Barcelona Tapas - El Born is where it's at!

To find tapas in Barcelona, you don´t have to look too long. There are tons of bars in Barcelona, offering a wide variety of the famous and succulent Spanish Tapas. Thus, it can be quite hard to find the best places to eat tapas in Barcelona, but don't fear dear SuiteLifers, we're here to show you the way. Spanish culture is a special one. When it comes to eating, and especially eating hours, one can find huge differences in comparison to other European countries. That being said, the famous Barcelona tapas are definitely one of those culinary staples that makes our beloved city truly unique. Since you are going to want to sample some great tapas while visiting or living in Barcelona, we present to you a little SuiteLife tapas tour of the famous and trendy Borne Barcelona Neighborhood so you can checkout the best of the best!

Tapas & Cava in "El Born"

El Born is probably the trendiest neighborhood in Barcelona. It's full of cosy cafes, great vintage shopping, and other such hip things to do during the day.  It quickly turns into a funky and chic area during the night. Altough I arrived just two weeks ago, I could already tell you about lots of
fun things to do there. However, today, I want to focus on a special Tapas-Tour through El Born. So get your friends, print out the info below (or load it on your mobile phone and save a tree) and let's hit the road!

1. La Champañería - Can Paixano

Address: Carrer de la Reina Cristina, 7 Metro: Barceloneta La Champañería is probably the most famous and unique tapas bar in Barcelona. Founded in 1969, it has become a must-see place in Barcelona. You can get super cheap cava and tapas. Usually you can´t even get inside - basically because there are so many people. I went there at 2pm today, and it was already really crowded. It took me a few minutes until I finally ordered my Cava rosé and a few tapas. They make all their own Cavas. One glass is only 70cents which is really cheap.
I talked to the waiter for a few seconds and tried to asked him as many questions as possible. He told me that you usually have to literally fight for a glass of cava or something to eat. Nevertheless it´s an experience that one should not miss!

2. La Vinya del Senyor

Address: Plaça Santa Maria 5 Metro: Jaume I With more than 300 different bottles on its wine list, this is Barcelona's prime wine bar and it also boasts one of the most beautiful terraces, looking out over the grandiose Santa Maria del Mar church. Unlike a typical bodega, this is both chic and expensive, but the incredible choice of vintages - from all over the world - make La Vinya an indispensable stop for wine-lovers. It also has an inventive Asian chef who creates original tapas.

3. Champanyet or "El Xampanyet"

Address: Carrer Montcada 22 Metro: Jaume I This authentic tapas bar is pretty similar to La Champañería. It is located in the heart of El Born and most of the time really crowed. You can have a great time in this bar, but it´s seems to be La Champañería with higher prices. However, you guys should form your own opinion about this ;)

4. Va De Vi

Address: Banys Vells, 16 Metro: Jaume I This restaurant is more a wine cellar than a typical tapas place. Anyways, you can enjoy your tapas with a nice glass of wine in a charming atmosphere. The menu features typical tapas, cheese, ''embutidos'', foie and other top quality products, as well as more elaborate dishes.

5. Taller de Tapas

Adress: C/Argentina 51 Metro: Jaume I Compared to other tapas places in Barcelona, Taller de Tapas is pretty chic. It´s a tapas chain, having five bars troughout Barcelona. One of these is located in the heart of El Borne. The good thing about the one in El Born is, that you can sit outside and watch the world go by. You can´t make a reservation for any of the Taller de Tapas bars. The food isn´t supposed to be outstanding, but still good. In this place it´s more about the atomosphere.

6. Restaurante Txirimiri

Adress: Princesa 11 Metro: Jaume I El Txirimiri is traditional restaurant in El Born, offering all kind of Basque food. The atmosphere is a little more relaxed than in other tapas bars in Barcelona. That being said, you can have a relaxed dinner too. Also, you can reserve a private room for a all of your friends. Check out their website for more information.

Barcelona Tapas Tour Map! Take a Tapas Tour of El Born

Do you guys have any further recommendation for eating tapas in El Born? Please let us know, and we may add them to our tapas guide.
~ Alex Kolb

TEACHING ENGLISH IN BARCELONA

My personal experience of teaching English in Barcelona [caption id="attachment_9106" align="alignleft" width="400"]
TEFL - Teaching English in Barcelona[/caption] Teaching English as a foreign Language sounds like the ultimate job, and it's definitely promoted that way, but could it be too good to be true? Alas young SuiteLifer, do not fear, for SuiteLife is here to give you a first hand, insiders perspective. I've been teaching English in Barcelona since 2009 and SuiteLife's Operations Director, Ranald has been teaching English in Barcelona for many many more years. We've discussed a few points which we believe you need to know about teaching English as a foreign language, before you take the great big giant step and do your TEFL course! (By the way, TEFL for those of you who don't know, stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language). First of all, I would like to say that Teaching English in Barcelona has given me some of the happiest memories I have. Almost everybody I have met in Barcelona is linked in some way to TEFL teaching. For those who like socialising and and meeting new people from different backgrounds, this could indeed be your ideal job.

WHY TEFL?

I was 25 and living in my home town, Swansea - South Wales, when I realised something huge was missing from my life. Growing up with a family passionate about travelling and seeing the world, I decided at a young age that at some point in my life, I would live abroad. However, life goes on, you follow the more "traditionally" trodden path and some how, the "dream" of living abroad becomes nothing more than that, just "a dream". I remember I was renting a house with my friends, I had a car, and even that seemed like enough to tie me down. But something changed, the lease on our house came to an end, and coincidently I sold my car around the same time. [caption id="attachment_9107" align="aligncenter" width="482"]
Teaching English in Barcelona[/caption] I was free, I was single, I had cash in the bank and I started thinking, "Is NOW the perfect time to move abroad, is there ever going to be a better time than this?" I looked into jobs in Spain, originally I wanted to move to Italy but I had studied a little Spanish so it made sense. In flashing lights where ever I looked was "TEFL teaching course in Barcelona", but I never planned on being a teacher, was I being ridiculous? I wrote an email to the TEFL training school and they called me back the next week for a phone interview. All of a sudden I had been offered a place on the TEFL course in Barcelona and it seemed possible, it was easy. All I had to do was book a flight to Barcelona and the school would find me accommodation for the duration of the course (one month). A month later, I was sitting in a classroom with 9 other TEFL trainees, living in Barcelona, living the dream. OK, so I never planned on being a teacher, but I like people, and I like talking so I thought I would give it a go. To me, teaching English was a way for me to live in Barcelona, and that was my ultimate goal.

BARCELONA TEFL COURSE

[caption id="attachment_9108" align="alignright" width="360"]
Do a TEFL course and make new friends![/caption] The TEFL course I did in Barcelona was intense and at times, frustrating but over all I really enjoyed it. I felt I was learning again and after a few years out of University, it was refreshing and exciting. As they tell you before hand, you really are thrown in the deep end and you teach your first English lesson during the first week. Nerve racking, but excellent and invaluable experience. Best teach your first English lesson while you have the "excuse" of being a trainee. Obviously, as an English teacher you have to know your grammar and the course will drill it in to you until you know it inside out, whether you like it or not. Personally, I hated the grammar, and preferred the more communicative techniques they show you to teach English in a less "clerical" manner. Part of this was a lesson entirely in Czech and another entirely in Spanish, the idea being that you can see how it feels to learn a language without any use of your mother tongue. Remember, TEFL teaching means you teach English using only English, which is a beautiful concept as it means you can work anywhere in the world even if the only language you know is English. Are you sold yet?

