A new dawn in the Barri Gòtic
The glowing lantern offered the first clue that something was up in the Barri Gòtic. It was hanging from a tree before the Roman wall, illuminating a square that before had seemed dark and uninviting. The second clue, two streets away, was a wall of artfully angled white pails, with golden loaves lining a rack beyond. The third clue was a mysterious sign hanging on a shadowed street—one side blank, the letter ‘B’ painted in white on the other—and an intoxicating aroma seeping out from under closed wooden doors. More clues appeared: vintage floral wallpaper here, fringed Victorian lamp there, and everywhere the serpentine streets echoed with sounds of construction.
The Barri Gòtic, after a long nap, was waking up. Or as Carla Trevessat—co-owner, waitress and de facto designer of cocktail bar Carlos and Matilda—put it, “The Gothic Quarter is on fire—it’s like something new opens daily.”
Killer cocktails in chill-out bohemia
“I love candles,” Carla said, as the tea lights glistened on four tables in Plaça dels Traginers. “They’re subtle, but they speak to the subconscious.” Inside the corner nook—formerly Can Fly—she lit more candles, held within antique cut-crystal holders, as I surveyed the hanging copper lamps, vintage mirrors along tiled walls, weathered wood stools, and the overall glowing charm that compels passersby to peek inside. If the alluring decor pulls them in, the ‘culinary cocktails’ created with homemade mixers are the reason they stay. C&M’s co-owner, Londoner Mathew Perovetz, crafts drinks with care, be they Moscow Mules (vodka, lime and zesty ginger beer), Scorpions (rum, cognac, OJ and almond syrup), Cava Cocktails (bubbly dressed up with vanilla bitters and chartreuse), or any of the 10 signature drinks that change monthly. “Cocktails are supposed to be fun,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to go to a hotel bar where the bartender wears a bowtie and white gloves to find a good one.” He aims to make the best cocktails around and, judging by the coterie of fans perched at his bar, he’s succeeding.
Hint: Intimate and low-key inside, C&M’s candle-lit terrace entices, too.
Baixada de Viladecols 6.
Organic food and exquisite bread at great prices
Mireia Alegre designs websites, while Jorge Ferré is an industrial designer for trendy hotels. One day, the couple found themselves running all over town in order to find all the items on an organic food shopping list, and they realised the Barri Gòtic needed an affordable, one-stop organic store. “We had to go to Sant Antoni, then Santa Caterina, then Ciutadella, another store uptown and, even then, many things weren’t organic,” said Mireia. “Jorge suggested we open our own organic food store so we could find everything we needed in one place.” Renting a former artist’s studio, Jorge created eye-catching displays, starting with the wall of tilted pails, while Mireia sourced locally-made products from small producers. The results: hand-shaped loaves of chewy bread, flavour-packed olive oil, ‘birds’ nests’ of artisanal pasta, farm-fresh eggs, and heirloom grains like kamut—all organic, from the wine and yoghurt to miso and umeboshi, and the seasonal produce featuring antique varieties, such as brown apples.
Hint: Deliveries are received on Tuesdays and Thursdays, bread sells out quickly, so call to reserve a loaf.
D’Ataülf 10. Tel. 93 011 8838.
B
All-natural alchemy for skin
Enter through the wooden doors of B and inside it looks like a medieval apothecary: brown glass bottles lining antique cabinets, bunches of plants hanging from beams, and, behind flasks of petal-infused liquids, a man pours something from a thin tube into a copper bowl—like some modern alchemist. In this unusual skincare store, the homemade products are concocted from plant oils (almond, linseed, Japanese rice bran) mixed with infusions of bark, seeds and medicinal plants, all of which are entirely natural. The show stealer: custom-made skin creams formulated before your eyes.
“I wanted to find ways to rejuvenate and protect skin naturally, so I travelled all over,” said owner Andreas Messaris, as he pressed a glass slide to my chin to assess skin health. After uncovering secrets from South America to Asia, interviewing herbalists, and drawing upon years of experimentation, he opened B to pass on lost knowledge. “I want people to become curious about herbs and about their skin.”
After examining mine, he concluded that I was lacking in protein and Vitamin E, and began concocting my very own moisturiser. A flurry of flasks, vials and drops later—all whipped up in a copper bowl—he handed over the luscious face cream. “This information shouldn’t be a secret,” he added. “People can make skincare at home easily, at little expense.” When customers return for their second cream, he teaches them how to make their own.
Hint: Call ahead for appointments.
Palma de Sant Just. Tel. 93 515 6307.
MORE NEW ADDITIONS
With floral wallpaper, a doll collection and homely furniture, the former location of Bar Andú has been sweetly girled up. Lures: Affordable cocktails, smooth wines and bar snacks, from salmon salads to cheese fondues.
Correu Vell 3.
A vast two-storey space with wood furnishings, The Mint, like sister bars Rubi and Limehouse, serves up tasty mojitos and G&Ts made from flavoured gins.
Passeig d’Isabel II 4.
Zurito
Sit at the meandering bar of this tiny tile-wrapped eatery and dig into ceviche, plump steamed mussels or tuna tartare, washed down by reasonably-priced wine.
Llauder 6.
Fresh-pressed juices, a wide variety of tomatoes, wild mushrooms and exotic items, such as black garlic, are draws to this greengrocer.
Plaça Regomir 2.