Barcelona-Reykjavik
With one outlet in the Raval and a second in Gracia, Barcelona-Reykjavik belongs to the new class of bakers. All of their ingredients are organic and they eschew the usual yeast for their own starter made from spelt flour, pea flour and the yeast of flowers. Their impressive range of products includes rye bread, spelt cakes and, for something truly unique, a seaweed loaf.

C/Doctor Dou, 12
C/ Asturies, 20
www.barcelonareykjavik.com

Forn Fortino
With the secret knowledge of how to bake good bread passed down through four generations of the same family, Forn Fortino has the traditional credentials. All their bread is baked throughout the night in the same wood oven and they consider themselves masters of the classic Spanish white loaf and baguette (though they do not ignore the current trend for wholemeal, spelt flour, organic etc etc).

Travessera de Gracia, 145
www.fornfortino.com


Forn Mistral
Founded in 1879 with a fifth generation family member currently in charge of bread-baking, Forn Mistral tops the authentic list. Although they have recently branched out to include an organic selection, Forn Mistral is famed for its traditional Catalan breads including coques de pa (unleavened bread with either sweet or savoury toppings) and ensaïmades (light pastries dusted with sugar – good with coffee and extremely moreish!)

Ronda Sant Antoni, 96
Torres i Amat, 7
www.fornmistral.com


Baluard
When the owner of Baluard writes about bread, she becomes poetic: ‘There is no scent as subtle as bread emerging from the oven; an aroma that fills bakeries with a serene nocturnal fragrance.’ A third generation baker, Anna Bellsolá wants her customers to be as passionate about bread as she is and, aside from the quality of her products, she also offers them a behind-the-scenes view of the process through a huge plate-glass window, undoubtable evidence of their freshness and authenticity.

C/ Baluard 38-40
www.baluardbarceloneta.com


Turris
Despite being open for little more than a year, Turris was voted best bakery in Barcelona by Time Out recently. Xavier Barriga, the prodigal son of a family of bakers, returned to Barcelona after serving his apprenticeship in Italy, France, Portugal and Denmark. He opened his bakery in the Eixample with exactly that intention: to be the best by blending traditional methods with modern technologies using only top-quality ingredients. Expect to queue for your daily bread!

C/ Aribau 158
www.turris.es

It’s been 75 years since the inauguration of the stunning Museu d’Art de Catalunya in Montjuic, and the museum is celebrating it’s birthday in style by bringing together 75 masterpieces of Catalan art from private collections, Catalan, European and American museums, and ecclesiastic patrimony.

The show takes us on a journey through Catalan art from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century, stopping to admire the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods along the way.

Certain pieces are making a very special journey home for the exhibition, such as The Farmer’s Wife by Joan Miró, which is being brought in from the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

The MNAC’s 75th birthday bash includes Anniversary Night, on December 18th, with free admission throughout the museum and live music in the Oval Hall.

Convitats de Honor
MNAC
Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc
www.mnac.cat

“He’s not a composer, but an inventor of genius”. – said Arnold Schönberg of his pupil, John Cage. You can judge for yourself this winter as the MACBA
presents the largest exhibition devoted to the composer since his death.

The Anarchy of Silence – John Cage and Experimental Art is also the first exhibition to place Cage’s work within the context of the history of music and the visual and dramatic arts. Installations, lectures, concerts and film and video screenings
trace Cage’s twisting, turning and ultimately triumphant trajectory from the 30’s until his death in 1982 stopping along the way to call on pupils such as Duchamp and Warhol.

Winter opening hours:
Weekdays: 11.00 to 19.30, Saturdays: 10.00 to 20.00, Sundays and holidays 10.00h to 15.00h. Closed: Tuesdays, December 25 and January 1.

Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona MACBA
Plaça dels Angels 1
Tel: (+34) 93 412 0810
www.macba.es

Ask your average urbanite if they know where to find some mushrooms and they’ll direct you to their personal travel agent for the trip of a lifetime. Ask a local in Barcelona and they’ll check the nearest location of recent rainfall and pinpoint a field on a map. Hunting for wild mushrooms (sepas in Spanish, bolets in Catalan) is de rigeur for Catalans in autumn.

Statistically, everyone in Catalonia becomes a boletaire (mushroom-hunter) at least once a year. It is an excuse to get out of the city, get earthy and get eating while the harvest is ripe. Friends and family plan months in advance for their annual hike and hunt. And, returning at the end of the day like kids from a treasure hunt, they feast on rovellóns and ceps sautéed in olive oil with garlic and freshly chopped parsley.

Visitors to Barcelona don’t have to go to quite such extremes to sample these fruits of the forest: at this time of year, mushrooms can be found in every market and on every traditional menu.

Best place to buy mushrooms
Barcelona has its very own mushroom man: Llorenç Petràs, a legendary character found near the back of the Boqueria Market. His stall is piled high with the weird shapes and strange colours of local and global varieties. To sample the regional flavours look for: rovellós (bleeding milk caps), amanitas cesárea (Caesar’s Amanitas), ciurenys (ceps), rabassoles (morels), rossinyols (chanterelles)… To find out what to do with them, buy Petrás’ book: Cocinar Con Setas (Peninsular).

Best place to try mushrooms
In one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in Barcelona, Pedralbes, is the prestigious Neichel Restaurant. Owned by Michelin-starred chef Jean Louis Neichel, the restaurant offers regional Catalan ingredients prepared with techniques from French cuisine. Neichel is famed for creating visual dishes that retain the distinct flavour of each ingredient and, when in season, mushrooms and truffles make a frequent appearance on the menu. Among the fungal delights served are salad of black truffles with slices of foie gras, milk-fed lamb with cep mushroom sauce, beef fillet with chanterelle mushrooms and a Cabernet reduction…

Other autumnal delights
Castanyas Caliente: In October, little stalls with charcoal braziers make an appearance on numerous street corners in Barcelona. The nutty aromas and warm glow emanating from these stalls make them a welcome sight as the days get shorter and the evenings colder. There is nothing better than a warm bag of roast chestnuts or a hot sweet potato to make the transition into winter that little more delightful.

Panallets: These traditional Catalan sweets are part of La Castanyada festivities, celebrated on All Saints Day to honour the dead and ease their transition into the other world. They are made of marzipan and rolled into balls covered in pine nuts, coconut, chocolate or various other delicacies. The high-calorie morsels are said to give family members sufficient energy to hold a vigil for their loved ones throughout the night. And drink generous quantities of the sweet wine, moscatel… perhaps the best of all autumnal delights!

The menú del día is like the secret password to Spanish existence. Whisper ‘aai-min-oe’ to the patron and you’ll be given a knowing nod and your expensive a la carte menu quickly whipped away to be replaced by a single sheet in Spanish, probably with regional terms. Think of it as a lucky dip. Chances are one of the dishes will fill you up. And it may even be good.

Menú del día’s are basically fixed price menus. They were introduced by Franco to ensure the workers received at least one hearty meal per day. I frequently hear best thing, Franco and menú del día spoken in the same sentence, which is why, although no longer obligatory, many restaurants still maintain the tradition. And not just the traditional restaurants – trendy bars and Michelin-starred chefs can’t resist the challenge. The rules of the menú del día are: must be served during the midday break; must be satisfying – in both a monetary and belly-filling way.

For those in the know, the menú del día can revolutionise a visit – keeping costs low and instantly adjusting the recently landed to the Spanish timetable: early rise, large lunch, indulgent snooze, evening stroll, tapas and… well, the night is yet young and Barcelona is stirring. And that’s it. Adhere to the menú del día rhythm and your holiday schedule is sorted. You won’t want to run behind the tourist bus in a desperate attempt to see everything Barcelona has to offer. No. The menú del día means slow, leisurely, mañana, y mañana, y mañana. (And remember, these meals were designed for the workers.)

