7 days in Barcelona + vegan & vegetarian guide
Hello everyone! It's been 6 months since our trip to Barcelona, so this post is long due. We thought about not posting it right now, since Christmas is right around the corner. But then again, if you've always wanted to go to Barcelona in the early summer and you're anything like us, maybe these extra few months will be just what you need to turn thoughts into actions. We always plan our vacations ridiculously ahead, and André will go over every detail of where to stay, what to eat and how to get around a new place.
First and foremost, let us tell about our motives behind this trip: the Primavera Sound Festival. We had been telling ourselves for so long that we had to be a part of it someday, but we never seemed to able to commit. Late last year we got our Christmas Bonuses and knew exactly what to do with the extra money. We had both been to Barcelona several times before this trip, but never as a couple or even with each other. So we both knew the city pretty well and had a good clue of what we'd like to do. But when you're lucky enough to find a partner in life who is also a pretty spectacular travelling partner, everything and everywhere seem brand new (was that a little bit too corny? heh).
The Festival was nothing short of awesome and Barcelona is overflowing with energy, culture and delicious (vegan) FOOD! We rented a bedroom in a shared apartment in the hip El Born district and walked for miles every single day, enjoying the mornings and early afternoons in the city, and then jumped and danced our asses off for the rest of the afternoon and all through the night at the concerts. Since more than half of our days and nights was spent at the festival, we had to choose what to do with our free time and we didn't want to waste it in lines for tourist attractions. As you might notice by our photos, we opted out of visiting some of the most popular spots like Parc Güell, the Casa Batló and La Pedrera. By all means, visit them if you do get the chance! We steered away from those amazing yet time-consuming tourist traps and enjoyed a little extra time mingling with the locals, finding the perfect spots to eat thanks to our friend Joana, who joined us for a good part of the adventures, and chilling in the Plaça dels Àngels aka MACBA. Or should we say – Rita chilled and André skated. Having skated for over 20 years now, there was no way he'd want to stay out of one of the most popular and iconic skate spots in the world. André usually jokes that Barcelona's public places all seem to have been designed by skaters, since the city has dozens of internationally famous skate spots.
But let's get to what really matters most to a couple of food bloggers, shall we? – the FOOD! Over here in the european continent, Barcelona is bursting with new businesses who are making everyone realise that plant-based food is here to stay. There are loads of veggie specific restaurants and even more so veggie friendly places! In fact, as far as vegan restaurants go, the capital of the region of Catalonia is only second to Berlin, which is still on our bucketlist. We usually rely 100% on {Happy Cow} – a total life-saver in certain places – but in Barcelona all it takes is a 5 minute walk and you'll surely find a place with vegan options. But hey, don't leave it to chance, and check all of our suggestions below!
And just in case you were wondering, you can check out the line-up of the 2017 edition of the Primavera Sound Festival {here}. Some of our favourites were Run The Jewels, Bon Iver, Hamilton Leithauser, Mac DeMarco, Arcade Fire, Solange, Sampha and the totally improbable yet refreshing group Shye Ben Tzur + Jonny Greenwood + the Rajasthan Express.
WHERE TO STAY AND WHAT TO DO, SEE AND EAT
BARCELONA
STAY
Lucia's AirBnB in the El Born District – It was our first time renting a room in a shared house. We stayed for 6 nights at Lucia's place and we couldn't have asked for anything better. You have to climb up a few flights of stairs to get to the apartment, but consider it a 2 minute workout. The house is very comfortable, clean and has a gorgeous decoration. The house is right in the center of the El Born district, close to many restaurants, bars and shops. It is a short walking distance to the subway and to many bus and tram stops. The one thing we might say was not ideal was the fact that the streets are very noisy at night. If you're a light sleeper, that might disturb you slightly. But actually, that made our stay feel even more authentic to us! Barcelona is sort of like NYC, it never sleeps..
EAT, DRINK & LOUNGE
Teresa Carles Healthy Foods – Teresas's vast empire includes many spots like the insta famous Flax & Kale, Teresa's Juicery and Teresa's Stairway to Health. We had dinner and breakfast in two separate days at the gorgeous Flax & Kale, which is not too far from the Ramblas and MACBA. While we were not huge fans of the dinner menu, the breakfast menu is delicious and the juices and nut milks (which you can find all across Teresa's many venues) are to die for! Also, the design. We LOVE a good branding and interior design and all of these spots were delicious treats for our designer/photographer eyes.
