A narrow stone street in the Gothic Quarter, crowded with walkers, with an ornate carved stone bridge spanning overhead
i
Carrer del Bisbe follows the main street of Roman Barcino. The crowds are a more recent addition.
Destination Guide · Spain · April 2023

Barcelona, After the Ships Leave

Three nights, one three-star dinner and the night Bruce opened the European tour.

Barcelona was the second stop on a multi-city wander through three countries, with a fourth, Portugal, added at the end courtesy of a Celebrity cruise out of Southampton. For the record, that cruise never went anywhere near Barcelona. That matters later.

We planned this stop around one night: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band opening the European leg of their tour at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on April 28, 2023. We had three nights. One of them belonged entirely to Bruce, and it was a night well spent.

The rest of the time, we ate. The tapas were some of the best we’ve had anywhere, the city was out on the streets until the early hours, and the concert was the kind you only get once. Madrid and England get their own posts. This one is Barcelona.

Full Disclosure
Trip Dates April 26–29, 2023 · Style Three nights, one concert
Incentives Not a Euro · Photo Creds All Stache

We paid full price for everything. Every link in this post goes straight to the vendor. No commission, on links or on reviews. Ever.

Trust us? Check out our Barcelona Wander Map.

*As always, no commissions from our links. We encourage booking early and direct. These maps are always a work in progress, and are curated from all past trips and current research.

These pins also power ai-tinerary, our invite-only itinerary tool. Same stamps, same opinions.

The Gripe

A City Under Siege

We’ll do the bad first. We always do.

Barcelona is a city under siege, and some days it feels like it. Some of our early run-ins with locals left us feeling unwanted. It took us a day to understand why.

The siege is the cruise ships. Barcelona is a major cruise port, and in 2023 it logged about 3.6 million cruise passenger movements. Nearly half were passengers in transit: in at breakfast, back on board by dinner. Those day-trippers pour into the same few streets at the same few hours, then leave without a hotel night, and usually without much of a dinner bill. The strain on the city is huge, and the money doesn’t cover it. In May 2026, the city’s own mayor said stopover cruises “make intensive use of public space and generate no revenue.” Barcelona is cutting its cruise terminals from seven to five, and in July 2024 locals marched down La Rambla, some of them aiming water pistols at tourists.

To be clear, we weren’t part of the problem this time. Our cruise left from Southampton and never called here. But to a local, you look exactly like the person who got off a ship at 8 a.m.

Lead with the local language. Barcelona is in Catalonia, and the city holds on hard to its Catalan heritage, language and culture. We always try to lead with the local language, so we led with Català. Our first encounter was a cab driver who was, plain and simple, an ass. He brushed off our Català, decided my Spanish was mierda, and got a tip from He-Stache anyway. Go figure.

He was the exception. Everywhere else, one sentence, said first, opened doors:

“Hola, em sap greu, no parlo català. Parles espanyol o anglès?”

Hello, I’m sorry, I don’t speak Catalan. Do you speak Spanish or English? It’s not fluency. It’s respect, and people noticed. Dig a little deeper, put your patience pants on, and you’ll find a city that is fiercely, rightly proud of what it’s holding on to.

The Fine Print

Lunch at Two, Dinner at Nine

Two more things to plan around.

The crowds. Barcelona is a major stop, and a start and finish point, for megaships. On ship days, the old town and the famous sights fill up fast. Once the ships left port, the city changed, and it was magical: quiet streets in a labyrinth of old buildings.

The clock. You’ll hear it called siesta, but that’s a cliché. The city’s own guide for newcomers never uses the word. Here’s what’s real: lunch runs from about 2 to 3 p.m., and dinner starts around 9, sometimes 10. Plenty of small independent shops close from about 1 or 2 until late afternoon, and often on Saturday afternoons. The chains and El Corte Inglés stay open straight through. We tried to book dinner for 7. Most restaurants hadn’t opened yet. Book for 9 and plan a late lunch.

Where We Stayed

Small Lobby, Big Roof

He-Stache in sunglasses lounging on a white outdoor sofa, holding a drink
He-Stache on the EDITION rooftop, recovering from last night’s three stars.

