The Insider’s Guide to Barcelona
Psychedelic sculptures, seafood washed down with the world’s best cava, and towers made of people—there’s no city quite like it.
Words by Lisa Abend
With reporting from Stephanie Granada, Grant Rindner, and Yolanda Wikiel
Photographs by João Canziani
Spot illustrations by Diego Marmolejo
ON MY FIRST CHRISTMAS in Barcelona, I stumbled across a crop of stalls that seemed, with the carols and garlands and scent of fried dough in the air, to be part of any other charming European Christmas market. But then I came to something that ruptured all fairy-tale fantasies. There, amid the candy canes and pastries and neon-colored gummies, lay neatly stacked bowls of glistening, squidgy, lifelike poop. Candy poop.
It made for an especially…visceral contrast to the festive season. But that, as I later learned, was precisely the point. Humans, the Catalans like to remind themselves, are never pure. Even at sacred Christmastime, everyone still has to poop.
It was just another thing I loved about the city. As a correspondent for Time, I was based in Madrid but made frequent trips — some of which lasted as long as a month — to Barcelona to cover everything from the city’s avant-garde food, to its bullfighting ban, to its quest for independence. I became so comfortable in its streets, it grew to feel like my second expat home. The treasure-chest shops of El Born; the seductively curved balconies of the Eixample; the ancient stone of the Barri Gòtic; the sea’s hard sparkle; and everywhere, the food, the art, the sunshine, the sidewalk cafés packed with chattering friends drinking small, icy beers. It seemed as if the entire city were expressly designed by some happy god of hedonism to deliver as much pleasure as possible. But as that encounter with candy excrement taught me, it’s the whimsical that makes Barcelona so perfectly special.
I was reminded of that a few years ago when my brother, his wife, and their two boys visited. We did a few of the typical tourist things, gaping at Sagrada Familia and hanging out on the beach, but, when possible, chose whimsy over predictable. We spent an afternoon watching skateboarders turn double heelflips on the steps of the Museum of Contemporary Art and never headed inside. Instead of focusing on the austere beauty of the Gothic Santa Maria del Mar, we armed ourselves with pencils and made rubbings of the skulls etched into the tombstones at our feet.
I dragged them to a place that looked like a New Jersey rec hall, then watched their mouths drop as the 100 or so people milling about seemed to spontaneously form themselves into a tower seven stories high — practicing a uniquely Catalan sport known as castells. I can’t say my nephews loved their introduction to molecular gastronomy (a spherified “olive,” the brainchild of famed chef Ferran Adrià, made with olive juice and a bit of magical white powder); it may have provoked tears. But on the whole, the boys loved the town.
They even assimilated with it. On the trip’s final evening, we were hanging out on the apartment’s fifth-floor balcony. The boys made paper airplanes and spent a while flicking them over the edge, watching them swoop down five stories, then running down to retrieve them. After a few rounds, they were panting and out of breath. Then, an idea: dental floss.
It was a clear night, and from two blocks away, we could see the undulating curves of Gaudí’s Casa Milà glowing against the darkness; behind us, the slightest glimmer of the sea in the distance. The planes sailed out over the boulevard, arched gracefully, then glided to the sidewalk, where they were reeled back to safety. Occasionally, one landed at a passerby’s feet. She’d watch, astonished, as the plane magically flew up the side of the building into the Barcelona sky — our own spin of whimsy added to the city’s collection.
SOUND LIKE A LOCAL: A GUIDE TO IDIOMS
TALLAR EL BACALLÀ: To call the tune or run the show (Literally: to slice the salt cod)
S’HA ACABAT EL BRÒQUIL: The jig is up! (The broccoli has run out)
HE BEGUT OLI: To have made a fatal error (To have drunk oil)
VÉS A PASTAR FANG: Get lost! (Go make mud!)
SER CORNUT I PAGAR EL BEURE: To be doubly screwed (To be cuckolded and still have to buy the drinks)
Neighborhood to Watch: Vila de Gràcia
BOHEMIAN AND WORKING CLASS, with a long history of progressive politics, Vila de Gràcia, once farmland, is a place tourists rarely think to visit. Catch an artsy flick, climb to the top of Park Güell to see Gaudí’s psychedelic sculptures (with a killer view of the city to boot), or simply while away an afternoon over a drink in one of the charming squares.
The highlights
Cines Verdi: One of Barcelona’s oldest cinemas, this theater, which screens movies in their original language, is one of Europe’s best for art and independent film. “You don’t even have to look at what’s playing beforehand,” says film director Isabel Coixet. “There’s always something good.”