So that your first attempt at ordering a menú is not a complete stab in the dark, they traditionally consist of:

Primer Plato – Somewhere between a starter and an accompaniment to the main dish, the options often include cold and hot soups, salads and vegetable dishes.

Segundo Plato – The main dish, traditionally meat (pork chops, sausages, chicken, meatballs, bacon etc) or fish with potatoes, or perhaps a stew.

Postre o Café – Either dessert or coffee… Unless you’ve opted for a fancy restaurant, the desserts are unlikely to be award-winning. But if you still have some room, they’re worth sampling. Classic desserts are flan (think custard with caramel sauce and consider it a bonus if it says: flan casero (i.e. home made), crema catalana (think custard with burnt sugar topping, aka crème brûlée), mel i mató (staple Catalan dessert consisting of a fresh curd cheese (mató) with a generous helping of honey (mel) poured on top)  and, of course, helado (ice cream).
A menu usually includes bread and a drink, typically wine or water.

A recent survey across Spain found that the average price of a menú del día was € 9,50. Not bad considering the need for dinner is reduced to a few light bites and a glass of wine, finished off with a carajillo.

Restaurants with a worthy menú del día

La Palmera

This family run restaurant is all about charm and dedication. Not that they are the only ones running the place but it is clear who’s in charge: Mom in the kitchen and son & dad operating the floor. Offering a surprisingly different take on the menú del día, (Get there before 14:00 if you want to be sure of a table) consisting of 3 primeros, 3 segundos and various postres. All small and creative, taste exploring offerings. It is located near our apartment building on Ronda Universitat behind the University.

C/Enric Granados 57
Phone: +34 93 4532338
Open: 13:00-15:45, 20:30- 23:30 Tue-Fri.
Closed: Sundays, Mondays
Set lunch: €14.

Mercè Vins

Traditional Catalan restaurant that only serves a menú del día. Located in the centre, close to the shops, yet tucked away down a small side street, Mercè Vins changes its menu daily. Also open for a classic breakfast of pa amb tomàquet with jamón ibérico.

C/Amargós 1
Open 08:00-16:00 Mon-Fri.
Set lunch: €10.

Agullers

A real favorite. Always crowded serving simple market cuisine; fresh seafood (expect at least 6 different speciment to choose from), suquet (Catalan fishstew), and stuff dificult te decipher but which you should just try: butifarra blanca amb galets, patates, orella de porc, escalibada, esqueixada, etc. The place to be is at the bar where you see Joan reciting todays menu while pulling drawers with fresh fish, veggies and other produce he throws on the grill. The paella is prepared to be served from the pot. Service is swift, professional and attentive and guests coming in are greeted by name.

C/Agullers 8
Phone: +34 93 2680361
Open: 13:00-17:30. Bar opens at 08:30 Mon-Sat.
Lunch: €14.

Can Maño

This neighborhood dive in La Barceloneta connects carrer Baluart with carrer Monjo. Kids run through the restaurant and exit the other street. The restaurant’s name is so hidden it’s better to look for a blue Nestlé sign and during lunch time for a cue lining up outside the restaurant. Don’t expect anything fancy here, keep it simple when ordering and aside from Mondays do expect fresh fish a la plancha (most interestingly their ‘Verat’ or sardines sprinkled with a little parsley/garlic oil…). The atmosphere is very ‘Barceloneta’ in this cheap, no frills, family run restaurant.

C/Baluart 12
Phone: +34 93 3193082
Open: 08:00-17:00. Mon-Sat. 20:00-23:00. Mon-Fri.
Lunch: €9.

Au Port de la lune

This tiny French Bistro located on the small Plaça de Sant Galdric right next to the Boqueria market are connected to a very good butcher. Expect very good flank steak and ‘hamburguesas’, rilettes and lots of cheese. It’s all about French pride here, adapted to the mediodía format. Sure, we’re in Catalunya, but stop by anyway if it’s good food you’re after.

