Japanese Restaurant in Barcelona : TEMAKI-YA

To find a delicious Japanese Restaurant in Barcelona is very easy, , but do you know that the fast-food version of Japanese restaurants has also landed in our city? Quick, and something you can eat with your hands, healthy and tasty-as-hell, the Temakis, as this half-japanese half-brazilian treasure is called, have came to stay!
TEMAKI?!? What is it? What the f*** has Brazil got to do with that? Ok, I'll try to tell it quickly: A Temaki is a cone-shaped hand-rolled sushi filled with rice, salmon, tuna, vegetables, cream-cheese, avocado, or whatever else the cook might want to use to surprise you! Still can't figure it out? Don't lie! You already saw the pictures! But you see, it's irresistible, isn't it?! Delicious fast-food became popular in Brazil a few years ago - after the boom of japanese restaurants - and has been growing more and more every year, gaining market ground on traditional fast-food like hamburgers and pizzas. So, after vacations in Brazil, Carmen Pereira and Gabriel Miranda , two Brazilian that has lived in Barcelona for 20 years now, saw the opportunity of bringing the concept of the Temakerias to Europe: Healthy, quick, tasty and cheap! The japanese restaurant in Barcelona, Temaki-ya (Temaki Now) has a classic temakeria style: simple and clean, no tables - just high seats - ingredients on display, and a cozy atmosphere. For a Brazilian like me, it was like being back in Sao Paulo! I was also surprised with the variety of the menu , there are around 50 options of Temaki, and also includes others japanese specialities - don't miss the Hot-rolls. Creativity at its best! It's impossible not to find one you like (I bet you would eat at least 80% though).
So, if you're tired of the tons of mainstream japanese restaurant in Barcelona, you have to try Temaki-ya. Actually, it should be in your MUST-DO list! It's delicious, healthy, cheap and innovative! What more could you want? Go check it and give us your feedback! Where is it? At Calle Gignas, 28 (El Gotico), close to Plaza Sant Jaume! For more info check their website! There you find opening hours and extras! Almost forgot! If you like their Facebook page, you'll be updated with discounts and promotions! The most famous, for example, is that every Thursday, every temaki you buy,  you get the second one for only 1 euro (as you can see at the image below)! Irresistible!
Jack!

Mamma Mia, This Is The Best Pizza in Barcelona!

Yesterday I went with some friends to eat a pizza in Barcelona, after an amazing  day in Montserrat. We were sitting in the bus, on the way back, tired and sleepy, and started to dream about pizza, like Homer Simpson. Mmmm pizza... I'm Italian and rarely go to a pizzeria in Barcelona because most restaurants serve just an imitation of the authentic Italian pizza. I remembered many friends recommending this place, I was still skepical (because they're not Italians!)  but decided to go anyway. Wanna know how it was? The best. Simply the best pizza in Barcelona I have ever had; and I've had a lot!
The staff is Italian, the menu is really Italian, prices are Italian too! The ingredients are premium quality, especially (Her Majesty) Mozzarella di Bufala, the original and only one. And the attention to detail is "tipica napoletana". Go and see with your own eyes: look at them cooking with the concentration and the engagement of a painter, or a pianist. It's amazing! Everything on the menu is really typical Italian food, from the starters to Limoncello. Take a look below:
Pizza Margherita for 4€, Melanzane alla Parmigiana (you must try!), Tiramisu for 3€, Limoncello & Caffè Espresso for 1€... Close your eyes and you are on the Amalfi Coast...
....and then you wake up and you are eating an amazing, delicious and homemade pizza in Barcelona!
NAP Neapolitan Authentic Pizzeria, Carrer Gombau 5, 08003 Barcelona Metro L4 Urquinaona or Jaume I). Open every day 1,30-4.30pm, 8pm-12am. Link: https://www.facebook.com/nap.bcn?fref=ts Suggestion: If you are a big group, try to be there before 10pm! La vita è bella!   :-) Did you try pizzeria NAP yet ? Let us know in the comments below what you thought about their pizzas! Have a nice day ! -Elio

