La Rita offers a three-course lunch, with wine, for €8.90.

By Bill Sinclair in Barcelona—

I’ve been keeping an eye on menu prices around Barcelona. Over the past six months I’ve noticed that the median cost of a fixed-price lunch menu has dropped from around €9.50 to €8.80. That’s good news for Cheapos.

Here’s a brief list of budget-friendly restaurants that offer great lunch deals. I’ve tried to cover all the central neighborhoods, so that no matter where you are in the city, you can always find something good to eat.

(Note: This is the final installment in our Barcelona cheap eats guide. Also read our recommended outdoor eateries, cheap restaurant picks, and tips to keep your eats cheap in Barcelona.)

Lunch near Las Ramblas

If it’s lunchtime and you’re walking down Las Ramblas, you will want to avoid the ridiculously over-priced drinks and

Meals are holy affordable at El Convent.

over-cooked food that lurks nearby. Instead try:

• El Convent (Carrer Jerusalem, 3): Set behind the famous Boqueria market in a former convent, this place serves traditional Catalan and Spanish food along with good wine in an historic environment. A snip at €9.90.

• Fonda de España  (Carrer Sant Pau, 9): This restaurant, located inside the Hotel España, sparkles with an ornate, tiled, and chandeliered Modernista dining-room designed by architect Domenech i Muntaner. It’s a wonderful backdrop for a substantial €11.90 (inc. tax) lunch.

Lunch near Passeig de Gracia

If visiting Gaudi’s La Pedrera or Casa Battlo, head for the short stretch of Carrer Aragó between Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer Pau Claris, where you’ll find three excellent lunchtime restaurants.

• La Rita (Carrer Aragó, 279):  Given its consistent quality, service, and value, La Rita (pictured above) is my favorite lunchtime restaurant. The menu costs just €8.90 (including tax) for a three-course lunch with bread, wine, and water. Desserts are excellent. The restaurant is very popular with local office workers, so expect to wait in line for ten minutes or so.

• La Gramola (Carrer Aragó, 277): Immediately next door to La Rita is an excellent Japanese-Mediterranean restaurant. The menu here is €8.80 (including tax). Closed Sundays.

• Madrid-Barcelona (Carrer Aragó, 282): Finally, just across the street from the two above-mentioned restaurants is this traditional Spanish cafe serving excellent food. The menu here is a great value at €10.50.

Lunch near Plaza Catalunya

• Xaica (Calle Jovellanos, 5-7): For a cheap and cheerful meal at a set-price, with self-service menu, check out Xaica. They serve three-courses, wine, beer, or a soft drink, from €8.50.

Lunch near La Sagrada Familia

By all means, avoid all of the fast food joints and head for…

• Origen 99’9% (Avinguda Gaudí, 8): Just across the street from the unfinished majesty of the Sagrada Familia, you’ll find Origen 99′9%.

• Els Pollos de Llull (Carrer Nàpols, 272): Els Pollos serves a delicious two-course lunch for €6.95 (three-courses for €7.95). The pickings often include organic chicken with rice and a variety of organic yogurts. It’s a five minute walk from Sagrada Familia.

About the author: Born next door to an infamous London prison, Bill Sinclair has been on the run ever since. He now resides in Barcelona where he works as a writer, translator and independent visitor guide.

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By Bill Sinclair in Barcelona—

Barcelona is a treasure trove of art and architecture—and free champagne.  No, seriously. Tag along on our gallery tour and you’ll experience some very cool art while clinking a glass or two of free Catalan cava or French champagne.

Let’s go!

Sala Parés
Calle de Petritxol 5, 08002

The best time to check out Sala Parés is on a Thursday afternoon, say around 7 PM.  Located off Calle de Petritxol, a narrow street lined with galleries that runs parallel to Las Ramblas (Metro Liceu – Line 3- Green line), the space was founded in 1840 and is the oldest public commercial art gallery in Europe. In fact, it staged a young Picasso’s first public exhibition in 1901.