Plaça de Sant Galdric 1
Open: 13:00-16:00, 20:00-23:30 Mon-Sat
Set lunch: €12.

Hábaluc

Hábaluc is an oasis of calm in the hub of the Eixample. Situated on the pedestrianised Enric Granados, with outdoor seating, this charming restaurant caters for the ecologically aware. Most of the produce served at Hábaluc is organic and, though not a vegetarian restaurant, those with special diets are certainly not forgotten.

C/ Enric Granados 41
Open: 09:00-16:30, 20:30-00:00 Mon-Sat
Set lunch: €10.

Alkimia

For something special, book a table at the Michelin-starred Alkimia, owned by the Catalan alchemist Jordi Vilà. Vying with the nearby Sagrada Familia for attention, the lunch menu at Alkimia somehow wins the day. Sample the 32€ menú del día, the €54 menu degustación or even the €68 12-course special, all with excellent local wines included. A warning however: don’t be too critical of the service…

C/Indústria 79
Phone: +34 93 2076115
Open: 13:30-15:30 Mon-Fri; 20:30-23:00 Mon-Sat
Set lunch: €32, €54, €68.

A word of warning: there may be hidden costs, such as service tax, other drinks, and a surcharge for sitting on the terrace. Check for the terms incluido/no incluido.

Barcelona Meeting Point is Spain’s one and only international and professional real estate exhibition and takes place each autumn. Now in its 12th year, the expo is divided into three parts.
The Professional Exhibition, where visitors get a peek at the latest projects and services from a wide range of companies related to the real estate world; The General Attendance Exhibition, which offers the general public real estate products and services for personal use or as an investment and an International Symposium, where more than 130 national and international renowned speakers analyze the hottest real estate subjects. Parallel activities include various dinners and an awards ceremony.

The Professional Exhibition and Symposium are open from October 27 – 29, from 10.00h to 20.00h. Registration can be completed via the website or by calling the information number.

The General Attendance exhibition is open from October 27 – 31, from 10.00h to 20.00h and November 1, from 10.00h to 15.00h. Tickets can be purchased at the Fira ticketing office on Plaza España.

Barcelona Meeting Point 2009

Information: +34 93 223 40 50

www.bmpsa.com

La Fira de Barcelona

Av Reina M Cristina s/n

Phone: +34 902 233 200

www.firabcn.es

Sònar started out as something very different to the festival that folk who flock to it today consider it to be. For years it’s been considered the leading avant-garde and experimental festival in Europe and one of the best in the world. Forget the crowds and the techno attached to it. The truth is that in its 16 years of history Sònar has maintained an experimental roster and essence of the highest quality. The resulting fest is a great bet if you’re up for discovering amazing new experimental and unusual acts and for dancing your sweet ‘lil toosh off all day and night long!

When: Middle of June

www.sonar.es

LEM

If there’s one festival that people will associate with the words “Barcelona” and “experimental” it’s LEM. This festival’s approach in uniquely innovative on a number of levels: For a whole month it integrates itself with the lives of its visitors by programming one or two shows a day in intimate venues and, what’s more most of them are free.

What you’ll find at LEM is a much more laid back approach to the stereotypical festival modus operandi: instead of being on your feet all day trying to cram in as many shows as possible, LEM offers you the chance to sip on a glass of wine or a cold beer and devote all your attention to the show. The gigs are usually held in the Gracia neighbourhood, and the artists invited are the crème de la crème of the avant-garde. The music you’ll hear at this fest defies the very limits of music, sound and the imagination. It’s sound Jim…. But not as we know it; not as we know it…

When: October

www.gracia-territori.com

Cap Sembrat

The name of this festival literally means “sown” head, and no less avant-garde than its title is the festival’s motto: “weirder is better.” It’s therefore no surprise that this festival is a bit of a hit or miss thing. Some editions have been incredible while others have been a bit dense, but all come with the (non-refundable) guarantee that there’ll be enough noise to fry your brains good and proper if that’s what you’re after.

