Restaurant LA PARADETA

eating on a budget, sea-food

http://www.laparadeta.com/

different restaurants in Barcelona and Sitges (see their web for adresses)

opened Tuesday to Saturday at dinner time + Saturday and Sunday for lunch

Near Sagrada Familia: Passatge Simó, 18

La Paradeta is success among locals: informal restaurants, with very good price-quality relation for fresh fish and sea-food. It is true that they have always the same choice of fish and sea-food. It is also true that restaurants may turn very noisy and you can not reserve, so you will probably have to wait if you go there at the rush-hours, but still there are few places where three people can eat fresh tuna, prawns, "pescadito frito", "chipirones" plus a few other delicatessen including white wine for 58€ (june 2010). See their web to learn about their philosophy and remember: don't order salad - is the only big gap in the menu!

COLMADO MURRIA

shopping, gourmet products, Catalan specialities

carrer Roger de Llúria, 85 (corner carrer València - two blocks away from Passeig de Gràcia)

http://www.murria.cat/

Tel.: 93 215 57 89

If you feel like buying excellent "Terrasses" Priorat wine or superb "El Nevat" goat cheese, Murria is the place to go. They also have plenty other products, catalan and international, all excellent quality. Prices are not low cost, of course, but their quality is worth the price you pay for it. Apart from that, Murria is modernist botiga and very worth seeing it. If you don't feel like buying anything, you still should drop by and have a look at the façana and the shop attendants.

BOOKING A TAXI IN BARCELONA: TAXI CLASS

transportation
Phone: +34 93 307 07 07

If you compare their rates to Paris or London fares, you will probably find Barcelona's taxis cheap. By Spanish standards, they are quite expensive. On the other hand, they have a well deserved reputation of trying to cheat tourists. And they have the right to charge you extra for picking up or dropping you at railway stations, airport, plus several other extra charges they are entitled to. A taxi ride from the city center to the airport, can easily go up to 40€ (prices of 2010). Having said so, if you are still in the mood to get a taxi, Taxi Class is not the worst option. All their cars are Mercedes Benz, they take credit card and do normally pick you up at the time and place agreed upon.

They have an app so you can reserve from your smartphone:

http://www.taxiclassrent.com/reservamovil.aspx

and online:

http://www.taxiclassrent.com/reservaonline.aspx

SUSHI JAPONES MIDORI

Inside the market ABACERIA CENTRAL also known as MERCAT DE L'ESTRELLA in Gràcia (Travessera de Gracia 86)
Opening hours: opening hours in the market, that is Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm and from 5.30pm to 8pm and Saturday morning
Phone: +34 932 855 100

It's a parada inside the market so all their food is to take away. In fact, it belongs to a Chinese who learnt about Japanese food in Amsterdam (if that is not globalisation, what else can be?) Midori has the classic choice of take away Japanese food – so don't look for innovative cuisine here - but they offer good quality and moderate prices. They have some dishes already made and ready to buy but can also prepare anything in their menu in a few minutes. Very good value if you are in Gracia or nearby.

TICKETS FOR BUS AND UNDERGROUND IN BARCELONA: T-10 tiquet

T-10

costs 7,85 € for 1 zona (area) in 2010

transportation

for maps of the Public Transportation network in Barcelona, see www.tmb.cat

T-10 is the most popular bus-underground-ferrocarrils ticket. It is worth 10 travels within Barcelona (in case of T10 for Area or zona 1) and allows you to switch between bus, metro and ferrocarrils at no extra charge within 1h and 15 minutes from the moment you validate the travel. It can be used by different people travelling together – in this case, you have to remember that the "switching right" will only apply to the last travel validated.

UPDATE 2014: T-10 price has raised to 10,30€ for 1 zona. 

LIBRARY CARD - FREE WI-FI

PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN BARCELONA

Each Library has its timeschedule. They usally are open Monday to Saturday.

Nice libraries are Sagrada Familia or Jaume Fuster. See the whole network in http://sinera.diba.cat/search*

If you’re staying in Barcelona for a while, you may find the Network of Municipal Libraries useful. It is not only a wide network of small libraries distributed in all Barcelona but also a place to connect to the internet for free. The only condition is to have the library card that identifies you as a user of the Network of Municipal Libraries of the province of Barcelona. It allows you to use those public library services that require identification and to enjoy many advantages in the sphere of culture (discounts on entrance tickets, specialised shops, etc.). The card is free, does not expire and may be requested by any member of the public. This library card is valid in all public libraries in Catalonia. You will be requested to have an official ID to get the card (your passport would be enough). Here is the formular you have to fill in to get the card: http://sinera.diba.cat/screens*/formulari3.html. It can also be obtained directly in any library.

Unfortunately the choice of books in foreign languages tends to be limited.

ESGLÉSIA DE LA CONCEPCIÓ

ESGLÉSIA DE LA CONCEPCIÓ

A place to relax

Carrer Aragó 299 (in the corner with Roger de Llúria, barely 10 minutes away from Passeig de Gràcia)

It is hard to believe that a real Gothic Church exists so near of the modernist cornerstones in Passeig de Gràcia. Originally, it stood as the Convent de Santa Maria de Jonqueres, very near of Plaça Urquinaona, close to the Roman Walls. When Barcelona started growing, the council thought it was needed to open a new road (Via Laietana) – luckily the Convent was not destroyed but moved stone by stone to the Eixample. The church tower also belonged to a Gothic church in the city center. In this case, it belonged to the Església de Sant Miquel which was placed behind the City Council. Both elements, put together with some small adaptations form the present Església de la Concepció.

El Fornet d'en Rossend

EL FORNET D’EN ROSSEND

(Quick bite)

Rambla Catalunya 82 (in the Eixample, very near Passeig de Gràcia, Pedrera & Casa Batlló)

 

Are you visiting the modernist sites in Passeig de Gràcia and would like to have a quick bite or sit for a while? Please, don’t spend your money in the overpriced eateries in Passeig de Gràcia.

 

Rambla Catalunya is just a few meters away and it is much more relaxing. You will see where barcelonians hide from the tourist crowd!

 

El Fornet d’en Rossed is very convenient if you want to eat something quick (salads, sandwiches). Quality is good and prices ok. They have a terrasse in Rambla Catalunya (self service, order inside) so you will enjoy a well deserved rest, while seeing barcelonians walk past.