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Haley Maddox
Mediterranean Barri Gòtic El Raval El Born Barceloneta Eixample Ciutat Vella Campanar Algirós El Cabanyal Baluard, Berbena, Blackbird Coffee Corner, Casa Vicens, Cañete, Cruix, DelaCrem, Hidden Coffee Roasters, Hideout Burger, La Boqueria, La Papa, La Pedrera, Mayan Secret Spa, Oria, Park Güell, Sagrada Família, Salterio17 Juliet Mediterranean Barri Gòtic El Raval El Born Barceloneta Eixample Ciutat Vella Baluard, Berbena, Blackbird Coffee Corner, Casa Vicens, Cañete, Cruix, DelaCrem, Hidden Coffee Roasters, Hideout Burger, La Boqueria, La Papa, La Pedrera, Mayan Secret Spa, Oria, Park Güell, Sagrada Família, Salterio17 Juliet

City guide

Spain

Barcelona, then a farmhouse hotel in the Matarraña hills, then Valencia, in the fall of 2024. We stayed at the Monument Hotel, La Torre del Visco, and Las Arenas.

29 places we went.

Start with these

A Love List pick, my best bite, and a garden dinner
A pan of rice topped with dry-aged beef at Cruix

Barcelona · on my Love List

Cruix

The paellas come with a crispy base.

Two boxed cookies from Juliet

Valencia · my best bite

Juliet

The cookies were so, so good. The best bite of the trip.

Beet tartare at El Visco

The Matarraña · garden to table

El Visco

Dinner from the hotel gardens at La Torre del Visco.

Pocket guides

Barcelona and Valencia, a walk at a time
Barri Gòtic El Raval El Born Eixample Sant Antoni Sagrada Família Gràcia Sants Sant Gervasi

About 3.0 mi · 7 stops

  • Smash burgers first. Time Out says it was the first place in Barcelona to make them.1

  • By our hotel. Gaudí’s last civil work, built in 1906–1912 for Pere Milà and Rosario Segimon.2

Take it with you

Directions

Out of the city

A farmhouse hotel, a winery, and a citrus farm
The table by the open kitchen at El Visco

Fuentespalda, Teruel · where we stayed

El Visco, at La Torre del Visco

A farmhouse hotel in the Matarraña hills. Dinner is built each day on what’s picked from the hotel gardens, and in 2022 it won Aragón’s first Michelin Green Star.11

Concrete tanks at Herència Altés

Gandesa, Terra Alta · a tour the hotel set up

Herència Altés

A private tour and tasting. Its La Serra Blanc, the second wine we tasted, was named Catalonia’s first single-estate white Garnacha.12

A Buddha’s hand on the tree

Carcaixent, near Valencia · a morning

Huerto San Eusebio

An organic family farm since 1870, with more than 20 kinds of citrus, Buddha’s hand included.13

Plate by plate

Barcelona, the hills, and Valencia
Three tasting menus

The long dinners

A Michelin star in Barcelona, a Love List pick, and a garden dinner in the hills.

Petit fours on a little silver tree at Oria★ Michelin

Oria

Martín Berasategui, at the Monument HotelIt ends with petit fours on a little silver tree.
  • Three breads and three olive oils at OriaBreads and oils
  • Foie in a white bowl on a cork mat at OriaFoie, mushroom juice
  • Basil water with almond ice cream at OriaBasil water
  • A chocolate dessert at OriaThe chocolate
A pan of rice topped with dry-aged beef at CruixLove List

Cruix

Bib Gourmand, in Sant AntoniThe paellas have a crispy base.
  • Anchovy, a cheeseball, and steak tartare at CruixThe first bites
  • The cod churro and an onion cappuccino at CruixThe cod churro
  • Tom Kha Kai ice cream in a coconut shell at CruixTom Kha Kai ice cream
  • The Gran Cruix tasting menu cardThe menu
Beet tartare at El ViscoGreen Star

El Visco

At La Torre del Visco, from the gardensDinner is built on what’s picked that day.
  • A bowl of orange soup at El ViscoThe soup
  • Croaker with saffron sauce at El ViscoCroaker, saffron sauce
  • Almond panna cotta with flowers at El ViscoAlmond panna cotta
  • A slate of Aragonese cheeses at El ViscoAragonese cheeses
Barcelona

Small plates

Jamón, sardines, and croquetas at Cañete, flatbread and cheese at Salterio, and avocado toast at La Papa.

  • A plate of jamón with pan con tomate at CañeteCañeteJamón, pan con tomate
  • Sardines on toast at CañeteCañeteSardines on toast
  • Two croquetas on Cañete paperCañeteThe croquetas
  • A grilled flatbread at SalterioSalterioGrilled flatbread
  • Cheese and flatbread on a slate at SalterioSalterioThe cheese board
  • Avocado toast at La PapaLa PapaAvocado toast
Tasting

Herència Altés

Gandesa, Terra Alta · A private tour and tasting the hotel set up.