Barcelona Brunch: A view you cannot resist

Barcelona Brunch combines most of my favorite Sunday activities - a killer view of Barcelona from above, enjoying all-you-can-eat delicious food, chillout music and fresh cocktails. Oh, pardon me, how could I forget - and all that in a pool located on the 11th floor of a quite futuristic-looking hotel. Yeah, it does sound tempting, right? The Barcelona Brunch, offered by hotel Barcelo happens every Sunday and is one of the best ways to spend your afternoon, especially if you are not a tourist and rushing around to check out the usual spots around the city. Besides, let's be honest - a lot of places are actually closed on that day, so is there a better way to relax after a long week?
As you can see in the link, the price of the brunch is 25 euros. I won't comment whether that's a lot or not, after all it depends on your budget, but what can I say from my personal experience is that its totally worth it. The brunch itself starts at 12:00 and there's enormous variety of food which would satisfy even the most picky ones. The personnel is very friendly and positive and there's a DJ spinning tunes in perfect synchron with the ambient environment you can see on your right. Ahh, and don't get fooled by the fancy look, being dressed-up is not necessarily at all. After all, the brunch is all about being comfortable. After your Barcelona brunch, you can head to the 11th floor of the hotel where you can enjoy the amazing view of Barcelona with a cocktail (all for free) in your hand. For those of you, interested in photography, the place offers very interesting angles of the city. As I mentioned, there's a pool on the 360º terrace of the hotel. Don't expect olympic size, but its good enough to make you feel you are in paradise!
To quickly sum up, this place has everything to offer for a proper Sunday Barcelona brunch. It costs 25 euros, it is every Sunday and the hotel is located in the Raval neighbourhood. Check out the flyer. Do you like how this sound? Don't hesitate and go charge your batteries for the next week. Hasta luego, Ivo

Discover the Work of Joan Miro - One of Barcelona's Most Famous Artists - at the Joan Miro Foundation.

[caption id="attachment_16825" align="aligncenter" width="420"]
Gold Of Azure by Juan Miro[/caption]
A cute ET like Sculpture will greet you when you arrive to the Joan Miro Foundation, revealing some of the essence of the work of Miro. Indeed his work is as unique and childlike as this character so don't hesitate to bring all your family. Even kids will enjoy this museum.
Before going to the Joan Miro Foundation, I didn't really know Miro's work. I saw some of his work in art magazines and books like the Triptyque (the three blue paintings with bursts of color and marks exhibited at the Georges Pompidou center in Paris). However, I didn't know what to expect from this exhibition and I was blown away by it! I just fell in love with all his work with the simplicity of the paintings and the use of the colors.

The Joan Miro Exhibition.

When you go through the exhibition you can see the evolution of his work, the change in the geometry, the color or even the material. At the beginning of the exhibition you can see that for Miro there was an importance placed on the symbolic and the poetic nature of life. He has been classified as a cubist surrealist artist. During his life, he goes through different phases showing influences from Van Gogh to Paul Cezanne. But throughout the chronological exhibition you will understand that Miro's main obsessions were birds, women and stars. The last part of his life was especially dedicated to those three topics. My favorite Miro painting is the "The lark's wing ringed in the blue of gold meets the heart of the poppy asleep on the field studded with diamonds" this one for me is the most romantic. It is quite simple but the choice of the colors and the title reveals everything. [caption id="attachment_16812" align="aligncenter" width="286"]
"L'Aile de l'alouette encerclée de bleu d'or rejoint le coeur du coquelicot qui dort sur la prairie de diamants"[/caption]

"You are not alone" exhibition.

At the Joan Miro Fondation, there are also some temporary exhibitions. Currently showing is the "You are not alone" exhibition from the 1st of July until the 18th of September.

Even if it is not so present in the media Aids is still here and, of course, a lot of research to fight it is still ongoing. To make people aware of this everyday fight the Joan Miro Fondation welcome the exhibition "You are not alone". "You are not alone" exhibition is here to show the different visions that artists from everywhere in the world can have about Aids. Fourteen artists from Asia, Africa, and America are exhibiting here. It shows you how Aids affects people from different countries, cultures, and lifestyles. This exhibition is sponsored by Fundacion Banc Sabadell. It's the fruit of the collaboration between the Joan Miro Fondation and the ArtAids Fondation thanks to the work of the current FRAC Nord Pas de Calais director; Hilde Teerlinck, and Irene Aristizabal; the assistant curator, with the collaboration of Mr Han Nefkens. After Barcelona, this exhibition will move onto the Museo de Arte Contemporanea de Vigo (MARCO). This museum is one that you can't miss when you visit Barcelona. Miro is one of the most famous and best representatives of Catalan culture, so a visit is highly recommended to discover his work and vision. Don't forget to see the current exhibitions especially the "You are not alone" exhibition. Don't forget that you can visit it with the "Articket". For more information read this blog about the Articket : "Articket Barcelona : Check out 7 great Barcelona museums for one awesome price!" You can get more information about the Joan Miro Foundation at their website "Joan Miro Foundation" -by Kok Natha HEN.

