Barcelona

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Barcelona

Autumn is the perfect time to visit Barcelona with less heat, fewer tourists and the city‘s biggest street party, Festes de la Mercè, on September 24. Richard Bence profiles some of the newest places to check out in this city of reinvention

Though the 1992 Olympics focused the world’s attention on the city, Antoni Gaudi’s wonderfully weird architecture demonstrates how long Barcelona has been at the vanguard of all that is new and different. As the progressive capital of the independently-minded Catalunya region, Barcelona’s bohemian air has offered sanctuary to creative geniuses like Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí, all of whom worked here and established the city’s enduring reputation in the fields of fashion, food and furniture. The city continues to evolve as a centre of design, as a gastronomic powerhouse, as an educational and business centre and potentially the coolest city in the world. And one the world never tires of visiting.

 

Where to stay
Hotels have never been so good in Barcelona. Casa Camper opened in January this year and – like the shoe chain that owns it – is fun, friendly and affordable. Located in the heart of the city (el Raval), between Las Ramblas and the Museum of Contemporary Art, the hotel is one of Barcelona’s most design-conscious, with idiosyncratic extras such as a private snug across the hall from each bedroom, and the quirky addition of a hammock, perfectly positioned for watching the TV.
However, it’s the intriguingly-named Omm hotel which is officially the hippest. It’s part of the Tragaluz group – the stylish operators responsible for some of the city’s most fashionable restaurants – and features corridors lined with black rubber and an airy rooftop complete with lap pool and unique views of Gaudi’s La Pedrera. With its exceptional restaurant, Moo – run by the Michelin-starred
Roca brothers – as well as a club, Ommsession, this is a destination
hotel and a half.
New kid on the block, Diagonal, is the latest of the city’s high-end design hotels. With an interior by Catalan architect Juli Capella, it also has a rooftop terrace and pool, mandatory for any self-respecting Barcelona boutique bolthole (the smart ‘hetero friendly’ gay hotel, Axel, has one too).
Lastly, but essentially, is the Hotel Arts, which has just received a €23 million facelift. Opened in 1992 as part of the regeneration of Port Olìmpic, this 44-storey joint is smart, slick, sophisticated and consistently voted one of the top hotels in Europe (Madonna and Robbie Williams are both frequent guests, though not – as far as we know – in the same room). Rooms look out over the port and the Mediterranean, the posher rooms are awash with Acqua di Parma products and service is so good it’s virtually invisible. The Spa by Six Senses, on the 43rd floor, has stunning views and outside balconies for those who can conquer their vertigo, while its Michelin-starred restaurant is reknowned for tapas. If you can, grab one of the outdoor tables for a close-up view of Frank Gehry’s shimmering fish sculpture.

Food
Foodie favourite and Barcelona stalwart Cal Pep has been serving mouthwatering seafood tapas since 1977 and continues to impress. But for a kick of something more contemporary, Comerç 24 is now generally recognised as Barcelona’s finest tapas restaurant, producing innovative Catalan cooking. The building is one of the bold new design statements in El Born – created by Alfons Tost, Xavier Abellàn and Anna Rius – while inside, chef Carlos Abellán is busy producing some of Catalunya’s most innovative cooking.
There’s more ‘designer tapas’ at Santa Maria. Celebrity chef Paco Guzman trained under the legendary Ferran Adria at El Bulli (the holy grail of contemporary Catalan foodie fusion) and is similarly intent on bashing down the frontiers of food. For equally hip outdoor dining, Bestial C boasts one of the nicest terraces in Barcelona on the waterfront opposite the shimmering Frank Gehry fish. It’s a chic, minimalist space for sipping cocktails and picking at Italian-Catalan dishes.

Shopping
Barcelona’s has always lived to shop, and the design hub continues to be El Born, where you’ll find plenty of independent boutiques tucked into the narrow streets . Candela (Santa Maria 6) hunts down unknown local fashion talent and is a good place to find something exclusive and different, while nearby La Comercial (Rec 52 and 73 off Passeig del Born) stocks a smart selection of labels including the likes of Paul & Joe.

 

Bars and clubs
Once you’re sufficiently sun-kissed, you’ll be looking for some night action. Drop in on Danzatoria, a mansion in the hills (Avenida Tibidabo 61) that hosts a Sunday afternoon session for Barcelona’s beautiful people. Alternatively, check out La Pedrera by Night, a memorable outdoor drinking experience which takes place on the glorious recently reopened roof terrace of one Gaudi’s most famous houses. From up high among the rooftops and the stars, you can then plunge down a back alley in the city’s medieval heart to the low ceilinged retro cool of Ginger, a haven for the glammed-up cocktail crowd.

 

Getting there
easyJet and Ryanair fly to Barcelona from about £60 return.

 

Address book
Hotel Arts, Carrer Marina 19-21, 08005, Ports & La Barceloneta (Port Olímpic). (00 34 93 221 1000/ www.ritzcarlton.com). Doubles from £280.
Bestial C, Ramon Trias Fargas 2-4, 08005. (00 93 224 0407).
Cal Pep, Plaça de les Olles 8, La Ribera. (00 34 93 315 4937/ www.calpep.net).
Casa Camper, Carrer Elisabets 11, 08001. (00800 374 683 57/ www.designhotels.com). Doubles from £155.
Comerç Carrer Comerç 24, La Ribera. (00 34 93 319 2102/ www.comerc24.com).
Diagonal, Avenida Diagonal 205, 08018. (00 34 93 489 5300/ www.hoteldiagonalbarcelona.com). Doubles from £88.
Ginger, Carrer de Palma de Sant Just, 1/Carrer de Lledo 2, 08002. (00 34 93 310 53 09).
Hotel Omm, Rosselló 265,08008, Passeig de Gracia. (00 34 93 445 4000 /www.hotelomm.es). Doubles from £122.
La Pedrera by Night, Passeig de Gracia 92.(www.obrasocial.caixacatalunya.es).
Santa Maria, Carrer Comerç 17, La Ribera. (00 93 315 12 27).

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