City envy: we want a laundry bar like Barcelona

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of doing your laundry among the masses in slot-machine washers and dryers, you’ll know the anxiety, impatience and boredom of waiting for the cycles to end. But not in Barcelona, where Marta Pérez and Gerard Navas have opened LaBar: a spot that’s half-laundromat and half-café/bar. You can hook up to the wi-fi in the bright and welcoming space, then relax with an excellent coffee for less than €2 or, even more cost-efficiently, a well-poured €1 beer. There are also eats such as homemade houmous, guacamole, sandwiches and cakes. All of this turns one of your mundane weekly chores into a sociable excursion where you’ll never ever have to suffer staring at your spinning smalls in sordid solitude.  

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