Looking for a Barcelona Seafood Restaurant?

We found a delicious and cheap Barcelona seafood restaurant made for you: La Paradeta is the most unique Barcelona seafood restaurant due to its reasonable prices, its seafood's freshness and its informal "fish market" atmosphere. Barcelona seafood restaurant La Paradeta has been operating for 15 years. The first one of these alternative fish and marisco restaurant chains opened on Carrer Riego, 27 in Barcelona. It was not long before the owner, coming from South of Spain, opened 4 other marisco (seafood) restaurants in different locations in Barcelona, having established the popularity of his original concept. Ideed, La Paradeta is based on a very simple idea: people like fresh food and a fish market atmosphere. So the first thing La Paradeta's clients do is choose their fish and seafood directly from the market stall. I like to walk by just to see its explosion of colours enhanced by the pure white of the ice that surrounds all kinds of fish, lobsters, crabs, squids, shrimps, prawns and seashells. As La Paradeta's smiling manager on Carrer Comercial explained, the owner was very much inspired by Thaïland's fish markets where fish and seafood are caught, sold, cooked and eaten on the spot. Barcelona being a market's town, the mysterious Southerner decided to take advantage of this characteristic. All products are brought to the restaurants each day by La Paradeta's very own careful selection of general seafood and fish markets in Barcelona's famous port.
Once you've decided what you'd like to eat (it's not easy with so much choice!), you pay per kilo for the fish and seafood you want to eat (first reason for its cheap prices). Then you collect your cutlery, plates and drinks and chose a table while your delicacies are being cooked (you have a choice as well between several differnet and natural ways to have your food cooked). No waiter will come and harass you (in fact there are no waiters, which is the second reason for its cheap prices): you will be given a ticket with a number on it (similar to the system at In-N-Out Burgers, a famous hamburger chain that is well known in California) like at most European cheese, meat or fish markets. When you hear your number, just get up and fetch your food at the bar!

Some serious recommendations and useful tips about La Paradeta:

1) Make sure you understand numbers in Catalan or Castellano. 2) Order a few dishes at the same time in order not to wait too long between each of them. The cooking usually goes fast though. 3) Order the bread. I'm French and I know about bread. I ate, eat and will eat tons of it in my life, and believe me, La Paradeta's bread was a gift from heaven! 4) Order the white wine they serve there: el Vino Turbio: cheap, fresh, up-lifting, perfect after a hard day of work and with a lovely plate of marinated gambas (shrimp)! 5) La Paradeta doesn't accept credit cards. Please come with enough cash! My friend and I paid around 20 € each for a big salad, three huge plates of marisco, a big piece of fish and a bottle of wine. I loved this dinner.
6) Come early, before the opening if you can, especially on weekends, as the place is so packed you could not fit a pin in! However, you can sometimes be lucky: when I went to La Paradeta (the one located in Pasatge Simó) for the first time, on Wednesday, the 27th January at 10pm, I did not have to wait and could find a table very easily. However, don't court disaster! 7) La Paradeta doesn't sell drinks alone. If you want to drink you'll have to order a bite to eat as well. 8 ) La Paradeta is a NON-SMOKING area (rare in Barcelona, so enjoy it!). 9) Do not bring dates there, it is not a romantic restaurant but more for friends or already set-up couples. Unless your date is not a big fan of fancy crystal glasses and red roses in candle light and likes beer, loud noises and shouts from the kitchen and sudden bursts of laughter. Cheers! For more info on opening hours, locations and anything else you'd like do know, check their website. La Paradeta is simple and all about food (exactly how we like it here at SuiteLife). Do check it out: you will experience the best Barcelona seafood restaurant and seafood meal ever! Yours! Audrey.

BCN Map & Neighborhoods Map

A BCN Map is a must-have when visiting Barcelona but don't worry, we've got one for you as well as a Barcelona Metro Map! We've also written you an introduction to the Barcelona Old City so you can start exploring! We know you're new here so we recommend you start getting an idea of the neighborhoods of Barcelona by using our Barcelona Neighbourhoods map. Also, check out our Barcelona Neighborhood Guide! With a BCN map in hand, there is nothing better than taking a walk around the Barcelona Old Town (also called Ciutat Vella). Its made up of four main areas: El Raval, Barri Gotic, El Born and La Barceloneta. Its one of the most popular Barcelona tourist destinations as it is full of history and has its own distinct characteristics. Out of the four areas, the Barri Gotic is the most central to the Barcelona Old City. The Old City, as its names implies, is pretty flippin' old! Most of the buildings were originally built in medieval and even Roman times and quite a few of them are listed as World Heritage Sites. One famous one is the Palau de la Musica Catalana by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the only concert hall in Europe which is totally lit by natural daylight.