The gallery has three exhibition spaces showing off current work and pieces from 19th- and 20th-century collections. Time your drop-in right and you can catch an opening of recent work by one of the gallery’s esteemed stable of artists. For opening, the staff will—you guessed it!—be serving free cava and chilled white wine.

OK, keep up. Put that glass down – we’re off to the next stop…

Gracia Arts Project
Calle Sant Honorat, 11, 08002

To get from the oldest gallery to one of the city’s newest, stroll across the Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol onto Calle Banys Nous (and its antique shops), and turn onto Calle del Call, at the heart of what used to be the medieval city’s Jewish quarter. Finally, turn left onto Calle Sant Honorat, adjacent to the Generalitat (Catalonia’s government HQ), and—bingo!—you’ve found Gracia Arts Project.

Founded just two years ago, the G.A.P. is a small, friendly gallery showcasing fresh, vibrant works by an energetic, polyglot collective of Barcelona-based artists and designers. Again, if you attend on an opening night, you can snag another free glass of cava.

We’d better get out of here before it gets crowded – and it does get crowded.

La Pedrera
Passeig de Gràcia

From G.A.P., it’s just a short walk to Via Laietana to catch the Metro (Line 4 – Yellow line) two stops to Passeig de Gràcia and over to Gaudì’s famous apartment building, La Pedrera.

Avoid the line for basic tours of the apartment building and head directly through the large ironwork gates on the corner, and up the beautifully decorated stairway (pictured at left) to the free exhibition space. Here, you can typically catch an expertly curated retrospective by an overlooked European artist, circa the 1920s or 30s.

No free drinks here today, but free exhibition notes in English abound. Make sure you look around at the details in Gaudì’s molded ceilings and columns.

Ready? Time to go. The exhibition closes at 8 PM here. Last stop…

MiTO
Calle Rosellò, 193, 08036

Finally, we’re off to MiTO, a gallery just one block up and four blocks over from Gaudì’s apartment, in the heart of Eixample.

Time it right and arrive by 8:20 PM to catch another fun opening.  The place is usually packed with a good mix of artists, buyers, collectors, curators and critics, and two very welcoming hosts, Joaquim and Alfredo, who like to serve up free Piper Heidsieck French champagne and snacks.

The work here at MiTO is cutting edge. Work is created by known international artists from cities like New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, and Valencia (to name a few).

Also at MiTO, help yourself to a few free catalogues of previous shows. I recommend Brian Dettmer’s The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a beautifully crafted “look-book” filled with some incredible stuff.  They are all neatly stacked on shelves near the glass entrance door.

What did you think?

Did you enjoy the tour? Four very different art spaces, two centuries of art, and six centuries of architecture (not to mention free cava and champagne) in two hours before dinner, and all for free!  Nice way to work up an appetite, don’t you think? Let us know in the comment section below.

About the author: Born next door to an infamous London prison, Bill Sinclair has been on the run ever since. He now resides in Barcelona where he works as a writer, translator and independent visitor guide.

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This year, there are a number of Oscar-nominated films that take place in Europe. Here are some of our favorites:

-In Bruges (Bruges, Belgium): We saw this film just as we were putting the finishing touches on our Cheapo guide to Bruges. Now, while we weren’t huge fans of the plot - or the script - we always enjoy a flick that makes a city more than just a background, but more like an additional character. The gratuitous canal scenes were great, and of course, it doesn’t hurt to watch Colin Farrell do anything, especially in a storybook town.

-The Reader (Berlin, Germany): We read the book first and were blown away. The movie’s high intensity takes place mostly in post World War II Germany, namely Berlin. Though it’s hard to exactly enjoy a harsh, morality tale, the film is beautiful and it’s truly fascinating to see Hollywood’s depiction of things like post-war train cars (Hanna Schmitz, Kate Winslet’s character, plays a ticket taker).  Hamburg-born David Kross, who plays Hanna’s lover, is a delightful newcomer to the Hollywood film scene. The musical score is breathtaking, composed and arranged by 26-year-old  Nico Muhly, a prodigy of Philip Glass, and a resident of New York City.

