June 2024
General Tips / Notes
- Siesta comes around mid-day, expect many shops and restaurants to be closed from around 4pm-6pm or so
- Time is shifted back, dinner is often taken after 9pm and nightlife begins late and can go until well into the morning
- Pharmacy items (including beauty products) are much cheaper and of higher quality in Spain (and in Europe in general compared to America)
- If traveling from city to city in Spain, use the trains. I booked tickets through Rail Ninja and it’s really very easy and comfortable
- Public transport is usually not too difficult to figure out, useful to have some cash for this but often they accept card too
- These are awesome cities with so much history you wouldn’t even know about when walking around, walking / biking tours with guides that tell you about the history is a nice way to learn about a city
- Always be careful. People target tourists
- If you’re going to clubs, look online for dress codes. Some of them require more formal wear
- Could be a good idea to register your trip with the US by the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
- Depending on the length of your trip, travel insurance might not be a bad idea
Barcelona
Spain’s 2nd largest city which resides on the coast and is a center for art, culture, cuisine. A tourism powerhouse.
Lodging
Habana Hoose
- Boutique hotel which is comfortable, has reasonable prices, and is in a great location
Food
7 Portes
- Famous for their paella, the cannelloni was really nice too
- Waiter was rude, I assume this is a one off
Bo De B
- Viral sandwich shop sensation
- There is usually a big line, it’s very good but not something I would wait 30+ minutes for
Pizza Local
- Amazing Neapolitan pizzas
Carabela Cafe
- Nice sangria / taco spot near the beach
Brunch & Cake
- There are a few of these, very touristy at this point as it has gone viral on social media but it is decent
- There may be a wait
Chez Mamm
- Small little crepe / waffle shop run by French lady
- Pistachio Crepe from here was one of the best food items I had in all of Spain
***The food spots below are places I was recommended but CANNOT personally attest to***
Disfrutar
- Ranked #1 on World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024
- I couldn’t get a reservation as it books out a year in advance, worth trying on the waitlist if you like fine dining
Can Paixano, aka La Xampanyeria
- Busy traditional bar serving tapas & sandwiches washed down with sparkling wine
Chok
- Bakery with good cookies & cronuts
Milk
- Trendy brunch spot in Gothic Quarter
Bodega Biarritz
- Great and a surprise menu (not sure what that means)
Cerveceria Catalana
- Incredible tapas & sangria, pretty inexpensive
Rosa Negra
- Good Mexican food with margaritas
Tapas 24
- A little bit more expensive but worth it
Surf House
- Incredible lunch spot, odd hours so look it up before going. Try the nachos
El Cer Cle
- Like a rooftop, cool night spot, good sushi
La Taguara
- Famous arepa place in El Born
Al Sur Cafe
- Trendy spot, good tapas/snacks and awesome mojitos
Ikibana
- Great sushi near El Born
Boca Grande
- Boujee, known for amazing tapas and cocktails
Churreria J Arguiles
- Churros with chocolate, little truck open late on weekends
El Nacional
Nightlife / Bars
There are countless great cocktail bars everywhere around the city, and the clubbing scene (if you’re into that) is ranked among the best in the world. Most of the main clubs can be found on the beach near Barceloneta.
