Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon
We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities
Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news
Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush)
Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox
Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
Barcelona
Finally rehoused in the Auditori concert hall in 2007 after six years in hibernation
the Music Museum's collections comprise over 1,600 instruments
displayed like precious jewels in red velvet and glass cases
interactive exhibits and musical paraphernalia
With pieces spanning the ancient world to the modern day
and including instruments from all corners of the world
the museum's high note is the world-class collection of 17th-century guitars
Temporary exhibitions so far have concentrated on famous Catalan musicians
including the partnership between pianist and composer Enric Granados and cellist Pau Casals
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
facebooktwitterspotifytiktokAbout us
Contact us
Time Out Worldwide
Already a member? Log in
Not a member? Sign up
Explore our Food Tours →
considered to be Barcelona’s oldest Basque restaurant
the neighborhood was a decidedly industrial one
the restaurant’s main clientele for decades were Basque truck drivers who were dropping off or picking up goods in the area
El Fort Pienc is now home to office workers as well as families
lured to the area by its proximity to the center of town
Basque cuisine has gone on to become one of the world’s most celebrated
its home region filled with numerous Michelin-starred restaurants
El Chato has evolved to reflect both of these changes
but in many ways it remains as it was when it first opened – a warm and welcoming place to taste traditional Basque market cuisine
the restaurant doubled as the home of its founders
the Basque Agustín Elorza and his wife Avelina García
also called Agustín recalls growing up in El Chato
with his father at the bar and his mother in the kitchen
“My father was exiled from Basque Country after the end of the Spanish Civil War for being ‘a red’,” the 71-year-old says
“And a year and a half after he arrived in Barcelona
with a few rooms for Basque truck drivers.”
What are today intimate dining rooms in the back and upstairs of El Chato were at one time bedrooms
where the younger Agustín says he used to take naps during the work day
“The truck drivers would arrive at any moment of the day or night
This concept of only serving lunch between 13:00-16:00 didn’t exist at that time
it is common for restaurants to close between lunch and dinner service
Avelina used to cook a variety of traditional and humble Basque dishes for the drivers
like the iconic callos (tripe stew) or porrusalda
a leek soup with potatoes and other vegetables
These were perfect for working men looking for a quick and filling – not to mention affordable – meal
El Chato still preserves many of its original Basque recipes
One of their most classic fish ones is the hake
a bit a flour to thicken it and white wine
and is accompanied by peas and asparagus
it is made with delicious and creamy fish dewlaps (a fold of fatty fish neck)
The dewlap is a very delicate and gelatinous part of the fish
The cod is another iconic Basque recipe of cured cod chunks
garlic and spicy chile fried and served in creamy pil-pil sauce
made with the cod juices – rich in albumin – emulsified with olive oil
Other traditional dishes are the baby squids in their ink
and the morcilla (Spanish blood sausage) with piquillo peppers (sweet preserved red peppers)
Mushrooms are a passion shared by Catalans and Basques and another classic menu item that has remained on the menu is the butifarra amb bolets
made with stir fried Catalan pork and black pepper sausage and yellow chanterelles
says he also has no plans to leave El Chato
“I am 71 years old and have no intention of retiring,” he says
loading map - please wait...Map could not be loaded - please enable Javascript!→ more information
It takes bravery and strength to swim against the flow
traits the Catalan sommelier Anna Pla and her partner
The duo opened Contracorrent (“Against the flow” in Catalan) Bar
amidst a series of pandemic-induced openings and closings
it’s one of the few new culinary projects in Barcelona
But opening in these complicated times was in some ways easier for Anna and Nicola
They had been plotting this project for quite a while
but the pandemic created opportunities that had been hard to come by previously
the pandemic made it possible to start something new
since more things were up for negotiation than before,” Nicola says
This is why we named the bar Contracorrent.”
Located on a pleasant pedestrian street just by the Estació del Nord and close to Arc de Triunf
this small place has a terrace and a room full of daylight
And the dishes sent to the table are a kind of message: The menu takes a very personal point of view
based on Anna and Nicola’s own connections with the products
“Nicola always talks about ‘giving the dish the love that it deserves,’ it’s like his phrase.” Nicola clarifies: “It’s not enough to put in a lot of care and effort only in the kitchen
How the dish is offered and introduced to the customer is also very important
and we must show them the same care.” Like Anna does in the room
expanding on the experience created in the kitchen or in the cellars
Now, in Contracorrent
both streams flow together to serve the local community
“We are focused on people from the neighborhood with fair
and a relaxed and fun atmosphere where they can drink first-rate natural wine and eat great food,” Nicola says
Their blackboard menu usually lists around 10 dishes and tapas
plus some daily surprises that always follow the seasons and the products available in their garden or the stores of their trusted providers
“We live in the El Carmel neighborhood [close to the Bunkers del Carmel
former anti-aircraft defenses that now offer a scenic view
and Guinardó Park] where there is a community garden for the neighbors
and we have a plot of 350 square meters,” Nicola explains
“Many neighbors collaborate to take care of it
We are very lucky to count on their help and shared passion.”
