Catalunya 
934 120 810, 
macba.cat. Mon & Wed–Fri 11am–8pm, Sat 10am–8pm, Sun & hols 10am–3pm, September 10am–8pm; €10.The Old Town area west of the Ramblas is known as El Raval (from the Arabic word for suburb), and has always formed a world apart from the nobler Gothic quarter. Traditionally a red-light area, and once notorious for its sleazy Barri Xinès (China Town), it still has some very seedy corners (particularly south of Carrer de Sant Pau), though it’s changing rapidly, notably in the “upper Raval” around Barcelona’s contemporary art museum, MACBA. Cutting-edge galleries, designer restaurants and fashionable bars are all part of the scene these days, while an arty, affluent crowd rubs shoulders with the area’s Asian and North African immigrants and the older, traditional residents. Metros Catalunya, Liceu, Drassanes and Paral.lel serve the neighbourhood.
Pl. dels Àngels 1 Catalunya 934 120 810, macba.cat. Mon & Wed–Fri 11am–8pm, Sat 10am–8pm, Sun & hols 10am–3pm, September 10am–8pm; €10.
The iconic contemporary art museum – with a stark main facade constructed entirely of glass – anchors the regenerated upper Raval. The collection represents the main movements in art since 1945, mainly (but not exclusively) in Catalunya and Spain, and depending on the changing exhibitions you may catch works by major names such as Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies or Eduardo Chillida. Joan Brossa, leading light of the Catalan Dau al Set group of the 1950s, also has work here. There are free guided tours of the permanent collection (tour times vary; check website for details), and a good museum shop.
Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona
Chris Christoforou
MAP. Pl. Salvador Seguí 1–9 Liceu filmoteca.cat. Cinema Tue–Fri 5–10pm, Sat & Sun 4.30–10pm. Exhibition Hall Tue–Sun 4–9pm. €4.
The Josep Lluís Mateo-designed Filmoteca de Catalunya marks yet another step in the government’s push to revitalize El Raval. Opened in early 2012, the building has two below-ground cinemas, as well as a film library, a bookshop and spaces for permanent and temporary cinema-related exhibitions. All the films are shown in their original language with Spanish or Catalan subtitles.
C/Montalegre 5 Catalunya 933 064 100, cccb.org. Tue–Sun 11am–8pm. €6, free Sun after 3pm.
There’s a wide range of city-related exhibitions on show at the contemporary culture centre (ranging from photography to architecture), as well as a varied cinema, concert and festival programme. The imaginatively restored building was once an infamous workhouse and asylum, and the main courtyard still retains its old tile panels and presiding statue of patron saint, Sant Jordi. At the back, the C3 café-bar makes the most of its terrassa overlooking the modern square joining the CCCB to MACBA.
CCCB
Roger Mapp
Catalunya.
The Raval’s nicest traffic-free square lies just a few minutes’ walk from MACBA. The small playground here is well used by local families, and the arcaded square features a first-rate café, the Kasparo – a real find if you’re looking for a break from sightseeing. Meanwhile, around the corner are several other cafés, while the narrow Carrer del Bonsuccés, Carrer Sitges and Carrer dels Tallers house a concentrated selection of the city’s best independent music stores, and urban- and streetwear shops.
The beat from the street
The Barcelona sound – mestiza – is a cross-cultural musical fusion whose heartland is the immigrant melting-pot of the Raval. Parisian-born Barcelona resident Manu Chao kick-started the whole genre, but check out the Carrer dels Tallers music stores for the other flag-bearers – Cheb Balowski (Algerian–Catalan fusion), Ojos de Brujo (Catalan flamenco and rumba), GoLem System (dub/reggae) and Macaco (rumba, raga, hip-hop).
El Gato del Raval
Chris Christoforou
Entrances on C/del Carme and C/de l’Hospital Liceu 935 537 801, santpaubarcelona.org. Mon–Sat 9.30am–6.30pm, Sun 9.30am–2.30pm (Nov–March Mon–Sat 9.30am–4.30pm, Sun 9.30am–2.30pm). €14, guided tour daily 10.30am. €19, first Sun of the month free.
