SHOPPING
LLIBRERIA & INFORMACIÓ CULTURAL DE LA GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA Map Books
VILLEGAS CERÀMICA Map Ceramics
ESPACIO DE CREADORES Map Fashion
HERBORISTERIA DEL REI Map Herbs & Medicinal Plants
LE BOUDOIR Map Lingerie & Erotica
EL INGENIO Map Masks & Costumes
LA MANUAL ALPARGATERA Map Shoes
L’ARCA DE L’àVIA Map Vintage Clothes & Accessories
OLD CURIOSITY SHOP Map Antiques & Bric-A-Brac
CAFÉ DE LA PRINCESA Map Boutique
NU SABATES Map Shoes & Accessories
MAREMÀGNUM Map Shopping Centre
EL BULEVARD DELS ANTIQUARIS Map Antiques
EL CORTE INGLÉS Map Department Store
PURIFICACIÓN GARCÍA Map Fashion
MANGO Map Fashion & Accessories
ELS ENCANTS VELLS Map Flea Market
FLORISTERÍA NAVARRO Map Florist
HIBERNIAN Map#x00A0;#x00A0;#x00A0;#x00A0;#x00A0;Books
LA BOTIGA DEL BARÇA Map Souvenirs
top picks
- Caelum (Click here)
- Papabubble (Click here)
- Custo Barcelona (Click here)
- Jamin Puech (Click here)
- Vila Viniteca (Click here)
- Antonio Miró (Click here)
- Cubiña (Click here)
- Herboristeria del Rei (Click here)
- Joan Murrià (Click here)
- Vinçon (Click here)
What’s your recommendation? www.lonelyplanet.com/barcelona
If your doctor has prescribed an intense round of retail therapy to deal with the blues, then Barcelona is the place. Across Ciutat Vella (Barri Gòtic, El Raval and La Ribera), L’Eixample and Gràcia is spread a thick mantle of countless boutiques, historic shops, original one-off stores, gourmet corners, wine dens and more designer labels than you can shake your gold card at. You name it, you’ll find it here: anything from chocolate to Mango (Click here).
Barcelona is a style city and this is evident in its flagship design stores, such as Vinçon and Cubiña, whether you are looking for homewares, gifts or decoration. Even the souvenirs have flair. Fashion, in the broadest possible sense, occupies a sizable wedge of the city’s retail space. Local names such as Mango, Custo Barcelona, Antonio Miró and Purificación García jostle side by side with big Spanish names in haute couture and prêt-à-porter (such as Zara and Adolfo Domínguez). Almost every taste is catered to, with loads of youthful designers, club and street wear, grunge dealers and secondhand operators.
For high fashion, design, jewellery and department stores, the principal shopping axis starts on Plaça de Catalunya, proceeds up Passeig de Gràcia and turns left into Avinguda Diagonal, along which it extends as far as Plaça de la Reina Maria Cristina. The densely packed section between Plaça de Francesc Macià and Plaça de la Reina Maria Cristina is an especially good hunting ground.
The heart of L’Eixample, bisected by chic Passeig de Gràcia, is known as the Quadrat d’Or (Golden Square) and is jammed with all sorts of glittering shops. Passeig de Gràcia has developed into a who’s who of international shopping.
The heart of the Barri Gòtic has always been busy with small-scale merchants, but the area has come crackling to life since the mid-1990s. Some of the most curious old stores, such as purveyors of hats and candles, lurk in the narrow lanes around Plaça de Sant Jaume. The once-seedy Carrer d’Avinyó has become a minor young-fashion boulevard. Antique stores line Carrer de la Palla and Carrer dels Banys Nous.
La Ribera is nothing less than a gourmand’s delight. Great old stores and some finger-licking newbies deal in speciality foodstuffs, from coffee and chocolate to cheese. Amid such wonderful aromas, a crop of fashion and design stores caters to the multitude of yuppies in the barri.
In El Raval you’ll discover old-time stores that are irresistible to browsers, and a colourful array of affordable, mostly secondhand clothes boutiques. The central axis here is Carrer de la Riera Baixa, which plays host to everything from ’70s threads to military cast-offs. Carrer dels Tallers is also attracting a growing number of clothing and shoe stores (although CDs remain its core business). Art galleries, designer outlets and quality bookstores all huddle together along the streets running east of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona towards La Rambla.
Gràcia is also full of quirky little shops. In particular, check out Carrer de Verdi for anything from clothes to bric-a-brac.
In general, shops are open between 9am or 10am and 1.30pm or 2pm and then again from around 4pm or 4.30pm to 8pm or 8.30pm Monday to Friday. Many shops keep the same hours on Saturday, although some don’t bother with the evening session.
Large supermarkets, malls and department stores such as El Corte Inglés stay open all day from Monday to Saturday, between about 10am and 10pm. Many fashion boutiques, design stores and the like open from about 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday.
A few shops open on Sundays and holidays, and the number increases in the run up to key consumer holiday periods.
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BARRI GÒTIC & LA RAMBLA
A handful of interesting shops dot La Rambla, but the real fun starts inside the labyrinth. Young fashion on Carrer d’Avinyó, a mixed bag on Avinguda del Portal de l’Àngel, some cute old shops on Carrer de la Dagueria and lots of exploring in tight old lanes awaits.
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SALA PARÉS Map Art
93 318 70 20; www.salapares.com; Carrer del Petritxol 5; 
Liceu
Picasso had works on sale here a century ago in what is one of the city’s most venerable and still-dynamic private galleries. In business since 1877, the gallery has maintained its position as one of the city’s leading purveyors of Catalan art, old and contemporary.
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LLIBRERIA & INFORMACIÓ CULTURAL DE LA GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA Map Books
93 302 64 62; La Rambla dels Estudis 118; Liceu
This is a good first stop for books and pamphlets on all things Catalan, ranging from huge coffee-table tomes on all facets of Catalan art and architecture through to turgid tracts on Catalan law. You can skip the latter, but the former are exquisite. The shop stocks very little in English (and even less in Spanish).
