This time I come with two tiny places but very much worth visiting. One is a wine bar in the Poble Sec: Malamèn and one is a vintage bar where once in, you will just forget about the outside world: Entrepanes Díaz in Gracia.
Summer & Beach time. If you are in Barcelona during this summer, here comes of my favorite bites with the sound of waves.
Standing majestically on Pg de Gracia, this hotel has an uniqueness that most of the luxury hotels in Barcelona don't have. The visit to this hotel was a very special visit, filled with history, art and emotions. Maybe because it has always been the 5 GL hotel since its opening, more than 100 years ago. It has always belonged to the same family and it has known to adapt to modern times. The hotel has 275 rooms including the suites and penthouses with butler services and other exclusive services. Many famous people have stayed here during the years, such as the Dalai Lama, Antonio Machado, Catherine Deneuve, Joan Miró or Ernst Hemingway among others.
Once upon a time it was the most luxurious house in Barcelona- art nouveau building by Luis Domènech i Montaner. In 2004 it went under a huge renovation and here we have the splendid hotel Casa Fuster, belongs to Hotel Center and is a genuine gem. The furnitures has tried to follow the line of art nouveau and compliments in perfection the interiors of this wonderful place. It is elegant and cozy.
Apart from the 96 rooms, & suites with some of the most wonderful views to Pg De Gracia, they have an excellent terrace, open to everyone; a great restaurant with different private corners to hold work meetings or special reunions; a ballroom for events and the Café Vienes to go anytime for a drink. The Café Vienes, offers Jazz sessions every Thursday night in an idyllic entourage.
I remember walking in at the opening of the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, and I fell in love with it. It has been till date my favorite hotel in town. I love going to The Banker's Bar, where they have kept the original bank vault lockers as part of the decoration. It is intimate and has wonderful cocktails & snacks. They also have a good combo of gastronomic options with Moments by Carme Ruscadella & Raul Balam; BistrEau by Angel León& Ismael Alonso.
On this post, I present you a potpourri of ideas for a casual bite in style. We don't always have to go to some high funda exclusive restaurant to have a glamorous time.
Costa Este adds to its formidable catalog of clubs and restaurants the new Pacha Barcelona, consolidating its leadership in quality leisure in the city . The social inauguration was held on May 28th with a big party with social and media representatives.
Sometimes you can be on holidays in your own town and go for breakfast in a hotel. A couple of weeks back we went to the well known Hotel 1898 for breakfast. This elegant hotel is very well situated in the well known Ramblas, perfect if you are visiting Barcelona and like the buzz and life of the city center.
Apéritif is a french word for a starter drink that opens a meal. Here I am giving some options to meet for vermouth (Fem Vermut) or just a glass of wine and something to nib on. During our busy day between work and obligations we can always take sometime to meet a friend over a glass and spend some quality time.
Banker's bar has been one of my favorite bar in town. Situated in the Mandarin Oriental on Pg De Gracia, this antique bank refurbished into this emblematic hotel has exclusive gourmet offers in Moments -2 michelin star- By Carmen Ruscadella - the only woman in the world with 6 michelin stars- and her son Raül Balam; and the recently incorporated Ángel León - of the michelin star Aponiente, in Bistreau with Ismael Alonso.
The Gracia area has its own charm, and I love walking in those little lanes and finding cute places. We had passed from La Viblioteca various times, and after many recommendations from my foodies friends, I finally went.
We loved it. Biblioteca, in Spanish means library and at Viblioteca you have an incredible wine selections and a good choice on the wine per glass, a kind of wine library: 150 different Spanish wines! Their selection of wine per glass changes every 15 days.
A few days back, was the opening of the Ocean Club.
Luxury on the sea, accompanying the visit of the luxurious yachts in Barcelona; an enchanting interior designed by Equipo Creativo ( the same designers of Tickets, Pakta, Ikibana and the most recent Disfrutar). A private club where the sea meets the city, you need to be a member to get in.
I love the Born area, and while in the Born I need to pass by Xampanyet to have a glass and some bites. It is a BelleBarcelone's must.
We have known Juan Carlos, of Xampanyet since years. We will manage to always find a space in the crowded place; typical small bar buzzing with people, botlles and plates flying around you. I just adore the atmosphere.
Few months back he mentioned that he had gotten the local beside, and he was planning on opening a bar in partnership with Grupo Varela.
