at Barcelona Airport or at any metro station.
My wife and two kids have stayed in Barcelona a couple of times at this hostel.
It is budget accommodation, but good quality right next to the ramblas. The location is excellent. They also have a cat called Dog. They are from Australia from Spanish descendants.
Ronda Universidad 11, 4º1ª
Bareclona 08007
www.residenciaustralia.com/indexes.html
34 933174177
Right next to plaza catalunya metro universitat or catalunya.
My wife and baby daughter found the perfect gem of a place to stay in Barcelona - a boutique apartment instead of a boutique hotel. Felt like our own private suite, with magnificent views of the port, great for sunset drinks! I think the website has various places for short term rents. Owner manager was a very friendly Italian (gay of course, hence so well managed!)
Tucked away on a narrow street just yards from the Ramblas and Placa Reial, Cullertes is not only one of Barcelona's finest restaurants, but one of its most historic, and best value. Its traditional Catalan interior of dark wood features is entirely authentic - Cullertes is over 200 years old, and remains atmospheric. The food is traditional catalonian fare, with a strong emphasis on game, pork and seafood, and despite what you might expect for the quality and location, the prices are extremely reasonable. The food is, it goes without saying, delicious. But it does get very busy and only has limited evening opening hours so booking is advisable at weekends and in summer.
Restaurant Cullertes, Carrer Quintana 5, Barri Gotic, Barcelona. Nearest metro: Liceu.
For the first time ever, my husband and two kids decided to try a self-catering apartment recently on a trip to Barcelona. I was worried it wouldn't seem like a holiday if we were having to shop and do the washing up etc. However it was excellent, and with two small young children it was easier than being in a hotel. With our own space we were far more relaxed and we saved a fortune on our food bills.
The apartment was gorgeous too!
The company we booked through were very helpful and ensured everything went without a hitch. Will be going self-catering again in the future.
Barcelona, Spain
www.friendlyrentals.com/en/apartments/barcelona/apartment-775-1.htm
Away from the tourist-orientated boutiques of the Barri Gotic, the high street stores around Placa de Catalunya and the high-end designers of l'Eixample is Barcelona's coolest district: the Raval. The district's charming mix of historic architectural styles in varying degrees of dilapidation and lower rents than most of central Barcelona have attracted young and up-and-coming artists and designers; they and their fashionable friends have transformed the Raval into the sunny, Catalan equivalent of Shoreditch. Like Shoreditch, the northern parts of Raval, close to the sleek modern art gallery, have been intensely regenerated and now draw the tourist crowds to what was once the 'wrong' side of the Ramblas. The southern reaches of the neighbourhood are still definitely on the seedy and even dangerous side, but somewhere in the middle is a genuinely cool and intriguing maze of streets peppered with achingly-hip bars, little galleries and a clutch of fantastic, independently-owned shops. The zenith of this is Carrer de Riera Baixa, a colourful street that might just be the best place to shop in Barcelona right now. It is neither pricey nor generic, and the mix of vintage and cutting-edge and unique new clothing boutiques makes it an irresistible stop for the cool young things of the city. Join them before the rest of the world finds out and the independent stores are forced elsewhere.
Carrer de Riera Baixa, El Raval, Barcelona. Less than ten minutes walk from Liceu metro on the Ramblas.
I found BornLiving as I'd been staying the Born area in a tourist apartment and decided that I wanted to stay. It's an incredible part of the city with a really special character - I just loved the neighbourhood and wanted to stay.
A friend recommended BornLiving, a local agency.
They specialised in the type of apartment I was looking for, an attic with a roof terrace to enjoy the sunshine and views around the neighbourhood. They helped me find a great place just beside the Santa Maria del Mar church with a neat deck off my bedroom.
So happy, highly recommend them if you're down this beautiful part of Barcelona and are looking for a great pad from which to make yourself at home.
I managed to get a really good deal on an apartment from these guys.
They gave me a better price than the last minute deals shown on the website. Combined with a cheap Ryanair flight, we managed to have a cheap long weekend in Barcelona.
www.homing-barcelona.com
+34 607 904 645
Way to stay is an online booking agency with apartments all over Europe. I booked a self-catering apartment in Barcelona recently and received a 25% low season discount. Being able to enjoy a freshly prepared meal is a real benefit of staying in this kind of accommodation.
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