The Barcelona Hardware Société location is their fourth baby, and it’s seen Di and Will spend a lot of time in this incredible city, serving their innovative food and delicious Market Lane coffee to the locals, and exploring Barcelona and all it has to offer.We asked Di to share her favourite city spots with us, and she generously agreed! Here is her guide to the best places to eat, drink, wander, shop, and enjoy art and music (and, of course, the view!) in gorgeous Barcelona.
Best areas to stay in.
We live in and love the Eixample district, which loosely means ‘in the middle’. It’s easier to navigate than the narrow laneways of El Born, Gotico and Raval, and has a sense of grandeur, with beautiful boulevards and historic buildings.
Local dishes that are a must-try.
Being coastal, seafood is a must. The quality is outstanding, so I would order a paella (which is actually a Valencian dish), calamares fritos, and some jamon croquetas.
Restaurants to visit.
Teòric is a fabulous taverna. If you’re after a traditional meal, head to Restaurant 9 Nine. Their paella is authentic and delicious.
Teòric: teoric.cat
Reaturant 9 Nine: 9.restaurant
Great live performance venues.
Palau de la Música is for sure the place to visit for choral and classical music concerts. The building itself is magical; it’s worth making time to do a tour. June and July are the music festival months. There’s Primavera Sound and Festival Pederables. If you’re looking for fabulous street performers, head to Placa Catalunya.
Palau de la Música: palaumusica.cat/en
Primavera Sound: primaverasound.com/en/barcelona
Festival Pederables: festivalpedralbes.com/en/
Favourite spots to enjoy art.
MACBA for the new, and Museu Picasso for the old.
MACBA: macba.cat/en
Museu Picasso de Barcelona: museupicasso.bcn.cat/en/
Most popular dish at Hardware Société, Barcelona.
It depends on the season, of course, but currently it’s our mushroom dish: roasted mushroom Danish, peas, Grana Padano, and scrambled eggs.
Hardware Société: hardwaresociete.com/barcelona
Useful phrases to know in Catalan.
Keeping it super simple, Bon-dia (hello), Merci (thank you), and Fem un café? (Let’s have a coffee?)
Most unique places to shop.
Les Eines for new and vintage furniture with a Mediterranean vibe, and Discos Paradiso for an incredible selection of vintage records.
Les Eines: leseines.com
Discos Paradiso: discosparadiso.com
The best view in Barcelona.
Tibidabo. Make sure you visit the cathedral and walk all the way to the top for the most spectacular view of BCN. (The theme park there looks like a whole lot of fun if you’re after a place to take kids.)
Tibidabo: tibidabo.cat/en
Interesting neighbourhoods to wander.
The history and the picturesque nature of the old quarter is really hard to beat. For a more local feel, head to Gràcia.
Best bar with a local flavour.
Quimet et Quimet is my favourite bar in the Poble Sec neighbourhood. It’s a fifth-generation family business that serves amazing wines. Their vermut is a must, and their Montaditos with smoked oysters are to die for.
Quimet et Quimet: quimetquimet.com
A hidden gem only a local would know about.
During the summer season, Casa Batlló has a concert series on the rooftop. Do a tour of Gaudí’s architectural masterpiece, then enjoy a cava on the rooftop, watching a curated musical performance.
Casa Batlló: casabatllo.es/en
