15 Things to do in Barcelona, Spain

 

1. Eclipse Bar at W Barcelona

Eclipse Bar is located on the 26th floor of the most sophisticated hotel in Barcelona. Floor-to-ceiling windows show an amazing view of Barceloneta Beach! We were able to redeem our welcome drink tickets that we received at check-in. I would suggest going up during sunset if you’re there for a quick visit. They also have DJs playing the best tracks if you’re up for a night out.

2. Barceloneta Beach

Spend a day at this man-made beach, or have a nice stroll along the sand at night.

3. Pannus

Chain coffee shop and bakery, you'll find Pannus all over the city. It's the perfect place to take a break from sightseeing and enjoy a cup of coffee!

4. Creps al Born

If you want to find some seats and try a crepe, try to come early! Swinging light fixtures and high energy run throughout the bar! We ordered espresso and matcha cocktails! Our bartender was so accommodating, she gave us a complimentary round of shots because we were visiting Barcelona!

5. La Pizza del Born

After drinking, stop by the restaurant next door for some inexpensive, but delicious pizza by the slice. They have many toppings to choose from, going above and beyond from the basics. They also have empanadas and don’t forget to get a glass of cerveza.  

6. Cruising Barcelona Bike Tours

Best way to tour around Barcelona. After eating all the tapas and drinking glasses of beer, burn off the calories by riding a bike through Barcelona’s points of interests and landmarks. Ride on a comfortable cruiser bike on a 3-hour tour with a knowledgeable guide! We covered a lot of ground in a small amount of time, it was super helpful having someone take you through the city, especially if you are a first timer. Read more about our experience here.

7. Sagrada Familia

Make sure you buy tickets online before arriving! This unfinished masterpiece is definitely something you have to see in person. The exterior is just as beautiful and detail as it in on the inside. Rainbow stained glass windows and an intricate altar will leave you in awe. Walk across the street to the park with the pond to get a great photo of the whole building! 

8. Park Guell

If you have time, go explore Park Guell, another masterpiece by Gaudi. You do have to pay to get into the core of the park, but there is plenty of free parts to walk around. In the core, you can get up close to the mosaic lizard statues and the gingerbread-like buildings. If you go to the top area, you can get a great view of Barcelona!

9. Plaza Real

Just off of La Rambla Street is Placa Riel or Plaza Real. Enjoy a patio lunch at one of the restaurants that line the square or stop by for a morning café con leche.

10.  Parc de la Ciutadella

This park is home to the famous Cascada Monumental, this is a perfect place to take photos and admire the golden statues on the fountain.

11.  La Boqueria Market

A busy market near La Rambla, here you can find various food and drink vendors! If you’re hungry, you can buy jamón, fresh sandwiches, paella, and fresh fruits. If you’re here to shop you can find fresh seafood and spices for your dinner. Grab a small juice for 1 euro and explore the isles at La Boqueria!

12. Can Paixano (La xampanyeria)

There’s always a crowd here, and for a good reason. We ordered two sausage mix plates and a whole bottle of cava to share. Expect to stand and squeeze through people to order.

13. Just Royal BCN Cooking Class

One way to immerse yourself in Spanish culture is to take a cooking class! In our class with Just Royal BCN, Janelle and Chef Alfredo took us on a tapas tour right in the kitchen. We were able to sample about 10 different tapas representing different regions of Spain. After that, we cooked a three-course meal, which included Catalan Creme, Paella, and Tortilla. We enjoyed a nice lunch with the other people in our group. Read more about our cooking experience here.

14. La Tasca del Corral

Come here to try their vermouth! It’s very affordable, so stay here and have a few glasses. Also get the Diablo chorizo “flaming sausages” for some fire action! We also got a glass of Panther’s milk, not sure what it’s made of, but try it out!

15. Gocce di Latte

It’s always a good time to get gelato, my favorite flavors were Chocolate Sea Salt with Olive Oil and Dates with Orange.

Other Tips

-   At the airport, purchase a t-10 pass that gives you 10 metro rides for only 10 euros. We used this to get around the city by subway and bus. At first, the maps are intimidating, but google maps can tell you which stops to get off and transfer at.

-  Stay at W Barcelona. We had such a relaxing stay and the views were amazing!

Devour Madrid

The capital of Spain is home to delicious eats, we booked an Ultimate Spanish Cuisine Tour with Devour Madrid to discover what the city has to offer. On our tour, we had a good variety of tapas, desserts, and even drinks! 

1. Confitería El Riojano | Calle Mayor, 10

Our first stop on the tour was Confitería El Riojano, a famous bakery where the royal family would buy their sweets. We got to try a traditional breakfast, home-baked soletilla dunked in warm chocolate. This first taste was heavenly, who wouldn’t want chocolate for breakfast! We didn’t let any of it go to waste; we drank the rest of the chocolate and ended with a café con leche. 

2. Taberna La Bola | Calle Bola, 5

Next, we stepped into Taberna La Bola. The interior of this well-known restaurant was decorated with portraits of all their famous customers. We got to step into the kitchen to see how they cooked cocido madrileño. The stove had little pots with boiling soup, they were preparing for their fully booked lunch. We got a small bowl of cocido madrileño to taste, this chickpea soup definitely hit the spot!

