The streets have expanded, changed their names, and it has ceased to be a village to become the neighborhood of Gràcia. One of the most beloved by the locals and also by many (perhaps too many, sometimes) tourists, who point it out as one of the best neighborhoods in the world. It is not surprising, because in general in its atmosphere you can still breathe that calmness that small towns have.
It also has moments of bustle and effervescence, such as seeing the squares full of terraces and people sitting on stairs. Therein lies part of the charm of this neighborhood located a little above Passeig de Gràcia. In short, there is a feeling that Gràcia is Barcelona but it is not Barcelona. We take a look at some of its most special corners.
Table Of Contents
- Garden of Silence
- Taifa Books
- The Pubilla
- La Graciosa
- Kibuka Goya
- Verdi Cinemas
- Revolution
- Casa Vicens
- Be Concept Store
- Paral-lelo Ice Cream Parlor
- Nomo
- Syra Coffee
- The Glop
- Bar Pietro
- Natura
- Cal Boter
- Bar Bodega Quimet
- Vinyl Bar
- Bar Salvatge
- Dlirio
- Antique boutique
- Wineries and vermuterías route
- Brabo, the meat of pizza makers
- La Besnéta, the city's first vegan pastry shop
Garden of Silence
What we know today as Jardí del silenci was a convent of nuns, it ceased to be so, it was sold to a real estate company, the real estate company wanted to build a six-storey parking lot there, the neighborhood of Gràcia stood up, seven thousand signatures were collected, urged the City Council to buy the space and the neighbors turned it into an open-air civic center.
📍 Carrer de l’Encarnació, 62
Taifa Books
One room for new releases and first-hand books and a second room for second-hand books. If those of us allergic to dust were to measure the quality of a book, we could measure the quality of a book bookstore second-hand based on sneezing, Taifa would take the cake. Here they also have a record of the books they sell and if they don’t have what you are looking for second hand, you can always take it new.
📍 Carrer de Verdi, 12
The Pubilla
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With that name that sounds like an ephemeris because of what the word means in Catalan, La Pubilla is one of the favorite places in Barcelona to go for a lunch menu. Very good and at a very affordable price, around 15 euros. They also offer esmorzars de forquilla; something that, honestly, most Catalans love.
📍 Plaça de la LLibertat, 23
La Graciosa
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It is a wine bar. But not just any wines. There they advise you, you discover, taste and let yourself be surprised. An intimate atmosphere with candles and dim lighting fosters that feeling of well-being. An oasis of good alcohol in one of the most special places in Gracia.
📍 Milà i Fontanals, 88
Kibuka Goya
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Undoubtedly, Kibuka is one of the best Japanese restaurants in terms of value for money. During the week they offer a daily menu, although the best thing to do is to go and go well: taste their uramakis and their Wakame Sarada, a seaweed salad made with an indescribably delicious sauce. In addition, they have recently opened a new location in Gràcia dedicated to ramen itself. It is called, of course, Kibuka Ramen.
📍 Carrer Goya, 9
Verdi Cinemas
The cinemasVerdi are a classic. They also follow the commandment of the original version to the letter and combine titles more known (but that follow a very independent style), super-releases and the most independent of the market, with films unreleased.
📍 Carrer de Verdi, 32
Revolution
In a neighborhood as hipster as Gracia, could not miss in this list a store that was in its streets. Revolution’s clothing has American overtones and we have a theory that, not being particularly well known, quality garments remain largely untouched. Clothing from le coq sportif, for example, and Ray Ban glasses at very very decent prices.
📍 Carrer de Verdi, 80
Casa Vicens
The Casa Vicens was the first commission Gaudí received for the construction of a private house in Gràcia, when it was still a villa with its own town hall. The building is a mixture of Mudejar, Indian and Japanese styles. And it is one of the things you can see in Gracia.
📍 Carrer de les Carolines, 20
Be Concept Store
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The Be store is that kind of ideal place to give a gift. A corner with original ideas that can surprise. But beware, for many it is also a sanctuary for self-care and indulgence. There you can find books, clothes, accessories, kitchen gadgets, decoration and a very generous space dedicated to candles and everything related to energies: yoga accessories, meditation manuals..
📍 Carrer Bonavista, 7
Paral-lelo Ice Cream Parlor
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The ice cream paral-lelo’s ice creams are made daily and, whenever possible, with seasonal products (if you want to have a strawberry ice cream on December 15, you’ll have a hard time), organic and zero kilometer, and the following fact is enough to show the magnitude of the matter: they themselves roast the pistachios that will later become ice cream.
📍 Carrer de Séneca, 18
Nomo
The result of fusing Spanish and Japanese raw materials by the hand of a sushi expert can only end in one thing: success. The quality of Nomo is excellent and the presentation of their dishes is a must-photo (remember, you will honor the postureo).