This festival was founded in 2005 by Arnau Sala and Sam Roig. Arnau also runs Ozonokids, a record label that has its name editing experimental and psychedelic music with an uncompromising attitude. Sam Roig is behind L’Ull Cec, which promotes incredible shows all year round.

The festival changes venue each year and while some have been really amazing locations, others left a lot to be desired. Still, there’s no disputing that over the years Cap Sembrat has gained a cult following on both a national and international scale.

When: There’s no set date or time of year for this fest, it changes every year; sometimes there are two editions per year.

www.capsembrat.info

Impronits Aixònoéspànic

Víctor Nubla, the creative director behind LEM festival and free improvisation band Aixònoéspanic have a residency in Electric Bar in Gràcia where they play jam sessions with various guest artists every month.

It’s an interesting experience, which can transport you to very different psychedelic landscapes each time. If you haven’t been up there yet, check, Electric Bar out: in addition to a spectrum of experimental and avant-garde music events, the venue boasts the best and most bizarre artistes including poets and storytellers. Who wants to live in the real world anyway?

When: Every third Wednesday of the month.

www.gracia-territori.com

www.electricbarcelona.com

MP7 Music in Progress

BCN-mp7 is the CCCB’s surrealist but tuneful experimental music festival that runs seven sessions of creation, production and debate about contemporary popular music.

Besides live fusion and friction multiple music genre concerts, the cycle also involves colloquiums devoted to open critical reflection on the current music scene. New technology is also brought into the light, tried and tested.

When: Monthly from around March to November.

www.cccb.org

Hot, freshly fried calamares are a firm favourite, and the house specialties: melt-in-the mouth paprika-dusted octopus, patatas bravas, home-made ham and potato croquets and pork-skewers also feature among the symphony of flavours at this down-to-earth, hospitable grazing spot.

Decked out with old-world charm from floor to ceiling and graced with friendly service, Bar Celta is one of the city’s best-kept secrets. The prices are refreshingly easy to swallow, ranking from 2-6 Euros per tapa and a glass of the house vino will go down surprisingly easy at just a Euro! Open daily from noon till 1am.

Bar Celta
C/Mercé , 16 (Barrio Gótico)
Phone : +34 93 315 00 06

Barcelona would like to invite you to a party the scale of which you ain’t never seen before… On 24th of June, the entire city and surrounding towns will erupt into a blaze of light.

The origins of the celebration can be traced back to the pagan sun worship rituals and the witching night. When the date made it into the Christian calendar, it became the feast of Saint John the Baptist.

In modern times, this translates to thousands of revellers descending onto the city’s beaches to party like it’s the end of the world. The chiringuitos ignite, music bursts out, booze flows and just about everyone ends up in the sea, scuttling off home at sun-up to nurse their hangovers and dodge the artillery of unspent firecrackers that bombard the city for three days afterwards. Sleep is for other people!

The Brandery hails a new concept in contemporary urban fashion trade shows, where the Brand, creativity and innovation come together in an unconventional space at the Fira in Barcelona.

July sees the first edition of this twice-yearly trade fair, where 250 national and international fashion exhibiters will unite with an anticipated 10,000 top international industry professionals including retailers, department stores and distributors.

The Brandery will comprise of 5 sections, Brandtown, Brandstreet, The Laundry and The City, plus a special area entitled “Made in Barcelona” which will promote the city as international benchmark contemporary fashion.

Comprised of 50% branders and 50% brands, The Brandery is open to fashion professionals who register in advance. Special discounts apply to those who register early.

The Brandery 2009
www.thebrandery.com

La Fira Montjuic Recinct:
Avda. Reina Maria Cristina
Tel: 902 233 200