-Vicky Christina Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain): If you haven’t seen this film, rent it now! We saw it twice. Penelope Cruz is nominated for her role as the hot tempered Maria Elena (fabulous!). You’ll love the requisite scenes in Gaudi’s Parc Guell. And, if you’ve ever studied abroad, well, let’s just say there are a few inside jokes.

-The Duchess, (London, and more far-flung England): This is what you call a good ol’ fashioned British costume drama! It doesn’t hurt, however, that the acting is spot on (!) and, for romantics, the story is moving and enthralling. Though most of the film takes place in the English countryside - Devonshire to be exact - there are some terrific period scenes in London, circa the late 1700s.

-Happy-Go-Lucky, (London): So, we’d venture to say we were the only people who didn’t really like Mike Leigh’s acclaimed Happy-Go-Lucky. (Side note: Does this mean we want to hurt puppies and small kittens? Some of our friends think so.) What we did like about this flick was that it rendered a realistic portrait of London, the gritty city. We were drawn in watching Sally Hawkins bike through busy streets and a gray landscape, and loved all those great pub scenes.

-The Class (Paris, France): Though we haven’t seen this one yet, a few French friends have recommended it saying it’s, “a highly moving portrait” of middle school students and their determined teacher. Apparently, much of the movie is unscripted too making it a work of astounding improvisation.

-Revanche, (Vienna, and the Austrian countryside): We are excited to see Revanche when it comes to our local Brooklyn theater in a few weeks. It promises bank robberies, seedy scandals, and much more. It’s this year’s official entry from Austria and is up for Best Foreign Language film. Fun fact: Screenwriter Götz Spielmann grew up in Vienna.

Will you be watching the 81st Annual Academy Awards? Do you host an Oscar party? Tell us here.

Oh, and don’t forget the popcorn!

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No trip to Barcelona is complete without picking up a little free (or almost-free) reminder of Gaudí, the city’s favorite architect. Happily, Barcelona is teeming with arty Gaudí souvenirs, ranging from the refined to the (you guessed it) gaudy.

Take home some cheapo Gaudí

Regarded as tasteless in his own time, Antoni Gaudí’s unique art nouveau ideas are widely celebrated in Barcelona’s architecture today. All over the city, and surrounding his iconic Sagrada Família in Eixample, Gaudí souvenirs abound.

Sure, some of these items are tacky, but tacky will be fun back home! Some of our favorite examples of Gaudí souvenirs include:

• Illustrated brochures and ticket stubs from the Segrada Família
• Gaudí-adorned (and free) napkins from the church’s on-site café
• Postcards of the picturesque Casa Milà and Parc Güell
• Salt and pepper shakers in the shape of Gaudí smokestacks
• Gaudí chess pieces

These are just a few of our favorite Gaudí-themed cheapo souvenirs. You can preview some souvenirs here, but know that you’ll be able to find cheaper versions from street vendors.

While you’re at it…

As long as one is in the barrio, we suggest picking up free hand-outs from museums showing off any of the city’s modern style. The Picasso Museum in Old Town and the Museum of Chocolate San Pere Born are both good places to find stylish brochures.

Editor’s Note: This is our third post in our “Cheapo Souvenirs” blog series. Join us over the next four weeks as we suggest one cheap or free souvenir to bring home from each city we cover on EuroCheapo. Do you have a suggestion for another cheap souvenir in Barcelona? A favorite Gaudí souvenir? Leave a comment below! 

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If you’re heading to Barcelona, there’s no doubt that Antoni Gaudi’s art and architecture will be high on your list. From whimsical apartment buildings to the imposing spires of a Roman Catholic church, the Catalonian architect’s work dominates the city. You could pay €10 to scale the steps of the (perpetually-under-construction) Sagrada Familia or spend €8 to explore Gaudi’s art nouveau Casa Mila. Or, you could check out a more Cheapo-friendly option - the magnificent Parc Guell, which has free entrance.