AFTER YOUR TEFL COURSE - FINDING A TEACHING JOB IN BARCELONA

So, you've been living in Barcelona for a whole month, you are now a qualified TEFL teacher, what next? A lot of the TEFL training schools offer "career guidance" and to be fair, it helps a great deal. They tell you who you need to speak to and what they will expect of you. My course even had somebody who told us exactly what to put on your CV. However, a job is by no means going to just fall into your lap. An important point I would like to mention is that, at times during your TEFL course, it can feel as if you and your new friends are the only native English speakers in Barcelona. This is not true however as there are hundreds of English native speakers completing a TEFL course in Barcelona every month. There are definitely more teachers than there are English teaching jobs in Barcelona so you really do have to work hard to secure a job. Any relevant experience will set you in good stead, I included on my CV that I had taught kids guitar. Although not a great deal of experience, it was a little more than other people who had ZERO experience. [caption id="attachment_9111" align="alignleft" width="282"]
Can you remember your favourite teacher?[/caption] Another problem here is that, because the jobs are offered by schools, they tend to recruit during the beginning of the first term. If you complete your TEFL course in October for example, a great deal of the jobs will have already been snapped up. The TEFL training schools make out that there are jobs available all year round and the certainly are, but by far the best time to secure a position will be August, September and October. The next best time will be after Christmas as many TEFL teachers head home to see their family, never to return.

MONEY MONEY MONEY

I'm sure you want to know about money, I certainly did. TEFL teaching is comfortably paid, and a full timecontract of around 20 hours per week will provide you enough money to pay your bills, enjoy your free time and save enough for trips. But you aren't going to make a fortune. Language schools in Barcelona pay around €15 per hour which is nice, and private classes can pay slightly more. I have a good friend (Marian from my TEFL course) who set up her own English school. She teaches English to almost everybody in her town just outside of Barcelona and works a solid 50 hour week. If you want to make money with TEFL teaching, this is surely the way to do it. During my first year teaching English in Barcelona, I worked only 14 hours at a school but had 5 hours per week of private classes. I enjoyed the variety and freedom of private classes and the security of my contract at the school. I would totally recommend this approach.

HOLIDAYS

[caption id="attachment_9109" align="alignleft" width="230"]
Holidays in Barcelona - VAMOS![/caption] Well, the quality of teachers lifestyle  is well known and TEFL teachers in Barcelona enjoy the same benefits. Half term, Christmas, Easter, bank holidays all included, as well as the many many Barcelona holidays which seem to pop up when you least expect it. It really is all about quality of life. The main point to remember however, is that you are living in Barcelona so you don't have far to go to enjoy the Beaches in Barcelona! NB Although the main holidays are paid, your contract is typically terminated at the end of the academic year. This means that during the summer months, July, August and maybe even September, you will be without a money. There are summer courses in many English schools but not all.

BAD POINTS

[caption id="attachment_9112" align="aligncenter" width="400"]
Teaching Kids English - Challenging[/caption]

1. It can be stressful getting things done in Barcelona. The Spanish culture is so much more laid back than Britain and America. At times, you can feel as though your interviews are in vane. I had one interview which went really well, I was asked to return for a second interview and then a third to do a demonstration lesson. The DOS (Director of studies) really gave me the impression that the job was mine. She told me that she would get in touch the week before term to arrange for me to bring in my ID and bank details etc. I turned down two other jobs thinking I had got it all sorted. To my surprise, I never heard from her again and got no reply to my messages and emails. So if you're reading this, thanks for that.
2. Teaching kids, it sounds fun and it can be. But if like me, you imagine the little Spanish kids to be cute,  respectful and excited that they have a native English teacher, you are wrong. They can be crazy, and rude and the fact that you can't normally communicate very well with them doesn't do much to help. Personally, I would do anything not to work with kids, but at my school it's part of the deal so I grin and bare it.

NB If you genuinely like working with kids, say so during your interview as many qualified teachers get into TEFL teaching to get away from teaching children. For many language schools, it's hard to find teachers who want to work with kids.

So, TEFL teaching in Barcelona has been an incredible journey for me personally. Some of the people I have met have been teaching English all over the world, and it truly is a passport to see the world. What could be a better way to emerge yourself in the local culture, than spending all your time talking to the locals, and getting paid for it. The money is good, the lifestyle is even better and the people all share a common ideology, an enthusiasm for learning, culture and living life to the fullest. I did my TEFL course with http://www.teflbarcelona.net/ at BCN languages. If you do your course here, tell them Ben Holbrook sent you and maybe you will get a discount! ;) yours, Ben Holbrook

How to Find an Apartment in Barcelona in 30 Days of Less... Part 1: Introduction & Important Info

Dear friends,
My newest blog series is called: How to Find an apartment in Barcelona in 30 Days or Less... But... Why am I doing this?!: I'm currently looking for a flat to rent in Barcelona.  I have 30 days to hunt, find, sign and move into a new apartment in Barcelona.  For those of you who don't know me, I am the founder and owner of SuiteLife S.L., which specializes in helping foreigners and locals find the rental apartment of their dreams in BCN.  Over the years I've become somewhat of an expert in the art of hunting apartments in Barcelona (or so I'd humbly like to think).

What are my goals:

First, my goal is to find the best valued apartment in Barcelona that fits as closely with my requisites as possible.  Second, and equally as important, I will be documenting the whole adventure ! I will give you golden insider tips on the best practices and strategies so you can also find the flat of your dreams in Barcelona.

What I'm looking for:

The following is a description of my perfect apartment in Barcelona. It's important to remember that chasing 'the perfect flat' can be difficult. Being able to compromise on a couple of things will take you a long way, but we'll come to that later. For now, it's good to make a list of what would be your ideal pad!

Location:

The areas that interest me are Vila de Gracia; the bottom-right side of Sant Gervasi, and the upper-middle of the Eixample.  Not the widest of scopes but remember, this is my ideal.  Looking in other areas will certainly be on the agenda.

Characteristics:

Ideally 50m² +.  It's somewhat a case of 'bigger = better'.  At least 1 bedroom (no studios).  No furniture preferred.  A kitchen with appliances would be great but not necessary.  Any kind of outdoor space (i.e balcony or terrace) would be a big bonus.  Being uber-renovated is not a big concern.

Price:

Here's where it starts to get tricky.  I'm setting the max budget at 800 € / month.  Though rental prices in Barcelona have dropped by about 15-20 % over the last year, I'm still going to be hard-pressed to reach my goal.  We're really looking for Value (with a capital V) here and it's not going to be easy!

General Strategy:

In a nutshell, my strategy will be to sacrifice furniture and state of renovation of the flat (or lack of renovation, that is) in order to get value in other areas such as size and location.  I will also be specifically looking for 'motivated renters' and showing you how you can look for them too.  A motivated renter is someone who, for whatever the reason, needs to rent his/her apartment in a hurry.  This is where you start finding great bargains and also where you'll be able to flex your negotiation muscles with the best results! So, without further ado... Let's find Benny a flat!