Mercat de l’Abaceria: Currently being renovated (but still open), this is a true neighborhood market, with 104 stalls selling everything from wild strawberries to lamb intestines to local shellfish, without any of the premade juices or paper cones filled with ham slices you find at more touristy markets.
Placa del Sol and Placa de la Vila de Gràcia: Gràcia is dotted with lovely squares, but these two — the first a hub for neighborhood nightlife, the second home to an emblematic clock tower and every barrio festival — are the liveliest.
La Pepita: Not yet a decade old, this bar is already something of a neighborhood institution for its graffiti-covered walls, buzzing energy, afternoon-to-late-night service, and eclectic menu of tapas that range from a classic patatas bravas to the decidedly strange (but strangely good) anchovies with dulce de leche.
Casa Vicens: Opened to the public for the first time in November 2017, this riot of Moorish arches and multicolored tiles was the first home designed by Gaudí — and his first masterpiece. In addition to touring the building, visitors can see many of the documents he wrote explaining the construction and outlining his vision for what would become architectural modernism.
La Bodega del Sol: Barcelona has fallen hard for craft beer, and one of the best places to get it is this unassuming shop on a corner of the Plaça del Sol. A vast selection of domestic and international bottles, from Cerveses La Pirata to Canadian cult favorite Nickel Brook, fills its refrigerated cases. In true bodega style, it also sells wine straight from the barrel.
Enjoy a Free Day
9 a.m.: “I like to go to yoga classes in Parc de la Ciutadella,” the site of many free meet-ups, says host Mireia Pascual. Check meetup.com to see what’s happening that day.
11 a.m.: On the first Sunday of every month, many of the museums in the city are free. Of course, art galleries always are, and as Gabriela Moragas, director of Àngels gallery in the Raval, says, “Barcelona has one for every taste.”
2 a.m.: At bar Raspall, for the price of a draft beer, you get free tapas. Don’t miss the meatballs or the traditional Spanish omelet, made with potatoes.
5 p.m.: “There are amazing 360-degree views of Barcelona” at the Carmel Bunkers, remnants of the Spanish Civil War, says Òscar Ubide, director of La Boqueria market, who likes to decompress up there. It’s a bit of a trek — 15 minutes uphill — but it’s entirely worth it.
7:30 p.m.: “In season, there’s usually a public event every weekend,” says casteller Òscar Montserrat, who helps lead a team that makes human towers. But check out Castellers de Barcelona for the rehearsal schedule, three times a week and open to the public.
A Crash Course in Spanish History
1469
The big merger happens: When Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile marry, all the regions, including Catalonia, form the country we know today as Spain. Catalonians maintain their language and laws.
The roots of the Catalan independence movement can be traced to the 15th century, when the Principality of Catalonia became part of the Kingdom of Spain. Visiting Barcelona’s rich historical sites will give you a deeper understanding of current headlines.
1701–1714
Power struggles between Catalonia and Spain come to a head during the War of the Spanish Succession, and Catalonia falls to Spanish King Felipe V after the siege of Barcelona. The beautiful Parc de la Ciutadella, home to both the Barcelona Zoo and the Catalan parliament, is the site of a citadel the king built post-siege as a show of strength. At the Born Cultural Centre, visitors can tour excavated ruins of pre-siege Barcelona. A sculptural arc topped with an eternal flame sits at Fossar de les Moreres, commemorating those killed in the war.
19th century
Catalonia experiences an industrial boom, which helps further a cultural renaissance and a rise in nationalism.
1934
Lluís Companys, president of Catalonia, declares the region’s independence and leads a failed uprising. Two years later, a civil war erupts. At its end, dictator Francisco Franco bans the speaking of Catalan in public.
1940
Companys is executed at the medieval Montjuïc Castle and buried in the cemetery nearby.
1979
After Franco’s death, Catalans restore their regional government, the Generalitat de Catalunya. Its home, the Palau de la Generalitat, is a medieval palace that sits across from Barcelona’s city hall.
2010
Spain’s constitutional court rules that Catalonia is not a nation, but a “nationality.” Meanwhile, the Spanish economy takes a nose dive.
2017
Despite the Spanish government’s declaring it illegal, a referendum over Catalonia’s separation from Spain takes place amid protests. Though only 42 percent of the population goes to the polls, Catalan officials say 90 percent vote to split from Spain.