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QUERA Map Books
93 318 07 43; Carrer del Petritxol 2; 
10am-8pm Tue, 10am-1.30pm & 4.30-8pm Wed-Sat; Liceu
Crammed into a tiny bookshop is a treasure trove of travel material, mostly on Catalonia and the Pyrenees. It specialises in maps and guides, including a host of stuff for walking, and has been in business since 1916.
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PAPABUBBLE Map Candied Sweets
93 268 86 25; www.papabubble.com; Carrer Ample 28; Liceu
It feels like a step into another era in this candy store, where they make up pots of rainbow-coloured boiled lollies, just like some of us remember from corner-store days as kids. Watch the sticky sweets being made before your eyes. For all its apparent timelessness, this is a relatively new venture. Started by Australians in Barcelona, this sweet reminiscence now has shops in Amsterdam, New York, Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo.
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CERERIA SUBIRÀ Map Candles
93 315 26 06; Baixada de la Llibreteria 7; Jaume I
Even if you’re not interested in myriad mounds of colourful wax, pop in just so you’ve been to the oldest shop in Barcelona. Open since 1761 and at this address since the 19th century, it has a voluptuous, baroque feel about it.
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VILLEGAS CERÀMICA Map Ceramics
93 317 53 30; www.villegasceramica.net; Carrer Comtal 31; Urquinaona
For some curious ceramics that have nothing to do with traditional wares, poke your head in here. Arresting items include owl’s-head clocks (in which the eyes move back and forth), pottery statues of stretched human figures, Barcelona taxis, ceramic wall-hangings and loads of other original items.
top picks
SHOPPING STRIPS
- Avinguda del Portal de l’Àngel (Map) With El Corte Inglés leading the way, this broad pedestrian avenue is lined with everything from shoe shops to patisseries, and feeds into Carrer dels Boters and Carrer de la Portaferrissa, characterised by stores offering light-hearted costume jewellery and young street wear.
- Avinguda Diagonal (Map) The boulevard is loaded with international fashion names, department stores and design boutiques, suitably interspersed with eateries to allow weary shoppers to take a load off.
- Carrer d’Avinyó (Map) Once a fairly squalid old-town road (where Picasso and his friends used to frequent houses of ill repute), Carrer d’Avinyó has morphed into a dynamic young fashion street.
- Carrer de la Riera Baixa (Map) The place to look for a gaggle of stores flogging preloved threads.
- Carrer del Petritxol (Map) For chocolate shops and art.
- Carrer del Consell de Cent (Map) The heart of the private art-gallery scene in Barcelona, between Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer de Muntaner.
- Carrer del Rec (Map) Another threads street, this one-time stream is lined with bright, sometimes quirky boutiques. Check out Carrer del Bonaire and Carrer de l’Esparteria too. You’ll find discount outlets and original local designers.
- Carrer dels Banys Nous (Map) Along with nearby Carrer de la Palla, this is the place to look for antiques.
- Passeig de Gràcia (Map) This is the premier shopping boulevard, chic with a capital ‘C’, but mostly given over to big name international brands.
- Rambla de Catalunya (Map) A prettier boulevard than Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya is laced with all sorts of shops. Stop for a coffee on the central pedestrian strip along the way.
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XOCOA Map Chocolate
93 301 11 97; www.xocoa-bcn.com; Carrer del Petritxol 11-13; Liceu
Shield your eyes from the ultrabright rose-and-white decor and prepare yourself for a different kind of chocolate. Carefully arranged inside this den of dental devilry are ranks and ranks of original chocolate bars, chocolates stuffed with sweet stuff, gooey pastries and more. It has eight other branches scattered about town.
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LA CONDONERIA Map Condoms
93 302 77 21; Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol 7; Liceu
Run out of kinky coloured condoms? Need a fresh batch of lubricant? Pick up these vital items and a host of bedside novelties and naughty bits here.
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GOTHAM Map Design
93 412 46 47; www.gotham-bcn.com; Carrer de Cervantes 7; Jaume I
Look back with fondness at the furniture and lights, which date back to at least the 1960s, and in some cases the ’30s. Much of it is restored and given a bright, decorative once-over. Retro design freaks will fall in love with this place.
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ESPACIO DE CREADORES Map Fashion
93 318 03 31; Carrer Comtal 22; Catalunya
For a broad selection of cut-price women’s fashion and accessories by a long list of Spanish and some international designers, this outlet store claims to slash original prices by up to 70%.
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RAG SHOP Map Fashion
93 319 78 61; Carrer de la Llibreteria 14; Jaume I
Light dresses, tops and other items, mostly a mix of cotton and modern fibres, like elastane, appeal to those seeking a casual, unfussy look. Skunkfunk, a ballsy Basque Country brand, leads the way here.
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SITA MURT Map Fashion
93 301 00 06; www.sitamurt.com; Carrer d’Avinyó 18; Liceu
A Catalan fashion company, Sita Murt produces light and sexy women’s fashion for summer, and young, striding out outfits for the girl about town in winter. Much of it is aimed at nights out rather than a day in the office.
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URBANA Map Fashion
93 269 09 20; Carrer d’Avinyó 46; 11am-3pm & 4.30-9pm Mon-Sat; Liceu
Colourful, fun city clothes, shoes and accessories await boys and girls in this easygoing store with Basque Country origins. It offers a variety of brands of urban threads, like Supremebeing, Rocketdog and Matilda.
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CAELUM Map Food
93 302 69 93; Carrer de la Palla 8; 10.30am-8.30pm Mon-Thu, 10.30am-11.30pm Fri & Sat, 11.30am-9pm Sun; Liceu
Centuries of heavenly gastronomic tradition from across Spain are concentrated in this exquisite medieval space in the heart of the city. Sweets (such as the irresistible marzipan from Toledo) made by nuns in convents across the country make their way to this den of delicacies. You can sip on a tea down in the medieval basement from 3.30pm to closing time, Tuesday to Sunday.
SHOPPING MALLS
Barcelona has no shortage of shopping malls. One of the first to arrive was L’Illa Diagonal (Map; 93 444 00 00; www.lilla.com; Avinguda Diagonal 549; 10am-9.30pm Mon-Sat; Maria Cristina), designed by star Spanish architect Rafael Moneo. The Centre Comercial Diagonal Mar (Map; 902 530300; www.diagonalmar.com; Avinguda Diagonal 3; 10am-10pm Mon-Sat; El Maresme Fòrum) by the sea is one of the latest additions.
