My perfect day would be a spring day, between late May and early June. But we are in February, and Barcelona is also beautiful in winter.

Your only objective for a day of leisure in Barcelona is to abandon yourself to the pleasures that the city has to offer.

First, as a good foodie, I need to think about where to get the best breakfast. A relaxed place where I can read the newspaper and eat the best croissant in town. Hofmann La Seca (Carrer dels Flassaders, 40) in the Born district is definitely my choice. In addition to a latte I order a croissant filled with raspberry or maybe mascarpone, it is difficult to choose, I will order both. Reading newspapers or a good book while time goes by without being noticed is a basic principle of pleasure.

Nuria’s favourite breakfast at Hofmann La Seca, Carrer dels Flassaders, 40

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The beach at Barceloneta

Barcelona will forever be, in my eyes, one of the most beautiful and enchanting cities in the world. Its vibrant atmosphere, laid back approach to life, glorious Mediterranean weather and unique charm doesn’t quite compare to the gloomy and overpriced London (the city where I was born and bred). Without a doubt my perfect day in Barcelona would take place mid-May – the weather is warm, but not unbearably hot, and tourists are beginning to flock in left, right and centre, giving the Catalan capital that vibrant buzz that I so adore. Not to mention, May is the month of my birthday and I’m sure all Taurus’ and Gemini’s would agree with me in saying that May is undeniably the best month of the year.

Whilst students are notorious for being lazy, some may find it ironic that I enjoy nothing more than an early rise and a productive day. Consequently, I would begin my perfect day in Barcelona with a 7am wake up, followed by a morning run along the golden sounds of the nearby Barceloneta beach. Not only is it a great workout and an opportunity to gather my thoughts for the day but I get to enjoy the city in its rare tranquil state. Read the rest of this article…

I spend half my time here alone as my partner works away, so of course the most perfect days are when he’s at home to enjoy this beautiful city with me, after all, that is why we moved here, for that “everyday perfect” lifestyle. April and May are my favourite times of year, not too hot but warm enough not to need a coat and not too busy with tourists. Russell makes the morning coffee as he always does and we sit in the living room as the sun streams through the window discussing our plan for the day. Coming from a seaside town, we both love to be near the water so spend a lot of time walking along the beach front and as a keen photographer, Barcelona is a great place for taking photos and today is a gloriously sunny day so I make sure I have my camera all packed up and off we head.

Beautiful Barri Gòtic

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Houses in Carrer Campoamor, Horta-Guinardó

Being born and raised in Barcelona has given me the chance to enjoy this wonderful city in many ways. Now that I live abroad, I still regularly come back to Barcelona, to see my family and friends, to enjoy Barcelona’s culinary and cultural hotspots, and of course, the nice weather and the sun! For my perfect day in Barcelona I’ve made a summary of my favourite places and local spots, which I always enjoy visiting.

Morning

My perfect day would begin in Horta, which is the neighbourhood where I grew up and where my family lives. At one of the terraces in Plaça Eivissa I would start my day with a café con leche (a cup of coffee with milk) and some sweet pastry. At Plaça Eivissa there’s also a churrería. Pick a handful of churros and eat them while you discover Horta! Carrer del Tajo is the main shopping street with a local market you cannot miss. A bit further you can discover Carrer d’Aiguafreda, where in the past century clothes from Barcelona’s upper-class members were cleaned. Read the rest of this article…

UPDATE: Unfortunately the excellent Manolete is no more. It is now the Aperol Spritz Bar. A nice bar, with a covered terrace, in a good location, that thankfully serves more than Aperol.

Manolete, Passeig d’Isabel II, Barcelona

Located slap-bang next to Port Vell underneath the beautiful arches that line parts of Passeig d’Isabel II, Manolete is a charming little restaurant serving some equally charming tapas.

Now I want to be up front here. I don’t normally do restaurant posts. I’m not normally invited to restaurants. To review them I mean – I have friends. But Manolete kindly invited me and for once with these sort of things they were kind enough to invite my wife too. So it was brownie points all round.

We arrived on a warm August evening. You can see Manolete from across the street thanks to the string of bright bulbs out front that remind me of a stage actresses dressing room mirror. They have a small terrace outside with cute red and white polka-dot tablecloths. Inside is similarly charming. It has some nice touches. Distressed-look cupboards filled with glasses and wine, modern black and white photography perched on a shelf half way up the back wall, and pretty embroidered cushions along the wooden but perfectly comfortable benches. Even as I write this it sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it does. The lighting was just right too. And the music playing in the background was loud enough to notice but quiet enough not to be intrusive. I have to admit, I sat down, arranged my cushions behind me, looked around, listened, and then smiled. Even though the restaurant was pretty empty at this point it was an extremely pleasant atmosphere. Read the rest of this article…