Pedro Ghinaglia (1973)

If you visit La Terrassa your first impression will be “this is a very common place but there’s still something about it” and I will tell you why: this place looks like the most of Spanish bars but if you pay attention you’ll understand how special it is.

I won’t lie to you: I go there everyday. I chose that place among a lot of bars in the same zone because of the kind and warm attention you will receive for sure. Its owner, affectionately called “Flores” (Flowers) by his frequent clients, is a very special person. He will address you with respect, he’s a polite man who enjoys attending with a smile on his face.

Don’t forget to eat something too. You should try the typical “Patatas bravas”or the “Spanish tortilla”; I think these and other common “tapas” are better at La Terrassa than other bars in Barcelona.

La Terrassa is not just a bar but a special meeting point in that neighborhood. You will hear its frequent customers talking about sports, politics, jokes or chess. The last discussion I heard there it was based on someone who said that he used to see that some hotels prepare fried eggs in the oven instead of frying them because it’s faster and cheap. Obviously, nobody agreed with that weird claim so it was a great chance to make jokes about eggs. I bet they’re still talking about this while the guy who said that is trying to enjoy his beer in peace.

I will talk about one of my favourite places at Gracia but I must confess it’s not easy for me to explain why I love it so much. It’s a bar called Café Suec and they offer nothing more than what a bar usually offers. However I know this place will surprise you in a very special way.

Sometimes it’s hard to find a table at a terrace in Gracia (especially in summer) . The table you want may be occupied by some people reading the largest book possible and all they ordered was a coffee maybe 2 hours ago. Accept it… They won’t leave. Never.

They could read that book twice times under the shadow of some beautiful huge tree but it seems for them the reading time becomes especially delightful if they can make 4 persons unhappy because anyone can use that table while they’re sat memorizing a dictionary. Indeed, it’s a pity for the bar’s owner too. He would prefer you as a customer for sure.

What to do? Easy! Invite the bar owner to share some beers at the Café Suec. Who knows? Maybe you can make a new friend. It’s just a bar, it’s just a beer, it’s just you. That’s the reason I recommend this place. People who go to the Suec know what they want and what they can get there.

I can’t help experiencing it as a very cozy corner, sometimes a solution, sometimes a relief too.

Don’t forget to ask for their mojitos!

I’m going to talk about one of your favourite places in Barcelona, even though probably you don’t know it yet. If you consider yourself as a “Special-Corners Hunter” and you enjoy Thai food you really have to know El Petit Bangkok. It’s a tiny cozy restaurant that can hold just a few people, that’s why it’s always convenient calling to make a reservation before going there.

If you live in Barcelona you know that there are a lot of places that pretend to be much more than they can really offer. This never happens with El Petit Bangkok because it’s a place without other aspirations beyond of what it actually is: A tiny Thai corner.

If you’re looking for a special way to start a remarkable night or ending a hard day I recommend this place to you. The main secret of this place is perhaps its simplicity and quality. The price is honestly fair, considering the culinary offer in this city.

If you go once, you will go twice… at least.

Update: They just moved to a new address about one block away. (Check it out!) It’s one bigger yet cosy place. Enjoy!

One of the most important advantages of living in Barcelona is discovering its wish of becoming a cosmopolitan city every day. I know that someday, near in the future, Barcelona will be what it could be thanks to the effort of those persons who come from other regions of the world to bring their vision, their colors and original flavors.

A Casa Portuguesa is a great example of the cultural riches you can enjoy while living here.

A Casa Portuguesa is a little place located at Barrio de Gracia that proudly offers a wonderful selection of the very often unknown culinary treasure of Portugal. It’s not really a restaurant but more of a Portuguese sampler; A place to find lost flavors and scents that can describe a beautiful heritage.

Just entering you feel you’re in a special place. You will find a good selection of wines and some other delicatessen from Portugal. Attention is polite and warm. If you’re lucky you could enjoy their well cared patisserie or confectionery with a cup of coffee or tea comfortably at one of their few tables.

If you feel yourself curious to taste the flavors from a past you never knew about, go there and try a Pastel deBelém with sugar and cinnamon topping. Don’t say later I did not talk about this place.

Nice trip!

As coffee lovers we know perfectly that having a good cup of coffee it’s not just drinking a coffee.

This magical beverage needs some conditions to be properly enjoyed. At Liadísimo Café you will find the most of these conditions. Perhaps the first and most important it could be the kind attention you will receive for sure. Ohh! I know! A good service could be hard to find sometimes… But at Liadísimo’s this good service is guaranteed.

I’ve known this place since it opened a couple of years ago. It’s very near to my house so you can find me there almost every afternoon around 18:00. The Liadísimo Café is a sort of “Central’s Perk” for me and my friends. We’re used to meet there and share some drinks and talk about our day and plan some common projects and keep updated with our lives.

I recommend you go and enjoy a coffee there, never mind if you’re alone or not, you can ask for the wide variety of teas and other drinks they can offer always with a big smile attached to the service. They’re also English speakers and I’m sure they would help you if you have any doubts about this city.

Once you’ve gained new energy to take another hike you can walk to see another Gaudi’s oddity: Casa Viçens, located just two blocks away at Barrio de Gracia. Feel free to explore this neighbourhood; I’m sure you will discover new places and experiences.