Local Experiences
Sip beer with a story
Spaniards may be known to be wine lovers, but craft beer is gaining favor. Jordi Poblador, founder of the city’s first microbrewery, Birra 08, hosts a tour full of local anecdotes and pours of brews inspired by his hometown: a blond for hot days at Barceloneta Beach; a feisty IPA named for Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia, where many a revolution went down; Clot, a pale ale that takes after one of the oldest neighborhoods. “Bogatell, my new blond, will be brown because before the Olympics, that beach was oil slicked, and we’d come home covered in petroleum stains,” Poblador explains. “You’d only know these things if you grew up in Barcelona.”
Commandeer a vintage sailboat
Marc Vilanova grew up fishing, diving, and boating in the Mediterranean and knows Cambrils, 90 minutes to the south, like the back of his hand. Guests on the sunset cruise board his 1978 wooden sailboat at Port Olímpic, then head out accompanied by Spanish music, a spread of pica pica (small bites), and sights of Tibidabo and Montjuïc. It’s not rare to spot a dolphin or maybe even a finback whale. Dips in the sea are encouraged, too. “There are people who live here their whole lives and never see the city from the water,” Vilanova says. “They don’t realize how lucky we are to have the ocean as our backyard.”
Master Old-World Paella
Sara Casté Obiols has spent a lifetime perfecting her paella recipe — first as a child serving as sous chef for her Catalonian grandmother, and more recently training under top chefs in her native Barcelona. “There’s no question about it. When friends get together, I’m the one making the paella,” she says, laughing. The secret to the storied dish, she explains, is in the soffritto (a base sauce that marinades overnight). Casté Obiols, a former interior designer, teaches guests how to make the sauce, plus other techniques, during three-hour suppers hosted on the lush garden patio of her childhood home, which is tucked in a neighborhood near the Park Güell.
Gallop through the countryside
TWENTY YEARS AGO, Barcelona-bred David Sandoval bought a 16th- century villa that had lain empty and in disrepair for 70 years. “We were lucky,” he says. “If people had been living there, they probably would have modernized it.” Instead, the carefully restored Cal Perelló, a little over an hour outside the city, serves as base camp for his horseback jaunt through the forests and valleys of Segarra. Afterward, Sandoval cooks a Catalan lunch, including honey harvested on-site and organic wine, almonds, and olive oil cultivated by local farmers. “The idea is to share what life is like here,” he says. “Some call it the Spanish Tuscany.”
Where the Chefs Eat
Suculent: A favorite neighborhood bistro. Try the peas with a tartare of cuttlefish and pancetta.
Gresca: The chef loves to work with sardines and keeps trying new versions, like draping them in a veil of paper-thin pancetta.
Marea Alta: Grilled, then pickled mussels — smoky, with a bite — go great with the sweeping views of the city.
Espai Kru: The trio of squid — with caviar and lime juice, and sliced into mock tagliatelle with tomato-basil sauce — is exceptional.
Estimar: All the seafood is fantastic, but the funny thing is that the cheesecake here is one of the best in town.
Be Sure to Try: Suquet
ONE OF Barcelona’s quintessential — and most delicious — dishes is the hearty fish stew suquet (also known as suquet de peix). The name translates, approximately, to “juice,” though suquet can be either soup- or stewlike, depending on the chef. Over the years, it has evolved from a humble fisherman’s meal to a gourmet dish, every part of which can be traced back through the region’s history. Eat up! The more informed you are, the more delicious each bite will be.
“In Barcelona, the days of tablecloths and formal menus are numbered,” says famed chef Albert Adrià, who for years helmed the trailblazing El Bulli with his brother, Ferran. The city’s bistronomic edge — great food at affordable prices, served in a low-key atmosphere — is sharpening by the day. Here are some of Albert’s top seafood bites — and a little something sweet, too.
Moorish influence
Medieval Barcelona was under Muslim rule for just 80 years, but evidence of its influence remains in the suquet’s almonds and saffron — both of which were introduced by the Moors.
Key components
Like most Catalan stews, the recipe for a suquet starts with a sofregit (a sauté of aromatic vegetables similar to the Italian soffritto) and ends with a picada (garlic, parsley, and ground nuts, often almonds), which flavors and thickens the stew.
Spice
Saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, is often added to the suquet’s broth, or mixed into the picada, and lends a subtle earthy flavor to the dish.