The neighbourhood’s most historic relic is the Gothic hospital complex founded in 1402. After the hospital shifted location in 1930, the buildings were subsequently converted to cultural and educational use (including the Catalan national library), and visitors and students now wander freely through the charming medieval cloistered garden. Inside the C/del Carme entrance (on the right) you can see some superb seventeenth-century decorative tiles, while opposite is a remarkable eighteenth-century anatomical theatre inside the Reial Acadèmia de Medicina (open Wed only 10am–noon; free; ring the bell). The hospital’s former chapel, La Capella (entered separately from C/de l’Hospital), is an exhibition space for new contemporary artists.
Liceu.
The most obvious manifestation of the changing character of El Raval is the palm-lined boulevard that was gouged through former tenements and alleys, providing a huge pedestrianized space between C/de l’Hospital and C/de Sant Pau. The rambla has a distinct character all of its own, mixing kebab joints, phone shops and grocery stores with an increasing number of fashionable cafés and bars. Signature building, halfway down, is the glow-in-the-dark, designer Barceló Raval hotel, while kids find it hard to resist a clamber on the bulbous cat sculpture. A weekend street market (selling everything from samosas to hammocks) adds a bit more character.
Just off the top of the rambla, Carrer de la Riera Baixa is at the centre of the city’s second-hand and vintage clothing scene. A dozen funky little independent clothes shops provide the scope for an hour’s browsing.
High-society hotel
Some of the most influential names in Catalan modernista design came together to transform the dowdy nineteenth-century Hotel España (MAP; C/de Sant Pau 9–11; www.hotelespanya.com) into one of the city’s most lavish addresses. With a gloriously tiled dining room, an amazing marble fireplace and a mural-clad ballroom, the hotel was the fashionable sensation of its day. A contemporary restoration has done a wonderful job of showing off the classy interior – there are guided tours (€5) on Tuedays (12.15pm) and Fridays (4.30pm). In the summer no tours are available.
Palau Güell
Roger Mapp
C/Nou de la Rambla 3–5 Liceu 934 725 775, palauguell.cat. Tue–Sun & hols 10am–8pm (Nov–March until 5.30pm), last admission 1hr before closing. €12, first Sun of the month free.
El Raval’s outstanding building is the extraordinary townhouse designed (1886–90) by the young Antoni Gaudí for a wealthy industrialist. At a time when other architects sought to conceal the iron supports within buildings, Gaudí displayed them instead as decorative features. Columns, arches and ceilings are all shaped and twisted in an elaborate style that was to become the hallmark of Gaudí’s later works, while the roof terrace culminates in a fantastical series of tiled chimneys. Visitor numbers are limited – expect to queue or to receive a time-specific ticket.
C/de Sant Pau 101 Paral.lel 934 410 001. Mon–Sat 10am–1.30pm & 4–7.30pm. Admission to cloister €3.
The unusual name of the church of Sant Pau del Camp (St Paul of the Field) is a graphic reminder that it once stood in open countryside beyond the city walls. Sant Pau was a Benedictine foundation of the tenth century, and above the main entrance are primitive thirteenth-century carvings of fish, birds and faces, while others adorn the charming cloister.
C/del Comte d’Urgell 1 Sant Antoni mercatdesantantoni.com. Mon–Sat 8am–8pm.
The neighbourhood’s impressive nineteenth-century produce market is another that’s been entirely remodelled and reopened. The new central foyer is designed to accentuate the remaining medieval structure. There are stalls with fresh produce and a flea market and, on Sundays, a book market outside the building. The traditional bolt hole is Els Tres Tombs, the restaurant-bar on the corner of Ronda de Sant Antoni, open from 6am until late for a good-natured mix of locals, market traders and tourists.
C/d’Elisabets 6 Catalunya lacentral.com. Mon–Fri 10am–9pm, Sat 10.30am–9pm.
Occupying a unique space in the former Misericordia chapel, this is a fantastically stocked arts and humanities treasure-trove, with books piled high in every nook and cranny and a big English-language section. There are further outlets in MACBA (contemporary art museum) and MUHBA (Barcelona History Museum).
C/Joaquin Costa 62 Universitat fantastik.es. Mon–Fri 11am–2pm & 4–8.30pm, Sat 11am–3pm & 4–9pm.
Beguiling gifts, crafts and covetable objects from four continents. You’ll never know how you lived without them, whether it’s Chinese robots, African baskets, Russian domino sets or Vietnamese kitchen scales.
