This excellent Japanese-Brazilian fusion restaurant-lounge bar is situated on the very edge of El Born.

The first thing you’ll notice as you approach the door are the big fat carp swimming on the floor - you have to walk over the fish when you enter.

Watch as your steps create ripples in the pool and the fish scatter in all directions. Kids (like me!) love it, and keeps them amused during the short wait for food. And, when tired of the swimming touch-sensitive fish you can watch a large-screen projection of life under the ocean. Amusingly the undersea scenes are cut in with a live feed from the kitchen - so you can watch the expert chefs prepare your sashimis, tempuras, makis and sushis.

The food here is excellent. A very good friend (Hi Krystyna!) who loves Japanese food, and has probably visited most Japanese restaurants in the city, eats here every Friday lunchtime. The lunchtime set menu is only 12 euros and worth every cent.

Good, lively, very friendly atmosphere. And, though the restaurant only opened at the beginning of the year it has already gained a deserved reputation for excellent food, friendly service and good value. If going in the evening you’ll probably need to book ahead or be prepared to wait for a while.

Details about this spot
ikibana - Japanese | Bars, Restaurants (Japanese-Brazilian) | Daily menu € 12.00
Passeig Picasso 32 | El Borne (area map) | +34932956732
13:00 - 16:00 & 20:00 - 02:30 daily

Show full posting and map »

I know a place for readers and writers, to take the kids to play football and run around, for families to have a picnic, a place for the elderly, for lovers and friends.

La Ciutadella Park is where everything is possible if the weather’s on your side and this is easy to find in Barcelona where almost never rains.

La Ciutadella Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Barcelona and it’s plenty of cosy corners to talk and spend the time laid over the grass, sit at some bank or walk around through sculptures, statues and trees.

You will find the Museum of Modern Art, The Geology Museum, the Zoo, a greenhouse and a castle called “Three Dragons Castle” where’s also placed the Zoology Museum. This park is a gorgeous open space behind El Borne; it’s close to the France Train Station, the Olympic Village, La Barceloneta, the peer and the beach.

If you use this park as a shortcut to anywhere you’re going, I’m sure you will feel invited to stay. There’s a place for you too. I know.

Details about this spot
La Ciutadella Park | Art & culture, Relaxing
Between Pujades and Picasso streets | El Borne (area map)
08:30 - 22:00 daily

Show full posting and map »

Nakupenda is an exotic salads, sandwiches, soups, cocktails and smoothies day and night/ summer and winter bar.

The name means ‘I love you’ in Swahili, but if when courtship dancing or just flirting you share a huge cup of mango madness, bannana kiss or vanilla sky smoothie  with two straws words might become unnecessary.  It could end up in the most wonderful and chaotic way of starting a relationship. But you take risk of losing every breath of life at the gate of climax.

It may seem as something planned, and you may look as a brazen-faced, but there’s nothing you can do against it.

Despite summer is already gone you can still sit on the terrace when there is good weather, or find that cosy corner inside.

Details about this spot
Nakupenda | Bars | Smoothies € 3.00
Av. Marques de Argentera 7 | El Borne (area map) | +34932680435
Mon - Fri 08:00 - 03:00, Sat - Sun 10:00 - 03:00

Show full posting and map »

This bar is located North of El borne, a small neighbourhood called la Ribera and well-known for her multicultural restaurants from all over the world. This restaurant is a Spanish restaurant and one of the best places to eat seafood in Barcelona (and the relation price-quality is also good)

With a long bar where you can eat and also a big dinning room, this place is very welcoming with a loud atmosphere. It’s a place you go to have a good dinner and fun at the same time.

The food is incredible and has a very good reputation in Barcelona: grilled razor shells (absolutely delicious), grilled calmars, prawns, potatoes “bravas” (a mix sauce of tomato and mayonnaise…yummy!) to eat with a good white wine the waiter could recommend you.

One of those authentic places in Barcelona. On weekends, you might have to wait a little bit until they give you a table.

Details about this spot
The Mundial | Restaurants (Mediterranean, Seafood) | Meal & drinks € 20.00
Plaza de Sant Agusti Vell 1 | El Borne (area map) | +34933199056
Sun 13:00 - 18:00, Tue 13:00 - 18:00, Wed - Sat 13:00 - 18:00 & 21:00 - 0:00

Show full posting and map »

Africa in the heart of El Borne. Yes you can do it! In a very small and peaceful street of the most fashion neighborhood of Barcelona, you find this very simple place with a few wooden tables and a few pictures hanging on the walls.

From outside, you couldn’t tell what’s going inside. Actually, not a lot, it’s a calm place that doesn’t take itself very seriously and where you can go for a fantastic lunch or dinner and an interesting conversation.

The food is just fantastic. The menu consist on 4 cards the waiters put on your table, you can choose between a “Thebudien” (fish and rice in the African way), a “Yassa chicken”, a spinaches and yucca plate or a “Maffe”. They are all absolutely amazing and the prices are ridiculously cheap…

Before your meal you can also enjoy African vermouth with ginger that is supposed to be aphrodisiac. Or you can try the hibiscus flower juice, typical of this place…

Details about this spot
The Teranga | Restaurants (Senegalese) | Meal € 10.00
Calle de la Nau, 3 | El Borne (area map) | +34933103365
Wed - Mon 13:00 - 17:00 & 20:00 - 00:00

Show full posting and map »