Another important BCN map: Tourist map of Barcelona

Once you have a tourist map of Barcelona, you can make sure that you won't miss any of the great tourist attractions in Barcelona. The best and most relaxing way to visit all the tourist attractions in Barcelona is to take the tourist buses. They are operated by Barcelona Bus Turistic regularly and all year round. They have three lines – red, blue and green. All the stops are located at the main and most famous Barcelona tourist attractions so you can't miss it. The map from Barcelona Bus Turistic can be downloaded from its official website.

The Barcelona metro map - One of the most handy Barcelona maps

If you think having a Barcelona street map is not enough, check out the Barcelona metro map. The Barcelona metro was started in 1924, and the very first line was between Lesseps and the Placa de Catalunya, which is still part of the modern Line 3. Nowadays, there are 8 metro lines (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L9, L10, L11) and the FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat) line with twelve routes. The network is operated by two different operators: Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB); and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC). The individual journey for the metro is 2.15 euro per ticket, and €9.95 for 10 trips and, remember, within one hour you can transfer to different lines for free. Don't fancy taking the metro? Check out the 23 Alternative means of transport in Barcelona!
A word of warning: when you're desperately poring over your new maps in search of your next stop, make sure to stand to the side of the road or duck into a shop. Standing with your head buried in maps is like a flashing neon sign over your head identifying you as a tourist and it can make you a bit of an easy target for pickpockets if you don't have your wits about you! Charlotte Jiaqian Chen, SuiteLifer

Churros Con Chocolate: The Best Way to Eat Churros!

Spanish food is of course famous all over the world. Barcelona Tapas and Paella are served in many Barcelona restaurants, but when it comes to local Spanish food in Barcelona, it doesn't get much better than the Barcelona Churros con chocolate, served with thick hot chocolate (known locally as Churros con Chocolate) for dunking your Barcelona Churros into, definitely some of my favourite Spanish food!

"What Are These Churros You're Talking About?!"

Churros con chocolate are a sweet type of Spanish food, which are (surprise-surprise) fried, much like donuts. Churros con chocolate are made of  batter, and traditionally sprinkled in hot cinnamon sugar, buenísimo! You know when you have found a good Barcelona Churro stall or "Churrería" as it's known locally, when the Churros are crunchy on the outside, yet soft and yummy in the middle. The surface of a good Barcelona Churro, should also be ridged and shaped like a prism, in a long spirally-twisted length of Churro heavenliness, YES, I really did just say Churro-heavenliness!

How To Eat Churros?

So, you have followed our advice, and after much deliberation and assessment of your local Churro con chocolate suppliers, you have picked the best of the bunch. You are happy that the quality of their Churros con chocolate is sufficient for you to purchase a bag of those heavenly Churro-tastic Churros with a side order of that silky, chocolistic, hot chocolate. What do you do next? Well my fellow Barcelonian Suitelifers, it's easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. First, find a bench or somewhere comfortable to park your bum. Grab hold of one of the crunchy sticks of Barcelona Churro goodness, and dunk it as deep as you can into your pot of hot chocolate, don't be shy, you need to enjoy this Spanish food to the maximum.

Enjoy Churros in the Morning and All Day Long!

Although typically, Churros con chocolate are considered to be a breakfast-time-kinda-food, they are eaten all day, and some of the Churro con chocolate stalls are open all night as well. There's a small Churro stall, near the Joanic metro stop in Gracia Barcelona, it's close to a club I go to and is open until God-knows-what-time, it sells the best Churros con chocolate in Barcelona and makes for the perfect end of night party food! I also advise you to try  the Xurreria El Trebol,  the Granja La Pallaresa  and La Xocolateria by Oriol Balaguer, which are some of the best places to taste de most delicous churros con chocolate. Remember, if you find a great Churros con chocolate place, you can tell us about it on our Facebook page! Yours, Ben Holbrook - Suitelifer and Chocoholic

Bookstores in Barcelona: What About English Books?

Bookstores in Barcelona are fantastic, if you speak Spanish or Catalan! Are there any Barcelona bookstores which cater to the English readers? Well young SuiteLifer, we're going to tell you about one of the best little bookstores in Barcelona!

Any Good English Bookstores in Barcelona?

