Soho House Barcelona

Worth getting out of bed for

Step outside the front door and you’ll be treated to the palm-flanked charm of Duc de Medinaceli square, a former Fransiscan convent which you may recognise from Amaldovar’s All About My Mother. The neighbouring Port Vell is home to all manner of aquatic pursuits, from yacht spotting at the OneOcean superyacht marina to the Maritime Museum and the Barcelona Aquarium, but you can’t beat a dip in the sea itself. Luckily, Barceloneta beach is just a 15-minutes walk away from the hotel, sprinkled with guinguetas for a post-tanning Cava pick-me-up. Back in the club’s enviable Gothic Quarter ‘hood, stop in at the Basilica de la Mercè, a baroque 18th-century church whose building was prompted by an alleged apparition of the Madonna on the very same site. If you’re around in September, the church is the heart of the La Mercè Festival – a five-day celebration of Barcelona’s patron saint. There’s no shortage of eye candy either, aside from Gaudi’s, dare we say almost finished Sagrada Famiglia, the city is a triumph of Modernisme – an architectural movement born of Catalonia’s 20th-century industrial boom. Start with the hop hits; curvy Casa Batlló (whose roof resembles the spine of a dragon) and its neighbour, Casa Amatller, before working your way through undulating Park Güell. But there are plenty of lesser known treasures worth hunting out, too. Lluís Domènech i Montaner (Barcelona’s other starchitect) collaborated with some of the city’s best artists, designers and sculptures to create Casa Lleó i Morera, each of them leaving their own touch on the building through Modernist carving, and colour-popping interiors chock full with tiles and floral motifs. And, if you’re in the mood for some retail therapy, the ground floor of the building is now home to a Loewe store. The Picasso Museum (when in Rome…) houses one of the largest collections of the artist’s work, while those with more contemporary tastes can seek solace at the Museum of Contemporary Art Barcelona with names like Basquait and Spero among their permanent collection and a rotating cast of temporary exhibitions. The bustling food market of La Boqueria is a must for filling-up on Catalan treats; best followed, if we may, by a wine-fuelled people-watching stint outside one of the neighbouring bars.

Local restaurants

The oldest restaurant in the city, Can Culleretes is somewhat of a Catalonian right of passage. Inside its 18th-century building, you’ll find ornate tiles, photos of famous Culleretes diners and a bunch of story-telling murals. They’re funny stories, too – the restaurant takes its name from a phrase frequently bandied around the kitchen in the restaurant’s early days; Girls, teaspoons! The set menu features traditional dishes like grilled squid, wild boar stew and roasted duck with prunes, but keep an eye out for their monthly tapas night, too. Dos Palillos – or ‘two chopsticks’ – is one of the city’s 19 Michelin-star restaurants, but there’s nothing remotely stuffy about it. Choose from sushi, sashimi and tempura in their laid back sake bar, or opt for something a little more romantic in the secluded and intimate main space where a single table wraps around the open kitchen and atmospheric lighting sets the tone for an adventurous fusion of  Spanish and Japanese fare. A hop, skip and a jump away you’ll also find Bar Cañete, a family-owned tapas spot which is a firm favourite among locals. The place is usually full, but asking the concierge to make a call sometimes does the trick – the team at Soho House can pull a few favours when needed.

Local cafés

The three Marks behind Three Marks share more than just a name; they also harbour a shared obsession with damn-good speciality coffee. Worlds apart from the bulk of Barca’s bodacious buildings, this minimalist industrial cafe makes a fine spot to read and re-caffeinate, with stacks of cultural quarterlies to bury your head in.

Local bars

You can count Paradiso among the recent flock of clandestine city bars, but the sandwich shop facade it hides behind is more than just a cover – its pastrami paninis will put you in good stead for an evening of liquor-based treats. Patrons enter the wood-slatted speakeasy through a fridge door, and as a novelty, that’s just the start. Alongside your regular cocktails you’ll find a host of sculptural (and yet, surprisingly drinkable) concept concoctions; steaming, sci-fi Cosmopolitans ready to shoot off into space, honeycomb negroni’s and rum-infused daiquiris served inside a book. For more traditional tipples, Bar Brutal is the brooding bodega spearheading Barcelona’s natural wine scene.