The city’s other emporia include Centre Comercial de les Glòries (Map; 93 486 04 04; www.lesglories.com; Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes; 10am-10pm Mon-Sat; Glòries), in the former Olivetti factory; Heron City (off Map;902 401144; www.heroncitybarcelona.com; Passeig de Rio de Janeiro 42; 10am-10pm Mon-Sat; Fabra i Puig), just off Avinguda Meridiana, about 4km north of Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes; and the Centre Comercial Gran Via 2 (off Map; 902 301444; www.granvia2.com; Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 75; 10am-10pm Mon-Sat; 
FGC Ildefons Cerdà) in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
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ANTINOUS Map Gay & Lesbian
93 301 90 70; www.antinouslibros.com, in Spanish; Carrer de Josep Anselm Clavé 6; Drassanes
Gay and lesbian travellers may want to browse in this spacious and relaxed gay bookshop, which also has a modest cafe out the back. This is the place for porn mags, postcards of muscle-bound fellows and an awful lot of highbrow lit on homosexual issues mixed in with rather lower-brow lit to groan to.
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HERBORISTERIA DEL REI Map Herbs & Medicinal Plants
93 318 05 12; Carrer del Vidre 1; 4-8pm Tue-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat; Liceu
Once patronised by Queen Isabel II, this timeless corner store flogs all sorts of weird and wonderful herbs, spices and medicinal plants. It’s been doing so since 1823 and the decor has barely changed since the 1860s. However, some of the products have, and you’ll find anything from teas to massage oil nowadays. Film director Tom Tykwer shot scenes of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer here.
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LE BOUDOIR Map Lingerie & Erotica
93 302 52 81; www.leboudoir.net; Carrer de la Canuda 21; Catalunya
Need to spice up the bedroom situation? Take a stroll around this sensual shop, where anything from lacy, racy underwear to exuberant sex toys is available. Transparent handcuffs might be fun, or perhaps a bit of slap and tickle with a whip and mask?
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EL INGENIO Map Masks & Costumes
93 317 71 38; www.el-ingenio.com; Carrer d’en Rauric 6; Liceu
In this whimsical fantasy store you will discover giant Carnaval masks, costumes, theatrical accessories and other fun things. You can pick up some ‘devil’s batons’ to do a little fiery juggling, a monocycle or clown make-up.
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OBACH Map Millinery
93 318 40 94; Carrer del Call 2; Liceu
Since 1924 this store in the heart of the Call (Jewish quarter) has been purveying all manner of headgear for men. Time seems to have stood still here, and one assumes the bulk of the clientele belongs to a senior generation. Hats off to a remarkably long-lived institution.
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CASA BEETHOVEN Map Music
93 301 48 26; La Rambla de Sant Josep 97; Liceu
This isn’t any old sheet-music shop. In business since 1880 and with an air more of a museum than of a store, Casa Beethoven’s customers have included Montserrat Caballé, Josep Carreras and Plácido Domingo. It keeps up with the times, however, and you’re as likely to find music by Metallica as by Mozart. On Saturdays small concerts are sometimes held.
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LA MANUAL ALPARGATERA Map Shoes
93 301 01 72; www.lamanual.net; Carrer d’Avinyó 7; Liceu
The bright white shop front is a local landmark. Everyone from the Pope to Michael Douglas has ordered a pair of espadrilles (rope-soled canvas shoes or sandals) from this store, which sholds its own against Nike and co. It also does a line in sun hats and bags.
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L’ARCA DE L’àVIA Map Vintage Clothes & Accessories
93 302 15 98; Carrer dels Banys Nous 20; Liceu
Grandma’s chest is indeed full of extraordinary remembrances from the past, when young ladies used to put together a trousseau of clothes and other items for their wedding. You might find anything from old silk kimonos to wedding dresses from the 1920s. Some items sold here wound up being used in the film Titanic.
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EL RAVAL
The area boasts a handful of art galleries around the Macba, along with a burgeoning secondhand and vintage clothes scene on Carrer de la Riera Baixa. Carrer dels Tallers is one of the city’s main music strips.
IT’S SALE TIME
The winter sales start shortly after Reis (6 January) and, depending on the store, can go on well into February. The summer sales start in July, with stores trying to entice locals to part with one last wad of euros before they flood out of the city on holiday in August. Some shops prolong their sales to the end of August.
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LA PORTORRIQUEÑA Map Coffee
93 317 34 38; Carrer d’en Xuclà 25; Catalunya
Coffee beans from around the world, freshly ground before your eyes, has been the winning formula in this store since 1902. It also offers all sorts of chocolate goodies. The street is good for little old-fashioned food boutiques.
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EL INDIO Map Fabrics
93 317 54 42; Carrer del Carme 24; Liceu
Take a giant leap back into the late 19th century. You probably won’t be in the market for bolts of cloth while in Barcelona, but admire the Modernista shop front before simply wandering in for a look around this time-warp store.
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HOLALA! PLAZA Map Fashion
93 302 05 93; Plaça de Castella 2; Universitat
Backing on to Carrer de Valldonzella, where it boasts an exhibition space (Gallery) for temporary art displays, this Ibiza import is inspired by that island’s long established (and somewhat commercialised) hippie tradition. Vintage clothes are the name of the game, along with an eclectic program of exhibitions and activities.
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LEFTIES Map Fashion
93 317 50 70; Carrer de Pelai 2; 10am-9.30pm Mon-Sat; Universitat
Don’t mind being seen in last year’s Zara fashions? Lefties (ie leftovers) could be the browsing spot for you, with men’s, women’s and kids’ cast-offs from the previous year at silly prices. You could fill a wardrobe with perfectly good middle-of-the-road threads and your bank manager would be none the wiser.
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CASTELLÓ Map Music
93 318 20 41; Carrer dels Tallers 3 & 7; Catalunya
These two stores are part of a large family business that has been going since 1935 and which is said to account for a fifth of the retail record business in Catalonia.
