I will talk about a very recent and exquisite surprise for your senses. Amorino is the name of one of the most delicious franchises I’ve ever tried. Its stronger points are based on a very good quality and the well cared presentation of their products even though the prices are not -properly talking- the ones I’m used to see at the same category. Yes, it’s true: This time you will pay more for that ice cream, but there’s no way you could think it isn’t worth it.

I’d like to recommend this place as a way to overindulge yourself secretly or even to find sweet presents and gifts for someone very (very) special. Please, do go and take a look at their products, especially the chocolates and candies. Don’t forget to ask for the balsamic vinegar they produce and sell proudly as a jewel. And I’m sure it is indeed.

This is the first store this franchise chain opens here in Spain and I’m sure they will expand their presence soon at some other cities, considering the quality.

Details about this spot
Amorino | Snacks | Icecream 3 flavors € 4.00
Gran de Gracia, 53. 08012 | Gracia (area map) | +34932188305
Mon - Thu 11:30 - 00:00, Fri - Sun 11:00 - 01:00

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Let them fry, cook and steam, but baking? No. Being all good in cheese and ham, it seems that the Spanish did totally forget about their bread.

After years of suffering white, boring and unhealthy, it took some people from Iceland to bring Barcelona the joy of baking: stylish Barcelona-Reykjavik bakari offers everything yummy and healthy; banana carrot scones, cakes, pastries, pizza, bread, quiche, vegan products, with sugar and without, everything comes overloaded with taste and good ingredients.

No recommendations, just this much: try everything! Maybe a bread is triple the price (about ? 6.00, price goes by weight) of a Spanish one, but be sure that your stomach is filled for half a day or more.

Apart from that, the personal is super friendly and helps you making your choice in this wonderland of plenty.

Everybody loves the healthy and delicious bread and that’s why Barcelona-Reykjavik opened a new great place in one of the most famous streets in Gracia (Calle Asturias, 20).

Details about this spot
Barcelona - Reykjavik | Snacks, Shopping | Bread € 6.00
Calle Doctor Dou 12 | El Raval (area map) | +34933020921
Mon - Sat 10:00 - 21:00

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“Tourists come in and want to know, ‘Is it a jewelry shop?’ ” Carles Mampel, the multi award-winning pastry-chef genius owner often jokes. And you’ll see why. The brightly lit, pristine interior displays edible artworks in glass cabinets.

Spurred by the deserved success of their shop and tapas bar in El Born Bubó has opened a shop in the Eixample. Situated on Calle Bruc on the corner with Calle Provenza, just off  Diagonal, Bubó sells beautiful cakes, mousses and chocolates such as you never seen or tasted before. Barcelona is home to many, many adventuresome chocolatiers but, for me, Bubó takes the biscuit.

For an unforgettable taste experience stop by for a coffee and a cake or mousse, or treat yourself, or your lover, or your mum, to a little box of exquisite chocolates. And relatively inexpensive when compared with other chocolate shops in the city. Well worth a visit.

Details about this spot
BUBÓ | Shopping, Snacks | Chocolate covered noodle lollipops from € 0.80
C/Bruc 150 | Eixample (area map) | +34934590508
Mon 15:00 - 21:00, Tue - Sat 09:30 - 21:00, Sun 09:30 - 15:00

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This friendly little bar, about the size of a lock-up or small garage.

It’s a cute place, almost like a shrine to the Costa Brava, its walls decorated with early 1970s photos and maps, and shelves packed with canned seafood, sauces and wines.

The specialties here are draft vermut and anchovies from L’Escala, and they serve a good range of cold tapas - sea-snails, prawns, ham etc. Football fans should know that the owner is a ‘periquito’ - little parrot - a supporter of Espanyol, so it may not be the brightest thing to do to go there wearing a Barça shirt!

The bar’s bigger brother - a restaurant where you can sit down and enjoy a larger meal - also called Cala del Vermut - is just 100 meters along the street. I really like this spot, a really good place for a stop-off when en route to or from El Borne.

Details about this spot
Cala del Vermut | Bars, Snacks | Vermut € 2.00
C/Magdalenes 6 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34933179623
Mon - Sat 11:00 - 16:00 & 18:00 - 23:00

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Welcome to ice cream lovers paradise “Fratello” in the Barceloneta neighborhood nearby the beach!

These ice cream recipes traveled a long way from Italy to Argentina. In Buenos Aires the Italian tradition was brought to perfection and traveled back to Europe to settle down in Barcelona.

You pay before you order the ice cream and that is an easy start for a difficult decision.

