November & Sunday and Suggestions for Barcelona
 

We will be in Barcelona in November - early November from 11/7 through 11/17 - A few questions:
1. I assume the crowds will be less - this is the case ?
2. Want to visit the Garcia area on a Sunday - Will stores be open or should we plan another day -
3. What is open and not open on Sunday's
4. We plan to visit all the Gaudi sights and a few churches. If you have one thing we should not miss, what would it be
5. What is your favorite restaurant for Paella and Tapas. Not looking for Michelin starts types but just good food
6. What is your favorite square or place to have a afternoon cocktail at if the weather is nice

Thanks for all the responses...

5: Restaurant 7 Portes, although I believe what I had there was technically "dirty rice," not paella.

1. There's really no longer a "low season" in Barcelona with the low cost flights for European long weekends/bank holidays all year round, international congresses and the number of cruise ships in and out of the city all year long. But the crowds should be somewhat lighter in November than during the summer crush. We enjoy the city more in December-January for that reason.

2. I would visit Gràcia on a weekday. On Sundays some bars, old time bodegas and restaurants will be open, but independently owned shops won't.

3. Museums are open on Sunday, but a few (MNAC, Miró Foundation) have truncated hours. The Gaudí sites are open on Sundays, as is the Recinte Moderniste Sant Pau.
Not open: El Corte Inglés shopping centers (save certain Sundays leading up to Christmas/Epiphany), La Boquería & Sant Antoni indoor markets are closed on Sundays.

4. Not to miss---For Gaudí: Sagrada Familia-- For other churches: Gothic Basílica Santa María del Mar

5. For paella: Can Majó in Barceloneta
For seafood tapas (old school, classic style, high quality): El Vaso de Oro in Barceloneta

6. Favorite rooftop cocktail bar open in November: Alaire at Hotel Condes de Barcelona on Passeig de Gràcia

Maribel
Thank you for the suggestions l - Can you also tell me if it is the same in the Gothic Quarter on Sunday ? I guess Sunday we may just go back to the apartment with a nice bottle of wine and sit on the patio.

The Gothic Quarter is "open" on Sundays.
You can visit the Cathedral from 2-5:30 pm, with the last entrance at 4:45 (cultural visits), but the morning is reserved for worship.

The traditional catalán dance, the Sardana, starts to be danced in front of the Cathedral on the square around 11:15 am and goes on for a couple of hours. *You could witness this at noon.
(It's not something that I've spent much time watching--15 minutes for me is enough).

The Frederic Màres Museum is open Sundays from 11 am-8 pm.

The Museum of the History of Barcelona (MUHBA Plaça Reial) with its remains of Roman Barcelona is open Sundays from 10 am-8 pm

In the Ribera (often called El Born) just beyond the Gothic Quarter, you can visit the Picasso Museum on Sunday from 9 am-8:30 pm. But I highly recommend that you purchase tickets on line, since it gets incredibly crowded.
Buy tickets and opening hours | Picasso Museum Barcelona

The Basílica de Santa María del Mar is open on Sundays for cultural visits from 2-5 pm. The morning is reserved for worship.

I think you'll find plenty to do on Sunday, but having a nice bottle of wine on the patio is a nice early evening activity too!

The main shopping thing open on Sunday is the mall on the seafront. Maremagnum?? But it's a modern mall that could be anyplace in suburban Europe. Same shops and products. Still if it's cold and you're desperate to buy a sweater.