[caption id="attachment_9987" align="alignleft" width="260"]
Hibernian bookstore in Barcelona[/caption] The Hibernian second hand bookstore in Barcelona offers a huge selection of books. You can find both old and new books but what's more importantly is that they are all in English! The Hibernian book shop is definitely one of my favourite bookstores in Barcelona for a few reasons; 1. A wide selection of books in English - This little bookstore offers some 40 000 titles with 30 non fiction sections ranging from biography to Business. I must say from personal experience, the Hibernian bookstore in Gracia is best for fictional books. 2. The best prices in Barcelona - Barcelona bookstores can be very expensive and although other Barcelona book stores such as "Happy Books" offer English books in Barcelona, they are generally very expensive. Hibernian Barcelona bookstore sells second hand books at great prices. Many of the books are around €3-4 which is better than $20-25 you will pay in other bookstores. 3. Hibernian bookstore Barcelona is in Gracia, my (and most people's) favourite area of Barcelona. You can buy your book and then hang out in one of the many cool cafes and bars in Gracia. 4. Hibernian Bookstore Barcelona offers a part-exchange system where you can take your old books and trade them in for something new....or second hand of course. They value the books based on age, condition and whether or not they think anybody will want to buy it. [caption id="attachment_9988" align="alignleft" width="320"]
Hibernian Books Barcelona[/caption]

NB - The Hibernian bookstore Barcelona, do not accept computer manuals, language teaching books older than 5 years, old mass produced books or as in my experience, dictionaries.

The Hibernian Bookstore Barcelona Carrer de Montseny 17 08012 BARCELONA Tel: (+34) 932 174 796 So SuiteLifers, now you know about the best bookstore in Barcelona! Enjoy and take care! BH - SuiteLifer and fellow bookworm.

The Traditional Dinner for the Perfect Catalán Christmas in Barcelona!

As Christmas in Barcelona gets closer and closer, everyone is staring to think about what to eat during their Catalán Christmas and also Catalán families and housewives are trying to figure out which traditional Christmas dishes they want to cook up for Catalán Christmas Dinner in Barcelona. Traditional Catalán food is very special and tasty all the way from tapas to paella to the delicious churros! Obviously there are traditional Christmas dishes in Catalunya as well, which are often served at Christmas in Barcelona. The traditional Catalán 'Christmas dinner' is usually served during lunchtime on the 25th of December, which distinctly differs from the rest of Spain, where they eat their Spanish Christmas dinner on the evening of the 24th of December. This is the same time when the infamous Caga Tió "poos" out presents to the all little children! If you've already been to any of the Barcelona Christmas Markets you might also see huge 'galets', which is part of traditional Catalán  Christmas  food. It's a type of noodle which Cataláns normally eat at Christmas time with their popular Christmas dish Escudella i carn d'olla!

Escudella de carn d'olla

[caption id="attachment_9966" align="alignleft" width="201"]
Escudella i Carn d'Olla[/caption] Escudella de carn d'olla or Escudella i carn d'olla is a typical Catalán Christmas dish. It is a slow cooked one-pot stew,  full of meat, vegetables and the traditional Christmas noodles Galets de Nadal, a very big, nicely shaped type of pasta. Cataláns normally put various meats in the Escudella de carn d'olla: chicken (for Saint Peter), beef (for Saint Luke), lamb (for Saint John) and with pork (for Saint Anthony), along with a large pilota (meatball). Besides this selection of meat they put a huge amount of vegetables into the pot including cabbage, potatoes,  carrot, onion, leek, celery and chickpeas. If it's ready it can be served altogether as a meaty soup for Catalán Christmas dinner, or separately - they remove and keep warm the vegetables and  the meat as second plate, and eat the rest as a soup with noodles for the first course! So this is the most typical traditional Catalán Christmas dinner, but other popular dishes are grilled prawns and stuffed turkey as part of the Christmas dinner in Barcelona.

The desert ? Turrón !

As desert - which I must say is always very delicious in Catalunya - they traditionally serve a selection of sweets and cakes such as marzipan, neules, Christmas bread, 'El Pa de Nadal' or turrón (torró in Catalán). [caption id="attachment_9967" align="alignright" width="202"]
A Mouth-Watering Turron[/caption] Turrón is really really popular and not only at Catalán Christmas.  You can buy it in every period of the year! This traditional Spanish sweet is a type of nougat in a shaped like a tablet, made of honey, sugar, egg white and a variety of nuts, especially almonds. I highly suggest you find a shop or Christmas Market in Barcelona to buy and try some turrón, delicious! We hope you enjoed this little selection of traditional Catalán Christmas food, if you have the opportunity try some of them, and let us know what you think! Merry Christmas in Barcelona!

