Barcelona

No one leaves Barcelona disappointed

Everyone has their reason for coming to Barcelona, and no one leaves disappointed. Some come here for the food – Ferran Adrià, continually voted best chef in the world, is from here, and his influence has spread to the furthest corners of the city’s gastronomic scene. In addition to the myriad Michelin-starred restaurants about town, even modest, family-run tabernas have become a little more daring in their combinations of flavours and ingredients since Adrià’s meteoric rise. See my guide Barcelona's best seafood restaurants and Annie Bennett's guide Gastro bars in Barcelona to read more about Barcelona's culinary delights.

Others come to drink: maybe to sip on a Manhattan at a burnished wooden bar while soft jazz plays in the background; maybe to sit on a pavement terrace in the sunshine with an ice-cold beer and watch the world go by, or maybe to steel their nerves with a tall and unbelievably generous gin-tònic before hitting the dance floor (see Barcelona nightlife for more information).

Thousands come every year to drink in the city’s famed architecture. Not only the fantastical creations of Antoni Gaudí and the dazzling creations by Jean Nouvel, Richard Rogers or Toyo Ito, but also the vast and tangled web of the medieval quarter, spreading out from the Disneyesque Gothic cathedral. Chris Stokel-Walker tells us about his recent architectural trip in his guide Getting to know Gaudí's Barcelona.

Many come for the beaches and the endless sunshine. They come to swim and surf, to cycle along the seafront and to stroll through the parks. Those that feel energetic might even take the short train ride to the Collserola hills, flanking the city to the north, where they can hike, jog and climb while taking in spectacular views across the city to the Med.

Why I love Barcelona

I came here for the quality of life. For the relaxed pace, the blue skies, the sheer delight that barcelonins take in making everything a social occasion. Why would you make coffee at home if you can get one in a bar? Why would you discuss business over the phone when you can do it over a glass of wine?

Why would you want to be anywhere else?

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