Madrid -- Barcelona has many faces. There's the tourist-and-pickpocket tango of the Ramblas, the cozy, mysterious streets of the Barri Gótic, and the genteel grace of the Eixample.
Just a few blocks north of all of these, though, a hip scene unfolds that few tourists get to see. Locals describe the Grácia neighborhood as "Barcelona's Greenwich Village" -- where locals can shop in hip little boutiques, take in a foreign film (as likely as not, an American indy flick) and drink the night away with a laid-back, upscale crowd.
Wandering the Grácia provides a perfect alternative to the well-trodden paths of the Old City. You're unlikely to see a tourist out here, but you will see charming late-19th-century buildings crowding the narrow streets, a slew of pocket-sized plazas, two vibrant food markets and even a house designed by Barcelona's favorite son, the brilliantly insane architect Gaudí.
A Quick Tour of Grácia
While you're heading to Grácia, swing by the Casa Vicens (18-24 Carrer de les Carolines; no phone; www.rutamodernisme.com/gaudi/e/ruta_bcn10.html), the first house designed by visionary architect Gaudí. It's privately owned, so you can't get inside, but you can certainly appreciate the bizarre checkerboard façade and the bricks that seem to fly from the turrets.
In the mornings, between 7 am and 2 pm, grab bites at the neighborhood's several low-key food markets, such as the Mercat Abaceria Central at 186 Traverssia de Grácia (+34/93 213 6286) or the Mercat Llibertat on Plaça Llibertat (+34/93 217 0995).
The spine of Grácia lies along Carrer Verdi (Verdi Street), from the Plaça Revolució stretching about six blocks north and onto side streets. During the day, you'll find unique boutiques like Nina's (39 Carrer Verdi; +34/93 218 6066), where an expat American artisan has designed her own quirky dolls, toys and dresses. (Look twice: yes, many of those rag dolls have three legs.) Suite (3 Carrer Verdi, +34/93 210 0247) features fashions from several up-to-the-minute designers. Art books and painfully hip CDs are sold at hub-bcn (28 Carrer La Perla; +34/93 237 1037). At night, crowds file into the Verdi and Verdi Park cinemas, back to back at 32 Carrer Verdi and 49 Carrer Torrijos (+34/93 238 7990; www.cines-verdi.com/indexVerdiBCN.htm) for foreign art films -- including US movies in the original English, with Spanish subtitles.
Evenings in Gracia mean drinking, drinking, drinking. The wine is fine and the food relatively edible at Café Salambo (51 Carrer Torrijos; +34/93 218 6966; www.cafesalambo.com), which is packed with an upscale, mixed-age crowd after most showings at the Verdi Park Cinema next door. At least one of the waitresses speaks perfect English. For a purer tapas-bar experience, stop by D.O. (36 Carrer Verdi; +34/93 205 2279), usually packed with artsy twenty and thirty-somethings. Or just crawl the bars along Verdi and the streets stretching from the Plaça del Sol to the Plaça de la Virreina.
The best affordable food on Carrer Verdi itself is probably at one of the several Lebanese places opposite the Verdi Cinema. We had a tasty time at Restaurant Equinox, where the owner cheerfully told us he had three brothers in Dallas; delicious plates of lamb shwarma and savory chicken with hummus and felafel came to an astonishing €8 per person. (21 Carrer Verdi, +34/93/237-3270; dinner only)
Head a bit west onto the Carrer Gran de Gracia and you'll find the finest seafood in Barcelona at Botafumeiro -- and that's saying a lot. We couldn't afford dinner at Botafumeiro ourselves, so it's a good thing the same chef runs a more reasonably-priced, meat-focused restaurant next door at Taberna del Cura (83 Gran de Grácia; +34/93 218 1799; www.monchos.com/taberna/indexen.htm) Locals also recommend El Racó de les Bruixes for Catalan-style casseroles and other home cooking; meals run about €20 per person there. (4 Carrer Aulèstia I Pijoan, just north of Carrer Breton de los Herreros,+34/93 218 2379).
For more information, pick up a map of Grácia with restaurants and boutiques marked at many Carrer Verdi shops or at the official information center on the south side of Plaça Rius I Taulet, four blocks south and four west of Plaça Revolució (+34/93 237 1863).
A Gracious Place to Stay
As befits a non-touristy neighborhood, Grácia doesn't have many hotel options; most nearby hotels are either two subway stops south in the Eixample, or a 15-minute walk west in the duller Sarria district.
One place that stands out, though, is the Hotel Silver at 26 Carrer Breton de los Herreros (www.hotelsilver.com; +34/93 218 9100). Just a few blocks east from the heart of the action and very close to a subway station, the Silver's cozy rooms all have kitchenettes - perfect if you're trying to save money or want to test the products of Barcelona's many open-air markets. Most rooms are €73 for single use and €80 for doubles, a bargain for Barcelona. Reservation manager Dafne speaks perfect English, faster than you would believe.
To get to Grácia, take Barcelona's Metro Line 3 to Fontana and walk east.
For our full guide to Barcelona, see www.frommers.com/destinations/barcelona.