Gotham
Alamy
Map.
C/Lleó 28 Universitat 934 124 647, gotham-bcn.com. Mon–Fri 5–8pm, other times by appointment only.
This stylish shop is the place to come for retro (1950s to 1980s) furniture, lighting, homeware, accessories and original designs.
Pl. Castella 2 Universitat holala-ibiza.com. Mon–Sat 11am–9pm.
Vintage heaven in a warehouse setting (up past CCCB), for denim, flying jackets, Hawaiian shirts, baseball gear and much, much more. Also check out the other Raval stores at C/Riera Baixa 11 and C/dels Tallers 73.
C/dels Tallers 11 Catalunya 934 126 248, revolverrecords.es. Mon–Sat 10am–9pm.
Revólver Records sells the city’s best selection of vinyl and CDs at the lowest prices. It’s defiantly old school: a record shop like they used to make them.
C/dels Tallers 35 Catalunya 653 641 546, vintagekilo.com. Mon–Sat 11am–9pm.
Trendy second-hand vintage clothing from the 70s and 80s sold by the kilo, ranging from biker jackets to Hawaiian shirts. The stock is varied, stylish and carefully selected with a lot of North American gems.
C/Pintor Fortuny 31 Catalunya 933 178 892. Mon 9.30am–5.30pm, Tue–Fri 9.30am–1am, Sat 10am–1am, Sun 10am–5.30pm
A place with a slightly hipster vibe and sparse but elegant decor. Offers delicious breakfasts and brunches you can wash down with great coffee. If you're looking for a drink with your breakfast, you won't be disappointed either.
Rambla de Raval 47 Liceu 934 415 714. Mon 8am–2pm & 6–9pm, Tue 10am–2pm & 5–6pm, Wed 8am–2pm & 5–9pm, Thu 8am–noon & 2–10pm, Fri 7am–1am, Sat midnight–1am & 11am–midnight, Sun 1pm-9pm.
One of the first off the blocks in this revamped neighbourhood, and still perhaps the best, plonking thrift-shop chairs and tables beneath exposed pipes and girders and coming up with something cute, cosy, mellow and arty. Locals meet for breakfast, sandwiches and tapas.
C/Xuclà 4–6 Catalunya 933 183 486, granjaviader.cat. Mon–Sat 9am–1.15pm & 5–9.15pm.
The oldest traditional granja (milk bar) in town is a real historical survivor – it has a plaque outside for services to the city. The original owner was the inventor of “Cacaolat”, but you could also try mel i mató (curd cheese and honey).
Pl. Vicenç Martorell 4 Catalunya 933 022 072, kasparo.es. Summer: Tue–Sat 9am–midnight, winter: Tue–Sat 9am–10.30pm closed 4 weeks over Dec & Jan.
A place to relax, in the arcaded corner of a quiet square, with outdoor seating year-round. There’s muesli, Greek yoghurt and toast and jam for early birds. Later, sandwiches, tapas and assorted platos del dia (dishes of the day) are on offer – things like hummus and bread, vegetable quiche or couscous.
Granja M. Viader
Alamy
Map.
C/de la Unió 17 Liceu 932 703 458, barcanete.com. Mon–Sat 1pm–midnight.
Gleaming mirrors, dark wood furnishings and white-clad waiters set the scene for some of the city’s classiest tapas, featuring premium ingredients (and pricetags to match if you don’t choose carefully). Take your pick from classic seafood and meat dishes sourced fresh from the local market.
C/Valldonzella 46 Universitat 933012 939, restaurantestevet.com. Mon–Sat 1–3.30pm & 7.30–10.45pm.
Ca l’Estevet, an unshifting rock in the fickle seas of foodie fashions, has been serving up old-school Catalan cuisine since 1940 (and, under a different name, for 50 years before that). The practice has made perfect; try the €18 lunch menu or tuck into grilled botifarra sausages, roasted kid or escudella i carn d’olla (meat stew).
Map.
C/d’Elisabets 9 Catalunya 933 040 513, dospalillos.com. Tue & Wed 7.30–11.30pm, Thu–Sat 1.30–3.30pm & 7.30–11.30pm; closed 2 weeks in Dec/Jan & 3 weeks in Aug.
