To celebrate a dear friend’s birthday and the end of a wonderful year, I took one last trip with my girlfriends to Barcelona. Filled with captivating culture, art, and architecture at every turn with some of the most amazing food I’ve ever had – it’s one of my favorite destinations. Even though most of us got hit by a stomach bug for a day, that didn’t stop us from making the most of our trip. We got to tour some of Antoni Gaudí’s unique masterpieces and eat incredibly delicious tapas that were so reasonably priced. I couldn’t get enough of the fresh seafood and wonderfully seasoned meats, and there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t enjoy a steaming hot cortado, sweet and chewy churros, and a glass or two of Spanish wine.
Of course, our trip to Barcelona wouldn’t have been complete without a stop to our favorite high-end shops on Passeig de Gràcia. Shopping for luxury items in Barcelona (and in Europe in general) is great if you live outside of Europe because you can take advantage of the VAT refund and the selection tends to be better as well. (See Passeig de Gràcia).
I’m already looking forward to going back and bringing my family with me. There are so many kid friendly things to do that they would enjoy, and I already know my husband would enjoy all the tasty tapas and wine.
GETTING AROUND
We flew into El Prat (BCN, which is the biggest and closet airport to Barcelona (9 miles or 20 minutes by car). There are several modes of transportation you can use to get from the airport to the city – taxi, metro, bus, train, car rental, or private transfer. With our large party (6 adults, 1 infant) and luggage (6 full size and 7 carry-on size), we found the most convenient way to get to and from the airport, as well as tour the city for a full day of sightseeing, was to hire a luxury van transfer (with a car seat). We used Limo Service Press I Car BCN (which had excellent reviews online) and we found them to be very professional and accommodating. Our driver was friendly and informative – he seemed to know the history of every attraction we asked about and gave us additional activity and restaurant recommendations.
Barcelona is very walkable, with many attractions all over the city. I highly recommend organizing your days around different sectors or neighborhoods. You can use the metro, bus, or taxi to get to different parts of the city, then walk around to enjoy the views and get a local feel of the area.
LODGING
If you’ve read my other travel guides, you know that I like to use Airbnb.com to book home rentals when traveling with a large group (see this post and this post for other amazing homes we’ve stayed in). In general, I find them to be more spacious and better priced than hotels, and our Airbnb in Barcelona was no exception. One of my housing requests for trips is for there to be a balcony. I love the fresh air (no matter what the season), the view, and I just think there’s something romantic about a balcony in a foreign city.
The apartment we chose is newly refurbished and located in the heart of Barcelona, close to Plaça Catalunya, las Ramblas and Passeig de Gràcia. There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms in addition to a living room, balcony, dining room, and kitchen – each beautifully decorated and spacious with high ceilings. This home came with a highchair and crib, which was perfect for the little one.
ATTRACTIONS
La Sagrada Familia
Our most anticipated attraction on this trip was Antoni Gaudi’s most famous architectural masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). This impressive building represents the life of Jesus and the history of faith, which is depicted throughout the basilica in the towers and facade. There’s so much to admire, from the intricate details of the exterior to the profound history behind it. Construction has been ongoing, but it’s estimated to be completed in 2026. It’s definitely a remarkable sight to see and must not be missed when visiting Barcelona.
It’s a very popular attraction drawing in major crowds so be sure to book your tickets well in advance. We booked a fast track Sagrada Familia guided tour with Viator a month before and we didn’t have to wait in line at all. Our 1.5 hour guided tour was mostly spent outside with plenty of time to explore the inside.
Once inside, we got to marvel at the magnificence of the internal structure. I loved the tall columns that stretch like tree branches toward the exquisite ceiling – the extraordinary flowery design was my favorite feature and since we arrived mid-day, the sun glistened through the colorful stained-glass windows.
Note: Very stroller friendly, with a separate ramped entrance and elevator.
Cost: $44.44 per adult for Fast Track Sagrada Familia Guided Tour through Viator
Park Güell
I was so excited to come here after seeing so many images of this beautiful park, which is another mesmerizing creation of Gaudi’s and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a unique park with exquisite stone structures, mosaic artwork and tiles, and sculptured gardens that were all influenced by nature. My favorite part was the rooftop terrace, where you can take a moment to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the city. The main staircase with the famous tile lizard is another photo-worthy spot.
Certain parts of the park are free, but if you want a closer look of Gaudi’s colorful architecture you can pay a €10 entrance fee. I recommend buying the tickets online so you don’t have to wait in line. There are also designated picnic areas, which we enjoyed with some sandwiches we brought from Mercat de la Boqueria (see Mercat de la Boqueria).
Note: If you’re bringing a stroller, there are ramps within the park.
Cost: €10 per person
Parque del Laberint d’Horta
This beautiful park is tucked away at the edge of the city, with great views of the city. It’s the oldest garden in Barcelona and a lot less crowded than Park Guell. The park is well maintained and very picturesque – we even saw a bride and groom taking pictures. Some highlights of this romantic garden include the pavilions, waterfall, statues, fountains, and a neoclassical-style labyrinth built right in the heart of the grounds. It’s a nice place to relax and take a moment away from the hustle of downtown Barcelona. There are plenty of picnic areas and has a nice children’s playground.
