10 things that will make you feel like a local in Barcelona 03/02/2025

It is the people of Barcelona who make the city, with its traditions, customs and unique, unconventional, cosmopolitan character. Although we always seem to be busy rushing around, we are clear about one thing: a good work-life balance is essential if you want to be happy. There's no doubt that those of us who live in Barcelona know how to enjoy the city's lifestyle to the full. Here we're going to tell you about 10 things we do, so that you'll feel like a local and be able to get the most out of your experience.

Going for
a vermut

Going for a vermut, or fer el vermut in Catalan, is a veritable institution. The city has time-honoured temples to this aromatic fortified wine that serve some of the finest varieties alongside the best tapas. Vermouth, which has become really fashionable in recent years, has a history dating back centuries, but the tradition of having a glass or two before lunch, with a splash of soda water, has never got old. Some tinned fish or seafood, olives, pickles, pieces of cheese and cured sausage, some “patatas bravas” (a dish that everyone eats but few people make at home) and our favourite combo: mussels marinated in an escabetx sauce on potato crisps. We don't do brunch here! Around noon, places like the Plaça d'Eivissa, Plaça d'Osca, Plaça Masadas, and the old part of the Clot district, will welcome you, with their soda syphons at the ready.

Going for
an afternoon snack

They say that you need five meals a day and having an afternoon snack is one that has many devotees. In chilly weather, our go-to snack consists of a cup of thick hot chocolate topped with a dollop of cream, known as a suís, or on its own, served with churro fritters or sponge fingers called melindros at traditional cafés like the Granja M. Viader and La Nena. In summer, horchata is the most refreshing, cooling drink and is served at all the city's ice cream parlours. Throughout the year, you can enjoy a tempting array of wonderful pastries and cakes, from croissants to éclairs and xuixos (deep-fried cylindrical pastries dusted with sugar and filled with confectioner's custard) at the city's finest patisseries, like Hofmann and Escribà.

Going for
a drink

Barcelona is one of the world's cocktail capitals, and, in recent years, some of the city's bars, like Sips and Paradiso, have earned amazing accolades. This should come as no surprise because Barcelona's cocktail tradition goes back many decades. They are well aware of this at Boadas, the cocktail bar that welcomed famous artists like Salvador Dalí and authors of the calibre of Ernest Hemingway, or Torre Rosa, an elegant bar which is popular with locals. What's more, the city's style is very casual and you don't need to dress up to go out at night.

Going to
the market

Eating well is a priority and Barcelona makes it easy as it has thirty-nine municipal markets where you can buy fresh produce. The locals usually go there on Saturday morning and take the time to stop off for breakfast or have a vermouth and a snack at one of their bars. As if that wasn't enough, some of the markets are true architectural gems, like Santa Caterina, which was designed by Benedetta Tagliabue, or Sant Antoni, a superb example of Catalan art nouveau, modernisme. And that's not all: there are other kinds of markets too. The Encants doesn't sell food, but you'll find practically anything else you're looking for: from all kinds of fabrics to cooking utensils, second-hand books and vintage objects.

Going for
a stroll

We locals do a lot of walking because we live in an accessible city, with boulevards, avenues and shopping districts, and also because it stands on a slope, meaning that, wherever you are, all the roads lead to the sea. Or, if you like, to the hills: all you have to do is look for Tibidabo or Montjuïc to get your bearings. But you can also walk from river to river, from the Besòs to the Llobregat. Whatever you decide to do, when you're strolling along, make sure you look up and don't miss a single detail of the modernista façades, buildings showcasing pioneering design and the Roman remains. You can wander along the iconic Avinguda de Gaudí, enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of Nou Barris on Passeig de Fabra i Puig, make the most of the weekends when Carrer de Sants is car-free, or go shopping on Carrer Rogent, the retail district in the Clot neighbourhood.

Going for
a chat

Whether we're in a bar or in a square, we locals seize any opportunity to talk and talk and talk (mainly about Barça and the weather) until we decide to go for a small glass of beer because our throats are dry. We might chat on a flight of steps or on a bench, in the Plaça de la Vila in Gràcia or the Plaça del Comerç in Sant Andreu, in one of the pedestrian-friendly streets like Consell de Cent, or when we stop off for a drink and do a spot of people-watching in the busy Plaça de la Concòrdia in Les Corts.

Going out

As Mediterraneans, we enjoy mild temperatures, even in winter, which allow us to spend a good deal of time outdoors. We love lying on the grass in parks like the Parc de les Glòries – which is home to a large green area known as the big clearing, or Gran Clariana – and reading, chatting or playing table games, joining in the festivals in the different neighbourhoods, like Sants, Poblenou, Sant Andreu, and the Festes de la Mercè, which are dedicated to the city's patron saint. We also enjoy going to the outdoor film screenings on Montjuïc in summer and enjoying the lights and magic of Christmas in Barcelona harbour.

Going for
a culture fix

Barcelona can't be understood without culture. A visit to any of the city's great choice of top-class museums, such as the Fundació Antoni Tàpies and the Centre de Fotografia KBr, is the perfect plan. Admission is free to many of them on the first Sunday of the month. Saturday is the day to go to the latest theatre premieres at the Lliure, Romea or smaller venues. Book lovers in search of some peace and quiet should head for one of the city's libraries. There are more than forty to choose from. This means that it should come as no surprise that Barcelona has been designated a City of Literature by UNESCO.

Playing sport
in the open air

As the weather is fine for most of the year, you'll often see us coming out of our houses in tracksuits to go and play beach volleyball or work out on Barceloneta beach, do some yoga in the Parc de Cervantes, go for a bike ride on the Carretera de les Aigües, or go jogging in the Turó de la Rovira. There is a growing number of sports lovers in the city who get together to play sport in the open air.

We are
creative

If you've come to Barcelona looking for inspiration, you're likely to find it, like so many artists and creative types have done for centuries. This is because creativity is written in the city's DNA and is everywhere you look. If you want to stimulate your mind even more, you can visit venues that showcase the art and design that runs through our veins. The Disseny Hub looks at the history of Catalan design, the Fàbrica de Creació Fabra i Coats shows works by each season's artists in residence, and the Ideal Centre d'Arts Digitals is the place for people who enjoy the most innovative art.

So now you know: when you come to Barcelona, if you want to experience the city like a local and get to know it in depth, do what we do. We'll see you in the square!