Julio Redacción

Sometimes traditional, sometimes a bit more colourful, many times creative but always impressive, shop windows in Barcelona are the result of the well-known phrase in Spanish meaning that the best shop window is Barcelona itself: ‘Barcelona, la millor botiga del món’.

With a wide commercial activity, Barcelona offers many different types of stores that compete with each other to see which one shows the most beautiful shop window of the whole city.

Some of them try to keep the traditional nature of their occupations and to mirror that nature in their shop windows. Clear examples of these are a completely renewed barber shop and a tempting bakery.

Some others go for design in order to show a message based on art, style and trends. Many of them are located close to Passeig de Gràcia and try to import ideas from other neighbours too.

Either for their own nature of for their innovative spirit, these are some examples of shop windows in Barcelona.

Gràcia is one of the most authentic areas of the city of Barcelona, a charming neighbourhood that inspires both artists and entrepreneurs, and attracts any type of visitor with its Annual Festival.

On the hills above Barcelona, there is the historic centre Vila de Gracia, now transformed into one of the most distinctive districts of the city. Being both traditional and bohemian, Gràcia still conserves the Mediterranean charm of a cosmopolitan metropolis.

Its streets and squares have unique styles, its stores and restaurants convey a special fascination and its neighbours experience an inexplicable love for this tiny city within the capital.

From centric Vila de Gràcia to Camp d’en Grassot, Gràcia Nova, Vallcarca, Els Penitents and La Salut i El Coll, Gràcia keeps a local touch that breaks every mould.

This special charm becomes even more attractive during its Annual Festival.

Let’s get to know Gràcia Neighbourhood!

As summer temperatures start to rise, gastronomy becomes fresher and palates more exquisite. It is time for ceviche, a dish unveiling Peruvian gastronomy and gaining ground in Barcelona.

Nikkei cuisine was born from a combination between Japanese cuisine and Peruvian gastronomy. This is a great credit for traditional gastronomy, which has become trend with the help of important chefs arriving to Barcelona.

The most popular chef at this moment is Albert Adrià, awarded with several Michelin stars. However, the big boom of this gastronomic combination arrived with Pandilla de la Leche de Tigre, a group of internationally-awarded Peruvian cooks who landed in our country with their star dish, ceviche.

That was how Gastón Acurio, Virgilio Martínez, Mitcha Tsumura, Héctor Solís and Rafael Piqueras seduced the huge Spanish capitals. They introduced an innovative gastronomy without leaving tradition aside.

Some months ago, The Wall Street Journal posed the following question: ‘Can Peruvian ceviche conquer the world‘. Here in Spain, that is for sure.

That is why we would like to introduce the top ten Peruvian gastronomy restaurants in Barcelona.

During the 20th century, many cities used to host urban commercial galleries that attracted a new type of public to capitals like Barcelona. Getting to know them means hanging around its old commercial past.

Today’s shopping centres offer brands and services that, in the past, used to be far from the urban centre. They have a commercial strategy that is quite different from the one used by old commercial galleries on the emblematic urban streets.

Galleries are looking for some space on the most important commercial avenues, like Paseo de Gracia, and in modern shopping centres. The increase in rents resulting from LAU (Spanish Urban Rentals Law) and their poor presence at street level render their struggle to survive even harder.

However, they’re still part of the commercial and cultural past of shopping paradises like Barcelona.

Today, we’ll go around some of these historical galleries on the city’s main streets: La Rambla, Portaferrisa, Gran Via , Pelai, Tuset and Bori i Fontestà.

Let’s get to know this tiny corner of the history of Barcelona!

Popular ‘food trucks’ are now fashion in Barcelona. Several festivals of food on wheels and a varied gastronomy make them increase in number and improve in quality.

After decades of success in the United States, the international trend of selling food on the streets has arrived to our country. It’s an opportunity to taste a whole world of culinary specialities within an informal and relaxed environment.

Every day, dozens of food trucks prepare urban food on the go, with an excellent quality and at a good price.

Festivals like Eat Street, initiatives like Van Van Market, frequent fairs like Palo Alto Market and pop-up stores events like Rec de Igualada gather these travelling stalls.

These initiatives can be the link between cuisine and culture (All Those Food Market) or cuisine and music (SoundEat!), considering the complete programmes that are available.

1st edition of SoundEat! Barcelona from Soundeat on Vimeo.

While those in the industry restore old caravans and vintage trucks, cooks dream of taking their dishes to all the corners of the world.

This is the world of food trucks in Barcelona!

After 15 months of work, the new Plaza de Glòries in Barcelona is presented to the public. The reforms are introduced with a huge citizen party and a new design that will be modelled during the following years.

After the renovation of Paseo de Gracia and Diagonal Avenue, it’s the turn of one of the most popular squares of the city, Plaza de Glòries.

Being the border between Eixample and Sant Martí, Ildefonso Cerdá envisioned this square as one of the biggest centres of Barcelona, a place where some of its major thoroughfares meet: Diagonal Avenue, Gran Vía and Meridiana Avenue.

Some of the most vanguard buildings of Barcelona are also part of its new design, for instance, Agbar Tower by Jean Nouvel, Encants Market and Barcelona Design Centre (DHUB).

All those are huge erecting projects, now complemented by the new Plaza de Glòries.