Cost: €2.20 for adults, €1.40 for kids over 5 years old, free on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Passeig de Gràcia
We had a wonderful time shopping in one of Barcelona’s most famous high-end shopping streets, which starts from Plaça Catalunya and goes as far as Avinguda Diagonal. You can find shops like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Christian Dior – just to name a few! If you live outside of Europe, you can get 21% off (minus administrative fees) the price of items over €90.15 if you claim a VAT refund. Your passport must be present at the time of sale in order for the sales representatives to fill out the VAT form, which you will need to file at the airport. See this for more information on tax-free shopping.
Places We Wish We Visited
Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
Casa Milà is another one of Antoni Gaudi’s works and the last building he designed before devoting himself completely to Sagrada Familia. The building’s design features forms drawn from nature and resembles an open quarry in appearance. I wanted to see how he used natural light within interior spaces, check out the rooftop that features unique chimneys, and the view of the city.
Cost: €22 for adults if booked online.
Casa Batllo
Another one of Gaudi’s designs, this building is decorated with mosaics made of glass and ceramic discs. Unlike Casa Milà, it’s colorfully decorated on the inside and out, with lots of attention to detail. It’s also known for its famous living room, with the beautiful large windows looking out to Paseo de Garcia that make for great pictures.
Cost: €25-35 for adults
Pablo Picasso Museum
This museum houses over 4,000 pieces of art with most of the paintings donated by Picasso himself, his friends, and his family – many of which are his rarely seen early works. Pablo Picasso’s style changed dramatically throughout his years and it would’ve been nice to see how his life and what he was going through impacted his art.
Cost: €12 per person, €7 per person for Qualifying Individuals, free under 18 years old. Also free on the first Sunday of each month and Thursday afternoons from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
Gothic Quarter
The Gothic Quarter is the oldest part of Barcelona and a perfect place to wander aimlessly through the narrow alleys. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and bars. I would’ve loved to admire the architecture (there’s a mix of old and new) and see the Gothic Cathedral, Muralla Romana, Church of Santa Maria del Pi, Plaça del Rei (King’s Square) and Plaça Reial (Royal Square).
La Ramblas
We stayed in the area but didn’t have much time to walk around and explore it. It’s a lively boulevard that runs through the heart of the city and has plenty of shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars, as well as talented street performers. It’s a great place to buy souvenirs but beware of pickpockets! While in the area you can also check out Casa Bruno Cuadros, a famous and beautiful building known for its umbrella décor.
RESTAURANTS
Ciudad Condal (Ciudad Comtal)
A friend highly recommended this place, which was walking distance from our home rental, so we decided to go for dinner on our first night. This restaurant doesn’t take reservations and gets very busy, so we were prepared to wait. Luckily, we were seated immediately on a Thursday night around 8 PM and started our trip on a high note thanks to a delicious dinner here.
The food, service, pricing, and ambiance were all amazing. The menu is extensive, so we asked our server to provide some recommendations to help us decide what to order. We got an array of tapas and two pitchers of sangria (white and red). The grilled razor clams were so tender and flavorful – I never truly appreciated them until I tried them here. My favorite dish of the night was the cod with the honey aioli – I’ve never had anything quite like it and the flavors were fantastic. The beef tenderloin with foie gras is also a must – it was tender, juicy, and very well priced.
Note, this restaurant does not have highchairs.
Recommendations: Beef tenderloin with foie gras, grilled razor clams, cod with honey aioli, garlic shrimp, prawn skewers, and grilled squid. There were a few octopus tapas we wanted to try, but unfortunately they were out by the time we went. We were too full to get dessert, but I hear the banana bread pudding is good.
Arume
After a full day of exploring on our 2nd day, we were excited to dine at Arume and try their popular paella dishes. At first glance, the restaurant seems small, but after being escorted through a narrow walkway to the dining area, it’s roomier with creative and vibrant decorations. Reservations are recommended – we made ours for 8 PM on a Friday and it was packed by 8:30 PM.
Our first order was a round of blackberry mojitos, which were very refreshing and delightful! We ordered a few appetizers, entrees, and three kinds of paellas for the table to share – seafood, lobster, and duck. I really enjoyed the seafood paella, but the duck paella was out of this world! It had so many robust flavors and was definitely the table’s favorite dish. My personal favorite was the Galician oyster with ponzu sauce, which was so delicate and fresh.
Recommendations: Galician oyster, crispy octopus, scallop appetizer, beef cheeks in red curry sauce, grilled calamari, seafood paella, duck paella, lobster paella, blackberry mojito.
Kiosko Universal
This place serves gourmet food in a casual setting and is located near one of the entrances at Mercat de la Boqueria, which is a huge covered food market. There are a few restaurants here so we decided to try this one for lunch since there was a table available, and we’re so glad we did!