This hotel is in the heart of the city, 2 steps away from Plaça Catalunya and at easy reach to the main attractions of the city. Their rooms are modern and spacious, the roof top terrace is perfect for a summer bite any time of the day and they have a restaurant that offers a lunch menu at 15 euros. They also offer access to the nearby gym and Spa with a minimum charge,the Holmes place, and offer some extra services such as bicycle rental, portable wifi or a Tablet rental so you have easy access to the maps and facilities Barcelona offers.
Perfect if you are visiting Barcelona. Check their website for more info on rates and availability: http://www.hotelpulitzer.es/en.
If you stay in Barcelona, the rooftop is a jewel in the city center, perfect for a drink and small plates from 12 noon onwards; the restaurant has a good Mediterranean and slow food menu.
Sitting in a terrace on a plaza, a typical thing anybody travelling to Spain wants to do. Perfect for a glass of wine and some tapas in the DO Terrace during the holidays. Good tapas, good service, unbeatable view of the majestic Plaça Reial.The terrace is part of this cute boutique hotel. A 5 star gastronomic hotel with 16 rooms, very centric and near all Barcelona's main attractions. They have a proper restaurant downstairs with a gastronomic menu, La Cuina del DO. This week El Terrat del DO, the exclusive top floor with privileged views and surrounded by the Gothic roofs, opens its door to the public.
La Terrassa del DO is perfect during day time and night time, for some great tapas!
In the heart of the picturesque Sarria, El Canalla, the bar with the peculiar name is your typical "bar de barrio" with a little something; a plus, a chic touch, a modern look in a retro way. A wooden counter, tapas and wine, vermut or cocktails , bistro tables , a small room inside, invites you to feel at ease. It has a more formal restaurant on top: El Villano. They belong to the group San Telmo, a group of 5 restaurants.
This bistro with a parisian look is perfect for a Vermut on the weekend, informal tapas with friends on their terrace, cozy time over coctails at night.
On Major de Sarria, 95. Open everyday at 12.30am till late night.
A new concept in town, check Metric Market. This new space which is for now open in the evenings, will soon be open the full day. It has small stalls, an innovative self service with a vintage deco, wonderfully put up, a big M to welcome you, swings to sit on and the iconic Barcelona flower tiles as the flooring. For now it is perfect for an after work, for drinks, for dinner or for special event as they have a private room downstairs. Soon it will be open the full day, from 7.30 am onwards, so it will be perfect for an informal rendez-vous any time of the day; where you get to see, choose and warm if need be, what you want to eat. I met Angy, one of the 4 young partners and she was so enthusiastic while explaining this new project. When you have 4 young people full of energy and ready to eat the world, you can expect great things to happen!
Av Diagonal, 505 ( between L'illa and Plça Francesc Macia).
This little place in a tiny lane in the Born has some of the best cocktails in Barcelona. Collage, the art bar is cozy they have vintage deco: an antic tiled bar, colorful lamps downstairs and some cozy sofas and a piano upstairs. Their cocktails and mocktails are wonderfuly mixed, you get the classic ones and they also have exotic flavors. They offer an afterwork everyday from 7 to 10pm with complimentary tapas while you have a drink. Don't miss the special work from different artist exhibited over there!
Perfect for an afterwork or a drink before or after dinner.
Open everyday from 7pm to 3am, on the C/Conseller 4 ( behind Via Layetana).
Just in front of the Turo Park, this legendary place used to be Bar Turó; it is now Café Turo. It has known to adapt to the new times, this café with a very Parisian touch is perfect for breakfast with a breath of oxygen, lunch with friends, an after work drink or some tapas. Opened by Romain Fornell, the 1st chef to get a Michelin Star in Spain and France, chef of Caelis with a Michelin Star at the Palace Hotel, Café Emma, Epicerie and Café Turo belong to the same group. http://romainfornell.com/establecimientos/#restaurants
French bistrot with Spanish tapas, all in one in this pretty place: Calle Tenor Viñas 1. Tel. 93 200 69 53. Barcelona.
In the middle of the Born... This cute place makes you feel like you are sitting in the living room of your house. Elsa Y Fred, is a cozy vintage-themed gastrobar that offers you classic taps as well as some international creative cuisine. Elsa Y Fred is the title of an Argentinian-Spanish film co-production. Elsa Y Fred is this cute place, it belongs to two Argentinians girls Camilia and Sofia; now in Barcelona from where the connection with the movie title. They along with Ramon, the chef, have been able to create this wonderful space where you can go for Breakfast, Lunch menu, Tea Time, Dinner, Drinks or Brunch on Weekend.