Paradiso
- Must visit, consistently rated as one of the top cocktail bars in the world & lives up to the hype
Sips
- Ranked #1 on World’s 50 Best Bars 2024
- Some of the best cocktails I’ve ever had
Número Nueve
- Fun cocktail bar in El Born
1881 per Sagardi
- Rooftop bar / restaurant above a history museum
- Solid views
Barceloneta Beach Clubs
- Opium
- Pacha
- Shoko
- CDLC
***The spots below are places I was recommended but CANNOT personally attest to***
Dow Jones (bar)
- Wish I got a chance to check this place out
- Drink prices rise as people order them then stock market “crashes” and everything is super super cheap
George Payne (bar)
- Irish pub
The Room (bar)
- Near clubs, good place to pregame
Le Cyrano (bar)
- May only be open Thurs-Sat, can get out of control in the sense that it’s very cheap and they just hand you empty glass and you fill it with booze
Pippermint (bar)
- Fishbowl drinks for group
Lime House (bar)
- Cool bar, cheap mojitos that are very good
Chupitos (bar)
- Crazy shot bar
Apolo (club)
Razzmatazz (club)
The W (bar)
- Heard drinks were average and the rooftop view is awesome
Activities / Neighborhoods
El Born (neighborhood)
- Cool boutique shops & bars & coffee shops
Gothic Quarter (neighborhood)
- Historic center of old city of Barcelona
Barceloneta (neighborhood)
- Area / street leading to and on beach
Sagrada Familia
- This is a must, the symbol of Barcelona
- Massive church, can get a guided tour or just tickets to go inside
Park Güell
- Also a must, most famous attraction of Barcelona along with La Sagrada
- I got a walking tour which was really nice
La Rambla
- Very famous pedestrian street
La Boqueria (on La Rambla)
- Huge open air market
Catedral de Barcelona
- In El Born, nice to look at and can get tickets / walk through in 30-40 minutes if having some time
Arc de Triomf & Parc de Ciutadella
- Quick sight to see in city when walking around
Bunkers del Carmel
- One of the greatest viewpoints in all of Barcelona, great for sunset viewing and can bring some drinks / snacks
- Kind of a hike to get here
***The stuff below are places / things I was recommended but CANNOT personally attest to***
Barcelona FC Game
- One of the greatest and most iconic soccer teams in the world, worth looking into to getting tickets if they are playing
Palau de la Musica Catalana
- Royal music hall
Museu Frederic Mares
- Museum of a rich dude who went insane and started collecting everything he could
Poble Sec
- Pincho bars all in a row, can wander place to place having beers and tapas
- A bit outside of the city
Montjuic
- Olympic village
La Pedrerra
- Not sure what this is but “tour inside is worth it if you have time, takes like an hour”
Picasso Museum
Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar
Bike through nearby wine country
Boat rides
Sitges
Small town on the Mediterranean coast about an hour or so south of Barcelona.
General Tips / Notes
- There is a bus that goes around town
- I’m sure there are more activities / things to do (like going to the beach) but I was here for a wedding and mostly did wedding things
Lodging
Eurostar Sitges
- Stayed here for a wedding, seems like there are Airbnb’s in town
Food
El Mascarón
- Cool vibe by the beach but food was kinda average
Indian food
- Sitges randomly has a lot of really good Indian restaurants, can be found on Google Maps
Madrid
Spain’s largest city which is located in the center of the country. Famous for its art, parks, museums, shopping, and streets. The city itself is very walkable.
Food / Coffee
Ástor gastro-place
- Decent food, good vibes
San Miguel Market
- Madrid’s most famous food market, absolutely massive
- Insane vibe, food looks better than it tastes but is still decent and worth visiting just to experience
Viva Madrid
- Items were hit or miss, ranging from good mini wagyu sliders to the worst burrata I’ve ever had
A’Barra
- Michelin-starred restaurant with tasting menu or a la carte options
- It was good but not as good as other tasting menus I’ve had
La Cabra en El Tejado
- Pretty unassuming spot with a delicious Midday Menu option at a really good price point
Que Chicken
- Great fried chicken sandwiches
Vortex Coffee Society
- New coffee shop which had an unreal pistachio croissant
Osom Coffee Cantine
- Coffee shop with one of the best empanadas de carne I’ve ever had
Chocolatería San Giles
- Famous churro place, I thought it was ok
Ana Segura Jamonería
- Do not eat at this spot even if your life depends on it, could not have been worse
- You will undoubtedly pass by this shop many times. Don’t give in
Diverxo
- Ranked #4 on World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024
- I couldn’t get a reservation, worth trying on the waitlist if you like fine dining
Nightlife / Bars
There are plenty of popular clubs throughout the city, but you’ll have to look elsewhere if that piques your interest as that is not what I was up to in my time in Madrid. But I did visit some good cocktail bars.