How to Find an Apartment in Barcelona in 30 Days or Less... Part 2: The One That Got Away

Today I’m going to tell you about the one that got away…  She was beautiful, no, she was gorgeous.  Just the right size, curves in all the right places, bright  with a sunny disposition.  She was one in a million.  No, I’m not talking about a woman, but my dream flat that I let slip away because I didn’t follow my own advice, the same advice I had given you earlier in this very blog series… Synopsis: I have 30 days to hunt, find, sign and move into a new apartment in Barcelona.  With a budget of only 800 € / month maximum, and some pretty lofty expectations, I’m going to be hard-pressed to reach my goal.  I’m confident, though, that my experience and motivation will get me the Barcelona flat of my dreams, and that my tips will help you do the same. [caption id="attachment_8644" align="alignright" width="384"]
The flat that got away...[/caption]

Here's how I lost my dream apartment in Barcelona, with agonizing detail:

• I saw a beautiful 65m2 1 bedroom fully renovated flat online.  For the price (800 € / Month) there was tons of value.  It was perfectly located in the coolest part of Gracia.
• I setup an appointment to see the flat for 2 days later, which was the earliest date they could give me (often some of the smaller local agencies will spend all week taking calls for a specific flat and slot all the visits together for one time.  This is a tactic to pressure people into renting the flat).

[caption id="attachment_8645" align="alignright" width="384"]
The one that got away... again[/caption]

• As I showed up for the visit, the agent was saying goodbye to a lady, whom I assumed was the visit scheduled just before mine.
• As soon as I walked in the door I fell in love with this modern spacious flat.  It had a terrace that wrapped around the flat on three sides.  The kitchen was brand new, modern, and just happened to be SuiteLife colours!  I had that 'Je ne sais quoi' feeling, that gut feeling you're looking for that just screams to you, this is the place!
• BUT, I hesitated.  My own advice that I didn't follow was that I should have had my documentation (for an explanation on documentation check out our other blog in this series) physically on my body.  At that point I should have said "I'll take it!" and handed the agent my documents.  Instead, I went home, talked to all my friends and family about it, got really excited, and planned to hand in my documentation at 9am the next morning when the agency opened.
• Later, I found out that the lady who I'd seen had visited the flat just before me actually went home after the visit and immediately mailed her documentation to the agency... meaning I was now officially second in line.
• The other people ended up taking the flat and I was heartbroken and without my apartment in Barcelona.

[caption id="attachment_8646" align="alignright" width="384"]
and again...[/caption] Moral of the story: If I had taken my own advice and had my documents physically with me, I would have gotten them submitted before the other lady and I would have gotten my flat!  So now you don't even need to learn this mistake the hard way.  You can just learn from my experience.  I can't really explain how disappointing the whole ordeal was, so please, take my advice and bring your documentation with you on every visit.  You never know when you might fall in love! A small consolation is that, as my parents like to say, there is a streetcar every 5 minutes.  I was completely depressed the entire day after realizing I lost 'my' flat, but the next morning I saw another flat, which I fell in love with also!  So, you never know!

How to Find an Apartment in Barcelona in 30 Days or Less... Part 3: Everything in Life is NEGOTIABLE, Even an Apartment in Barcelona !

Synopsis: I have 30 days to hunt, find, sign and move into a new apartment in Barcelona.  With a budget of only 800 € / month maximum, and some pretty lofty expectations, I’m going to be hard-pressed to reach my goal.  I’m confident, though, that my experience and motivation will get me the Barcelona flat of my dreams, and that my tips will help you do the same. The apartment rentals market in Barcelona is like any other market in the world;  something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.  Negotiation of the rental prices is very common and is something we highly suggest.  It never hurts to try and negotiate the price.  The worst that can happen is that they'll say no.

How NOT to negotiate:

The strategy you use when negotiating is paramount.  The most ineffective, yet most popular strategy, is to come up with a list of un-ideal characteristics of the flat and use those as the arguments as to why the price should be lowered.

Why this is not effective:

You have to keep in mind that buying an apartment is the biggest investment most people will make in their lives.  Hence, landlords are often very proud of their flats and they often have a close and sentimental connection with them.  Keeping this in mind, harping on the flat's imperfections as the focal point of negotiation can seriously backfire.  You can offend the owner and end up getting nowhere.

How to make an effective negotation:

A big tip on how to proceed with an effective negotiation is that your offer should always be accompanied by your documentation (If you want more info on documentation check out another blog in this series).  By passing your offer along with your documentation you are essentially saying that if the owner agrees to your price and terms, you will take the flat.  This is the best way to have your offer taken seriously.

How much can you expect to negotiate the price?:

Very generally, you can usually expect to negotiate a monthly rental price down by about 50 - 100 € / month MAX.  Any more than this and you can expect a big NO and probably a good laugh from the owner.  This is important to keep in mind as a good strategy to getting the best value possible is to look at flats that are about 50 - 100 € above your budget and then get them negotiated down. Remember: Your ability to negotiate a price will also be based on how much demand there is for the specific property.  Basically, the more interest there is in a flat, the less chance there will be that the owner will accept an offer. The best way to negotiate is through an agency.  We've found that when tenants negotiate directly with owners, there's always the chance that things will be miscommunicated, feeling will be bruised, and in general that things will not work out.  It's always best to have an agent who can broker the deal for you.

How to Find an Apartment in Barcelona in 30 Days or Less... Part 4: Declare Yourself !

Today's tip is one that was passed down to me by my father, which is to declare yourself!  I'll Explain Below... Synopsis: I have 30 days to hunt, find, sign and move into a new apartment.  With a budget of only 800 € / month maximum, and some pretty lofty expectations, I'm going to be hard-pressed to reach my goal.  I'm confident, though, that my experience and motivation will get me the Barcelona flat of my dreams, and that my tips will help you do the same.
"Declaring yourself" is very easy and it can help you in many areas of life though it is particularly useful for our purpose of finding an apartment in Barcelona.  Simply put, declaring yourself means expressing to as many people as possible what your objectives are.  In this case we are looking for a flat to rent in Barcelona.  So, we're going to try and let as many people as possible know this.

Why Should I Tell ?

They always say that the best way to get a job is through your personal network, either through a friend or a friend of a friend.  Flat hunting is the same.  The more people you tell that you are looking for an apartment in Barcelona, the more chance that one of your friends will know of someone who happens to be looking to rent or could help you out with a contact.  Spreading the word is easy to do and makes sure you leave no base uncovered.

Who Should Know ?

Tell your friends, co-workers, family, strangers (yes strangers too!), post ads, etc...  Basically, try and mention to anyone who will listen what your objective is.  You never know when someone will have a great contact for you!

How Could It Work ?

Word of mouth is great.  Start by telling literally anyone who will listen that you are looking to rent a flat in Barcelona.  Next, harness the power of social media.  Change your Facebook status, send Twitter updates, start a blog, whatever it takes.  They don't call it six degrees of separation for nothing.  Once you realize that your own network of people has access to an infinitely larger group of people you'll appreciate this method for how potentially powerful it can be. Hope this valuable tip helps!

How to Find an Apartment in Barcelona in 30 Days or Less... Part 5 : Use Alerts !