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TERANYINA Map Textiles
93 317 94 36; Carrer del Notariat 10; Catalunya
Artist Teresa Rosa Aguayo runs this textile workshop in the heart of the artsy bit of El Raval. You can join courses at the loom, admire some of the rugs and other works that Teresa has created and, of course, buy them.
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LA RIBERA
The former commercial heart of medieval Barcelona is today still home to a cornucopia of old-style specialist food and drink shops, a veritable feast of aroma and atmosphere. They have been joined, since the late 1990s, by a raft of hip little fashion stores.
THE URGE TO RUMMAGE
Lovers of old books, coins, stamps and general bric-a-brac can indulge their habits uninhibited at several markets. They generally get going from 9am and wind down around 8pm. The coin and stamp collectors’ market and the old-book peddlers around the Mercat de Sant Antoni usually pack up by 2pm.
The Barri Gòtic is enlivened by an art and crafts market (Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol; Liceu) on Saturday and Sunday, the antiques-filled Mercat Gòtic (Plaça Nova; Liceu or Jaume I) on Thursday, and a coin and stamp collectors’ market (Plaça Reial; Liceu) on Sunday morning.
Just beyond the western edge of El Raval, the punters at the Modernista Mercat de Sant Antoni (Map; Sant Antoni) dedicate Sunday morning to old maps, stamps, books and cards.
Once a fortnight, gourmands can poke about the homemade honeys, sweets, cheeses and other edible delights at the Fira Alimentació (Plaça del Pi; Liceu) from Friday to Sunday. Ask at the Oficina d’Informació de Turisme de Barcelona (Click here) for the dates.
Some annual markets are also worth looking out for. For 10 days in mid-May (dates change each year), stands set up in the Portal de l’Àngel (Avinguda del Portal de l’Àngel; Catalunya) for the Fira del Llibre Antic (Antique Book Fair). The same spot hosts the Fira de Terrissa (Pottery Fair), which lasts for five days starting around 20 September, coinciding with the Festes de la Mercè (see Click here) and the similar Fira de Ceràmica Creativa (Ceramicists Fair), around 23 December to 5 January.
The Fira de Santa Llúcia (Liceu), on and around Avinguda de la Catedral, is held from 28 November to 23 December. You can buy figurines, including many models of that infamous Catalan Christmas character, the caganer (crapper; see Click here), to make your own Nativity scene.
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ANTICH Map Accessories
93 310 43 91; www.casaantich.com; Carrer del Consolat de Mar 27-31; Barceloneta
Traditionally this street was lined with purveyors of bags and related travel goods. The Antich clan, in business since 1910, offers a range of travel cases and bags of various known brands. More interesting is its own line of handmade articles, from suitcases to leather tool bags.
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OLD CURIOSITY SHOP Map Antiques & Bric-A-Brac
93 310 45 89; Volta dels Tamborets 4; Jaume I
For anything from handmade soaps to French calendar diaries of the 1930s or antique tea sets, this is a fun hole-in-the-wall shop to rummage about it in, hidden in a side lane near the Església de Santa Maria del Mar.
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GALERIA MAEGHT Map Art
93 310 42 45; www.maeght.com; Carrer de Montcada 25; 11am-2pm & 3-7pm Tue-Fri, 11am-2pm Sat; Jaume I
This high-end gallery, housed in one of the fine medieval mansions for which this street is known, specialises in 20th-century masters. It is as enticing for the building as the art.
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CAFÉ DE LA PRINCESA Map Boutique
93 268 15 18; www.cafeprincesa.com; Carrer dels Flassaders 21; Jaume I
In a dark lane named after the blanket makers that once worked here is this odd combination of cooperative store, art gallery and restaurant (entry to the latter is from Carrer de Sabateret). Its members make many of the oddities on sale, but others are objects imported from such disparate locations as Prague and Denmark. Leather bags, toys and clothes make up just part of the offerings.
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EL MAGNÍFICO Map Coffee
93 319 60 81; www.cafeselmagnifico.com, in Catalan & Spanish; Carrer de l’Argenteria 64; Jaume I
All sorts of coffee has been roasted here since the early 20th century. The variety of coffee (and tea) available is remarkable – and the aromas hit you as you walk in. Across the road, the same people run the exquisite and much newer tea shop, Sans i Sans (93 319 60 81; Carrer de l’Argenteria 59).
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VILA VINITECA Map Drink
902 327777; www.vilaviniteca.es, in Spanish; Carrer dels Agullers 7; 8.30am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; Jaume I
One of the best wine stores in Barcelona (and Lord knows, there are a few), this place has been searching out the best in local and imported wines since 1932. On a couple of November evenings it organises what has by now become an almost riotous wine-tasting event in Carrer dels Agullers and surrounding lanes, at which cellars from around Spain present their young new wines. At No 9 it has another store devoted to gourmet food products.
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COQUETTE Map Fashion
93 295 42 85; www.coquettebcn.com; Carrer del Rec 65; Barceloneta
With its spare, cut back and designer look, this fashion is automatically attractive in its own right. Women will love to browse through casual, feminine wear by such designers as Tsunoda, Vanessa Bruno, Chloé Baño and Hoss Intropia. To complement the clothes there are bags, footwear and costume jewellery. The store is a leading light on a street replete with fashion outlets.
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CUSTO BARCELONA Map Fashion
93 268 78 93; www.custo-barcelona.com; Plaça de les Olles 7; Jaume I
The psychedelic decor and casual atmosphere lend this avant-garde Barcelona fashion store a youthful edge. Custo presents daring new women’s and men’s collections each year on the New York catwalks. The dazzling colours and cut of anything from dinner jackets to hot pants are for the uninhibited. It has five other stores around town.
top picks
BEST KEPT SECRETS
- El Rey de la Magia (Click here) All the magic tricks you can imagine, in a store with oodles of history.
- Herboristeria del Rei (Click here) Ancient herbs and traditional remedies.
- La Portorriqueña (opposite) Timeless coffee merchant in El Raval.
- Sala Parés (Click here) A historic private art gallery.
