How to Spend a Day in L’Eixample, Barcelona, Spain

Like the Upper East Side of New York, the L’Eixample neighborhood in Barcelona is the well-heeled, hoity-toity counterpart to the rougher districts of the Barri Gotic, Gracia and El Raval. But L’Eixample offers more than just fabulous shopping: it’s the home of three of the most recognizable, remarkable masterpieces of Barcelona’s best-known architect, Anton Gaudi. Here’s how to spend a day in this vibrant, classy area.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Start at Plaça Catalunya. To make a thorough exploration of L’Eixample, start at Barcelona’s transportation hub and walk up Passeig de Gracia, a wide, glamorous boulevard that forms the heart of L’Eixample. As a variation, walk up the Rambla de Catalunya, a street just to the west of Passeig. Both streets feature countless shops, and browsing could easily take up a morning.
2. Have a café con leche or a snack at La Bodegueta. This longtime tapas bar is always bustling, and its outdoor tables are prime people-watching territory—-if you can get one. Don’t just sit down if you see an empty seat, however-—ask the waiter first (even if he seems harried, as he usually is). This will ensure you stay in other patrons’ good graces. (100 Rambla de Catalunya)
3. Have a Gaudi afternoon. The Casa Batllo (Passeig de Gracia 43) is a fantastical apartment building, with mask-shaped balconies and elaborate colored tiling on the façade and on the roof. One of the most remarkable features of the “House of Bones” is that there are no straight lines in the interior—everything is curved. Walk further up Passeig to Carrer de Provença and pay a visit to La Pedrera, an undulating stone-white building. Don’t miss the Darth Vader-style chimneys on the roof. Finally, walk along Carrer de Rossello, then turn right down Carrer de Sardenya, where you’ll see the Sagrada Familia cathedral, arguably Gaudi’s most famous work, still in progress today.
4. Get a design fix at Vinçon. Vinçon (Passeig de Gracia 96) is one of Barcelona’s most famous shops, and it’s stuffed with amazing housewares, furniture and kitchen accessories that will make your home look super-cool—if of course, you can afford them. Don’t miss the enormous fireplace on the second floor.
5. Have dinner at Le Relais de Venise. At this restaurant, there is no menu—-just order your steak rare, medium or well done. You’ll be served a salad and then a luscious meal of succulent steak and crispy thin frites. The béarnaise sauce is to die for. The best part of this place: your server gives you only half your steak and half your frites at once, keeping the other half warm on a heated tray nearby—which ensures that the second half of your meal is as amazing as the first. (142 Pau Claris)