This cylindrical building now dominates the Rambla del Raval and promises to become something of an icon of the barrio. A hip cocktail lounge designed by Jordi Gali and the...

Still using its original plumbing, the 'magic fountain' works its wonders with 3,600 pieces of tubing and more than 4,500 light bulbs. Summer evenings after nightfall see the...

This art deco vehicle offers occasional glimpses of the city below as it winds through the pine forests up to the summit. The service has been operating since 1901, but only...

From 1925 to the 1950s, this was Barcelona's grandest hotel, frequented by royalty and stars. It has lavish suites, private terraces and gardens, a five-star restaurant, a...

Another of the recent wave of Barcelona hotels to adhere to the unwritten design protocol that grey is the new black. The Central's shadowy, almost Hitchcockian corridors open...

When Richard Rogers' futuristic Hesperia Tower opened in 2005, a troop of dancers abseiled down the front, but it wasn't enough to stop murmurs of discontent about the location...

The 44-storey, Ritz-Carlton-run Arts continues to score top marks for unfailingly exemplary service. Bang & Olufsen CD players, interactive TV, sea and city views and a 'Club'...

After the original 1930s botanical garden was disturbed by the construction for the Olympics, the only solution was to build an entirely new replacement. This opened in 1999,...

Completely alfresco, high up in a clearing among the pines, this is a magical space, scattered with deckchairs, hammocks and candlelit tables. DJs spinning funk, rare groove...

La Font del Gat is a welcome watering hole high on Montjuïc between the Miró and ethnological museums. The small, informal-looking restaurant has a surprisingly sophisticated...

There's no need to buy a ticket to the Museu d'Història de Catalunya to make the most of this little-known rooftop museum café with fabulous views. The set lunches don't break...

La Venta's pretty Moorish-influenced interior plays second fiddle to the terrace during every season: shaded by day and uncovered by night in summer, sealed and warmed with a...

Located in a 19th-century townhouse with views over the Port Vell, this simple little place is laid-back, friendly and fun, with nautically themed rooms such as 'Captain's...

It doesn't get any more uptown than this, geographically and socially. Located at the top of Tibidabo, this small bar is packed with the high rollers of Barcelona, from local...