- Caelum (p 154) Traditional sweets from Spanish convents.
- El Ingenio (p 155) Masks and costumes.
- Siete Besos (p 163) A tiny treasure chest of affordable women’s fashion amid uptown wealth.
- Papabubble (p 153) Boiled sweeties, just like in grandpa’s day (well, almost).
- Sergio Aranda (p 162) For daring jewellery and pearls for girls.
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GAMAYA Map Fashion
93 310 67 07; www.gamaya.es; Carrer dels Flassaders 36; Jaume I
A breath of fresh laid-back Ibiza air runs through this new ladies’ wear store tucked away on a street that has gone from near abandonment in the 1990s to become a delightful shopping lane today. The lady who runs this shop designs the breezy summer dresses, pants-and-tops combinations and prints herself.
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OUTLET DEL BORN Map Fashion
93 268 72 49; Carrer de l’Esparteria 12; Barceloneta
Discounted fashions from the previous year from designers like Gonzalo Comella, Hugo Boss, G-Star, Armani Jeans and Viktor & Rolf find their way into this chaotic store, where you can look forward to anything up to half price.
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CASA GISPERT Map Food
93 319 75 35; www.casagispert.com; Carrer dels Sombrerers 23; Jaume I
Nuts to you at the wood-fronted Casa Gispert, where they’ve been toasting nuts and selling all manner of dried fruit since 1851. Pots and jars piled high on the shelves contain an unending variety of crunchy titbits: some roasted, some honeyed, all of them moreish.
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HOFMANN PASTISSERIA Map Food
93 268 82 21; www.hofmann-bcn.com; Carrer dels Flassaders 44; Jaume I
With old timber cabinets, this bite-sized gourmet patisserie has an air of timelessness, although it is quite new. Choose between jars of delicious chocolates, the day’s croissants and more dangerous pastries, or an array of cakes and other sweets.
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LA BOTIFARRERIA Map Food
93 319 91 23; www.labotifarreria.com; Carrer de Santa Maria 4; Jaume I
As they say, ‘sausages with imagination’! Although this delightful deli sells all sorts of cheeses, hams, fresh hamburger patties, snacks and other goodies, the mainstay is an astounding variety of handcrafted sausages. Not just the pork variety, but stuffed with anything from green pepper and whiskey to apple curry!
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OLISOLIVA Map Food
93 268 14 72; www.olisoliva.com, in Spanish; Avinguda de Francesc Cambó; Jaume I
Inside the Mercat de Santa Caterina (Click here), this simple, glassed-in store is stacked with olive oils and vinegars from all over Spain. Taste some of the products before deciding. Some of the best olive oils come from southern Spain. The range of vinegars is astounding too.
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EL REY DE LA MAGIA Map Magic
93 319 39 20; www.elreydelamagia.com, in Catalan & Spanish; Carrer de la Princesa 11; 11am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat; Jaume I
For more than 100 years, the people behind this box of tricks have been keeping locals both astounded and amused. Should you decide to stay in Barcelona and make a living as a magician, this is the place to buy levitation brooms, glasses of disappearing milk and decks of magic cards.
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NU SABATES Map Shoes & Accessories
93 268 03 83; www.nusabates.com; Carrer dels Cotoners 14; Jaume I
A couple of modern-day Catalan cobblers have put together some original handmade leather shoes (and a handful of bags and other leather items) in their stylishly renovated locale.
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PORT VELL & LA BARCELONETA
Aside from the shopping-mall fun of Maremàgnum, there are precious few outlets for maxing out your cards along the waterfront.
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MAREMÀGNUM Map Shopping Centre
93 225 81 00; www.maremagnum.es; Moll d’Espanya; 10am-10pm; Drassanes
Created out of largely abandoned docks, this chirpy shopping centre, with its bars, restaurants and cinemas, is pleasant enough for a stroll virtually in the middle of the old harbour. You’ll find outlets for anything from Calvin Klein underwear to Brazilian flip-flops (Havaianas). Football fans will be drawn to the paraphernalia at FC Barcelona (93 225 80 45). The big news is that shops here open on Sundays, pretty much unheard of anywhere else in the city.
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L’EIXAMPLE
Most of the city’s classy shopping spreads across the heart of L’Eixample, in particular along Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya and adjacent streets. All about are dotted a surprising array of specialty stores, selling anything from gloves to glues.
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EL BULEVARD DELS ANTIQUARIS Map Antiques
93 215 44 99; www.bulevarddelsantiquaris.com; Passeig de Gràcia 55-57; 10.30am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; Passeig de Gràcia
More than 70 stores (most are open from 11am to 2pm and from 5pm to 8.30pm) are gathered under one roof (on the floor above the more general Bulevard Rosa arcade) to offer the most varied selection of collector’s pieces, ranging from old porcelain dolls through to fine crystal, from Asian antique furniture to old French goods, and from African and other ethnic art to jewellery.
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ALTAÏR Map Books
93 342 71 71; www.altair.es; Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 616; 10am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; Universitat
Enter the world of travel in this extensive bookshop, which is a mecca for guidebooks, maps, travel literature and all sorts of other books likely to induce a severe case of itchy feet. It has a travellers’ notice board and, downstairs, a travel agent.
SHOPPING OUT OF HOURS
Got the munchies at 4am? Forgot to buy the paper from your local kiosk? Need something on a Sunday? Open 25 (Map p 100; www.open25.es; Carrer de Còrsega 241) is Barcelona’s only 24-hour store, flogging anything from snacks and chocolate bars to magazines and newspapers. Similar, but closed six hours a day, is Opencor (8am-2am, closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 11 Sep & 25 Dec), with 21 branches around the city at last count. You’ll find one at Ronda de Sant Pere 33 (Map p 106) and another at Carrer Gran de Gràcia 29 (Map p 116).
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CASA DEL LLIBRE Map Books
902 026407; www.casadellibro.com, in Spanish; Passeig de Gràcia 62; 9.30am-9.30pm Mon-Sat; Passeig de Gràcia
With branches elsewhere in Spain, the ‘Home of the Book’ is a well-stocked general bookshop with reasonable sections devoted to literature in English, French and other languages. The website is a good place to look for Spanish literature if the shop is a walk too far.