Many different flavors in many different colors show you that homemade gelato can be more than vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.
Ever tried dulce de leche (to die for), strawberry cheese cake, crema catalana or yerba mate?

Fratello is perfectly located on your way from the city center to the sea and is probably the most delicious companion for a sunny and relaxing day on one of Barcelona’s numerous beaches.

Or just take a seat on Fratello’s terrace or on one of the public benches, enjoy your ice cream, and watch the people passing by.

But watch out! The ice cream is highly addictive and it’s very likely that once you had a cone you will end up sitting at Fratello every single day of your vacation…

Details about this spot
Fratello | Snacks | Cone from € 2.50
Joan de Borbó 15 | Barceloneta (area map) | +3493214839
Sun 09:00 - 01:00, Mon - Sat 11:00 - 01:00

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Have you experienced some time when you go out to eat that you ask for something very easy to prepare, let’s say for example a sandwich, but once they serve it you can’t help to think they deeply hate to make sandwiches? Come on! It’s just a sandwich! What I’ve done to you to deserve this?

Well, I know a place that is totally the opposite of a bad experience. At the I Qué? Bar you will find they take their job with love and they care about what they do.

Feel free to ask anything, never mind if you ask a sandwich or one of their very exquisite and crusty pizzas, I’m pretty sure you will enjoy your meal.

It’s not a complex menu, but every time I go there I get surprised because they really know how to deliciously prepare those plain dishes. The last time I went to the I Qué? (Catalan, meaning “So what?”) I was so happy that I asked for a Tiramisu as a dessert and I think I almost cried because of the infinite happiness I felt.

Details about this spot
I Qué? | Bars, Snacks | Meal € 10.00
Topazi 8 | Gracia (area map)
Sun - Thu 06:00 - 01:00, Fri - Sat 06:00 - 03:00

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Maybe you have spent your last holiday savings on that sombrero in the tourist shop in the Barceloneta with your friends questioning your judgement and now, with your new found treasure, you find yourself a little short on cash.

Or perhaps you are just a frugal spender looking to make the most of your stay. It could be you are visiting Barcelona from abroad and sink your head when you look at the exchange rate.

This is the restaurant for you. Even those of you who have bank accounts where the money flows like water, will enjoy this genuine, friendly tapas restaurant in Horta. The price is low, the quality high.

Get there before 21:00, even on a weeknight, as the lines have been known to go to the end of the block.  Plates of fuet, a staple food in Spain and outrageously delicious meat, are only 75 cents.  If you want a cup of wine, they just leave a bottle on the table, take what you want throughout the meal and sum it all up later.  No having to waive down your waiter for another cup ever again!

If you have yet to try a “clara”, half beer and half lemon.  Is it healthy? Of course not. It has more sugar in it then a candy bar, but what the fuck?!

Whoever invented it deserves the an award.  And who knows, after all these cheap eats you may just have enough money left over to get one more sombrero.

Details about this spot
La Esquinica | Snacks, Restaurants (Tapas) | Meal € 15.00
Passeig Fabra i Puig 286 | Above diagonal (area map) | +34933582519
20:00 - 03:00 daily

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Located in one of the most beautiful, romantic and hidden place of Barcelona, La luna de Jupiter is like a peaceful oasis in the crowded center of Barcelona. You can enjoy a nice tea or a glass of wine while listening to the birds chirping on the trees.

The decoration is very home style. A few tables with different tablecloths, a few chairs all different: armchairs, sofas so comfortable you almost could fall asleep. It looks kind of chaotic and first sight but the feeling of being home overwhelmed you totally after a few minutes.

They also make salads, sandwiches, and homemade cakes and maybe after eating you still can go to the Marina Maas (see this article) shop situated just in front of the bar.

Details about this spot
La luna de Jupiter | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Meal € 15.00
Placa Traginers, 8 | El Barrio Gotico (area map) | +34933196432
21:00 - 00:00 daily

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Probably La Musaranya [The Shrew] is the place in Barcelona I visited most often in my life. It was always a great meeting point for my friends and I and we had tons of different reasons to choose La Musaranya among the many options we could find at Gracia. Its prices, quality, ambient and attention they were the most important motives to consider this place as one of our most favourite common bars and restaurants.

La Musaranya has new owners now and the original concept has changed a little. It’s a pity that some of their sandwiches [Oh! Those delicious "Musaranyas" and hamburgers I will never try again... *Snif*] and tapas disappeared from the menu and now they’re replaced by pizzas from Italy and Lebanon [?].