Barcelona at Christmas Time: Get Ready for an Amazing Dinner!

Barcelona at Christmas is magical and oozes with a festive spirit that can be found in the soul of any great city. Barcelona sparkles after being draped with colourful, big, bright lights and spotted with Christmas trees. This time of year gives shop owners the chance to be creative, meaning many become a little too enthusiastic with the good old tinsel and have turned their window displays in to tiny North Poles. It’s also the time for Barcelona´s Christmas Markets and as the 25^th of December draws closer market stalls start to pop up all over the place.
The winding streets of the old town come alive with market stands selling all types of gadgets, gizmo’s and traditional Christmas cuisine, making Barcelona at Christmas time the perfect winter destination for shoppers.  People flock to these temporary shopping spaces in their droves. Some of Barcelona’s Christmas markets are more popular than others which will become obvious as soon as you arrive.  Truth is, you’ll either be swept along in the current of eager beavers keen to tick off the next point on their shopping list, or if you’re lucky you’ll be given a little more space to breathe and, more importantly, shop. Either way, the atmosphere is great and gives you that warm Christmassy feel that goes down as well as a fine glass of mulled wine around this jolly time of year. Anyhow, after raving on about Barcelona’s Christmas markets, let’s get down to the nitty gritty and find out how to get to there and what’s on offer.

Barcelona at Christmas: A Sample of Barcelona's Markets

Fira de Santa Llúcia

Noted as the most popular of Barcelona’s Christmas markets it has a special Christmas atmosphere and is drenched with Catalan Christmas customs. This is a Christmas market that has stayed true to its surroundings and has purposely avoided taking on a German Christmas Market identity. No sir, instead of beer and Bratwurst you’ll be able to pick up your very own Caga Tio, a smiling Christmas log which, although seems a little peculiar to many, in a Catalan world it’s a time-honoured tradition. Also, scattered sporadically between these stalls you’ll also find a few wooden open top shops selling decorations, jewellery and hand-made toys. Alongside the merry ambiance here you’re spoilt with the stunning backdrop of the Cathedral so if it’s a Christmas Market in Barcelona you’re after then Fira de Santa Llúcia has to be first on the list. Location: Plaza de la Seu, 08002

Fira de Nadal a la Sagrada Familia

This Christmas Market takes up residence, every year, in the snaking streets around the Sagrada Familia bringing the whole area to life. With a city so rich in fantastic architecture it’s hard to find a location in Barcelona that doesn’t have charm. However, although the other Christmas Markets have a good location, this market takes first price for most impressive scenery as none could be more eye catching and magical as the Sarada Familia. It has a very similar catalogue of products to sell as Fira de Santa Llúcia but is not so compact. This does mean there’s a little more room to manoeuvre whilst looking for items to fill your shopping bag in Barcelona at Christmas. Location: Plaza de la Sagrada Família, 1

Mercat Gótic (Fira de Brocanters)

This market has permanent residency and can be found open to visitors all year round. It’s the place to be if you’re looking for old antiques, jewellery, postcards and stamps. However, if it’s a peaceful and relaxed shopping trip you’re after then go elsewhere as this market is busy at the best of times never mind in the run up to Christmas. In fact, you’re more likely to find  freefalling from a plane a more relaxing experience than  taking a stroll here! That said if the crowds don’t bother you then it’s a great place to find a hidden gem that you can turn in to a first class Christmas gift. Location: Avenida Portal de l’Angel, 37

Col.lectiu d’Artesans de l’Alimentació

Again open all year round but with a certain added charm at Christmas time. This small market sits gracefully under the watchful eyes of the Church Santa Maria del Pi and unlike the others this market is the one to be at if it’s your taste buds you’re looking to spoil this season. It’s full of delightful delicacies from honey, pate, herbs, and most importantly chocolate. So, come on and treat yourself, it is Christmas after all. Location: Plaça del Pi 08002 Barcelona at Christmas is amazing! The city does Christmas very well and does Christmas markets even better. If you’re looking for anything from decorations to stamps or even a tasty treat, you’re likely to find it here! So, whatever tickles your fancy this festive season, you can be guaranteed to find a little Christmas spirit at all of them. Just be sure to watch those purse strings as even scrooge wouldn’t find it difficult to spend a few dimes at Barcelona´s Christmas markets this year!