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COME IN Map Books
93 453 12 04; www.libreriainglesa.com; Carrer de Balmes 129bis; Diagonal
English-teachers, those thirsting for the latest thrillers in English and learners of Shakespeare’s tongue will all find something to awaken their curiosity in this, one of the city’s main English-language bookshops. There are even a few odds and ends in other languages.
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LAIE Map Books
93 318 17 39; www.laie.es, in Catalan & Spanish; Carrer de Pau Claris 85; 10am-9pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-9pm Sat; Catalunya or Urquinaona
Laie has novels and books on architecture, art and film in English, French, Spanish and Catalan. Better still, it has a great upstairs cafe where you can examine your latest purchases or browse through the newspapers provided for customers in true Central European style.
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CACAO SAMPAKA Map Chocolate
93 272 08 33; www.cacaosampaka.com; Carrer del Consell de Cent 292; 9am-9pm Mon-Sat; Passeig de Gràcia; 
Chocoholics will be convinced they have died and passed on to a better place. Load up in the shop or head for the bar out the back where you can have a classic xocolata calenta (hot chocolate) and munch on exquisite chocolate cakes, tarts, ice cream, sweets and sandwiches.
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NORMA COMICS Map Comics
93 244 84 23; www.normacomics.com, in Spanish; Passeig de Sant Joan 7-9; Arc de Triomf
With a huge range of comics, both Spanish and international, this is Spain’s biggest dealer – everything from Tintin to some of the weirdest sci-fi and sex comics can be found here. Also on show are armies of model super heroes and other characters produced by fevered imaginations. Kids from nine to 99 can be seen snapping up items to add to their collections.
DANONE’S BARCELONA ROOTS
The yoghurt at the heart of the French foodstuffs multinational Danone was first made and sold in Barcelona in 1919, when Isaac Carasso started a company he called Danone (after Danon, the diminutive of his son Daniel’s name). Daniel opened a Paris branch 10 years later, which in 1967 would join a French cheese company to create Gervais-Danone. Six years later, a glass and packaging group, BSN, swallowed up Gervais-Danone and eventually shed its glass business to put food products at the centre of its efforts. By now a thoroughly French multinational, few remember that its popular tub of yoghurt first saw the light of day in post-WWI Barcelona.
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EL CORTE INGLÉS Map Department Store
93 306 38 00; www.elcorteingles.es, in Spanish; Plaça de Catalunya 14; 10am-10pm Mon-Sat; Catalunya
The ‘English Court’ is Spain’s flagship department store, with everything you’d expect, from computers to cushions, and high fashion to homewares. The top floor is occupied by a so-so restaurant with fabulous city views. El Corte Inglés has other branches, including at Portal de l’Ańgel 19-21 (Map), Avinguda Diagonal 617 (Map) and Avinguda Diagonal 471-473 (Map), near Plaça de Francesc Macià.
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CUBIÑA Map Design
93 476 57 21; www.cubinya.es; Carrer de Mallorca 291; Verdaguer
Even if interior design doesn’t ring your bell, a visit to this extensive temple to furniture, lamps and just about any home accessory your heart might desire is worth it just to see this Domènech i Montaner building. Admire the enormous and whimsical wrought iron decoration at street level before heading inside to marvel at the ceiling, timber work, brick columns and windows. Oh, and don’t forget the furniture.
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VINÇON Map Design
93 215 60 50; www.vincon.com; Passeig de Gràcia 96; 10am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; Diagonal
An icon of the Barcelona design scene, Vinçon has the slickest furniture and household goods (particularly lighting), both local and imported. Not surprising, really, since the building, raised in 1899, belonged to the Modernista artist Ramon Casas. Head upstairs to the furniture area – from the windows and terrace you get close side views of La Pedrera.
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XAMPANY Map Drink
610 845011; Carrer de València 200; 4.30-10pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat; Passeig de Gràcia
Since 1981, this ‘Cathedral of Cava’ has been distributing bubbly to the local citizenry. It’s a veritable Aladdin’s cave of cava, with bottles of the stuff crammed high and into every possible chaotic corner of this dimly lit locale.
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ADOLFO DOMÍNGUEZ Map Fashion
93 487 41 70; www.adolfodominguezshop.com; Passeig de Gràcia 32; Passeig de Gràcia
One of the stars of Spanish prêt-à-porter, this label produces classic men’s and women’s garments from quality materials. Encompassing anything from regal party gowns to kids’ outfits (that might have you thinking of British aristocracy), the broad range generally oozes a conservative air, with elegant cuts that make no concessions to rebellious urban ideals.
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ANTONIO MIRÓ Map Fashion
93 487 06 70; www.antoniomiro.es, in Spanish; Carrer del Consell de Cent 349; 10am-8pm Mon-Sat; Passeig de Gràcia
Antonio Miró is one of Barcelona’s haute couture kings. The entrance to the airy store, with dark hardwood floor, seems more like a hip hotel reception. Miró concentrates on light, natural fibres to produce smart, unpretentious men’s and women’s fashion. High-end evening dresses and shimmering, smart suits lead the way. Or you could just settle for an Antonio Miró T-shirt.
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ARMAND BASI Map Fashion
93 215 14 21; www.armandbasi.com; Passeig de Gràcia 49; 10am-8pm Mon-Sat; Passeig de Gràcia
Local design star Basi appeals to a thirties and forties crowd with a slick line in casual elegance. Suits that are perfect without ties and made to impress at dinner or in the town’s top clubs match with stylish evening dresses. More casual shirts, trousers, tops and frocks broaden the range. Leather jackets and footwear complete the picture.
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GI JOE Map Fashion
93 329 96 52; Ronda de Sant Antoni 49; Liceu
Recently moved to this new address, this is the best central army-surplus warehouse. Get your khakis here, along with urban army fashion T-shirts. Throw in a holster, gas mask or sky-blue UN helmet for a kinkier effect.