Petit Brot – A cute little restaurant with a full raw vegan menu and delicious dishes and desserts. We're the kind of vegans who will let everyone know we could never go raw (you can blame the potatoes and rice), and this restaurant was a total surprise. We had the falafel salad and the mini pizzas and devoured every single sprout and seed one those dishes! Beautifully prepared food.
Quinoa Bar Vegetarià – We walked all across the city just to get their famous burgers. They make a different veggie patty every single day and we got to taste their beetroot burger. 100% delicious and HUGE! – which was great – although, we did wish they'd have regular french fries (have we mentioned our love of potatoes?). Also, get the carrot cake. :)
La Trocadero – A vegan fast-food burger joint really close to the Sagrada Familia.. The place is beautiful and they have a pretty big menu of burgers and hotdogs, all vegan, with every sauce and topping you can think of. We had the "bacon" and mustard ones (can't remember the actual name of the burger) and enjoyed it very much. This is a once in a while treat though – we wouldn't eat these burgers on a regular basis just as a balanced 'omnivore' wouldn't eat Big Macs on a regular basis. Their desserts are yummy as well, we got the Red Velvet cake.
El Café Blueproject – This was where we had our first meal when we arrived in Barcelona, as it was just a short walk away from our AirBnb. Lovely decoration and really friendly staff. We had the gazpacho, burger, tacos and hummus and raw crackers. Highly recommended!
Vacka – We got together with our friend Joana and crossed the city by bus for this place. They have a really fun and different menu, including sweet potato toasts, a variety of vegan burgers and savoury waffles. Also, they make their own fermented vegan cheeses. Everything was delicious, so it's totally worth the extra bus rides if you're not too close to it.
Chok Barcelona – Two words: Vegan. Doughnuts. Need we say more? Perhaps we do. Homemade vegan doughnuts with a chocolate hazelnut filling. Raspberry doughnuts with chocolate whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Yeah. We cannot get over this place.
The Green Spot – One of the most sought after vegetarian restaurants in the city. We recommend making a reservation in advance, as it will usually be fully booked at every meal time. We were there with our friend and the three of us had the thai curry, the sweet potato tagliatelle and the charcoal pizza topped with greens. Delicious!
La Besnéta – A full vegan patisserie in all its patisserie glory. They have cakes, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, tiramisus, puddings and more. We had trouble picking what we wanted, because everything looks and smells delicious. If we could only have one option though, we'd go for the decadent tiramisu. It made its way to Portugal on our last day and we scuffed down it after we got home.
Veritas – You can find Veritas supermarkets all around the city and they have a wide variety of healthy and vegan options like cereal, cold pressed juices and croissants.
SEEK
Primavera Sound Barcelona – This festival takes place in Parc Forum and goes on for a few days. It's the biggest festival we've ever been too, with over 10 stages and hundreds of artists lined up to perform. The food was great and they have many vegan options. A really positive aspect is that the venue is so huge you will never feel like it is too crowded! Portugal has got it's own edition of this Festival in Oporto, and although it is much smaller, the vibe is as cool as it gets.
Sagrada Família – You've probably heard about this amazing place before. We saved a morning to visit the interior of the cathedral and were totally awestruck with the ingenious work and vision of Gaudí and by the work of the thousands of people who've contributed to turning it into a reality. Avoid lines and waiting times by booking ahead, preferably online.
MACBA – Even if you're not into arts and museums, this place has become an iconic spot for skaters, street artists and young creative folk in general. Stop by for a little while to really absorb the energy.
Mercat de La Boqueria – Foodies or not, this market is a must! The people, the colours and the smells will blow your mind! We recommend getting a couple of cups of fresh fruit – it's the perfect refreshment for a hot summer day.
Las Ramblas – Street artists, restaurants and commerce. The Ramblas are like the main artery of the city, full of energy and excitement.
Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) – Narrow streets, indie commerce, gothic architecture and museums. If these are few of your favourite things, you could really spend a full day exploring this quarter.
Parc de La Ciutadella – If you're looking for a spot to lay down in the sun, read a bit or listen to some music, this is the place for you. The park is huge and has many nooks and trees to relax under. We got our vegan doughnuts from Chok (see above) and enjoyed them in the park one day!
La Barceloneta – This quarter is the closest to the beach and it's got quite a few restaurants and bars to hang in.
Casa Batló, La Pedrera and Parc Güell are three of the most famous works by Gaudí, the same architect who design the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. We opted out of visiting them, but we do want to check them out someday and we highly recommend doing so!