Anyone know Barcelona?

[loverrr]

Hey, off to Barcelona soon & would love any recommendations please! Best area to stay, hotels, restaurants, bars, things to do...
Thanks!

My fave hotel is the H 1898 on la Rambla. Its got a fab inside pool spa and one of the best roof terraces and pool going. Location is ideal to walk to most places. Taxi's are plentiful and cheap and its well located with a taxi rank outside. I'm not a fan of the metro. You see nothing underground.
If that's too pricey I'd go for the H Casa Mimosa. Its part of the same block as Cas Mila. The terrace rooms have a free view of its iconic rooftop. You can be first in the queue. Although the H chain is a bit corporate the building itself is old and rooms are well designed. Good bathrooms if you like privacy in the loo too.
Other good locations are Duquesa d cardonna ( great view) and Catalonia Port. easy walk to Port Vell and beach to th efront but have the old city to the back.
All easy to find at the end of a long day wandering around.

Tbh (sorry previous poster) I’d probably avoid La Rambla unless you’re staying in the upper part, above Plaça Cataluña. There’s a lot of improvement work going on at the moment between Placa Cataluña and the bottom where it meets the sea and it’s noisy, plus you have the usual pickpockets, tat shops and pigeons.

If I had to book a trip and money wasn’t an issue I’d go for the Ohla. Lovely restaurants at both locations. You won’t get a sea view at either though.

Eixample is generally safe and well connected. My favourite part is the bit around Enric Granados and Majorca - you’ll be swimming in lovely restaurants and bars there.

Poble Sec and St Antoni are ‘up and coming’ aka often a bit grubby round the edges but there’s lots going on and enough hipster type places if you’re into that kind of thing.

If you want to see the sea from your bed the Barcelona Art Hotel or the W are your best bets, though you’ll have to walk a bit further to do stuff like buy a coffee.

The weather is lovely (and far too dry) at the moment so you’ll be able to stroll everywhere comfortably. Bear in mind there’s an ongoing drought (4th summer) so we’re officially in a state of emergency, so please take care with water consumption. Also, the grass will probs look a bit brown 😂

Happy to give more info, I could write a book on this as a local.

Thankyou both so much, Im so glad I asked on here! Can you recommend any special restaurants for a birthday dinner?

We loved an Etheopian restaurant in Gracia which a friend brought us to a couple of years ago think it was Abissinia

If you are fairly adventurous eaters, we really enjoyed eating at Suculent in Barcelona. It's a set menu which is on their website so you can see. We really enjoyed the wine flight too which was reasonable price.

Worth being aware that dining doesn't really get going until quite late in the evening in Barcelona!

suculent.com/en/

I'd recommend xix gin bar it was fabulous

I really rate elsayfred.es despite the rubbish name. Small, fantastic food and service. Lots of locals and not too expensive.

I know what everyone says about La Rambla but if you aren't there for long its actually ideal. Exiample is very impressive ( if you like big store fronts and shops) but the bloody roads are massive and very busy and you have to wait to cross six lanes of traffic every 5 minutes ( its on a grid system). Whereas la Rambla has slow traffic going up one side and down the other so much easily to get across and feels, less well trafficiky. And easy to duck into the largely pedestrian barri gotic area. It certainly has tat shops up the sides but also some nice buildings and La Bouqueria market ( insanely busy).

I have stayed at the Arts and its high end but far out. Full of rich Americans. Good for the beach but its not close to anything else. I've had drinks at the W and whilst it is cool its on a dog leg meaning its a bit isolated too. My husband has stayed there a few times as my my friend ( not at the same time!) and they weren't overly impressed with the rooms for the money. No balconies obviously and the loo was in the middle of the room in one.
I like a balcony, a view and a rooftop pool. The Ohla gets good reviews though.

I haven’t been in quite a few years, but there is a restaurant a short taxi ride out of the city called Mirablau. It has view overlooking the entire city - definitely worth the trip

@Amperoblue not all of eixample is like diagonal, functioning pedestrian crossings are on literally every corner, but very happy for you if you prefer the local and cosy nature of La Rambla!

@greektreacle Yep the pedestrian crossings are the bit that annoy me! As you say every corner and take forever . I find the traffic hard work.
Whilst it is a major city Barcelonas selling point is that it is every sort of city. Bit like London with lots of villages making up a reasonably compact . A beachy city, a hilly peaceful one, a gritty one, an ancient one. I’m jealous of you living there!
I go a couple of times a year every year but I’m still very much a tourist only staying for 4 days on the whole. The advantage of La Rambla is that it’s easy to locate yourself. You need bang for your buck so to speak if you aren’t there long.