Quick tip for today: Any online portal for finding an apartment in Barcelona that is worth its weight has a system for setting up alerts.
Synopsis: I have 30 days to hunt, find, sign and move into a new apartment. With a budget of only 800 € / month maximum, and some pretty lofty expectations, I'm going to be hard-pressed to reach my goal. I'm confident, though, that my experience and motivation will get me the Barcelona flat of my dreams, and that my tips will help you do the same. Searching online for an apartment in Barcelona can be frustrating. You've narrowed down the sites you'll be checking constantly, and then you're stuck returning to them once or twice a day to see if anything new has been added. Once in a while you see a new apartment in Barcelona, but more often than not you simply run into the same stale ads as the day before. Setup Alerts!: Most people choose to set an alarm clock so they can wake up in the morning. It would be silly to keep waking up every so often to look at your clock and see if it was actually time to wake up no? That's why we set an alarm, or alert. Flat hunting is the same. If you need an example check out one of our favourite flat hunting portals called Enalquiler (you can find it at enalquiler DOT com). With this site you can choose quite a lot of criteria to explain what you are looking for. Then, whenever something is uploaded to the site that fits with the criteria you've set out, they will send you an email notifying you of the new property. Not only does this save you not having to check back day in and day out, but when a hot property gets uploaded you'll be one of the first to know and can act accordingly! A small tip but a goodie! Hope it helps!

How to Find an Apartment in Barcelona in 30 Days or Less... Part 6 : Private Owners or Agencies ?

There are 2 ways of finding an apartment in Barcelona. Take a look below... Synopsis: I have 30 days to hunt, find, sign and move into a new apartment in Barcelona.  With a budget of only 800 € / month maximum, and some pretty lofty expectations, I'm going to be hard-pressed to reach my goal.  I'm confident, though, that my experience and motivation will get me the Barcelona flat of my dreams, and that my tips will help you do the same.

Private owners:

Private owners, referred to in Spanish as 'particulares', are property owners who are promoting their flats for rent in Barcelona without the help of an estate agency.

Advantages of going directly through the owner:

• The biggest advantage is that they do not charge an 'agency fee', so you will save some money there for sure.
• Often (but not always) with private owners, there will be slightly less bureaucracy and the process can sometimes culminate more quickly as there is no middle man to go through.

Disadvantages of going directly through the owner:

• Most of the flat rentals market in Barcelona is controlled by the agencies, so finding listings directly through the owners can be a laborious task to say the least.  If you don't know where to look you might be out of luck.
• You will need to have a very decent handle on the Spanish language because many of the owners do not speak English.
• Negotiations can be far more difficult to manage when you don't have an experienced third party helping to facilitate them.

Agencies:

In Barcelona the majority of the apartment rentals market is controlled by agencies.  Why?  It's actually very simple.  You see, in many countries it's the owner of the property that pays a real estate agency to promote it to its clients.  In Spain the system is exactly the opposite.  The tenant, not the owner, pays the agency fee.  This means that owners have nothing to lose in letting as many agencies as possible promote their flats.  The agency only gets paid if one of their clients decides to take it.  This should help you understand why agencies control most of the rental properties in Barcelona.

Advantages of using an agency:

• You can get the agencies working for you!  Since you only have to pay an agency once you decide to take a place, we suggest finding a handful of agencies to have them show you the flats in their inventory that best fit your requirements.  Since they will set everything up for you, you can get them to do a lot of your leg work for you.
• If you're not that familiar with Barcelona or how things work here, the agencies will help you with info and hold your hand through every step of the process.  Many of the international agencies speak multiple languages and this can also help you leap over the language barrier.
• Price and contractual negotiations are always better done through a third party.  In our experience, there's lots of room for hurt feelings and misunderstandings when an owner and tenant negotiate directly.  Agencies are well trained in how to gently massage negotiations on both sides so you get the best chance of getting a deal.

Disadvantages of using an agency:

• There are literally thousands of agencies in Barcelona.  You'll quickly see that some of them are either very hard to get in touch with or aren't so quick to call you back.  Without passing too much judgement, we suggest you do a little research, send off a mail with your requirements to a dozen agencies, and work with the ones that get back to you promptly and value your business.
• You will have to pay an agency fee.  The typical agency fee in Barcelona is usually either the equivalent of one month's rent plus tax OR 10% of the annual contract plus tax.  So you have to be ready to part with this money, and that certainly is somewhat of a disadvantage, but if you look at what you are getting in return it definitely seems to be the best way for most people to go.

SuiteLife Barcelona is one of Barcelona's top real estate agencies.  We take it a step further than most agencies and instead of just renting an apartment in Barcelona, we also strive to provide people with excellent insider information about living in the city, through our blog, SuiteLife TV videos, and our free ebooks called the Barcelona Bible Series.  We pride ourselves on our excellent service and hope you will get in touch if you or someone you know is looking for a flat to rent in Barcleona. Personally, I hope that you were able to pickup at least one tidbit of info from my series that will help you on your flat hunt and help you secure the apartment of your dreams, just like I did.

How to Find an Apartment in Barcelona in 30 Days or Less... Part 7 : I Found a Flat in 28 Days !

It was stressful, thrilling, disappointing, up, down, and all over the place.... [caption id="attachment_9069" align="alignright" width="384"]
My apartment in Barcelona[/caption] Synopsis: I have 30 days to hunt, find, sign and move into a new apartment in Barcelona.  With a budget of only 800 € / month maximum, and some pretty lofty expectations, I'm going to be hard-pressed to reach my goal.  I'm confident, though, that my experience and motivation will get me the apartment in Barcelona I'm dreaming of, and that my tips will help you do the same. In general, I clustered up my visits of flats in Barcelona seeing up to almost 20 flats/week within a span of 3-4 days. At the end of both week 1 & 2, I thought I had found the 'flat of my dreams', but in the end lost out as I didn't follow my own advice on the importance of documentation.  Each time I thought 'great, how will I ever find a flat that I like as much as the one I just lost!'  And in the end I in fact did, and more, and I'm exactly where I should be. The biggest lesson from my search was to be prepared.  If you think a flat is really special, chances are everyone else who's seeing it thinks exactly the same.  Being prepared with your documentation ready and actually on your physical person is paramount.  Not being prepared enough was the reason for me losing two amazing flats, but it was also the reason why I snagged my dream flat in the end.

My Apartment in Barcelona: What I got:

As you might remember from the first part, my main goal was to find the most value possible.  I was ready to sacrifice certain things (state of renovation & furniture) in order to gain other things (central location & outside space).  Here's the breakdown of what I got.

Neighbourhood:

I had my sites almost exclusively set on Villa de Gracia.  In the end my dream flat is located in the bottom right hand corner of Sant Gervasi. It's only about 4-5 streets walking to the heart of Gracia & only 7 blocks from the SuiteLife office. Nice!

