"Gastón Acurio is a global ambassador of Peruvian cuisine and his Barcelona joint doesn’t disappoint. Expect great food in a laid-back atmosphere and a range of Peru’s best dishes. Acurio’s ceviches, piqueos, wok-cooked rice-and-fish options are delicious, authentic and best paired with a pisco sour."

"Set back from the road facing the Port Vell marina and out to sea, this waterfront hotel has a laid-back tone set by the subtle background jazz playing in the airy lobby. “We didn’t want to be black and white and modern, nor just a classic hotel,” says general manager Antonio Bignone. “Instead we tried to play with wooden textures and Mediterranean colours.” The result is an artful accomplishment, with interiors by designer Eva Martínez and vast beds kitted out with comfortable Hypnos mattresses. The downstairs restaurant is run by Marc Gascons and prepped in an open kitchen overseen by a quiet mezzanine."

"Instantly inviting due to its art deco and modernist design accents, the narrow dining room of Mediamanga segues seamlessly into its open kitchen. Here chef Domenico Ungaro delicately plates up servings of fig carpaccio with shaved foie gras or seared red mullet with apricot emulsion. Ungaro’s focus is on raw ingredients of superlative quality and traditional recipes prepared simply but always with an added twist or technique. The resulting dishes are on a level of modernity that’s in keeping with the tasteful décor courtesy of Barcelona designer Cristina Carulla."

"This heritage luxury fashion house is one of the few original icons left on the city’s increasingly international scene. Boasting four generations of retail acumen, the multi-brand department store has been in this exquisite space since 1944 (the original shop opened just off La Rambla in 1843). An in-house tailor nods to tradition while Balenciaga, Moncler, Kenzo, Acne Studios and Tom Ford are just a sample of the labels on offer. Meanwhile a bistro and champagne bar provide a discreet oasis upstairs. “We ensure that everyone is made to feel comfortable,” says owner and director Luis Sans."

"As you weave through the serpentine streets of El Raval you’ll eventually hit Plaça dels Àngels, which isn’t just a hotspot for Barcelona’s skateboarders. It’s also home to the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (Macba), the city’s main contemporary-art institution. Its permanent collection comprises about 5,000 works dating from the postwar period to the present day. There’s a vast Spanish and Catalan contribution as well as international art, particularly from eastern Europe and South America. Macba’s diverse and thoughtful exhibitions have covered everything from Catalan poets to forensic architecture."

"This 27-pavilion complex suffers from sitting behind La Sagrada Família, which inevitably steals some of its thunder. But this work of modernisme is not to be missed. The former hospital was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who died seven years before it was finished in 1930. He believed in the healing power of beauty so he decked the grounds with stained glass, ornate façades, allegorical statues and all the other proper touches of modernisme. Indeed, if Gaudí’s works celebrate the style, this is its carnival. It was awarded Unesco World Heritage status in 1997."

"The “Magic Mountain”, as it’s often called, shows off plenty of skin in the warmer months as swimmers and sunbathers flock to the waters of its municipal pool. Built in 1929, refurbished for the 1955 Mediterranean Games and expanded for the 1992 Olympics, it attracts professional swimmers, divers and a parade of lithe bodies hoping to work on their tans. The music video for Kylie Minogue’s 2003 synth-pop hit “Slow” was filmed poolside, with the opening shot featuring a toned diver somersaulting into the still waters. It’s a popular spot so we can’t guarantee perfect calm – nor Kylie, for that matter."