Notes on Barcelona
May 18th, 2007 | 04:04 PM
#1
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Joined: May 2004
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Notes on Barcelona
We recently spent 4 days in Barcelona (2 pre-cruise and 2 post-cruise). I thought I'd share a few notes from the visit.
First, we LOVED Barcelona! I was intrigued by the architecture and the overall great sense of design found throughout the city.
Our pre-cruise nights were spent at the Hotel Claris. It is a very nice hotel in the Eixample area. The exterior of the building is old but the inside is quite modern looking with interesting artwork, furniture and a wonderful water feature in the lobby. The staff was very polished and professional. Our room was quite nice with a very comfortable bed with good linens and a large bathroom. One nice touch was a complimentary mini-bottle of wine as a welcome gift. On the roof of the hotel is a nice pool and bar.
We arrived on May 1st which turned out to be a big holiday in Spain and almost all the stores and many restaurants were closed. Gaudi's Casa Batlo was open and we were able to see it. We had lunch at a place across from Casa Batlo called Tapa Tapa (guess what they served?) which was okay for a quick lunch. For dinner we wanted something fairly casual and the concierge suggested Posit Galeria Gastronomica which was very attractive and we had a nice meal. The next day we visited some sights via the Bus Turistic which is a great way to see the city. For lunch we went to Taller de Tapas which was fine. That night we had dinner at the highly rated Comerc 24. We felt it deserves all the praise it gets and then some!! We enjoyed a wonderful 7-course tasting menu.
One of our favorite things was going to La Boqueria Market which is remarkable and we had breakfast at Pinotxo about which much has been written.
On our return to Barcelona we stayed at the Casa Camper Hotel in El Raval. This hotel is quite different from the Claris in that it's very informal and has a hip, youthful vibe. But it is also very nice and has a friendly, knowledgeable staff. One great feature of the hotel is that breakfast and 24 hour snacks are included in the rate. Also in addition to your sleeping room you also have a room across the hall with a sofa, desk, hammock(no kidding) and a little balcony. The bed and linens were excellent. The bathroom featured a huge shower with a rainfall nozzle and nice, big towels. We had a wonderful lunch at a place called Cuines Santa Caterina which is adjacent to the Santa Caterina market. The only meal we didn't much care for was a dinner at a place on the port called Merendero de la Mari. It is very popular but none of us particularly enjoyed it.
Our final dinner was at a more traditional place called 4 Cats. There appeared to be lots of tourists dining there but we had quite a good meal.
First, we LOVED Barcelona! I was intrigued by the architecture and the overall great sense of design found throughout the city.
Our pre-cruise nights were spent at the Hotel Claris. It is a very nice hotel in the Eixample area. The exterior of the building is old but the inside is quite modern looking with interesting artwork, furniture and a wonderful water feature in the lobby. The staff was very polished and professional. Our room was quite nice with a very comfortable bed with good linens and a large bathroom. One nice touch was a complimentary mini-bottle of wine as a welcome gift. On the roof of the hotel is a nice pool and bar.
We arrived on May 1st which turned out to be a big holiday in Spain and almost all the stores and many restaurants were closed. Gaudi's Casa Batlo was open and we were able to see it. We had lunch at a place across from Casa Batlo called Tapa Tapa (guess what they served?) which was okay for a quick lunch. For dinner we wanted something fairly casual and the concierge suggested Posit Galeria Gastronomica which was very attractive and we had a nice meal. The next day we visited some sights via the Bus Turistic which is a great way to see the city. For lunch we went to Taller de Tapas which was fine. That night we had dinner at the highly rated Comerc 24. We felt it deserves all the praise it gets and then some!! We enjoyed a wonderful 7-course tasting menu.
One of our favorite things was going to La Boqueria Market which is remarkable and we had breakfast at Pinotxo about which much has been written.
On our return to Barcelona we stayed at the Casa Camper Hotel in El Raval. This hotel is quite different from the Claris in that it's very informal and has a hip, youthful vibe. But it is also very nice and has a friendly, knowledgeable staff. One great feature of the hotel is that breakfast and 24 hour snacks are included in the rate. Also in addition to your sleeping room you also have a room across the hall with a sofa, desk, hammock(no kidding) and a little balcony. The bed and linens were excellent. The bathroom featured a huge shower with a rainfall nozzle and nice, big towels. We had a wonderful lunch at a place called Cuines Santa Caterina which is adjacent to the Santa Caterina market. The only meal we didn't much care for was a dinner at a place on the port called Merendero de la Mari. It is very popular but none of us particularly enjoyed it.
Our final dinner was at a more traditional place called 4 Cats. There appeared to be lots of tourists dining there but we had quite a good meal.
May 24th, 2007 | 07:14 PM
#2
Joined: May 2007
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Hello! I searched for Casa Camper to no avail. WE are going to Barcelona (my boyfriend and I) on June the 15th. We are both in our early twenties and thought that the Casa Camper sounded great! Any idea how we might find it online? Or do you have any other suggestions of hotels? THanks for sharing your experience it was quite helpful! 
May 24th, 2007 | 09:19 PM
#3
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Joined: May 2004
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Their web address is www.casacamper.com. If you need another option, some friends stayed at the Grand Hotel Central (www.grandhotelcentral.com) and were very happy. It is very attractive, well located and has a rooftop pool. The rates there were lower than the Casa Camper.
May 25th, 2007 | 12:13 AM
#4
Joined: May 2007
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Barcelona is really a fantastic city. I spent one month there last summer. Here is a site very useful for Barcelona travel. www.gobarcelona.biz
May 25th, 2007 | 06:01 AM
#5
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 152
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I second the rec on the restaurant 4 Cats,(ie Els Quatre Gats).
It is located on a pedestrian zone, behind the Corte Ingles off Plaza Catalunya. It is good at night, but at lunch it is an amazing deal....nice atmosphere, good food, and a reasonable choice on the menu del dia, which includes wine ,bread and dessert (the famous pan postre y vino) for around 14 Euros. All my friends that I have told about it have been well pleased. Certainly beats many other tourist options, even if there is a big portion of the clientele who are visitors to the city.
Also Everybody should go to the Boqueria market, for the atmosphere as well as the small eateries.
But all please be careful of pickpockets in BCN...they are everywhere and very very slick. You won't know it until its gone. Rouss
It is located on a pedestrian zone, behind the Corte Ingles off Plaza Catalunya. It is good at night, but at lunch it is an amazing deal....nice atmosphere, good food, and a reasonable choice on the menu del dia, which includes wine ,bread and dessert (the famous pan postre y vino) for around 14 Euros. All my friends that I have told about it have been well pleased. Certainly beats many other tourist options, even if there is a big portion of the clientele who are visitors to the city.
Also Everybody should go to the Boqueria market, for the atmosphere as well as the small eateries.
But all please be careful of pickpockets in BCN...they are everywhere and very very slick. You won't know it until its gone. Rouss
