Fodor's Expert Review Reial Cercle Artístic

This private fine-arts society, at the bottom of Portal de l'Angel, where it divides and leads off left to the Cathedral, has an art gallery, as well as a restaurant and bar open to the public. It also offers drawing and painting classes and occasional film showings and concerts. Note the elegant Gothic details of the main entrance, with its heavy keystone arch, the stone carvings inside to the right in the Sala Güell, and the stairway sculptures. The El Cercle restaurant upstairs has an intimate feel, though the service can be inconsistent; the best option here is a drink or a light lunch on the terrace, overlooking the passing throngs.