The organic vegetables not from their garden (which normally doesn’t provide enough to meet demand) come from a neighborhood farmers’ shop near the bar
while the fish is bought at Barcelona’s fish auction market and the meat from the local specialists Carn&Beef and Cal Rovira
and a relaxed and fun atmosphere where they can drink first-rate natural wine and eat great food.”
They are in the process of growing their natural wine cellar
Anna explains: “I have around 50-60 different wines on the menu
mostly natural wine from Catalan and Spanish small producers – we love to support local producers
so the intention is to include more international wines in the future
but still give priority to the Catalan and Spanish ones.”
Nicola refers to it as Mediterranean: “Italian and Catalan cuisine can be very similar.” We were recently wowed by the grilled local beach squid
vegetables from their garden like aromatic rapini with mustard leaves and Bagna Cauda sauce made with anchovy paste
The dish felt like an intense sea wave crashing down on a field of greens
We also loved the refreshing ventresca (tuna belly) salad with fennel and citrus fruits
a beautiful and colorful composition with a Mediterranean spirit
A smaller but no less delicious bite was the extremely delicate “taco” made of marinated chopped beef with pickled vegetables wrapped in a nasturtium leaf
But the showstopper of our most recent lunch on the Contracorrent terrace was a fantastic small ceramic plate topped with a tiny grill; on top were some beef slices and pickled onions
while below the grill was an aromatic bed of thyme and rosemary
which Nico torched at the table to create the smoke and heat needed to cook the meat slightly and give it a great mountain flavor
“We are happy that people are responding very well,” Anna tells us
“People are tired of being at home and they want to hang out
of course while taking care to adhere to the restrictions
But people are coming here and returning again and again
new spots like Contracorrent Bar prove that not all hope is lost
the arrival of summer brings with it one of the most popular and awaited festivities in Barcelona: the Sant Joan festival
the beaches will be filled with people eager to welcome the warmest season of the year
not only the coasts will witness the celebration
as each neighborhood of the city has prepared its own festivities
All in order to enjoy the shortest night of the year under a starry sky full of light
as Barcelona offers alternatives such as workshops
activities and other ways to join this tradition
you can’t forget to prepare or buy the delicious “cocas de Sant Joan” to round off the party
joy and party on the occasion of the night of San Juan
fire will be the undisputed protagonist of this festival in 2023
These will be some of the bonfires and verbenas confirmed in several different parts of the city:
between Entença and Floridablanca streets)
Bonfire in Provença (Provença street with Rocafort street)
Verbena and bonfire in Fort Pienc (Lepant street with Ausiàs March street)
Verbena of the Casal Independentista la Cruïlla (Sardenya street with Consell de Cent street)
Verbena and bonfire in Sant Antoni (Viladomat street with Floridablanca street)
Bonfire at Porta de Sarrià (Passeig de la Bonanova
the celebration will begin with an itinerary from the Centre Cívic Casa Orlandai and Via Augusta to La Llosa
Bonfire in the Clot (Concili de Trento street with Lope de Vega street)
Verbena and bonfire in Clot and Camp de l’Arpa (Meridiana Avenue
between Aragó Street and Consell de Cent Street)
There will be a popular dinner and a bar with drinks; afterwards
the bonfire will be lit and there will be a concert with The Parsimonians and DJ
the itinerary will start at Can Saladrigas and the bonfire will be lit at 10 pm
Stock images by Depositphotos
La venta de la nuda propiedad
Copyright © 2022 Salirporbarcelona , All rights Reserved. Created by JEZZ Media
The only bad thing about the Gelateria di Michele is that all the flavours look so irresistible that it’s almost impossible to choose one
You could stand in front of the glass for five minutes and not make up your mind (I did)
Maybe that’s why Michele – always patient and helpful – recommends getting multiple flavours to combine in your cone or cup
Once you finally have your chosen gelato in hand
you’ll realise you were smart to deliberate
walk-out Gelateria di Michele offers rich and natural home-made scoops that manage to avoid tasting too sweet – the trap many ice creams fall into
not like some that overwhelm you with dozens of flavours
The ice cream is tasty enough that they don’t need to offer an excessive amount of options
try Oreo and coffee together for something unique that you’ll want every time you go back
Michele’s classics such as the chocolate and the mint are exceptional too
and if you’re looking for something outside the box
You could also just walk in and ask for Michele’s recommendation; you’re sure to be satisfied
Gelateria di Michele is a cute and affordable shop to stop in
grab a cone and take a stroll to the nearby Arc de Triomf
Pantalla Barcelona will program 45 open-air film sessions in Barcelona's civic centers throughout the summer
Summer is a time for open-air cinema and
That’s why it’s nice to meet again the program of Pantalla Barcelona
