Looking for places to stay / things to do (and things not to do / places not to stay 😉 )

Anyone got any recommendations?

Cheers

Just about everyone I know who's been to Barcelona has been pick-pocketed or an attempt made
keep two wallets – the one with most of your money & cards in very safe & don't use it in public

Stay anywhere near the Ramblas. You don't need advice on what to do. Just go and look around. There's absolutely loads and loads to see and do

Barcelona is the best city in the world. FACT! Its ace!!!! You'll love it!!!!!

Lots. Hang out in the old town and see all the Gaudi stuff for starters.

eat tapas

…. washed down with copious amounts of white wine sat in the sun on one of the bars on the harbour

eat tapas

Rare in Barcelona

Gaudi gaudi gaudi – plus a bit of Picasso and Miro and a wander round up on the hill by the Olympic stuff and the Ramblas… and the pickpockets.

Time Out guide book is excellent. I'd reccomend that for finding great places to eat and stuff to do.

Awesome city. Try Set Portes down by the Marina for lunchtime Paella and people watching. Ginger is a cool little bar in the old town and as above all the Gaudi stuff. Keep your wallet out of sight (although i had no problems).

Get yourself the Time Out guide to eating & drinking in Barcalona.

If you love cities with lots of history you'll love it, oh and theres a great little bar on the west side of the Olympic hill where you can have a beer and watch the sun go down, which is really cool.

I'm very jealous

Go to one of the great basque restaurants. Such as:

http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/spain/barcelona/review-48263.html

MMM – Tapas

You have to find this place – stunning taps – a little pricey, but worth it…. oh – ans allow time to queue – very popular for business folks long lunches…

Also – do the (to us) usual trick of going off the main drag by a street or 3 and use the locals' coffee shops – cheap as chips and just good fun in that 'basic' kind of way…

Sagrada Famillia – if it's your kind of thing (not talking about the religion side of it..) give it a lot of hours – a truly amazing place….

eat tapas

Rare in Barcelona

Pinxtos seemed more common, they;re a bit like a cross between tapas and sushi.

Smaller and usually tastier than regular tapas.

Raval area seemed most happening when I was there.

Juan Miro museum was really good too, and the hill up there is worth a mooch around.

Barcelona is the best city in the world. FACT!

It's not, but it is a stunning city. Better than Leeds.

got back yesterday from 4 days in Barca.

http://www.casacamper.com/barcelona/default-en.html

A truly GREAT hotel. Great location, great staff, great food.

Eat here

http://www.7puertas.com/angles/index.htm

sit downstairs. if they try and put you upstairs with the other tourist just say you will wait for a table. Order the Irish coffee. mmmmmm.

go to the food market which is just off Las Ramblas – fish just out of the sea, fried under your nose, cheap, delish!

a really good restaurant we went to (after several recommendations) was Los Caracoles

as for sightseeing, sagrada familia was undoubtedly the highlight, and parc guell was pretty cool too

It very much depends on your budget. I stayed here:

http://www.hotelmiramarbarcelona.com/

Fantastic location in the Montjuic district.(10 mins walk to las ramblas)

If you fancy really splashing out on a proper authentic meal. Eat here.

http://www.loscaracoles.es/index1.htm

Not cheap, but just check out the guest list (famosos) on the website!!!

The food is amazing and some of the dishes are cooked in a charcoal oven in the street. And to get into the restaurant from the bar, you squeeze through the kitchen.

One of the best meals of my life

Great city 😀 My favourite bits were all the Gaudi stuff and the Gothic Quarter. Didn't get pickpocketed or feel unsafe at any time tbh. We stayed in the Gran Torre Catalunya which was very nice and close to metro stations 🙂

If you fancy really splashing out on a proper authentic meal. Eat here.

http://www.loscaracoles.es/index1.htm

Not cheap, but just check out the guest list (famosos) on the website!!!

The food is amazing and some of the dishes are cooked in a charcoal oven in the street. And to get into the restaurant from the bar, you squeeze through the kitchen.

One of the best meals of my life

Agreed. Just walking to the table through the kitchen with the flames leaping from the cookers is an experience I won't forget.

any more recommendations for hotels?

Have a night in the Bagdhad Club. Don't take children to the Bagdhad Club.

My Fav city in I have been too. The hotel Jardi in the Gothic quarter just off the ramblas is a great base. Basic but superb location and cheap. Lets face it, you wont be spending much time other than sleeping there. There is just so much to see and do.

We took out an apartment not far from Barcelona's ground, with a roof top pool. Great location for us with a 10 year old to consider, but the underground is ace and v cheap. Easy to get around, great food, very friendly, fab vibe to the place. It's kind of good to just hang out.

It's worth reading up beforehand, and picking up some of the history of the place.

We never had any problems with pick pockets, but then I'm a lethal killing machine and my daughter carried her flick knife and knuckle duster just in case. Seriously, the guy that owned the apartment advised to be aware of pick pockets, but that violent crime is v rare in the city.

It's one of those places I'd happily keep going back to.

What is your budget?
I went last month and stayed in Hotel Jazz (no, not a jazz bar!)
It was brill, and has a rooftop terrace with pool. Just off place de catalunya so central but away from the noisy ramblas.
We didn't bother with hotel breakfasts, just used local cafes. You've got to try the spanish hot chocolates with pastries: http://gridskipper.com/archives/entries/059/59163.php

Email me if you want some info, I found the this website the best guide by far: http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/
The easyjet one was ok too actually. You need a decent map though, web ones are cack.

I can thoroughly recommend Restaurant Pla & Andu Wine Bar near it as well. A little difficult to find on-the-fly but great.
It was so good, I got engaged there!! 😀

If you go in late August or late September go when the Correfoc is on, thousands of people parading through the streets with constant fireworks going off

Been twice never got pick pocketed although one of lads did but he got his cash back (long funny story involving fly kicks and bras). I kept the majority of my dosh in my shoe and only had max 20euros in my pocket. Only time I felt unsafe was being on my own on ramblas at 4 in the morning absolutely hammered trying to remember where I was staying 😆 I elbowed an African hooker in the face by accident 😆 'twas quite a twitchy bum moment.

The African Hookers are terrifying. We had to rescue my mate who'd been collared by a gaggle of them. They'd asked him if he wanted 'business'. He politely declined. They than started shoving him around and acusing him of being gay. They were really scary!!!

The Gaudi architecture is stunning. Its a fantastic place however what people have said with regard to pickpockets/scammers seems unfortunately true. A large proportion of the people I know have had these experiences.

I had no issues with pickpockets etc. But then I didn't hang around with African Hookers at 4 in the morning.

But then I didn't hang around with African Hookers at 4 in the morning

You don't know what you were missing 😀