Albert Raurich, former chef de cuisine at “world’s best restaurant” El Bulli, swapped Catalan food for Asian fusion after falling in love with Japan. Try his à la carte dim sum in the front galley bar (from steamed dumplings to grilled oysters and stir-fried prawns, average spend €30) or book for the back room where tasting menus (€75 and €90) wade their way through the highlights.
C/d’Elisabets 2 Catalunya 933 175 826, elisabets1962.com. Mon–Thu 7.30am–midnight, Fri 7.30am–1am, Sat 9am–midnight; closed Aug.
Reliable Catalan home cooking served at cramped tables in a jovial brick-walled dining room. Everyone piles in early for breakfast, the hearty lunch (1–4pm) is hard to beat for price, or you can just have tapas, sandwiches and drinks at the bar.
Dos Palillos
Alamy
C/de les Carretes 63 Paral.lel 934 415 934. Daily 1pm–11.45pm.
This down-to-earth Galician bar-restaurant is a firm favourite with neighbourhood families, who bring their kids before they can even walk. The weekday menú del dia is a steal – maybe lentil broth followed by grilled trout – while traditional Galician dishes like octopus or the combinado Gallego (“ham, salami, ear”) go down well with the regulars. Lunch is around €12, otherwise most dishes €7–15, and there’s a good-natured bang on the clog gong for anyone who leaves a tip.
C/de Sant Pau 110 Liceu 931 796 805. Daily 1.30pm–1.30am, Fri & Sat till 3am.
A tiny place with authentic Mexican cuisine. Great tacos and amazing quesadillas attract crowds, so be ready for a long (up to 1.5hrs) wait at its most crowded - but be patient, it's definitely worth it. The experience will be complete if you order a margarita cocktail, too. Cash only.
C/Sant Pau 28 Liceu 933 189 381, restaurante-romesco.blogspot.com. Mon–Fri 1–11.30pm, Sat 1–4pm & 8–11.30pm; closed Aug.
As long as you accept Romesco’s limitations (dining under strip lights, gruff waiters) you can hardly go wrong, as the most expensive thing on the menu is a €10 grilled steak and most dishes go for €6 or less. It’s basic but good, with big salads, country broths and grilled veg to start, followed by tuna steak, lamb chops or grilled prawns from the market.
C/Sant Antoni Abat 52 Sant Antoni 934 416 411. Tue–Sun 7pm–midnight.
A classy fusion tapas place offering up a vegetarian-orientated chalkboard menu of innovative dishes that roll out of an open kitchen. Try veggie-stuffed courgette rolls (a sort of Catalan sushi), slow-roast tomato tart or a daily risotto and pasta dish, all in the €7–15 range. The Catalan wines and cheeses are a high point too.
Rambla de Raval 43 Liceu 934 436 579, suculent.com. Wed–Sun 1pm–4pm & 8–11.30pm; closed for two weeks in August.
As well as meaning “succulent”, the name of this bistro is a play on the Catalan words sucar lent – to dip slowly – and you’ll do just that, using fresh, warm bread to mop up sauces from dish after lip-smacking dish. The steak tartare on grilled marrowbone (€15) will put hairs on your chest and bring tears of joy to your eyes. The same team of chefs also serves tapas a few doors down at Taverna del Suculent.
A Tu Bola
A Tu Bola
C/de Hospital 78 Liceu 933 153 244, atubolarest.com. Mon–Fri 1pm–midnight (Wed 11pm), Sat & Sun 1pm–1am.
Falafel-like balls of fresh ingredients come in unexpected but delightful flavour combinations here. Home-made harissa and soft drinks bear hallmarks of the attention to detail that lifts this far above typical street-food standard. There aren’t many seats and prices are low (about €12 a head) so expect a wait at busy times.
La ConfiterÍa
Chris Christoforou
C/de Joaquin Costa 33 Universitat 933 189 917, casaalmirall.com. Mon 4.30pm–1.30am, Tue & Wed 4pm–2.30am, Thur noon–2.30am, Fri & Sat noon–3am, Sun noon–00.30am.
Dating from 1860, Barcelona’s oldest bar is a modernista classic – make sure you check out the ornate doors, marble counter, vintage furniture and stupendous, glittering bar. It’s long been a venerated leftist hangout and because it’s not too young and not too loud, it’s always good for a late-night drink away from the party crowd.