We stayed all three nights at The Barcelona EDITION, on points, and we were very happy with that choice. It sits on the edge of El Born, an easy walk into the old town.

Unlike the EDITION in Madrid, this one is a typical EDITION: excellent service, very good food, and sometimes a very small bar and lobby. That was the case here. The rooftop tapas bar made up for it.

Where We Ate & Drank

Tapas, Coffee and the World’s Best Bar (At the Time)

Our first night was Paradiso, which at the time held the No. 1 spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. A speakeasy vibe that delivers: excellent cocktails and light bites. Getting in is the hard part. The entrance is a refrigerator door at the back of a pastrami shop, so you’d better know the vault combination. When we went, the line ran on a QR-code virtual queue at the door. Paradiso now takes reservations on its site. Use them.

Cañete is a 50 Best tapas pick, and the advice is to sit at the bar and make friends. This is one of those places with very mixed reviews. We waited an hour for our table, despite a reservation, with a great bottle of wine to help. The wait, which we expected, was worth it. Several other tourists were very “huffy” with the overwhelmed hostess. This is a local spot. Expect the wait, plan for it, or don’t book.

A turquoise and gold storefront sign reading Bristol Gastropub above a striped awning
Bristol Gastropub: a British name, a Barcelona patio, and the coffee our feet demanded after the long walk toward the Sagrada Família.

We had a great meal at Ziryab: unique, Mediterranean-inspired tapas in El Born. Across the street, MAKRAMA is a little shop selling handmade jewelry, made on site.

The Stache runs on caffeine, wine and cocktails, in that order. For the first: Syra Coffee in El Born (excellent coffee), Vera Cafè around the corner, and Bristol, where we had a lovely afternoon coffee and a snack on the patio, people-watching after a long wander from the center toward the Sagrada Família.

A small dark bowl holding one bite with a red garnish, beside empty cocktail glasses
i
The light bite. Technically food. We counted it.
An illustrated cocktail menu page listing Paradiso Express, Cronos and Top Gun
i
Paradiso Express, Cronos, Top Gun. The menu reads like a time-travel novel.
A menu page listing the Marco Polo, Copper, Legacy and Top Gun cocktails
i
Marco Polo, Copper, Legacy. We ordered by font size.
A Classics menu page listing Kriptonite, The Cloud and Great Gatsby
i
Kriptonite, The Cloud, Great Gatsby. Choosing took longer than drinking.

Paradiso delivered: excellent cocktails and light bites. Getting in is the hard part.

Up the Hill

ABaC: Three Stars, No Asterisk

A short cab ride took us up the hill to ABaC, on Avinguda del Tibidabo in Sant Gervasi – la Bonanova. It holds three Michelin stars, and it’s a rare three-star that lives up to the hype. We thoroughly enjoyed the tasting menu and its unique presentations. Worth the price, and we would do it again.

The flaw: it’s nowhere near the old town, so it’s a cab each way, and in true Barcelona fashion it runs late. We walked out around midnight carrying a pink balloon. We regret nothing.

Three small bites arranged along a long green leaf on a dark table
i
Course one arrives on a leaf. We could not pronounce any of it.
A small sprout garnish in a glass tube set into a stone, on a white tablecloth beside wine glasses
i
A tiny garden growing out of a rock. Eat it or water it? We ate it.
A seafood dish in dark sauce with a quenelle of caviar on a pale flat stone plate
i
Caviar on a stone slab. Only one of these is edible.
A pink balloon printed with ABaC floating in front of a bookshelf
i
Leaving near midnight with a pink ABaC balloon. Three stars, zero shame.

ABaC. Three Michelin stars, all of them earned.

Wandering Barcelona

Gaudí, Gothic and One Very Famous Kiss

The old town is small and touristy. Head a few streets over and the city opens up: local color, a lifestyle lived outdoors, and the kind of evening where nobody’s in a hurry to go home.

Unique architecture turns up on most streets, especially Gaudí’s. Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, both on Passeig de Gràcia, are both highlights of the Rick Steves Barcelona walk.