After a quick glance on Yelp we decided to try the mixed mushrooms. It’s simply cooked with garlic and parsley, but it’s the most amazing mushroom dish I’ve ever had.
We were craving seafood, so we ordered a bunch of seafood dishes. The seafood platter was a good value, which included razor clams, mussels, prawns, langoustines, and squid. We also tried the red prawns, which were so juicy and flavorful. The grilled octopus was cooked perfectly and came with little potatoes. The scallops with foie gras were also good, but I would skip it next time.
Recommendations: Mixed mushrooms, seafood platter, grilled octopus, red prawns. I would also try the seafood soup next time.
Cerverseria Catalana
Simply one of the best tapas bars in town, from the service to the food and ambiance. We ordered a lot of different tapas and we weren’t disappointed with any of them! I highly recommend this place to anyone who is visiting Barcelona.
This is a top rated (4.5 stars with 12,500 reviews on trip advisor and 4.5 stars with 1,200 reviews on Yelp) and popular restaurant in Barcelona – recommended by Anthony Bourdain. This large restaurant has lots of indoor seating, some outdoor seating, and seating at two bars, but doesn’t take reservations.
We arrived at 10 PM on a Saturday night, and a table for a party of 5 was about a 30 minute wait. We lucked out and were able to grab seats sooner at the bar. It was a fun experience – the bartenders are friendly and with the various tapas displayed behind a glass counter, we got to preview them before ordering. Ordering can be overwhelming with lots of options on their regular and daily menus.
We ordered a few of our favorite dishes (beef and foie gras montadito, cod with honey aioli, and razor clams – all were excellent) and our server made some excellent recommendations. The best thing we had was the fresh sardine and tuna roasted pepper crostini – The sardine and tuna were marinated in oil and paired perfectly with the roasted pepper and an amazing white sauce. The patatas bravas were also very good – they’re fried potatoes with an aioli drizzle and a creamy red marinara sauce.
Since we were too full to have dessert on the other nights, we made an effort to make room for desserts here. We had churros with a chocolate sauce, crema Catalana, bread pudding, and Lloret de Mar Ice Cream (my favorite of the night), which is vanilla ice cream sandwiched between thin waffle cookies. The ice cream was light and airy and almost tasted like fluffy marshmallow – it was perfect with the crispy and sweet waffle cookie – I could have eaten several.
Recommendations: Tuna and sardine crostini, grilled octopus, prawn skewers crostini, patatas bravas, beef tenderloin and foie gras montadito, razor clams, cod with honey aioli, churros, bread pudding, Lloret de Mar Ice Cream. Another dish that was recommended that we forgot to try were the Cabreaos eggs style and crispy eggplant.
Mercat de la Boqueria
This market is a food lover’s paradise and home to a wide range of fresh produce, fish, meats, prepared sandwiches, pastries, and more. It’s Barcelona’s biggest food market and was voted the best food market in the world by CNN. It’s easy to get lost while looking at the huge selection, and even more tempting to buy everything in sight. Since many vendors sell similar items, I recommend exploring the market before buying to get a good feel for what’s available. It’s also best to get here in the morning as it gets really crowded all day into the evening.
We were immediately drawn to the fruit stands where you can get fresh juices for €1.50. Our favorite combinations were papaya and coconut, passionfruit and mango, and pitahaya (dragon fruit) and coconut. We also had to try the fresh oysters and sea urchins that were displayed on ice. The oysters were shucked in front of us and tasted incredibly fresh, but we didn’t care for the sea urchin – it tasted a little off from what we’re used to.
Within the market are a couple of tapas bars serving high quality Catalan cuisine. Seats are extremely limited – you will most likely have to hover and grab a seat as soon as it becomes available, but it’s worth the wait if you have the patience.
We picked up a couple of Iberico ham and tuna baguettes to picnic with at Park Guell, some Iberico ham, cheese, baguettes, and wine for the house, and some olive oil for souvenirs.
Due to time restraints, we only came here once but if given the opportunity I would’ve come back every day.
Recommendations: Fruit juice, oysters, Iberico ham. We didn’t have time to wait for a seat at Bar Pinotxo (winner of the 2016 Barcelona Prize for Gastronomy) but we heard everything is amazing – the garbanzo beans with blood sausage and xuxo (pastry filled with custard) is a must-try.
Paradiso
We spent most of our nights in the apartment talking and laughing over bottles of wine, but on our last night, we made our way to Paradiso. It’s a very cool speakeasy disguised as a Pastrami bar, with the main entrance hidden behind a refrigerator door, and the inside is tropically decorated with lots of leaves and flowers, which I loved. The drinks are innovative and delicious, and each is served in different and fun vessels. I loved the vibe and had a fun and amazing experience.
Restaurants We Wish We Tried
La Paradeta – Known for its fresh seafood, you can pick yourself and have it cooked any way you like.
El Café de la Padrera – Convenient and elegant dining location within Casa Mila. Perfect stop for a drink, coffee, snack, or meal.
What do you love most about Barcelona?
