The riveting Raval district, Barcelona

Located downtown, next to the gothic district, Raval is an underground district with a variety of up and coming restaurants, bars and cafes in addition to art and cultural gems such as the pivotal MACBA museum and the CCCB museum. We love this area because there is a wonderful element of surprise with pop-up places, new design stores and a laid-back environment.

Spots like Asian cuisine restaurant Dos Palillos which has now been going for 10 years offer a gastronomic dining experience with its incredible selection of food all perfectly set to artisan perfection. Then there is the casual Bar Lobo restaurant, with a great lunch menu and brilliant selection of Mediterranean food and not to forget the incredible tapas Bar Cañete, all set aside from the bustle of La Rambla.

In this neighbourhood, you will find an array of places to eat and really fun bars lined up on the narrow and long roads. This cultural renaissance has created a district that’s lively, stimulating and remarkable. There are some parts that are run down, which will not be to everyone’s taste but the good most definitely outweighs this.

This colourful and central location means that you are an easy walking distance of many points of interest in the centre, including some of the best fresh food markets in Barcelona – the Boqueria and Mercat Sant Antoni. For more info on where to buy great, fresh produce like a local check out our post on food markets in Barcelona. Many guests that stay in our boutique Barcelona apartments take advantage of this, by stocking up on local produce and cooking in our fully equipped kitchens.

Here you can find some cool, design orientated boutique stores and vintage clothing treasures such as MedWinds.  If you like coffee with an eclectic vibe head to El Colectivo on c/Notariat – they do amazing homemade cookies and their carrot cake is equally delicious. If you want to sit inside and perhaps have something more hearty, Caravelle, a new establishment is also worth visiting. Here you can expect coffee and a delicious brunch menu to awaken those taste buds!

Still, one of the best of the various café terraces around the edges of the quiet, traffic-free Plaça Vicenç Martorell, is Kasparo. They serve tapas, bocadillos, salads and a varying selection of more substantial dishes, available all day. There is no indoor seating, so this is most definitely more of a warm weather proposition.

Want to get straight to the hard stuff? There is Oveja Negra a classic bar in the area that gets rather crowded, serves good beer and has a cool vibe. In general, on Joaquin Costa you will find lots of fun small bars, some of which stay open after hours – perfect if you are partial to a lock-in.

Many thanks to Greg Mirzoyan for the great video of Raval used in this post. See more of his work on his website – https://www.gregmirzoyan.com/