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LOEWE Map Fashion
93 216 04 00; www.loewe.com; Passeig de Gràcia 35; 10am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; Passeig de Gràcia
Loewe is one of Spain’s leading and oldest fashion stores, founded in 1846. It specialises in luxury leather (shoes, accessories and travel bags), and also has lines in perfume, sunglasses, cuff links, silk scarves and jewellery. This branch opened in 1943 in the Modernista Casa Lleó Morera.
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PURIFICACIÓN GARCÍA Map Fashion
93 487 72 92; www.purificaciongarcia.es, in Spanish; Passeig de Gràcia 21; 10am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; Passeig de Gràcia
Ms García has an enormous spread of offerings over two floors in this generous corner store. Not only is the building extraordinary but so too are her collections, if only because of their breadth. You’ll find women’s cardigans and men’s ties, as well as light summer dresses and jeans.
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MANGO Map Fashion & Accessories
93 215 75 30; www.mango.com; Passeig de Gràcia 65; 10am-9pm Mon-Sat; Passeig de Gràcia
At home in the basement of a modest Modernista town house (check out the white, cast-iron columns inside) and a dozen other locations around town, Mango offers locally produced, affordable and mostly casual fashion for women and men. Smart but easy evening wear, skirts, jackets, high heels and leather bags for her contrast with collarless shirts, jeans, khakis and T-shirts for him.
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ELS ENCANTS VELLS Map Flea Market
Fira de Bellcaire; 93 246 30 30; www.encantsbcn.com, in Catalan; Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes; 7am-6pm Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat; Glòries
Also known as the Fira de Bellcaire, the ‘Old Charms’ flea market is the biggest of its kind in Barcelona. The markets moved here in 1928 from Avinguda de Mistral, near Plaça d’Espanya. It’s all here, from antique furniture through to secondhand clothes. A lot of it is junk, but occasionally you’ll stumble across a ganga (bargain). The most interesting time to be here is from 7am to 9am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when the public auctions take place. Debate on a future location for the market has ebbed and flowed for years but at the time of writing it was still firmly anchored to its spot on the north flank of the Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes.
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FLORISTERÍA NAVARRO Map Florist
93 457 40 99; www.floristeriasnavarro.com; Carrer de València 320; 24hr; Diagonal
You never know when you might need flowers. What better way to follow up the first night of a new romance than with a bunch of roses? No problem, because this florist never closes!
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JOAN MURRIÀ Map Food
93 215 57 89; www.murria.cat; Carrer de Roger de Llúria 85; Passeig de Gràcia
Ramon Casas designed the century-old Modernista shop front advertisements featured at this culinary coven. For a century the gluttonous have trembled here at this altar of speciality food goods from around Catalonia and beyond.
HUNTING FOR OLD STUFF
Antique collectors could set aside a Sunday morning for a trip to Mercantic (93 674 49 50; www.mercantic.com; Carrer de Rius i Taulet 120, Sant Cugat del Vallès; 9.30am-3pm; FGC lines S1, S2, S5 or S55), a collection of gaily painted timber huts occupied by antique and bric-a-brac dealers selling everything from restored furniture to dusty old telephones. The first Sunday of the month is delivery day, when the stall-holders take delivery of a new wave of old stuff. The permanent market, with some 80 stall holders, is open during the week too (9.30am to 8pm Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30am to 3pm Sunday). There’s also an activities and play area for children. A date to watch is the Antiquaris Barcelona (www.antiquarisbcn.com), an antiques fair usually held between late March and the first week of April.
DEATH BY CHOCOLATE
Spain has been importing cocoa from its South American colonies since the 16th century and, ever since, the pastry makers of Barcelona have been doing it greatest justice. The city’s love affair with chocolate is exemplified in the existence of a museum (p 86) dedicated to the stuff. Traditional purveyors of fine chocolates such as Escribà (p 185) have long operated alongside granjas (milk bars)and other similar outlets for sipping cups of the thick hot stuff (several of which you’ll find in the Eating chapter, p 166). Since the 1980s, they have been joined by a slew of chocolatiers whose creativity seems to know no bounds. Along with Bubó (p 177), Cacao Sampaka (p 159) and Xocoa (p 154), chocoholics should seek out the following:
Bocamel (Map p 82; 93 268 72 44; www.bocamel.com; Carrer del Comerç 8; Arc de Triomf)
Chocolat Factory (Map p 106; 93 215 02 73; www.chocolatfactory.com; Carrer de Provença 233; Diagonal)
Enric Rovira (Map p 122; 93 419 25 47; www.enricrovira.com; Avinguda de Josep Tarradellas 113; Entença)
Oriol Balaguer (Map p 122; 93 201 18 46; www.oriolbalaguer.com; Plaça de Sant Gregori Taumaturg 2; FGC La Bonanova)
Pastisseria Natcha (Map p 122; 93 430 10 70; www.natcha.cat; Avinguda de Sarrià 45; Hospital Clínic)
Richart (Map p 122; 93 202 02 40; www.richart.com; Carrer de Muntaner 463; FGC La Bonanova)
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NOSOTRAOS Map Gay & Lesbian
93 451 51 34; http://nosotras.cat; Carrer de Casanova 56; Urgell
Everything from gay girl calendars to bear T-shirts and books appear in this multifacted gay and lesbian store in the heart of the ‘Gaixample’.
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BAGUÉS Map Jewellery
93 216 01 74; www.bagues.com; Passeig de Gràcia 41; Passeig de Gràcia
This jewellery store, in business since the 19th century, is in thematic harmony with its location in the Modernista Casa Amatller. Some of the classic pieces of jewellery to come out of the Bagués clan’s workshops have an equally playful, Modernista bent.
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SERGIO ARANDA Map Jewellery
93 451 44 04; www.sergioaranda.com; Carrer de València 201; Diagonal
Trained in the art of jewellery creation in Switzerland, Aranda produces an original line of goods, including jewellery made using ancient coins. He also specializes in pearls, making all sorts of original and even daring necklaces and other items for ladies looking for something combining the extroverted and unique with the classic.