Flat Characteristics:

The flat is an attic (big bonus), with a 20m2 south-facing terrace (even bigger bonus!).  The actual flat is 45m2 and very well distributed.  The kitchen, living room & bedroom are all independent and perfect size.  If I wasn't so interested in a terrace I probably could have gotten a 2 bedroom, but that's not the case.  After all, I'm only one person and I'll have more than enough room for visitors on my living room's pull-out couch.  Another big bonus was that the building has an elevator!  The flat is 2 blocks from my gym, 1 block from my favourite supermarket, and half a block from Starbucks!  I was very lucky with this flat.  The previous tenant was an IESE student who only stayed for one year.  He had bought all the electrodomestics new and then left them in the flat when he moved out.  There were two couches and his bed, which I tossed out and replaced with my own.  The terrace furniture was already there, and that was it!  Not much to furnish in a 45m2 flat anyways.  So I'm all setup just a couple days after moving, and now it's time to start thinking of decorating!

Price:

I did VERY well on the price.  The flat was originally listed at 790 € / month, which just fit in under my original 800 € maximum budget.  If you've read my entry on how to negotiate the rental price than you'll know that it never hurts to try and negotiate the rent.  I made an offer of 725 € / month, handed in all my documentation right there at the end of the visit, and a day later received a call saying the owner had excepted my offer!! Basically the better prepared I was, and the more ready I was to act quickly, the luckier I got.  There was a great feeling the day I moved all my stuff in and started unpacking.  Almost immediately after entering the flat... I felt as if I was 'home'.  More than anything I think that's the feeling you're looking to accomplish, and how you'll know that you've done a great job. I've included a couple photos of my new apartment in Barcelona in this blog to give you a little taste. Thank you so much for everyone who followed this blog series.  We'll soon be turning it into an ebook so we can help as many people as possible with their hunt for an apartment in Barcelona.  If you have any feedback or topics that you think we should cover, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or shoot us a mail at anytime. Happy flat hunting SuiteLifers!  Remember, home is where the heart is! Benny

Suitelife's Five Easy Ways to Meet Friends in Barcelona

Would you like to know the easiest ways to meet friends in Barcelona? Once you have found the right short term flat and unpacked your suitcase, it’s time to get out there! Yes, we know it can be difficult when you don't know anyone yet but don't worry, with our tips you'll become a "Rey de la movida" in just a few hours, we promise! 1 - ERASMUS EVENTS
Meeting new people in Barcelona is like taking candy from a baby, especially if you are on a student exchange program. There are dozens of groups on Facebook, promoting events every single day. And its not just the nightlife on offer, there are interesting activities going on all the time: day trips, international dinners, brunches etc. Even if you are not an Erasmus student its worth joining their meetings. You might not get a discount on your first drink  but you'll meet loads of great new people from all over the world! 2 - MEETUP GROUPS
MEETUP is a huge network of local groups with all different interests. This app is very active in Barcelona with seemingly hundreds of groups to choose from. Check out our list of the Top 10 Meet Up groups and pick your favourite! It is a very easy way to meet friends in Barcelona, especially if you’re interested in language exchanges, but also if you're into sports, nature, art and so much more. And if they don't have a group with something you're interested in then why not start one up yourself?! 3 - COUCHSURFING ACTIVITIES
Couchsurfing is a religion for many backpackers and young travelers from all over the world. Take a look at some of the Barcelona meet ups they have: Sunday brunches, football matches, international dinners… Maybe sleeping on someone else’s couch isn't the most comfortable but its a great way to meet new people and fit right in with the locals. 4 – BARCELONA FREE WALKING TOUR
This is a great way to meet friends in Barcelona and a fantastic way to discover the city. There are so many free walking tours to choose from that there's sure to be a rendezvous-vous point near you! Check out our Barcelona Free Walking Tour blog where you can decide between the three best free walking tours in Barcelona. 5 - BARCELONA BAR CRAWLS
This is really cool way to make new  friends and get a taste of Catalan nightlife. But how does it work?  Participants pay a flat fee and get unlimited drinks in 4 different venues. They meet at Placa Reial at 11pm every day of the week from February till September so there's no excuse to miss out! Still think it’s that difficult  to meet friends in Barcelona? Leave a comment and share with us your experience! - Elio

Miu: The Place To Be To Eat The Best Sushi In Barcelona!

Altough most of the restaurants in Barcelona offer typical Spanish food, Barcelona is home of several great Sushi restaurants as well. We at SuiteLife love the Japanese specialty! When I got to Barcelona, one of the first things I asked at work was where can I find the best sushi in Barcelona. They got back to me with this blog about the most recommended sushi restaurants in the city.
Frankly speaking, none of those sushi places really impressed me... Until I tried Miu Japonés on C/Valencia 249. The former parking garage was rebuilt into a stylish and beautiful location. Although the restaurant is pretty big, it's still cosy and offers a great atmosphere. My first time at Miu was when we had lunch with the SuiteLife crew.

Lunch menu:

During lunchtime you get an entire menu for 10.95€. The lunch menu includes a starter, two main courses, a desert, and one drink (water or wine). The menu changes daily. Just to give you an example, I'm gonna list what I had last time. Starter: Big mixed salad served with a tasty Japanese sauce. Main Course I: Maki of the day: Maki with salmon and confit onions. Main Course II: Fresh tempura with puree. Desert: Applepie (Coffee is not included) This is just an example. You can choose from different things everyday!
Evenings: As I totally fell in love with this sushi place, I went there with my friends on the following Friday. A reservation is highly recommended. Miu is a really good place to go with a group of friends. We went there with 5 people without a reservation and were lucky to get a table in the packed restaurants. Even though the restaurant is pretty busy, the atmosphere is still great. Lounge music would make it perfect! We ordered a lot of different things and ended up paying around 20€ each (wine and water included).
General information about Miu Japonése: - The only "bad" thing is the slow service. They have issues to handle big groups and usually don't serve everything at the same time - Location: C/Valencia, 249, 08007 Barcelona (Corner of Passeig de Gràcia) - Closest metro: Diagonal (L3, L5, L6, L7), Passeig de Gràcia - Reservation for dinner is highly recommended - T- 931932300 - Opening hours: Lunch from 1pm to 3.45pm - Dinner: 8.30pm to 11.30pm - They offer a Take Away Service - Official website: miurestaurant Miu Japonése is definetely my favourite Sushi place in BCN up to now. What's your favourite one? Do you know any other restaurant serving the best sushi in Barcelona? Let us know in the comments below!

Airports in Barcelona - Everything You Need to Know

There are so many Airports in Barcelona that it can be difficult to choose the best one. In my experience, some of the best deals and cheapest flights are found in the airports a little further from Barcelona. Once you found the flat of your dreams, you have to make sure to visit the apartment before paying anything. Thus, you have to get here as soon as possible. If you live in a different country, the easiest way to get to Barcelona is to catch a plane. Flights to Barcelona can be expensive. However, not only the main airport “El Prat” in Barcelona has experienced a lot of changes these last years. Another two airports located outside Barcelona are now very well connected to the city. These airports in Barcelona are a cheap option to travel.

