Gourmet food hall tucked beneath the L’Illa shopping center—steps from the Hilton where I camped out. Iberian ham kiosks, pintxos bars, sushi, and natural-wine stalls under one roof.
LOCATION: El Rebost Food Hall (L’Illa Diagonal) on Google Maps
Barcelona
City Guide: A Chef-Engineer’s Eating, Drinking & Staying Playbook
I spent most of last year bouncing between Miami and Barcelona while piloting a culinary-robotics rollout—three multi-week stints that had me debugging code in Poblenou by day and hunting vermut and tapas by night. Somewhere along the way the city stopped feeling like a work trip and started feeling like home. This guide is the cheat-sheet I built for myself—now yours to steal. Pin everything to the Barcelona City Map I shared and let the grazing begin.
View on Map
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El Rebost Food Hall (L’Illa Diagonal)
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Ruma’s Coffee
Tiny specialty-coffee nook just off La Rambla. Flawless espresso extractions, V60s with beans from The Barn, and handmade chocolates for jet-lag munchies—my pre-coding flat-white ritual.
LOCATION: Ruma’s Coffee on Google Maps
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Soho House Barcelona (Port Vell)
Members-club-meets-boutique-hotel in an 18-century palace overlooking the marina: rooftop pool, Cecconi’s, Cowshed spa, and steps from the Gothic Quarter action.
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Little Beach House Barcelona (Garraf)
A 30-minute train ride drops you at this breezy seaside outpost: 17 rooms, striped umbrellas on a private beach, and sunset Picantes on the Beachroof—a perfect “mini-vacay” reset.
LOCATION: Little Beach House Barcelona (Garraf) on Google Maps
Chef’s Quick-Fire Tips
- Tapas like a bar-crawl: two plates + one drink at each stop keeps your palate fresh and energy high.
- House vermut is Barça’s unofficial welcome drink—say sí every time.
- Beat the queues: arrive 10–15 minutes before doors at classic counters (El Xampanyet, Cal Pep) and you’re golden.
- Need a breather? Bolt to Little Beach House for 24 hours of sea air—Garraf station is on the R2 Sud line.
Print, screenshot, or save to Google Maps—then loosen your belt and go.