Salmon Guru
- Really cool cocktail bar with unique and creative concoctions, ranked on World’s 50 Best Bars
Azotea de Madrid
- Bar / restaurant on the rooftop of the Circulo de Bellas Artes with cool views
Del Diego
- Phenomenal strawberry daiquiri
Activities
El Prado
- One of the world’s most renowned art museums
- Must visit, book ticket online to skip large lines
Reina Sofia Museum
- Another very highly regarded art museum, I didn’t get a chance to visit
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
- Yet another highly regarded art museum, completes Madrid’s big 3 art museums (although there are more too)
Plaza Mayor
- Big city center plaza which is very lively and has restaurants all around it
Royal Palace
- Largest royal palace in Europe, book tours in advance
Catedral de Almudena
- Cathedral opposite Royal Palace, can tour it and go to the dome at the top
Retiro Park
- Grand city park and home to different buildings like the Crystal Palace
Temple of Debod
- Can visit this area which is lively and has nice views
- Ancient temple here can be toured, not sure about times, lines, and tickets
Puerta del Sol
- Big plaza, famous bear statue (El Oso y El Madroño) can be found here
Rastro Flea Market
- Massive flea market, only open on Sundays
Valencia
Spain’s 3rd largest city, which is located on the east coast. Birthplace of paella.
Food / Coffee
La Salita de Begoña Rodrigo
- Michelin-starred tasting menu
- One of my favorite dining experiences I’ve ever had
Tapeando
- Fun little pintxos bar
El Tap
- Solid restaurant, would recommend the Coca de Bacalao Confitado
Central Market
- Largest fresh food market in Europe, great place to get gifts
- Food looks better than it tastes but the experience is awesome
- Pesto Lasagna is excellent
Horchatería Santa Catalina
- Super famous and long running horchatería
- Get the fartons to dip in the horchata
Bharat
- For anyone craving some Indian food
Nightlife / Bars
Botanista Bar
- Must visit cocktail bar, some really spectacular creations
Activities
Paella Cooking Class
- I did it at Valencia Club Cocina which was great, there are many different ones offered
Montanejos
- Excursion where you travel about 1.5 hours outside of Valencia to some springs & waterfalls
- Looks and sounds better in pictures / descriptions but still was a fun day excursion
Bike Tours
- Can book a city bike tour online, I liked mine a lot from Hola Rent a Bike
Plaza del Ayuntamiento
- Large center plaza in center of town, surrounded by notable buildings
City of Arts and Sciences
- Futuristic cultural and architectural complex
Seville
Spain’s 4th largest city which is located in the southwest of the country along the Guadalquivir River. Also known as Dorne for those familiar with Game of Thrones.
Food / Coffee
Casa Moreno
- Hidden spot where the locals go in a butcher shop / small grocery store which serves montaditos (small sandwiches)
Danbam Korean Bar
- Place made me realize I need to get Korean street food more often
- Rose Tteokbokki (“Korean carbonara”) is must order
Filo
- Mango Chicken Curry sandwich was good
Lalola de Javi Abascal
- Ambient restaurant specializing in pork (jamón is the obsession of Spain)
- They have a tasting menu which includes all different dishes of pork, was a bit much for me but it was pretty good still
Bollywood Indian Restaurant
- If you need an Indian food fix
Empanadas Malvon
- Chain-like place which serves pretty good specialty empanadas
Alimentari e Diversi
- Italian restaurant which was pretty average
Bar Casa Morales
- Didn’t have the best experience with the octopus, only had a bite
Gloria & Rositas
- Awesome gelato
Nightlife / Bars
Montana Sevilla
- Cool ambiance and finely crafted cocktails
Activities
Royal Alcazar
- Main attraction
- Massive palace where Dorne was filmed for Game of Thrones
- Book tickets to tour in advance
Catedral de Sevilla
- Most tours of Royal Alcazar include touring this massive cathedral which acts as Christopher Columbus’s tomb
- Climb to the top for views of the city
Maria Luisa Park
- Public park stretching along the Guadalquivir River
Plaza de España
- Beautiful landmark plaza in the Maria Luis Park which was built in 1929 for a major exposition
Sangria Tasting
- Can do this in many places, I did it at La Terraza de la Cristina which was really great