BARCELONA
BARCELONA PAVILION / MIES VAN DER ROHE
The building I most looked forward to visiting ever. I’ve been a fan girl of the Barcelona Pavilion since young me pinned it on my Pinterest board. Designed by the modernist icon Mies Van Der Rohe - who designed the famous Barcelona chair that’s of course in here too. The space is airy, light with marble wall, glass doors and steel frames. A minimalist’s holy grail. P.S.they have the BEST gift / book shop ever. I bought this clear geometric prism based on Mies’ 1926 Berlin Revolutionary Monument that will be held onto forever.
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BRICKS
A cute neighbourhood cafe not far from the beach. Great iced coffee and brunch. All customers look super chic.Map
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FUNDACIÓ JOAN MIRÓ
Highly recommended by our good friend Franck, this foundation is dedicated to one of Spain’s most influential artists, Joan Miró. Often overlooked internationally but no doubt important to Spanish art history since the 1930s.The exhibition layout flow is excellently designed, offering Miro’s works in time order so his evolution and experimentations are super clear. The building itself was designed by Josep Lluís Sert who is (of course) heavily influenced by Le Corbusier and Mies Van der Rohe, the use of white concrete, skylights and terrace gave the modernist building a lot of Spanish features.
Must visit!
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CREMERIA TOSCANA
My best ice cream award of 2025. Heard great things about their peach flavour before but sadly it’s only in season from July! Went for a yoghurt gelato with cone - sooooo gooood; and a ice cream sandwich that has two difference thick cookies on the sides and vanilla icce cream in the middle, then half-dipped in chocolate and dusted with coconut ... I would be very sad if anyone misses this!Map
GÈNERES DE PUNT LA TORRE
One of the few century-old traditional underwear shops with very unique interior. You might have already seen their window on Pinterest. Specialises in organic cotton with super fair price point. They have menswear and kidswear too! Still need to pay with a handwritten ticket in the old-fashioned way, very charming shopping experience.
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THE MERCAT GÒTIC
Vintage objects market in front of the famous landmark Catedral de Barcelona. Unlike most of the other tourist attraction stalls, every stands here has a unique selection and it’s super interesting even just to look at.Map
LA MANSO
The local accessory shop that had done a collab collection with Jean Paul Gaultier back in 2022. Super fun and vibrant design, perfect for beaches. Price ranges from €80-150.Social
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EL XAMPANYET
The ultimate classic for tapas - long queue alert. Everyone knows and comes here. Tucked away in the old town alley, atmosphere is super vibrant until midnight.Food is solid but, in my opinion, not worth queueing for an hour. Not as cheap as I expected, but to be fair we did order a lot. The staff made the whole experience super fun - come for the environment if you love a crowd.
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LLURITU
The best tapas bar in town. Make sure you book in advance or it can get busy! There are three locations, so please double check you go to the one you reserved.Best razor clams, best prawns, even best tomato salad I’ve head in a while. Everything is in their own flavour with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt. Fair prices too!! Can’t go wrong in here.
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RESTAURANT CHAO ZHOU
Super authentic Chao Zhou cuisine that is rare to find in other European cities. Close to Cantonese style but uses more delicate and fresh ingredients, famous for their raw marinated seafood as well as high-quality beef hotpot.We cycled an hour for a midnight dinner. Absolutely in love with the comfortless and the taste of home cooking.
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FORN DE PA
Right by the entrance of Mercat de Santa Caterina that draws long lines of locals, especially cute grandpas and grandmas, which says everything :)))) Had this giant hojaldre relleno de crema y almendras, a traditional puff pastry filled with custard and topped with almonds - creamy, crisp but not too sweet at all. sooooo good, i highly recommend.Map
MERCAT DE SANTA CATERINA
Forget about the overpriced Mercat de la Boqueria !! Mercat de Santa Caterina is a short bicycle ride away, and the place that locals actually shop in. We had some absolutely top grade Sashimi salmon, scallop and massive Carabineros, all sliced professionally there and packed with soy sauce and wasabi. Also great ibérico ham. Go early in the morning, market closes at 3pm.Map