Barcelona Tips I ("be a local" guide)

Where should I start from?

*Even if you have 5 days, or you have 5 weeks, still you cannot finish visiting all around
Barcelona! This city is so big and full of a lot of fun things to do...

*But rather, I can say you should forget about La Ramblas (most crowded and most touristic one),
be a local, feel a local, make a list to see, and just get lost around Gracia district.

*If you wonder about old and historical face of Barcelona, you should start from "Barri Gothic"
district then continue with "El Raval".

*If you are interested in Gaudi's architecture; then be sure to visit "Casa Battlo" and "Parc Güell".

*If you rather to be in a local district; you should go to Gracia or Vallorca.

My Favorite District: Gracia

My favorite district here is Gracia, here you can see more locals than tourists. Also there are grocery
shops, beautiful restaurants and crowded squares.

Place de Rius i Taulet, Place del Sol, and Placa de la Virreina are the most crowded ones and
also heavens for cafés and open air restaurants to eat and drink what you want!

Flash Flash Restaurant is the most interesting restaurant in Gracia. You see that people are eating
tortilla; an omelette with potatoes, and drinking cava (champagne) while chatting with their friends.
Maybe it sounds weird having an omelette with champagne, but here are the rules! Also I've heard
that elitist lefty people hang out here...

Another interesting part of this restaurant is the pop art paintings on the walls and even at the entrance :)

Flash Flash Restaurant-- Carrer de la Granada del Penedès, 25 (Gracia)

My Favorite Catalan Restaurants

Local people usually prefer to eat best food in Romesco restaurant and Bilbao restaurant.
These are run by Catalan family owned businesses, and these places are crowded everytime!
In Romesco; my favorite is "Catalan salad" and "kidney with onions".

Romesco-- Carrer de Sant Pau 28
Bilbao-- Calle del Peligro 33

Another favorite place to eat is Teatreneu Café Bar. Here is more than just a restaurant because
this place is a bar, café, theatre and bookstore at the same time! You can watch a theatre show, then
take a seat to eat and drink.

--Carrer Terol 26, Gracia

Flea Markets in Barcelona

*Mercat Gothic: This is my favorite flea market, small but wort to see and placed in the center. 

Here are some mags, records (mostly in Catalan), antique brooches, old boxes etc... 

But not clothes, I want to mention!  Open on thursdays!

--Avinguda de la Catedral, Pl. de la Seu 6  (near the gothic church), Barri Gothic region

*Mercat del Enchants: This is the biggest flea market in Barcelona, mostly compared with St.Quen
Puces in Paris. You can find second hand stuff here; from clothes to the chairs. Open on monday,
wednesday, friday and saturday, from 08:30.

--Plaça de les Glories Catalanes C. Dos de Maig, 186 

*La Bouqeria & Mercat Santa Caterina: These are the most famous closed markets which consist of 
small groceries and meat shops in Barcelona. You can just find food, vegetables, fruits, meat etc...
Open in everyday.

La Bouqeria-- Rambla 91
Mercat Santa Caterina-- Avinguda de Francesc Cambó, 16

For the next Barcelona tips: There will be second hand stores, historical stores and cafes/bars.

For my pictures: Link