the film series in civic centers that this year returns to schedule free outdoor film sessions throughout the summer
more than forty open-air screenings will be held in the streets
in civic centers in all neighborhoods of the city
Among the highlights of the outdoor cinema program in Barcelona are several classics and contemporary hits
charles Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator”
Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment”
Terry Jones and the Monty Python’s “Life of Brian”
Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Cinema Paradise” and contemporary revelations such as Suro
by Mikel Gurrea ‘20.000 spices of bees’
by Estibaliz Urresola; ‘The Good Company’
directed by Sílvia Munt or ‘Loli Tormenta’
The open-air film screenings will take place in various civic centers throughout Barcelona’s neighborhoods
offering a cultural experience accessible to all residents
The Centre Cívic Ateneu Fort Pienc is located in the Fort Pienc neighborhood
while the Centre Cívic Casa Elizalde is in Dreta de l’Eixample
The Centre Cívic Casa Golferichs is in the Sant Antoni neighborhood
and the Centre Cívic Convent de Sant Agustí in the Born neighborhood
The Centre Cívic Cotxeres Borrell is also located in Sant Antoni
The Centre Cívic Drassanes is in the Raval neighborhood
and the Centre Cívic El Sortidor in Poble Sec
The Centre Cívic Guinardó is located in the Guinardó neighborhood
Other participating civic centers are the Centre Cívic Joan Oliver “Pere Quart” in Les Corts
the Centre Cívic Navas in the Navas neighborhood
the Centre Cívic Parc Sandaru in the Sant Martí neighborhood
the Sagrada Família Civic Center in the Sagrada Família neighborhood
the Sant Andreu Civic Center in Sant Andreu
and the Urgell Civic Center in the Sant Antoni neighborhood
We leave you here the complete list of films with the date and time of the screening and the civic center where you will find them
Christmas is very close and the atmosphere is becoming more and more conducive to make different plans in the city
One of them is “el trenet de Nadal”
an initiative organized by the commercial centers of the neighborhoods
to enjoy the Christmas illumination in a different way
You will be able to tour the city in one of the five trains that are already confirmed
although they may increase as the holidays approach
Tickets are available at any of the neighborhood stores that are partners in the initiative
but you will be able to get it by making a minimum purchase of 0.50 euros
The goal is that you can walk through the most Christmas streets of Barcelona and enjoy the best lighting
The residents of Fort Pienc will only be able to travel on it on two days: December 22 and 23 from 11:00 to 14:00 hours and from 17:00 to 20:00 hours at the initial stop at Carrer d’Alí Bei
In Sant Martí de Provençals the initial stop will be in Cantàbria street with Huelva
The trenet will be in operation from December 22 to January 4
2023 between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm and from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Regarding the Sagrada Familia neighborhood
the train will be available between December 22 and January 5 from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm and from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm
it will not offer the service during the holidays of December 25 and 26 and January 1
you will only have to do some shopping for 5 euros in the neighborhood stores
Children under 10 years of age do not pay admission
In this neighborhood the initial stop will be at Passeig de Fabra i Puig and Carrer de Neopàtria
It will be in service from December 22 to January 4 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm
the train can be taken in Sarrià square from December 27 to January 4
Service hours will be from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm and from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm
The cost of the general admission will be 1 euro and for children under 12 years of age 0.50 euros
The tour is a great family plan for this New Year’s Eve in the midst of lights and color
designed by Ricard Bofill in a neo-classical style in the late '80s
boasts a vast airy lobby and three fabulous performance spaces
Since taking over the post of artistic director in July 2013
Xavier Albertí has opted for a good mix of classical and contemporary pieces
divided among a main stage and two smaller stages
You're greeted by a blackboard with six craft beers
a small space that might puzzle you at first
because next to the list of beers there's another blackboard with pasta and starters
please! From a tiny space next to the bar
attentive and with an incredible ability to move around the matchbox kitchen
He's managed to make Il Birrino a perfect hybrid of a craft brewery and an Italian restaurant with home-made cooking
because the selection of beers in rotation
is impeccable and adaptable to different palates
with its recycled decor and Italian bustle
because Emanuele is one of the best cooks I've had the pleasure to cross paths with
He's more than adept when it comes to home-made stews and is a master of pasta: he makes it right there in front of you
You'll only have one regret with Il Birrino: that you didn't discover it sooner