Vegetables
Potatoes distinguish a suquet from its culinary cousin, the zarzuela (another stew packed with shellfish). Locally grown artichokes — there’s a farm not far from the Barcelona airport — are a seasonal touch.
Roots
Originally, fishermen made suquet aboard their boats on small stoves using fish that weren’t valuable enough to sell, were damaged, or were caught in the net by mistake, what we’d call bycatch. Today restaurant versions often contain prized local seafood like langoustines and shrimp.
Cheat Sheet: Music
Ernest Crusats, the guitarist and lead singer of Catalonian indie folk band La Iaia, thinks his hometown’s music scene is one of the best in the world. “Of course, there are old, established venues,” he says, “but it’s the small, exotic places, the ones that often go unnoticed, that I love the most.” Here are five of his recs.
FOR REFINED CLASSICAL: PALAU DE LA MÚSICA
The only modernist concert venue to be marked a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this light-filled hall, decorated with stained glass and mosaics, is an elegant spot to take in a classical concert.
FOR A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING: RAZZMATAZZ
This five-room megaclub features house, indie rock, and hip-hop and has hosted the likes of Kanye West, Coldplay, and Skrillex.
FOR GETTING LOOSE ON A MONDAY: APOLO
Made of two spots — an older theatrical space and a sleek nightclub — this venue is renowned for its dress-code-free Nasty Mondays, where people rock leather, flannel, cowboy hats…anything goes.
FOR JAZZ: EL PUMAREJO
Started in 2016, this speakeasy-style jazz-and-more club has already become a beloved spot and offers concerts, jams, workshops, and screenings.
FOR THE ALTERNATIVE SET: SIDECAR
Punk kids and alternative rockers join indie lovers and experimental enthusiasts at this small club known for promoting underground artists.
Day Trips Within Two Hours of the City
IMBIBE IN SANT SADURNÍ D’ANOIA
Home to more than 80 cava producers, this town is ground zero for Catalan bubbles. The Codorníu winery is a modernist masterpiece.
GET OUTDOORS IN OLOT
Capital of La Garrotxa, the volcano region (there are 40, all inactive), this city draws hikers and mountain bikers who shred trails made from old rail lines.
NERD OUT IN CARDONA
Wilfred the Hairy (yes, really) built a fortress here in 886. His stunning hilltop castle remains one of the most important examples of medieval architecture in Spain.
EAT IN GIRONA
With homey Can Roca, creative ice cream shop Rocambolesc, and El Celler de Can Roca, considered one of the world’s best restaurants, the Roca family has made this city a culinary destination.
WHAT TO BRING BACK
01 SPANISH FOOTWEAR: A family-owned business since 1940, La Manual Alpargatera stitches espadrilles in nearly every style. But the pair that owner Joan Carles Tasies wears most features the city’s 100-year-old panot pavement tiles. ($58)
02 NATIVE POTTERY: These ceramic and clay vases, cups, and planters from Maevo Studio are inspired by the beautiful north coast of Spain. Order a few for delivery to your Airbnb. ($48.50 per pair)
03 GAME OF STRATEGY: Challenge kids back home to attempt the Catalan tradition of castells — multistory towers of people — with this locally made wood set from the OMG BCN shop. Success hinges on stacking — and disassembling — without toppling one peg. ($25.50)
04 TRAVEL JOURNAL: Stamped with Barcelona’s coordinates — 41˚23'N/2˚11'E — this pocket-size, linen-covered notebook from the Mediterranean-inspired brand Octaevo will store your memories and musings. ($9)
05 TASTEFUL GIFT: Since 1851, Casa Gispert has been roasting decadent nuts and coffee in an on-site oven. A wooden crate of the Nostrum foursome of almonds and hazelnuts, a candied nut mix, and salsa romesco are perfect for stowing in luggage. ($30)
06 ART WITH HERITAGE: After rescuing Catalan tiles from trash piles, Odón Ventura Tous adapts the designs and prints them with hand-carved stamps on wood salvaged from Barcelona fruit boxes.($23 for 5-by-7-inch mosaic)
07 CHEEKY SOUVENIR: A traditional Catalan Nativity scene includes one unlikely suspect: a peasant, like the little guy here, relieving himself to symbolize fertilizing the ground for good fortune. (Similar styles from $7.50; caganer.com)
About the author: Based in Copenhagen, Lisa Abend is a freelance journalist who writes frequently for TIME and The New York Times. She is also the author of The Sorcerer’s Apprentices: A Season in the Kitchen of Ferran Adrià’s elBulli.
