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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Travel
Jason Chau

How to spend 48 hours in El Born — Barcelona's charming, lesser-touristed neighbourhood

Barcelona Architecture Paradiso UNESCO

A compact guide to El Born

Stay

  • Grand Hotel Central: a 1926 mansion turned 5-star hotel in El Born

Drink

  • Paradiso: an award-winning speakeasy hidden behind a pastrami shop fridge; famous for its theatrical, multisensory cocktails
  • La Terraza del Central: a rooftop bar at Grand Hotel Central with an infinity pool, serving top-tier negronis
  • Bar Brutal: a natural wine hotspot with a menu of organic and low-intervention wines paired with small Iberian plates in a rustic setting

Eat

  • Bar del Pla: a trendy Catalan bistro serving great tapas and natural wine
  • El Xampanyet: a traditional, family-run tapas bar with 2 Euro cava and Catalan classics
  • Can Bo: an elevated Spanish-Italian tapas bar — try the crispy octopus brioche and prawn rice
  • El Chigre 1769: Asturian cider house serving grilled seafood, oysters, and regional black rice with sidra

Do

  • Mercat de Santa Catarina: a local market that has been selling fresh produce since 1848
  • Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar: the famous Gothic church constructed between 19329 and 1383 by local residents
  • Palau de la Música Catalana: a UNESCO-listed concert hall hosting flamenco, classical, opera
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