Our other mistake: the Sagrada Família. We didn’t get tickets in time, so we never got inside. The exterior is the real deal, and it’s worth the stop. But it’s worth far more with a ticket, so book yours well before you land.

In the Gothic Quarter, Carrer del Bisbe follows the main street of the Roman city of Barcino. Santa Maria del Mar is a local favorite and an impressive basilica. The photomosaic everyone calls The Kiss of Freedom (officially, El món neix en cada besada) is a popular Instagram stop. Take a picture if you happen across it, but it’s not a destination in itself.

Plaça de Catalunya is quite impressive, with palms lining the main street and wonderful architecture all around. Parc de la Ciutadella is a lovely park near the port. It’s very busy on ship days, but it’s a great place to grab a coffee or rehydrate while you people-watch.

The Main Event

Bruce Opened the Tour. We Were There.

A counter display of fried bombas topped with sauce, with a handwritten sign behind
Pre-concert bombas. Standing room only, elbows mandatory.

The whole stop was built around this night, and it lived up to it. Before the show, we ate great tapas at Quimet & Quimet in Poble-sec, near the stadium. It’s standing room only, so be prepared to wait.

From there, it’s a walk up Montjuïc to the stadium, and then a line. The line is real. Bruce and the E Street Band opened their European tour that night, and it was every bit the experience we’d hoped for. By the time we checked a watch, it was after midnight.

The flaw: getting home. The whole stadium empties onto Montjuïc at the same time. Spend the money for a private driver, or it’s going to be a long walk home. Pun aggressively intended.

A long line of concertgoers stretching along a tree-lined road under a blue sky
i
The line to get in had its own line.
She-Stache and He-Stache taking a selfie in the stands, with the stage and a filling floor behind them
i
Wristbands on, dignity off.
Band members lined up across a smoky, spot-lit stage
i
The whole E Street Band across one stage. Worth every minute of that line.
A wrist wearing a Springsteen and E Street Band wristband next to a smartwatch showing 12:05
i
Wristband check at 12:05 a.m. It started April 28 and ended April 29. Technically, a two-day concert.

Springsteen and the E Street Band opened their European tour in Barcelona. We were there, and we will be mentioning it forever.

Getting Around

Cobblestones, Cabs and One Train Nap

He-Stache and She-Stache asleep against each other in a train seat
The train from Madrid. We call this She-Stache jet-lag management.

We came in by train from Madrid. The photo tells you how that went.

In town, it’s cobblestones and long walking days. Wear real shoes. The old town is compact enough to walk end to end; for ABaC and the concert, take a cab or book a driver.

Enjoy the wander. The best parts of this city are a few streets away from where the tour groups are standing.

Next Time

On the List for Our Next Trip

Researched, not visited. Vetted, and we’ll report back.

Sant Gervasi – la Bonanova. The neighborhood around ABaC begs to be explored. Avinguda del Tibidabo is lined with modernista mansions and still runs the old Tramvia Blau. Next time, we explore it on foot.

Eating: Lasarte (Basque), Alkimia (one Michelin star), Gresca and Cal Pep (both 50 Best tapas picks), Anardi and Santamadre (tapas near the stadium), Brugarol, El Xampanyet, Amades, L’Antic Bocoi del Gòtic, Louro and La Plata.

Drinking: Sips (No. 3 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list when we visited), Two Schmucks (No. 7) and Dry Martini. Coffee: COTO Coffee + Colmado. Shopping: Joieria Vintage, for unique jewelry. Let us know if it’s worth a visit.

Sights: Park Güell, starting with the Casa del Guarda. It’s at the top of our must-see list for next time.

The Hard Reality

Go. Be Patient. Say It in Catalan.

Barcelona is a coastal city with one of the best food scenes we’ve experienced, and a population working hard to hold on to its own culture under a flood of day-trippers. Both things are true. Act accordingly.

Go. Be patient. Respect the culture, and at least introduce yourself in their language.

A wide palm-lined promenade with benches under a blue sky, with a large ornate building with towers behind
i
Tree-lined passeigs: shade, benches and people-watching for days.
The Links

We Wouldn’t Send You Somewhere We Wouldn’t Go

No kick-backs for links. Ever.

Back to the Wander Brag index →