I have not eaten there again but I plan to do so very soon because there’s something I still like about this place and it’s the spirit and free smile the new personnel offers. I must insist: La Musaranya has what any other place needs to be a great place and it’s still a good spot to enjoy some tapas and beers with a good company.

I will try those pizzas, so stay tuned…

Details about this spot
La Musaranya | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Tapas and Pizzas) | Meal from € 10.00
Asturies, 17, 08012 | Gracia (area map) | +34934155270
Mon - Sat 08:00 - 01:00, Fri - Sat 08:00 - 02:30, Sun 10:00 - 01:00

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Located in the South barrio Gothic, in one of the most typical street (calle de la Mercé) of Barcelona, you will find this very small place often surrounded by groups of people standing up in the street with a glass of wine in their hands.

There are two specialties in this bar but fair enough: fried sardines and tomato salad with onions and olives. To be eaten of course with a good glass of wine,

Inside the bar, the walls are decorated with blue azulejos (typical from south of Spain and Portugal) giving you a real feeling of being in Spain. Everybody shouting especially the waiters, everybody laughing and no matter how crowded the bar is, there’s still a crate left where you can sit on or someone to have a conversation with.

And after 5 bottles of wine, if you are good at negotiating, they might offer you a plate of fried fish for free?

One of my really favorite spot in Barcelona.

Details about this spot
La Plata | Snacks, Bars, Restaurants (Tapas) | Wine & tapa € 3.00
Calle Mercé, 28 | El Barrio Gotico (area map)
Mon - Sat 13:00 - 15:45 & 20:00 - 23:30

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If you go to La Terrassa your first impression will be “this is a very common place but there’s still something about it” and I will tell you why: this place looks like the most of Spanish bars but if you pay attention you’ll understand how special it is.

I won’t lie to you: I go there every single day. I chose that place among a lot of bars in the same zone because of the kind and warm attention you will receive for sure. Its owner, affectionately called “Flores” (Flowers) by his frequent clients, is a very special person. He will address to you with respect, he’s a polite man who enjoys attending with a smile on his face.

Don’t forget to eat something too. You should try the typical “Patatas bravas”or the “Spanish tortilla”; I think these and other common “tapas” are better at La Terrassa than other bars in Barcelona.

La Terrassa is not just a bar but a special meeting point in that neighborhood. You will hear its frequent customers talking about sports, politics, jokes or chess.

The last discussion I heard there it was based on someone who said that he’s used to see that some hotels prepare fried eggs in the oven instead of frying them because it’s faster and cheap.

As you can understand nobody agreed with that weird claim so it was a great chance to make jokes about eggs. I bet they’re still talking about this while the guy who said that is trying to enjoy his beer in peace.

Details about this spot
La Terrassa Bar | Bars, Snacks | Tapas € 10.00
Saragossa 85 | Above diagonal (area map)
Tue - Wed 10:00 - 01:00, Thu 10:00 - 02:00, Fri - Sat 11:00 - 03:00

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Located next to the Universitat place, one of the neuralgic centres of Barcelona, you will find all kind of traditional Spanish products like the nougat we use to have at Christmas time or the “horchata”, an orgeat, very typical in Valencia, almond milk….

They also do very tasty ice-creams with various flavours, good cakes and they serve you all kind of coffees and juices. They do everything in a homemade style.

They also prepare salad for lunch time.

One of the oldest and most traditional places in Barcelona since it opens in 1910 and it’s the only place where you can have an orgeat all the year long.

It’s a true reference for all the barceloneses.

Details about this spot
La Valenciana | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Coffee & cake € 4.50
Calle Aribau, 16 | Eixample (area map) | +34933172771
Mon - Sat 08:00 - 01:35, Sun 16:00 - 22:30

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Every morning, I go there to have my Galician baguette and my Madeleine for breakfast. Among all the bakeries I have tried in Barcelona, this one is by far the best. That’s why it’s always crowded and the shop assistants are always very busy.

Located in the very center of Barcelona next to the Universitat place, this small red bakery has been run by the same family since 1879. The Mistral Bakery offers you all kind of homemade breads and much more: typical pastries from Cataluña like San Joan’s coca, San Jordi’s bread, sweet and salt cakes…

You need to take a ticket at the entrance and wait for your turn. If you prefer you can go to the cafeteria they have and enjoy a nice coffee with a good chocolate croissant. Or you can see too the workshop just next to the bakery where bread is exposed.

Even if it’s a little expensive, the high quality of the products justify the prices.