📍 Carrer Gran de Gràcia, 13
Syra Coffee
A city can be classified in many ways. One of them is the following: in Barcelona there are three types of people: those who do not like coffee, those who do not value good coffee, and those who do appreciate it. For the latter group, Syra Coffee must be something of a pilgrimage site. One of the best things to do in Gràcia is to have a coffee here.
📍 Carrer de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats, 8
The Glop
Modern life is talking about a restaurant that is over forty years old and relying on Google Review to do it. The Glop has more than 2,000 reviews on Google. And all a 4.3. Little more to add. A tavern like those that no longer exist: grilled meats, calçots and all forms of Barcelona gastronomy.
📍 Carrer de Sant Lluís, 24
Bar Pietro
Anyone could define the Pietro as a bar without-anything-that-makes-it-a-special-place. And that anyone would not be misguided: the charm of the Pietro lies in its essence and in the intangible (and a little in its privileged location). And if not, just ask the crowds that throng their cubic meters weekend after weekend. That’s why it’s one of the best things to do in Gràcia.
📍 Travessera de Gràcia, 197
Natura
There are many Natura. We know. But the one that opened relatively recently in Jardinets de Gràcia, at the end of Passeig de Gràcia, is special. Its pink arched ticket and interior design make this store one of our favorite corners of the neighborhood. Of course, the careful selection of articles does not go unnoticed either.
📍 Passeig de Gràcia, 122
Cal Boter
It is one of the oldest and most iconic restaurants in Barcelona. Its specialty is grilled meat and esmorzars de forquilla. To sit there is to travel back in time, eat on grandma’s tablecloth and remember the flavors of childhood. Like a well-done flan or steak fries.
📍 Tordera, 62
Bar Bodega Quimet
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One of the oldest wineries in the city. La Quimet is so small that to go you have to make reservations or play the luck factor to find a seat. And it is not uncommon. It doesn’t happen so often that they serve you a well-drawn beer, some pickled anchovies in vinegar and a good Russian salad. Neighborhood atmosphere with first class food and service.
📍 Vic, 23
Vinyl Bar
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To enter Bar Vinil is to travel back to the 80’s, to the golden age of records, to the hits that were played on the radio and that even today many of us listen to with nostalgia and affection. Here you won’t find good wines, but you will find good music and some cocktails to liven up the second parts of the night; which, they say, were always good.
📍 Matilde, 2
Bar Salvatge
It is another of our favorite places in the neighborhood of Gràcia. The red light already indicates the incandescence of this place: wildness, a certain return to the primal, intimacy. And a generous list of natural wines (all of them are). They also offer dishes to share and good charcuterie boards with Italian salumeria, cheeses and even Mallorcan sobrasada.
📍 Verdi, 50
Dlirio
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A place (actually, two) that exudes originality and good taste. They have affordable jewelry, clothing and accessories. Also some decorative objects, such as vases and small sculptures. An ideal place to treat yourself and get lost among trends, colors and ideas without leaving half your pocket in it.
📍 Verdi, 11
📍 Travessera de Gràcia, 133
Antique boutique
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It is located on Seneca Street, one of the most beautiful streets in Gracia, and is a store that does not go unnoticed when you walk around there. It is eclectic and unique, the sum of many styles and the living reflection of the passion for retro. They create their own collections, marked by elegance and timelessness.
📍 Sèneca, 16
Wineries and vermuterías route
In Gracia there are so many that we can not stay with just one, so we have made this list of wineries and vermuterías in Gracia to spend Sunday com deu mana, that is, with a vermouth in your hand and an olive between your teeth.
From the oldest to the most modern, they all have their place here, so take a look, write down yours, and get ready for a vermouth Sunday.
📍 Various locations
Brabo, the meat of pizza makers
In Barcelona there are many steakhouses, but few places like Brabo, a place that welcomes you and where the embers seem more like a fireplace than a barbecue. This location is the work of Sartoria Panatieri whose owners decided to create a place where they would like to eat after leaving their pizzas.
Ya we did the chronicle of the place, so we invite you to read it to make your mouth water and include it in your next tour of Gracia.
📍C/ de Sèneca, 28
La Besnéta, the city’s first vegan pastry shop
That said, the Besnéta was the first vegan bakery in the city when, although it may not seem like it today, all this was a field for vegans in Barcelona. In this pastry shop that is already a classic, Daniela works, an Argentinean who has been making beautiful cakes free of animal traces and with little or no gluten content for years.
In its pastry shop, with the air of a delicate French store, there is an accumulation of beautiful traditional cakes, cheesecakes, carrot cakes, cookies, muffins and all the Anglo-Saxon pastries that have made such a fortune in the city.
📍C/Torrijos 37