The park is a local favorite, complete with a colorful mosaic terrace overlooking the city. Impressive columns, a sprawling staircase, and a large-scale Gaudi dragon make for an incredible ambience. Best of all, taking in this virtual garden of Catalonian color costs nothing, apart from a hearty walk across Guell’s 42 acres!

Parc Guell is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or dusk. Take the green line Metro to stop “Lesseps” and follow the street signs to the park’s entrance. For more information, visit the Project for Great Public Space’s Parc Guell page.

Join us again tomorrow, Cheapos, for another free tip. Next stop? Berlin!

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When it comes to our list of travel essentials, iPods and MP3 players are right up there with good city maps and sun block. And, if we hit a bump in the road or happen to meet with a European transit strike, there’s no better way to while away the hours than with a few portable travel guides.

Read on, dear Cheapos, for five free podcasts we love for Barcelona, Spain:

For those with unique taste

If you’re more into meandering side streets than queuing up at the Sagrada Familia, check out Notes from Spain’s frequently uploaded casts. Audio guides offer an “anti-tourist” take on exploring Barcelona, from back street tours of the barri gotic to a bike route through the Basque region.

For well-rounded travelers

We like Tourcaster for its wide array of podcasts—from tours of art museums to jaunts through national parks—highlighting destinations around the world. Although some audio guides get super-specific (Madrid’s Royal Palace, anyone?), the Barcelona City Guide provides a comprehensive introduction to the city’s top attractions, like Gaudi’s Parc Guell or the best places to eat tapas. And, unlike other Tourcaster podcasts, it’s free!

For the language buffs

Don’t know your por qué from your por favor? Radio Alicante International FM, a radio station broadcasting from Spain, doles out language lessons in a free podcast on learning Spanish. Download the courses from iTunes and listen, repeat, listen, repeat.

For architecture aficionados

For a Cheapo architecture fix, we like LoDingo’s comprehensive building tour. The two-hour podcast winds its way through Barcelona’s best examples of “el Modernisme Catal,” the style made famous by the Catalonian architect Antonio Gaudi.

For some in-flight entertainment

Okay, so the Barcelona Vidcast HD podcast is in Spanish, but since it’s a video, the sights and sounds of the city speak for themselves. It’s available on iTunes (search “Barcelona Vidcast HD” to find it), is perfect for the plane ride over or for distracting yourself during a classic Spanish conundrum, the rail strike.

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Sightseeing in Barcelona can get pretty pricey. But never fear, there are plenty of things to do in Barcelona that won’t cost you one Euro-cent. Our recommendations:

1) Go, go, Gaudi!

Stroll through Park Geull, an incomplete masterpiece by Antoni Gaudi. Walk up the grand staircase, explore the cavernous shelters and sit on benches laden with mosaic tiles and glass—Gaudi’s trademarks. Geull is open year-round, but closes at dusk. Call (34) 93 413 24 00 for more information.

2) Take it to church

A visit to the Barcelona Cathedral, in the center of the Gothic district, places you in the middle ages, and won’t cost you a shilling. Pieces of the original building dating back to the 10th-century are still intact. To find the cathedral, simply head to Plaça de la Seu and look up. How in-spire-ing!

3) Grab a bongo

Got your own? Bring ‘em along and join the many bongo players who congregate in Parc Ciutadella on weekend afternoons. You’ll see the majority of them there on Sundays. Otherwise, just swing by, chill out, and feel the local beat.

4) Check out the gallery scene

The incredible Fundacio Caixaforum is a gorgeous art nouveau fortress, originally a factory, that today serves as a cultural space open daily and free to enter. Catch a lecture on architecture or just browse the galleries. Free concerts occur weekly. Bonus tip: For more art openings, hit up Conseil de Cent Street between Mutaner and Rambla Catalunya, where there is a whole slew of freebie galleries.

5) Listen up

Before you go, here’s an idea: Why not take a thread from one of our favorite budget travel blogs, Less Than a Shoestring, and download The Independent’s free Barcelona podcast. It’s chock full of good advice and ideas to get you crazy for Catalan.

Have fun, save your cash, and send any other freebie tips our way!

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