It’s one of the most emblematic place in Barcelona.

Details about this spot
Mistral | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Baguette € 1.00
Ronda Sant Antoni, 96 | El Raval (area map) | +34933018037
Mon - Sat 07:00 - 21:00

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After 5 years living here I have gotten to know a lot of pizzerias in Barcelona. This time I will talk about one of my very favorits. I want to recommend you the Nova Fontana Pizzeria. They offer slices of pizza so you can try many flavours.

Pizzas are crusty and delicious. Every time I go I ask for a beer and 2 pizzas, usually a “Nova Fontana” and the other a “4 cheeses” because I’m one of those cheese lovers who can’t help to enjoy the flavours and textures of melted cheese at the palate.

I know 2 other similar places at Barcelona that offer pizzas in the same way, however I think you will find the best ones at this place. It’s a great place to eat and it’s located at my neighbourhood.

What else could I say? I feel lucky and I’m happy to share this secret with you.

Details about this spot
Pizzeria Nova Fontana | Snacks, Restaurants (Italian, Pizzas) | Pizza € 8.00
Santjoanistes 8 | Above diagonal (area map)
Tue - Sat 12:30 - 16:00 & 20:00 - 00:00

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Situated on a relatively quiet street between the lively heart of Poble Sec and the busy, wide avenue of Parallel this small bodega serves exquisitely prepared plates of tapas.

It’s a busy, bustling little place and you won’t find a seat or a table - it’s shoulder to shoulder standing-room only at Quimet i Quimet - and there’s often a small crowd on the street outside.

The bodega serves its own label Belgian bottled beers and its own labelled cava. The walls of this tiny spot are lined from ceiling to floor with bottles of beers, wines and spirits from around the world - with exotic, rarely seen, bottles of advocaat, coñacs, vodkas and whisky, and its wines are second to none.

But it’s the food that makes this bodega very special - simple, but delicious foods such as cheeses, cold meats, canned seafood and vegetable patés served on bread or with bread sticks and transparent fruit flavoured jelly conserves, all lovingly arranged on the plate like an artwork.

It’s not a place for a meal - just a bite or two before dinner. It’s a good spot to meet up with friends before going on to a gig.

Details about this spot
Quimet i Quimet | Snacks | Tapas from € 0.95
C/Poeta Cabanyes 25 | Poble Sec (area map) | +34934423142
Mon - Fri 12:00 - 16:00 & 19:00 - 22:30, Sat 12:00 - 16:00 | Closed August

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Located in la Barceloneta, the old fishermen neighbourhood, this is the best place to go for vermouth on Week-ends.

This more than one century old bar makes you feel like you were travelling into the past: wooden tables and wine barrels all around the walls. Old stylish waiters, kind of raw but funny and spontaneous. One of them looks exactly like……Robert de Niro, Spanish version. This guy is always messing around with the customers making you feel very comfortable

A noisy and young atmosphere. The appetizers are also very good. I would advice you to have a variety of seafood with a bottle of vermouth from where you can have the glasses you wish. Not a sophisticated place at all. Best thing to do after: going straight to the beach…

Details about this spot
The electricitat | Bars, Snacks | Vermouth & tapa € 7.00
Calle Sant Carles, 15 | Barceloneta (area map) | +34932215017
Tue - Fri 07:00 - 15:00 & 18:00 - 22:00 Sat 07:00 - 15:30 & 19:00 - 23:00, Sun 07:00 - 16:00

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What is delicious and what is not? Sometimes is very hard for me to give a correct answer. Since I remember, enjoying natural fruity juices is extremely easy for me. It’s not the same with beers or wine, for example; I confess I learnt to enjoy these flavours and I had to “practice” a lot to find the main secrets of these beverages. But, come on! Orange juice is delicious and almost any blend of fruits can awake the feeling of “inner peace” in me. I don’t know! It’s strange but it’s also true that I can feel the balance of the universe every single time I drink some fruity blend.

The Zuum is a sort of battle-fruit star ship, the right way to reconnect ourselves with our most basic composition. Drink life, refresh your cells, quench your thirst healthily and follow this advice. It’s about your body and mind. It’s about your nature. Wanna join the adventure of the nature’s trip? Try the Zuum. O RELAX or choose your favourite blend if you prefer.

Sorry for my good mood… I’ve just arrived from there.

Details about this spot
Zuum | Snacks | Smoothies € 4.00
Via Augusta, 127 | Above diagonal (area map) | +34934146180
Mon - Fri 08:00 - 20:00

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