Yes, you read it. I spent last weekend in Barcelona. Yes, I am also Barcelona based. So, what’s the deal?
The deal is that I was dying to travel. But I can’t leave the city because of the lockdown. I also feel COVID saturation. I have spent almost one year working from home where I cannot fully disconnect because my place of living became also my place of work. I needed a creative solution to refresh.
I had enough (let’s be frank) of the COVID situation and my inability to re-energize by changing scenery. The solution? Spend the weekend in Barcelona like a tourist.
I spent the weekend in Barcelona
Saturday morning, I packed a very light bag because I was only “going away” for the night.
Lunch during a pandemic
We start the “trip” with lunch. Restaurants in Barcelona are now open from 13h to 15h30. We were to meet with a friend for sushis in Nomo Gracia.
Lunch was nice even though we regularly had to protect our food and drinks from falling leaves on the terrace. Eating outdoors is favoured nowadays. It does come with some inconveniences though.
No surprise here, Nomo‘s cuisine did not lose its quality.
Checking in our hotel
Lunch over, Mr E and I left for our hotel, Casa Bonay, a 4-star boutique hotel in the centre. We like this hotel and its decor. We used to come here for the rooftop and the Libertine lounge.
It felt good to hand in our IDs for the check-in. Yes, here is my driving license! This was the only time I used it this year.
Takeaways are allowed in the hotel room
During check-in, the receptionist explained the dinner situation to us. That night, Casa Bonay was only offering food through a room service provider. Oh. We also chose Casa Bonay hoping that we could have a rooftop dinner here.
In theory, hotels can serve dinners to their guests. That night it was not possible. They have a package that includes dinner in Bodega Bonay, though. It might be worth exploring this option for another night.
We were disappointed, but we had a plan B: a takeaway from Passeig de Sant Joan close by. Given the circumstances, eating takeaways and deliveries in the hotel were allowed. That street harbours a good number of restaurants. All we had to do was choose.
A minimalist and elegant hotel room
The room is minimalist and cute. The blue tone on the walls makes it elegant and soothing. We chose a courtyard medium room which meant we also had an indoor balcony with a sofa. A cosy space to read, eat and drink before sleeping.
The floor is covered with mosaic flooring. I love these features so characteristic of many buildings and houses here in Barcelona. And the height of luxury…a kettle! I am a tea lover, and in Spain, I always “suffer” because rooms are not equipped with kettle, unlike in Ireland or England. This time, I could make tea at will and appreciated the complementary Sakura tea.
A terrace with aromatic herbs and lemon trees
In the afternoon, we soaked up the sun on the terrace surrounded by aromatic herbs and lemon trees until a gigantic grey cloud hid it. Then it started raining. Time for a book and tea on the balcony.
This just feels perfect! For dinner, we had a takeaway. It was okay-ish, so I won’t mention it.
Sunday breakfast with an evil coffee (haha)
Breakfast was not included. On Sunday morning, we checked out and had breakfast downstairs at Satan’s Coffee Corner. The name of that place does not leave indifferent, does it?
The coffee here is devilishly excellent. The bikini has an interesting mustard flavour. I resisted the delicious-looking cakes that were eyeing me. As guests, we could enjoy our food in the lounge where we lingered until lunchtime.
The lunch menu in Bodega Bonay, the restaurant downstairs, piqued our curiosity with dishes like “sea urchin Royal” and “lacquered eel with coleslaw”. It was fully booked that day so we left on a quest for a place to eat towards Barceloneta, a popular district in Barcelona, especially for tapas and seafood.
Sunday lunch in Barceloneta
La bomba de Barceloneta
This is a dangerous move for hungry people. Barceloneta is always packed, COVID or not COVID. And the best places always have queues outside. Considering the little window we have for lunch, we risked missing opening hours.
Luckily, we got a table at El Mercat Barceloneta – Tapas bar. I am travelling to Barcelona, and I got to try the local food, hehe.
The bomba de Barceloneta & other tapas
From that place, I recommend the “bomba de Barceloneta”. It is a potato ball filled with meat and deep-fried, topped with aioli and served with a spicy sauce. It is super tasty and so crunchy on the outside! You find this dish everywhere in Spain, but it originated here in Barceloneta.
They say the name comes from a customer who, upon trying the spicy mix, proclaimed: “Que picante, es una bomba!” “This is so spicy, it´s like a bomb!”
The “huevos estrellados con jamón” – sunny-side-up eggs on thin chips with cured ham – are also fantastic. The runny yolk gives a creamy texture when spread over the chips after the eggs are torn with a spoon and a fork.
And beers at the beach to end our weekend in Barcelona
After lunch, we spent some time at the beach with some beers.
The sun was up in the sky. The beach was crowded as if everyone got the same idea of chilling on the sand.
Then the weekend was over. It has been short but sweet. That city break was very much appreciated and if we still cannot leave Barcelona in the next weeks, we will repeat it.
And you? How do you cope with COVID?
PS: You can get inspired by this post for your Valentine’s day getaway in Barcelona now that V day is getting closer.
Addresses:
Nomo Gracia – Carrer Gran de Gracia, 13
Casa bonay, Satan’s coffee corner, Bodega Bonay – Gran Via de Les Corts Catalanes, 700
El Mercat – Tapas bar Barceloneta – Pl. del poeta Bosca, 2, Barceloneta
Other posts about weekends in Catalonia & Spain
Calella de Palafrugell: one weekend in Costa Brava