Airports in Barcelona: Choose Your Favourite

"El Prat"

This airport is the main one in Barcelona. It´s just 12 km away from the city center and very well connected. Beside the "aeropuerto" in Madrid, "El Prat" is the largest airport in Spain. It took care of more than 29.2 million passengers in 2010. It is important to know that the airport is divided into two terminals. Terminal 1 is brand new and really mordern. It was inaugurated in 2009 and is mainly used by high-price companies.
As there was a lot of space left once the new terminal was inaugurated, the airport reduced landing fees in order to attract low-cost companies. That being said, nowadays even airlines such as RyanAir are connected with the main airport in Barcelona. When you guys arrive at one of the mentioned terminals, there are various opportunities in order to get to the city center. Since most of you don´t speak a great deal of Spanish, cab drivers easily take advantage of this and charge you way too much. The same thing happened to me when I arrived in Barcelona last week. As I don’t want you to end up in the same situation, I´m gonna list the most common prices :

Taxi:

Barcelona Airport -> City center / Up to 30€ (It depends on where you go exactly and how much luggage you carry with you)

Train:

There will be a brand new station soon which is going to be connected to the metro system. Up to now, you have to take RENFE which runs from Terminal 2 to Plaza . For those who land at Terminal 1, there´s a connection bus which brings you to the station. The most central stop is " Passeig de Gracia" railway station. The ride is about 3€.

Bus:

There are two different types of buses running from the airport to the city center. One of them is public, the other one belongs to a private company. The public one charges you approximately 5€ and takes you to "Placa Espanya". The private one, called "aerobus", takes you to the same place but is a bit more expensive. The duration of the ride totally depends on the traffic. If there´s no traffic at all, you can make it within 15mins. If there´s a lot of traffic, it can take you up to 45mins.

Girona-Costa Brava Airport

This airport is a very common and cheap alternative to the main airports in Barcelona. Though it´s located 91 km north of Barcelona, it is well-connected to BCN city center. In this case it is important to know that Girona is the major base of RyanAir. RyanAir operates 62 routes from Girona all over Europe. Thus, you have to check flights on RyanAir's website or on one of those flight search engines, which I´ll talk about later in this blog.
On one hand you can save a bunch of money, but on the other hand you really need to be flexible. Indeed, the transfer to Barcelona takes way longer! If you are really relaxed and ready to excuse the "service" of RyanAir, I will help you with the transport.

By Bus:

The easiest and cheapest way to get to Barcelona is to take the bus. A great fact about these buses is that there´s always one waiting for you when a plane land. The journey takes 1h15min and costs 12€ for one - and 21€ round trip. Having read a lot of comments on this bus, I can recommend this bus trip to you!

By car:

If you are traveling with friends, you should check prices to rent a car. It's sometimes cheaper to get to Barcelona. There is also a train, but those options are definitely more efficient.

Reus:

In addition to "El Prato" and "Girona", another small airport is located 75km to the north of Barcelona. As the bus transfer to Barcelona is pretty easy too, it is definitely an option. Check the RyanAir site for flights. The transfer to Barcelona is more or less the same as from Girona.

By Bus:

There is a private bus company called "Hispano Igualadina", which offers bus rides from the airport to Barcelona Sants. They charge you 12,50€ for a single ride and 22€ for a round trip. You can buy the tickets at the arrival terminal. The duration of this trip is approximately 90min.

By Car:

Frankly speaking, I wouldn´t recommend to rent a car at this airport. Sure, you can rent a car if you want to share the price. However, since the bus ride is really easy and cheap, you should take the bus.

Cheap flights:

Now that you know every airports in Barcelona, you have to look for a cheap flight. There are many ways to find a great deal. Firstly, you have to choose one of the mentioned airports. If you have decided on one, you can either find a flight on one of those search engines or on the company's website.

Here are the most common ones:

RyanAir: RyanAir flies to every airports in Barcelona. You can find very cheap flights, but you have to be flexible. Most of the time RyanAir offers very good prices during the week early in the morning. That being said, I recently found a flight from Germany to Barcelona for 60€ return. However, you have to be patient to find a really good bargain. Usually, you can find flights for 100€ return. VuelingAir: Vueling is the Spanish RyanAir. It´s a constantly growing company, based in Barcelona. If you are looking for cheap domestic flights, Vueling is the way to go!

Search engines:

Atrapalo.com: This Spanish flight search engine is really good, check it out! Now you know everything about airports in Barcelona! You also have all the information you need to get to Barcelona via plane. However, you always have to be a bit lucky to find a super cheap flight. Just keep on looking on the mentioned sites and you will definetely find one! Do you know of any other place to find cheap flights?  Let us know in the comments below and we'll add it! Have a safe trip! Alex Kolb

Carrer dels Tallers Barcelona (calle Tallers): Street Profile #4

Carrer dels Tallers (Calle Tallers) is a beautiful hidden street, just a few steps away from Plaza Catalunya, Las Ramblas and the famous museum MACBA. The small street can be seen as a sort of connection between El Gotico and El Raval. Altough it´s so close to Barcelona´s busiest places, Carrer dels Tallers is not at all full of tourists. The street is a very secret place, full of vintage stores, restaurants, bars and spots to relax. Come and take a look around!

Carrer dels Tallers/ Calle Tallers by day:

Carrer dels Tallers is simply amazing. With a length of just 200m, it still has got so much to offer.  For music-fans, ice cream-lovers and for those who love vintage shopping - this is the place to be. When entering the street from "Las Ramblas", you walk across a tight and pretty dark sidestreet. Once you walk a little bit further down the street, Calle Tallers turns out to be a small but really beautiful "Plaza". That being said, you can go shopping and then relax with a nice cup of coffee on the grass or chill-out in one of the cute bars.

Things you shouldn´t miss when on Calle Tallers:

Relaxing in the plaza:

When I entered Carrer del Tallers for the first time, I was totally amazed by the variety of this street. I went there in order to take some photos and could´t believe my eyes when I reached the plaza.
One could say that this street has two faces. There was a woman sleeping on the grass, couples flirting and guys having a cold can of beer. If you are looking for a few minutes away from the trouble and noise of Las Ramblas and Plaza Universidat, The Plaza on Carrer dels Tallers is the spot to go.

Vintage Shopping:

My colleague Charlotte Giver recently wrote about the great vintage shopping opportunities on Carrer dels Tallers. Its something you can't miss. Check out her blog for more info.

Udon:

Udon is a Japanaese restaurant chain in Spain. It´s not unique to Carrer dels Tallers, but you can still go there and have their awesome noodle soup. Check out their site for further info.

Music stores:

Carrer dels Tallers ist THE street to be when it comes to buying all kind of music. While walking trough Carrer dels Tallers, I found out that there is a music store chain called "Discos Castelló". This store is located on Carrer dels Tallers 3,7,9 and 79. Having entered one of them, I can definitely recommend them!

Sports stores:

In addition to all those fun things, Carrer dels Tallers has great opportunities for sports shopping. There are four stores, offering customized shoes, american sportswear, all kind of New Era caps , t-shirts , jerseys and everything else you could possibly imagine. Those stores are packed to the rafters with really nice sportswear. Theyare all at the beginning of Carrer dels Tallers, entering from Las Ramblas.

Ice cream - Gelateria Tallers:

It can be hard to notice this little ice cream shop. Nevertheless, it´s simply awesome. I´m really passionate about ice cream - I just can´t get enough of it! So I know my stuff when it comes to ice cream The ice cream you can get at Gelateria Tallers is definetely one of the best I have had in my life. So you better not miss it!

Biker stores:

Calle Tallers is full of stores offering things you can't find anywhere else. I found this amazing bike store which offers vintage leather jackets, helmets and Harley Davidson products. For bikers in Barcelona, this is the place to go to.

Japanese food store:

There is a great japanese food store next to the square. It specialises in all those hard-to-find Japanese ingredients which you just can't find anywhere else.