Visit the winery
  • Five bottles lined up for a tasting at Herència AltésFive to taste
  • Concrete tanks at Herència AltésThe concrete tanks14
  • A glass of white wine at Herència AltésA glass of the white
  • The tasting sheet at Herència Altés, with notesThe tasting sheet, with notes
  • A bin of pressed grapes at Herència AltésAfter the harvest
Something sweet

Cookies, pastry, and gelato

The cookies at Juliet were the best bite of the trip.

My best biteTwo boxed cookies from Juliet
Juliet, Valencia
A pistachio sfogliatella from Breskui
Breskui
A gelato cone at DelaCrem
DelaCrem
The bread counter at Baluard
Baluard
In between

Burgers, both cities

  • A burger and fries at MaashMaashBarcelona
  • A smash burger on an orange placemat at HideoutHideoutBarcelona
  • A burger in a box at MercabañalMercabañalValencia
  • Fries and nuggets at Hundred BurgersHundred BurgersValencia
The mosaic bench at Park Güell, looking over the gatehouse to the sea
BarcelonaFall 2024Gaudí

Park Güell and Casa Vicens

The view from the terrace, and Gaudí’s first house.

Haley and Michael below the stone colonnade at Park Güell
Under the arches
Haley and Michael outside Casa Vicens and its green and white tiles
Casa Vicens
Valencia

Two things we loved doing

Haley and Michael with their paella at the class
Valencia Club Cocina · Algirós

The paella class

A market visit, then we cooked our own paella.

A basket of citrus at Huerto San Eusebio
Huerto San Eusebio · Carcaixent

The orange farm tour

A morning on an organic family farm, open since 1870, with more than 20 kinds of citrus.13

What are you craving?

Every place, with what it has
  • BerbenaGràcia · Creative small platesBib GourmandOrder Save room for the crème fraîche ice cream with olive oil and salt.
  • CañeteEl Raval · Tapas barOrder Start with the toasted flatbread with tomato, its signature.
  • CruixSant Antoni · Tasting menusBib GourmandKnow The paellas have a crispy base, and the fried cod churro is a highlight.
  • El ViscoFuentespalda · The restaurant at La Torre del ViscoGreen Star, 2022
  • MercabañalEl Cabanyal · Open-air food hall by the beach
  • OriaEixample · Martín Berasategui, at the Monument Hotel★ MichelinKnow The tasting menu ends with petit fours on a little silver tree.
  • Ricard CamarenaCampanar · Creative, at Bombas Gens★★ MichelinKnow Most vegetables come from its own plots near Valencia, picked each morning.
  • SalterioBarri Gòtic · Tea houseOrder The flatbread, a salad, and a pot of tea.
  • Hideout BurgerEixample · Smash burgers
  • Hundred BurgersCiutat Vella · Burgers
  • MaashBarcelona · Smash burgers and hot cookiesOrder The burger, then the hot cookie, made fresh every day.
  • Blackbird Coffee CornerSagrada Família · Coffee and homemade cakeDrink A latte and a slice of homemade cake, a few steps from the Sagrada Família.
  • Hidden Coffee RoastersEl Born · Coffee roasterDrink A filter coffee of their own roast, served on a tray with a card naming the farm.
  • La PapaEixample · Specialty coffee and brunchDrink A flat white. It’s a brunch café, so expect a wait.
  • BaluardBarceloneta · Bakery
  • BreskuiBarcelona · Italian bakeryOrder A pistachio sfogliatella.
  • JulietCiutat Vella · Cookie shop
  • DelaCremEixample · GelatoKnow The board has specials for the month.
  • La BoqueriaLa Rambla · Food market
  • Mercado CentralCiutat Vella · Food market
  • BarrefitBarcelona · Barre class
  • Casa VicensGràcia · Gaudí’s first house, now a museum
  • Herència AltésGandesa · Winery tour
  • Huerto San EusebioCarcaixent · Organic citrus farm
  • La PedreraEixample · Gaudí’s Casa Milà, now a museumShop I got an espresso glass in the shop.
  • Mayan Secret SpaEixample · Spa at the Claris hotel
  • Park GüellGràcia · Gaudí’s park on the hill
  • Sagrada FamíliaSagrada Família · Gaudí’s basilica
  • Valencia Club CocinaAlgirós · Market visit and paella class
Sources
  1. Time Out Barcelona, Hideout Burger
  2. La Pedrera, History
  3. Catalan News, Sagrada Família reaches 172.5 metres
  4. Smithsonian Magazine, The first house designed by Antoni Gaudí will open as a museum
  5. Park Güell, Over a hundred years of history
  6. Ajuntament de Barcelona, Mercat de Sant Josep – La Boqueria
  7. Time Out Barcelona, El Forn Baluard abre un nuevo local en Gràcia
  8. Visit Valencia, 10 facts of the Mercado Central you did not know
  9. Time Out, Las 25 mejores hamburguesas del mundo
  10. Valencia Plaza, Juliet, las cookies virales que se comen con cuchara
  11. La Comarca, La Torre del Visco recibe la primera Estrella Verde Michelin de Aragón
  12. Diari de Tarragona, Un vi del celler Herència Altés, primer vi de finca de garnatxa blanca de Catalunya
  13. Comunitat Valenciana, Visit an orange farm: Huerto San Eusebio
  14. Herència Altés, About Us