8 places in Barcelona that aren’t what they seem

Some call it the best organic supermarket in the city, but there’s even more to it than that. Obbio is a leader in all things organic, a meeting place that’s well worth taking the time to appreciate, with a café/restaurant and a welcome outdoor terrace at the back where you can sample the very best of healthy cooking. If you’re looking for organic, vegan, gluten- or lactose-free food, or if you’ve gone crazy searching for healthy products for specific dietary requirements, Obbio is the place for you!

Pastrami Bar, smack in the middle of the Born, is a sandwich bar run by renowned street food impresarios Rooftop Smokehouse, who serve up gourmet fish and meat sandwiches, artisanally smoked in oak barrels. The menu is limited but excellent, and to drink there’s the craft beer they brew every week. But that’s not all: they're open until 3am, and if you pull on the handle of the old-fashioned wooden refrigerator that lines one of the walls, you’ll find the entrance to a hidden cocktail bar. And not just any cocktail bar but El Paradiso, an elegant, wood-panelled space run by Giacomo Gianotti, named the best mixologist in Spain in 2014.

In Barcelona, one name is synonymous with second-hand and vintage clothes: Flamingos Vintage Kilo, a chain with several outlets selling clothes by weight. Flamingos Club, their shop on C/Avinyó in the heart of the Barri Gòtic, takes the concept one step further. Here, a clothes-shopping expedition can turn into a night out. During the afternoon, their bar serves juices and sushi, while at night the interior of the shop becomes a club with DJs, live music and a party atmosphere.