Carrer dels Tallers by night:

Once nightfall arrives on Carrer del Tallers, the street turns out to be a pretty busy and crowded sidestreet off Las Ramblas. One can find bars, clubs, small restaurants and 24-h-open stores. This street is mostly visited by Spanish people, basically because it´s pretty hidden from tourists and foreigners. However, it has really fun things to do during the night.

Ovella Negra:

Ovella Negra is a typical bar for students, offering cheap drinks and good atmosphere. You can play pool and order huge 5 litre jugs of sangria and beer with taps. The service takes a little longer, but it´s worth the wait. It is located just a few steps away from Caller dels Tallers, on Carrer Sitges 5. Have you checked out Calle Tallers yet?  Is there another street in Barcelona that you're just dying to know more about? Let us know and we'll try and profile it soon! Cheers, ~Alex Kolb

Barcelona's Best Beaches: Look No Further!

If you want to spend a beautiful Saturday away from the riff raff on the Barcelona beaches, take the train at Plaça Catalunya towards Mataró (it only takes 20 minutes), jump off the train at Montgat Nord and go to one of Barcelona's best beaches, Montgat’s beach.

4 Good Reasons To Say Montgat Beach Is One of Barcelona's Best Beaches

1)      The sand and the water are CLEAN: Montgat’s beach doesn’t need any face lift. Here, the sand is full, crispy like brown sugar, and stuffed with little seashells. It’s a pleasure to walk on it and plunge your feet and hands in it. The water, without being crystal clear, is clearer than the rest of the Barcelona beaches. A pure pleasure! 2)      It’s not that crowded: if you want to relax and doze off, be Montgat’s beach guest!  Montgat’s beach is one of Barcelona's best beaches in this respect. No need to jump over towels, legs and arms to find a 1m2 spot. You won’t hear the beer sellers song either, nor the Spanish Donut’s man, nor the “Massage! Massage!” of the Asian ladies. Peace… Tranquility…  Lay down and sleep!
3)      The beach volleyball players are friendly: Montgat’s beach is great for its beach volleyball courts. Players will be more than happy to welcome you to play along with them! 4)      The café con hielo is amazing: when you get off at the station Montgat Nord, take a right to the beach volleyball courts. Then pass under the train lines and you'll reach the cafés that are aligned in the sun. They serve the best tapas and the best Ice Coffe ever! WARNING: it’s not an ice coffee as you could maybe conceive it. It’s Spanish style! The waitress will bring you a normal Espresso and a glass with only two ice cubes in it. Pour sugar in the hot coffee then pour the whole thing in the second ice-filled glass. The result is awesome (even better with Café con Leche).
Yours, Audrey

Bars In Barcelona- Everything You Need To Know!

Bars in Barcelona are varied, eclectic and more than anything, plentiful, but remember, as with all big cities, not every Barcelona bar is worth a visit. There is a Barcelona bar on every corner or every Calle (street), so here is a little guide to bars in Barcelona, so you know what to expect without wasting your sweet party time in Barcelona.

The Ovella Negra Taverna

Barcelona nightlife is unique, multifaceted and there is by no means a lack of great bars in Barcelona, however, after living here for the last year and a half I have become tired of a few things. Firstly I'm constantly moaning to my friends that we always go to the same Barcelona bar every weekend, but it's so much fun and so cheap, it's hard to find a place which beats it. The Ovella Negra Taverna (The Black Sheep Tavern) is a huge tavern style bar with a very "studenty", relaxed atmosphere, and provides VERY cheap medio litre (half litre) pitchers of San Miguel, it really is Barcelona nightlife at it's cheapest. At the time of writing, I pay about €3 for a half litre pitcher of San Miguel at this Barcelona bar which has led to many Barcelona adventures, of which I have promised my Motley Crew, I will never speak of.
The Ovella Negra Barcelona bar also do giant (and I mean GIANT) chilled-pitchers of beer with four taps so you can put one on your table and serve yourself. They're great as you can buy one between your amigos, typically enough for about5-6 people, and let the drinking games commence. I have never been to Ovella Negra and not made new friends, largely because of the friendly atmosphere but also due to the fact that the tables are SO close together, you are basically forced to sit with other groups of people. Throw cheap beer into the mix and you've got yourself a party - a perfect Barcelona bar. As much as I love the Ovella Negra bar Barcelona, I can't help but feel I should be exploring the other bars in Barcelona and making more of the Barcelona nightlife. The problem however, is that so many of the bars in Barcelona are completely over priced and it's very difficult to tell how much you will have to pay for your drink, until the bill comes. In fact, after being here for a while, I'm certain that the camareros (bar staff/waiters) charge people differently, depending on how they are feeling and where you are from. Remember to check your cambio (change), as many a time I have paid with  €20 note, and received cambio (change) for a €10 note, of course, as soon as they know you are on to them, they apologise and act like it was a mistake.

Barcelona bars to avoid!

Barcelona is a tourist haven, and let's be honest, if you're a tourist or "guiri" in Barcelona, you are an easy target for being over charged. The key to avoiding expensive Barcelona bars is this, avoid the Barcelona bars which are located in prime tourist locations. I know this seems obvious but I'm amazed how many people still do it. For example, the bars directly on Las Ramblas are probably the most overpriced rubbish you will find in the the whole of Barcelona. I've heard stories of people being charged €15 for a beer here. As a price guide, I wouldn't pay more than €3-4 maximum for a beer in any Barcelona bar, but remember, night clubs will and do charge much more. Irish bars in Barcelona are also a little on the pricey side and if you are looking for a cheap night out, you would do well to avoid them. However, I have to say that the Irish bars in Barcelona are great fun and do indeed provide a genuine taste of Ireland and the UK. But lets not get carried away here SuiteLifers, if you wanted to experience that, you would just head across the channel! As a Brit in Barcelona, of course sometimes I do crave  home comforts and my Barcelona Irish bar of choice is The Michael Collins bar, located right next to the Sagrada Familia. It's long and narrow and has all the comforts of home with the seemingly compulsory Guinness posters everywhere. But the coolest thing about The Michael Collins bar in Barcelona is the live music. Typically on the weekends, you will find live bands playing a selection of European music, sung by Spanish guys with Spanish accents. It really does put a new spin on some of your favourite rock classics!

THE Cheapest bars in Barcelona, but not necessarily the best bars in Barcelona.

The small bars in Barcelona (and there are millions) often called Granjas or Cervecerias generally offer the cheapest drinks in Barcelona, and I mean cheap. Typically you won't pay more than €2 for a drink in one of these little Barcelona bars. Generally, they are full of older Spanish/Catalan men, who drink there day in, day out. They choose these Barcelona bars because they know they won't find their beer any cheaper anywhere else. However,  these BCN bars are not the atmospheric party places that you dream of in Barcelona and I for one certainly don't go to the Granja bars in Barcelona for my weekend of partying, even though they are the cheapest bars in Barcelona.

Barcelona Bars - how to tell if it's pricey or not!