C/de Joaquín Costa 56 Universitat 933 041 368. Daily 7pm–2.30am.
With a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and a vibe somewhere between a student lounge and a beach bar, Betty Ford’s is a bouncy place full of bouncy young things sipping colourful cocktails and cold Australian beer. You can deal with the late-night munchies by getting to grips with their famed burger menu.
C/de Sant Pau 128 Paral.lel. Mon–Thu 7pm–2am, Fri and Sat 6pm–3am, Sun 5pm–2am.
This old bakery and confectioner’s – carved wood bar, faded tile floor, murals, antique chandeliers and mirrored cabinets – is now a popular bar and meeting point. It’s out on a limb in the Raval, but the glorious interior is certainly worth a detour, and it’s a handy stop-off in any case on the way to a night out in Poble Sec.
C/de Riera Alta 4–6 Sant Antoni 934 423 966, marmaladebarcelona.com. Mon–Thu 7pm–2am, Fri and Sat 10am–2.30am, Sun 10am–2am.
A hugely glam facelift for the old Muebles Navarro furniture store goes for big, church-like spaces and a backlit Art Deco bar that resembles a high altar. Cocktails, bistro meals and gourmet burgers pull in a relaxed dine-and-lounge crowd, and there’s a popular weekend brunch too. If you like the style, give the more informal Barri Gòtic sister bar, Milk, a whirl.
C/de Sant Pau 65 Liceu 934 427 263. Daily 10pm–2.30am.
Authentic, atmospheric, sleaze-period bar – named after the French port of Marseilles – where absinthe is the drink of choice. It’s frequented by a spirited mix of oddball locals and young trendies, all looking for a slice of the old Barri Xines.
C/Riera Baixa 22 Sant Antoni 934 412 948. Mon–Thu 6pm–1am, Fri 6pm–2am, Sat 1pm–2am.
A decayed, century-old bar turned into a cool hangout with decent tapas, from veggie bruschette to steamed mussels. They didn’t do much – a lick of paint, polish the panelling, patch up the brickwork – but now punters spill out of the door onto “secondhand clothes street” and a good time is had by all.
C/del Carme 116 Sant Antoni zelig-barcelona.com. Tue–Thu & Sun 11am–2am, Fri & Sat 11am–3am.
The photo-frieze on granite walls and a fully stocked cocktail bar make it very much of its barri, but Zelig stands out from the crowd. It offers a chatty welcome, a tendency towards 1980s sounds and a slight whiff of camp.
C/Riereta 7 Sant Antoni 933 299 009, llantiol.com. Shows daily 8.30pm–midnight.
Local-language theatre isn’t accessible to nonspeakers, but you might want to give this idiosyncratic café-cabaret a try. As well as Catalan-language plays, there are shows featuring a mix of mime, song, clowning, magic and dance, and sometimes there’s English-language standup comedy too.Tickets €10–15.
C/Guardia 14 Drassanes 933 024 118, laconchadelraval.com.Sun–Thu 5pm–2.30am, Fri–Sat 5pm–3.30am.
The Arab-flamenco fusion here creates a great atmosphere, worth braving the slightly dodgy area for. It’s a kitsch, gay-friendly joint, dedicated to the “incandescent presence” of Sara Montiel, Queen of Song and Cinema (and LGBT icon), with uninhibited dancing by tourists and locals alike. Admission free.
C/Requesens 2 Sant Antoni 933 290 020, tallerdemusics.com.
This is a great place for inexpensive (€6–8) gigs in a tiny sweatbox of a club associated with the Taller de Musics (music school). Every night from around 7.45 or 8pm there’s something different, from exuberant rock, blues, jazz and jam sessions to the popular weekly Cuban (Thuday) and flamenco (Friday) nights. There are usually a couple of sessions a night, with an interval in between – your first drink is included in the price, and the bar is as cheap as chips.
C/Arc del Teatre 3 Drassanes 933 191 789, masimas.com. Mon–Thu 9pm–4am, Fri 9pm–2am.
Influential club with a minimalist look, playing techno, electro, drum ’n’ bass and trance to a cool but up-for-it crowd. There’s a second, less manic dancefloor as well. Admission €10.
Moog
Chris Christoforou