Barceloning.

Anastasia made a spiritually accurate cool girl guide for Barcelonian euro summer. Yay.

I don’t know about you, but for the past week I’ve been quietly sulking in my boudoir over the tragic fact that I am not Dua Lipa. I mean. The girl really manifested a life that looks like the cutest romcom ever, backdropped by the best holiday destinations of this God forsaken planet. But instead of turning into a full depresso espresso about it, I decided to take a page out of her lifestyle playbook. And since I’ve already spent - and will very much be spending - a lot of time in Barcelona, I made a highly biased yet spiritually accurate guide to the glorious city that gave us Rosalía.

Barcelona is very much a city of contrasts. One moment you’re overwhelmed by the most beautiful modernist architecture to ever exist. The next, you’re overwhelmed by the smell of piss generously fried by the Spanish sun. Oh well. This city, like all of us, contains multitudes. And that is precisely why we love it.

Behold, the highlight reel of my personal favorites. But also, I made an extensive Google Map with all of the locations organized by category, complete with my notes and secret little insider tips - including places not mentioned below. I am even going as far as giving away any Slavic girl’s best-kept secret - a nail salon that does theee perfect nails. And book shops with beautiful secret garden cafes, even. That must be found at the bottom of this post.

So save this one for Euro summer, send it to a friend, and thank me later. Or thank me now. Whatever.

Bassal

An amazing curated selection of brands like Eckhaus Latta, Tekla, and other niche-of-niche names. Also, if you suddenly and urgently need a Simuero ring, they stock those too.

Nude Project

The Spanish streetwear brand du jour recently opened a concept store that is just very fun to be in. There’s even a cute free photo booth — hence the photo above. As an OG cool tennis girly, this is where I go for the kind of fun oversized T-shirts a cool tennis girly requires for survival.

Paloma Wool

Pardon me for stating the obvious, but yes, the store of the artsy-girl Spanish-born brand is also an artsy experience in itself. I was also very relieved to get my summer pants situation sorted there.

Miista

Alt baddie shoes for alt baddies. Nuff said.

La Manso

I had been manifesting the perfect stack of rings for a while, and after sending some money downtown at Bassal for the perfect Simuero ring, I made my way here. And it was everything I wanted it to be. Also a Spanish brand, obviously.

TheRoom

A unisex curated streetwear store for the gorp-core situations of life.

All Yours

Where are my sensitive skin girlies at? This place is for you. I have to thank this store for introducing me to the Norwegian clean skincare brand Nuori. My skin has never felt better. The niche perfume selection is also elite. I was in the mood to choke everyone around me with an overwhelming cloud of coconut and vanilla - but, like, still classy, obviously - and fulfilled the prophecy by purchasing Blanche Bête by Liquides Imaginaires.

More awaits you in le map below, of course.

I will not lie to you: Barcelona’s restaurant game is not especially strong. It was later revealed to me that this is partially due to the fact that the employment laws are not exactly in favor of restaurateurs who require their workers to, well, work. But the coffee culture - which only really needs two people to make coffee and put buns on plates? OUF. Here are my favorites.

Jaç Hi-Fi Cafe

Great interior. Good coffee. Avocado toast intact. Addictive matcha cookie. They play Y2K music on vinyl, and you can work on your laptop - only at the center table, but still.

SlowMov

Probably the best coffee in the city, in my opinion. I never leave without over-caffeinating myself. Oops.

SIP Coffee Roasters

A classic cool café that serves pastries on a metal plate because yes. The cardamom bun is truly something else.

Jon Cake

As a true Slavic woman, I am allergic to queueing. I see more than five people ahead of me and I just… leave. So imagine the eye-roll I performed when I first saw the line at Jon Cake. In 30+ degree heat, no less. Had I not been accompanied by a very persistent friend, I would have skedaddled in a whimsical fashion.

Fast-forward to now, and the number of times I have stood in that same queue is dangerously crawling toward three digits. Because this is, unfortunately, the most addictive Basque cheesecake on planet Earth.

Also, you get to choose the size of your slice, which immediately reminded me of that infamous Joey moment. IYKYK. I’m a millennial, okay?

P.S. Don’t buy the Jon Cake book in hopes of finding the real recipe with all the details. It will not be in there. Probably the only time that place has disappointed me.

Flying Monkey

Not just great coffee, but also very sexy sandwiches that will cure your hangover after a night of too much cava and ass-shaking to Gasolina. Yes, I checked.

LaBalabusta

For Mediterranean food when you want to feel both nourished and slightly superior.

Compartir

For a Michelin-style culinary orgasm.

La Dama

If you want to see the iconic modernist building that is not Casa Batllo or La Pedrera, you need to sneak inside the lobby of this restaurant, that happens to be inside Casa Sayrach.

Salut Bistro

Great service, beautifully plated dishes, and reasonable prices. A rare and beautiful combo.

9 Reinas

For raising them iron levels with premium meats.

The Paid-Hottie Bonus

If you want the full Barcelona Google Map, organized by category and complete with my notes, tips, and favorite little secrets, you’ll find it below the paywall.

That includes:

• over 20 personally tried and approved cafés and dinner/lunch places

• more local fashion spots

• beautiful book stores with secret garden cafés (as seen in the pic above)

• rooftops

• separate list for quick and healthy bites

• beauty addresses, including my fav K-beauty mecca

• and yes, the sacred nail salon location

You’re welcome.