In general, bars in Barcelona don't look all that elaborate from the outside. I don't know why, but the Catalans don't seem to put that much importance on the physical appearance of their bars and restaurants. Los Toreros Tapas Restaurant which I wrote about some time ago, offers some of the finest Tapas in Barcelona, from the outside however, it looks shabby, old and un-loved. Many Barcelona bars look much the same as the next bar and I find that strange considering the competition is so high, you would think they would want to distinguish themselves from the other Barcelona bars. So, when you do see a bar which stands out, and looks beautiful and flamboyant, rest assured, it will be an expensive Barcelona bar. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to these bars, because they are also awesome, but remember it won't come cheap. With so many bars in Barcelona, many have offers and promotions advertised outside the door, to entice you in. This is a great way to suss-out whether or not a Barcelona bar offers good value, typically they show "Bottle of Estrella Dammonly €x" or "Mojitos €x". If the bar has no signs outside whatsoever, it's safe to assume it's because it's expensive. It's a kind of "If you need to ask, you can't afford it" kind of attitude. Admittedly, not everybody is as concerned with money as I am, but I think there is a huge "financial" difference between coming to Barcelona as tourist and actually living in Barcelona.

Bars in Barcelona that won't rip you off!

Gracia

Apart from the back streets of central Barcelona, I would really advise Gracia for great Barcelona bars. Typically small, quirky, bohemian and reasonably priced, you will find a great balance of value and atmosphere in these Barcelona bars.Bars in Gracia are generally small, independantly run businesses and you will typically pay around €3 for a bottle of beer. No it's not the cheapest, but the bars in Gracia are seriously cool and full of life. We go to these Barcelona bars in the summer to sit outside, drink, laugh and watch the world pass by, before heading to one of the many clubs in Placa Reial.

El Born

Another great area for great Barcelona bars is the El Born area. It's insanely chic and trendy but also home to some of the best bohemian bars and restaurants in Barcelona. El Born is pretty central and makes it an easy place to meet friends and party hard, with-out having to spend a fortune. One of El Born 's best bars is La Fianna, it's warm and welcoming interior with dimly lit lights and comfy couches makes it uber romantic and was featured in SuiteLife's TOP 25 First Date Spots in Barcelona. The food is average, but "eatings cheating" after all! Only €3 for HUGE glasses of wine and the mojitos are also well made here. So, now you know what to expect and what to avoid when partying in Barcelona, make sure drop us a message on our Facebook page. What is your best bar in Barcelona? Ben Holbrook - SuiteLifer and Barcelona Bar Frequenter.

Barcelona Tapas: It's Pintxo Time!

Tapas in Barcelona, and Barcelona food in general is an enormous field to investigate. Today we will investigate segment of Barcelona tapas, which are called Pintxos! (Pronounced Pinchos).
Pintxo means 'spike' in Spanish and the literal translation serves us well in understanding what these tasty treats are all about. Several savory items are spiked to a slice of bread with a toothpick for your eating pleasure. If you want to read about some traditional Barcelona tapas places read Matt´s blog Cerveceria Catalana: The best tapas restaurant in Barcelona? or checkout my blog about Tapas in Barcelona for free “Ir de pintxos!” (To go for Pintxos) is the Basque version of pub crawling. Pintxos originated in the Basque Country. They can be warm or cold, salty or sweet. Traditionally many pintxos come with seafood and goat cheese, but you can find a wide variety with combos such as tortilla de patatas, eggs with tuna, croquets and even  little hamburgers as well. The variety of this Barcelona tapas is never ending and you can find places that serve up to 100 different Pintxos at a time. You basically grab your plate and start loading onto it whatever tickles your fancy; it can be difficult because they normally all look so good that you want to try everything. When you're completely stuffed and can't even manage one more tapa the waiter will come by to count the the toothpicks you have on your plate and the most common model is you pay per toothpick leftover.
Because of how they charge, there is usually a standard price on all pinxos, no matter what they may contain. The average price is about 1,60 per Pintxo, but as with anything else, you can find cheaper and definitely more expensive also. It's quite typical to accompany this Barcelona food with cider or Txakoli which is slightly sparkling white wine. 6 Pintxos, or so, should be perfect for a light, but delightful lunch and "ir de Pintxos" is a nice sociable activity for you and your friends while having a drink and chat in a Basque tavern. We tried some places for you and here are our suggestions. Try one of these 10 best Pintxos bars.

Enjoy the Basque pub crawl with SuiteLife!

Maitea

c/Casanova 157 The word "maitea" means love or dear, and love is what we, SuiteLifers, feel for this place. Very friendly service and they offer you more than 100 different kinds of cold and warm Pintxos. The cold ones attract you to the bar and the warm ones are ready in a minute when you order them. Last time when we went to Maitea with my 3 friends we had 21 pintxos, 2 beers, 2 cokes and we payed 41 euros and got a big bottle of cider for free. They have some awesome home made little desserts so try not to fill up too much on tapas (easier said than done!).

Grupo Sagardi

Grupo Sagardi has quite a few restaurants in BCN and in Spain and it's three most notable pinxos restaurants in Barcelona are Irati, Euskal Etxea and Sagardi.

Irati

c/Cardenal Casanyes 17 Irati is said by some to be the best Pintxos bar in town. You will find this restaurant with Barcelona tapas near the Boqueria Market on las Ramblas. It´s a friendly little place with around 50 different and splendid pintxos. Another one is...

Euskal Etxea

Plaçeta Montcada 1 80 variations of pintxos at the bar with great atmosphere and a cool interior that you will just love!

Sagardi

Plaça de Pau Vila 3 This bigger restaurant has a long bar with excelent Barcelona tapas that can host around 100 people! You won´t be dissapointed if you decide to visit any of these three bars above, but the one that I like the best is Euskal Etxea.

Zarautz taberna vasca

c/Elisi 13 Excellent Pintxos for 1,50€ each or the more special ones for 2.20€, and yes they are totally worth a try! Don´t miss this place!

Taktika Berri

c/Valencia 169 If you don´t mind waiting a bit for really great Barcelona food, than you should come to check out Taktika Berri. It´s one of the best Basque restaurants in town, because the meat and other ingredients are brought in directly from San Sebastian, the epicenter of Basque food.

Itxaso

c/Còrsega 232 The name of the restaurant means sea, and you will love the marine white and blue decoration. They offer around 70 different cold and warm pintxos.

Special on Price: Check this out!

Txirimiri

c/de la Princesa 11 Have a lunch menu in the heart of Born for 5,50! You´ll get 5 pintxos and a drink. This place is special for another reason as well. The waiter won´t count your toothpicks here at the end of the meal, they just ask, "how many Pintxos did you eat?". It's quite a nice touch and makes the customers feel welcome an trusted.  I suppose the owner just believes in the quality of his food so much that he assumes if you liked the food you wouldn´t need to play with numbers.

Baserri

c/Correu Vell 4 Baserri opens at 6:30 p.m. And you can have 5 pintxos and 1 beer for 6 euros.

Blai Tonight

c/de Blai 23 Enjoy this place on a warm evening at one of their terrace tables and try any of their pintxos for just 1 euro. You probably have noticed that these restaurants' names don't sound too Spanish. It´s because of their Basque origin. Did you know that Basque country has its own language that is supposed to be the oldest in the Europe and so old that linguists aren´t even able to come to an agreement as to its actual roots? Go and check out some of the above taverns and let us know, which Pintxo was your favorite!

On Egin!

(Bon appetite) Sharka