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REGIA Map Perfume
93 216 01 21; www.regia.es, in Catalan & Spanish; Passeig de Gràcia 39; 9.30am-8.30pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-8.30pm Sat; Passeig de Gràcia
Reputed to be one of the best perfume stores in the city and in business since 1928, Regia stocks all the name brands and also has a private perfume museum (Click here) out the back. Aside from the range of perfumes, Regia sells all sorts of creams, lotions and colognes. It also has its own line of bath products.
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CAMPER Map Shoes
93 215 63 90; www.camper.com; Carrer de València 249; Passeig de Gràcia
What started as a modest Mallorcan family business (the island has a long shoemaking tradition) has over the decades become the Clarks of Spain. Camper shoes, from the eminently sensible to the stylishly fashionable, are known for solid reliability and are sold all over the world. It has eight shops in Barcelona.
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FARRUTX Map Shoes
93 215 06 85; www.farrutx.es; Carrer de Rosselló 218; Diagonal
Another Mallorcan shoemaker, Farrutx specialises in exclusive upmarket footwear for uptown gals. You might fall for high-heeled summer sandals or elegant winter boots. There are matching bags and leather jackets, and even a limited line in men’s footwear.
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GRÀCIA & PARK GÜELL
A wander along the narrow lanes of Gràcia turns up all sorts of surprises, mostly tiny enterprises producing anything from printed T-shirts to handmade table lamps. They tend to come and go, so you never quite know what you might turn up. Carrer de Verdi has plenty of interesting threads shops.
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HIBERNIAN Map#x00A0;#x00A0;#x00A0;#x00A0;#x00A0;Books
93 217 47 96; Carrer de Montseny 17; 4-8.30pm Mon, 10.30am-8.30pm Tue-Sat; Fontana
The biggest secondhand English bookshop in Barcelona stocks thousands of titles covering all sorts of subjects, from cookery to children’s classics.
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ÉRASE UNA VEZ Map Fashion
93 217 29 77; Carrer de Goya 7; Fontana
‘Once Upon a Time’ is the name of this fanciful boutique, which brings out the princess in you (and not a pumpkin in sight). It offers women’s clothes, almost exclusively evening wear, to suit most tastes and occasions. Local designers such as Llamazares y de Delgado and Zazo & Brull are behind these sometimes sumptuous creations.
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RED MARKET Map Fashion
93 218 63 33; Carrer de Verdi 20; Fontana
Several funky fashion boutiques dot this street, best known to locals for the queues outside the art-house cinema. Here you run into bright, uninhibited urban wear and accessories. Red dominates the decor more than the threads, and various brands of various things, from shoes to tops, are on offer.
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LA ZONA ALTA
Although many of Barcelona’s better-off folks descend from the ‘High Zone’ to L’Eixample to shop, there are still plenty of trendy little boutiques scattered around La Zona Alta. Passeig de la Bonanova, for example, has quite a liberal spread. It’s perhaps a little far off to be of much interest to tourists but can nevertheless make for an interesting shopping experience.
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JAMIN PUECH Map Accessories
93 414 45 66; www.jamin-puech.com; Carrer de Calvet 44; FGC Muntaner
For beautiful quality bags and accessories designed by a Paris-based French couple who have forged an international reputation since the early 1990s (with shops in Paris, London, New York and Tokyo), it will be hard to resist a stop in this, their only store in Spain. They turn out 100 new models a year, with ‘ingredients’ ranging from silk to wood, and rattan to leather.
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LAVINIA Map Drink
93 363 44 45; www.lavinia.es, in Spanish; Avinguda Diagonal 605; 10am-9pm Mon-Sat; Maria Cristina
This huge, modern wine store with designer pretensions takes anything but a traditional approach to its products. In classy supermarket style, Lavinia (a shop that originated in Madrid) presents a seemingly endless selection of wine, both from around Spain and the rest of the world. It has a branch at the airport, too.
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BEA BEA Map Fashion
93 414 29 55; Carrer de Calvet 39; FGC Muntaner
In a bright and spacious locale, women find something to suit most generations and a range of tastes. Younger, carefree styles sit side by side with more classical skirts, jackets and accoutrements for uptown dames. Shoes and bags can also be had, making this a potential single stop for a full outfit refit.
AN OUTLET OUTING
For the ultimate discount fashion overdose, head out of town for some outlet shopping at La Roca Village (off Map p 100; 93 842 39 39; www.larocavillage.com; La Roca del Vallès; 11am-8.30pm Mon-Thu, 11am-9pm Fri, 10am-10pm Sat). Here, a village has been given over to consumer madness. At a long line of Spanish and international fashion boutiques, you’ll find clothes, shoes, accessories and designer homewares at (they claim) up to 60% off normal retail prices.
To get here, follow the AP-7 tollway north from Barcelona, take exit 12 (marked Cardedeu) and follow the signs for La Roca. The Sagalés bus company (902 130014; www.sagales.com) organises shuttles from Plaça de Catalunya (€12 return; 40 minutes; 10am, 4pm and 6pm, Monday to Saturday May to September, Monday, Friday and Saturday October to April). Alternatively, take a slower bus of the same company from Fabra i Puig metro station (€2.90 each way; up to four departures Monday to Friday, does not run in August) or a rodalies train to Granollers and pick up the shuttle (Monday to Friday only) or a taxi there.
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SIETE BESOS Map Fashion
93 200 67 34; Carrer d’Amigó 55; FGC Muntaner
A bijou store surrounded by bigger and shriller competition, the ‘Seven Kisses’ is an attractive treasure treat for women’s fashion. Styles can be cheeky and nonconformist but not at all vintage or jeansy. Pretty, light-hearted dresses vie for your attention with pants and tops, all at pretty reasonable prices, considering the part of town you’re in.
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LA BOTIGA DEL BARÇA Map Souvenirs
93 492 31 11; http://shop.fcbarcelona.com; Carrer de Arístides Maillol; 10am-9pm Mon-Sat; Collblanc
For some, football is the meaning of life. If you fall into that category, your idea of shopping heaven may well be this store at the football museum next to Camp Nou stadium. Here you will find shirts, key rings, footballs – pretty much anything you can think of, all featuring the famous red and blue colours. It has branches all over town, including at Maremàgnum (Click here) and Carrer de Jaume I 18 (Map).