3. Mercado de Jamón Ibérico | Calle Mayor, 80

This market is known for their different types of ham! Jamón is very important in Spanish culture, apparently, every bride wants a ham slicer at her wedding. People go to school to learn how to slice Jamón into perfectly thin pieces! Here we got to taste Jamón Serrano, Jamón ibérico de recebo, and Jamón ibérico de bellota. Each pig is fed a different diet, which meant the quality of their meat depends on the food they eat. We also did a blindfold tasting to see if we can taste the difference!  We paired our ham with a glass of red wine and olive oil.

4. El Anciano Rey de los Vinos |  Calle de Bailén, 19

This bar was next on our tour after we stopped by the Royal Palace. We tried a modern twist to a tradition bulls tail stew. Bull tail regalito was bull tail meat wrapped in filo pastry, fried with a red pepper on top and drizzled with balsamic glaze. It was absolutely delicious and melted in my mouth! We paired it with their sweet vermouth on tap, an aromatized red wine. 

5. Bar Cerveriz  | Plaza de San Miguel, 2

This bar is right across the street from Mercado de San Miguel, one of the most visited markets in Madrid. If you want something more authentic, stop by Bar Cerveriz. Here we met Carlos, the owner of the bar and he showed us his cider pouring skills. Some of us on the tour had a chance to try pouring our own Trabanco Austrian cider by holding the bottle above our heads and the cup down below. Pouring from that height created bubbles and brought out the cider’s aromas. We paired our drinks with homemade tortilla de patatas, a classic Spanish potato omelet, and cured manchego cheese. 

6. La Campana | Calle Botoneras, 6

Right by Plaza Mayor is La Campana. This small, but popular shop is known for their fried calamari sandwiches. Many locals come here to grab and go, the sandwich itself is very inexpensive and I can see why it’s a favorite. Our sandwiches came heaping with fried calamari! So much seafood, for such little money, perfection! I only took a bite to taste it, because I knew I would’ve gotten full eating the whole thing. 

7. Torrons Vicens | Calle Mayor, 41

Our last stop was a sweet treat. We walked into Torrons Vicens and I felt like a kid in a candy store. There were many flavors and different types of sweets, it smelled wonderful in the shop. Our tour group made our way to the back where a chef was making some fresh turron. We had a whole platter for our group to taste. My favorite was the Crème brûlée and the original. Our tour guide told us not to hesitate since all the samples were for us. I gave in! I grabbed a handful of each one and I don’t regret it. Then we got to sample Madroño liquor, a strong spirit made from the fruit of a Madrono tree, which is also part of the symbol of Madrid!

// Thanks for having us Devour Madrid!

MIMO Sevilla Tapas Cooking Class

 Cooking brings people together; food a universal language. We can experience one’s culture with food and we can share our culture by teaching how to cook. Whenever I travel abroad, I always add a cooking class to our itinerary because we learn more than just how to prepare a dish. You get to discover new techniques and flavors, plus you have the opportunity to interact with a chef and meet new people. The best part is that you get to bring authentic recipes home with you so you can cook amazing dishes for your friends and family. We were excited to put on our apron when we booked a Tapas Cooking Class with MIMO Sevilla. Everywhere we dined, we ordered tapas, they are essential on any Spain trip. Now it’s our turn to be cooks in the kitchen!

The newest MIMO cooking class is nestled in the luxurious Hotel Alfonso XIII, a classy and known landmark in Seville. We met Javier in the hotel lobby at the MIMO gift shop, and then we were escorted to the cooking class that was right by the pool deck. When we entered the space, our aprons and notepad sat on the bar top. Javier offered us some coffee and brewed up a Café con leche.

To the right were the kitchen and a large dining table. White decorative walls and black marble gave the space a modern and clean feel. It was a gorgeous kitchen, a perfect place to prepare our Spanish feast!

It was time to take our positions in the kitchen and whip up a 4-course meal with Chef Mateus.. First, we started to prepare Berenjas con miel de cana, eggplant with molasses. We cut the eggplant into thinly sliced discs and then deep-fried them to make them crispy. Then we drizzled honey and sugar on the eggplant for a sweet appetizer. Then we boiled Gamba de Huelva, boiled shrimp flavored with just seawater. Perfectly cooked in just 40 seconds, the shrimp was ready to serve. Then we prepared Pescado Frito, a traditional fried fish dish from South of Spain, We cleaned the fish, breaded it with flour and deep-fried it in a boiling pot of oil. Then we made Tortillas de Camarones, shrimp fritters made by frying batter in a pan of olive oil. Next, we grilled sardines with sea salt and added some garnish that made a simple dish into a fancy meal!  

Next, we seared our sous vide pork and enjoyed it with a complementing sauce. For dessert, we infused strawberries with yuzu sauce using a vacuum chamber. A scoop of mint and rum sorbet with vanilla slush with the strawberries on top was delicious! We basically created a strawberry mint mojito in solid form. This dessert was so unique and refreshing, I’ve never tried anything like it!

Each person had different tasks in order to complete the dish. So while one person was prepping the fish, someone else was cutting the eggplant. We all worked together to create family-style servings to share at the dining table. Each course was paired with either a wine or sherry, we were able to drink our beverages while cooking too!
 
The class took about 4 hours, but time flew by as we drank, ate and told stories around the table. It was so fun tasting new dishes and getting a chef’s perspective on Spanish cuisine. It was an immersive hands-on experience and after the class, they emailed us all the recipes so we can try making them at home.

Thank you MIMO Sevilla!