New in town this February
FASHION FOOD
Tailored to the folks living and working in the Eixample, Vintage offers designer cocktails and top-notch cuisine, described by their chef as “classical Mediterranean with a Japanese twist”. Hip and inviting, the owners are keen to promote Vintage as a place to just hang out and enjoy life: hence their slogan: life & food. Open from first thing in the morning, they offer fresh fruit juices and homemade jams to start the day. At lunchtime you can enjoy one of Barcelona’s more creative midday menús, with dishes such as bluefin tuna burgers with seaweed and Japanese mayonnaise. For dinner they serve works of art on a plate— try their sea bass with seasonal asparagus, celery mousseline, olive oil caviar and beurre blanc. At night, the lights go down and the music turns up—at the weekends it doesn’t stop until 3am.
Vintage. Aribau 179. www.restaurantvintage.es
A NEW CONCEPT
Chilean-born designer Jaime Beriestain recently opened the doors to his latest venture, a concept store and café-restaurant in the heart of the Eixample. Set in over 500 square metres, Beriestain wanted to bring together his passions for fine design and hospitality. In the store you’ll find restored vintage furniture, flowers, candles, international books, fragrances, hand created rugs and art pieces. The café-restaurant offers traditional cuisine as well as their own creative dishes. The kitchen is open daily from 8.30am to 11pm for breakfast, lunch and dinner.Evenings offer a wide selection of gin and tonics and live DJ sessions.
Jaime Beriestain Restaurante Concept Store. Pau Claris 167. www.beriestain.com
FIXIE-ING YOUR BIKE
Is your bike in need of some TLC? Newly-opened Bicious is the Raval’s latest addition to the city’s bicycle scene. The industrial-looking workshop offers colourful fixed-gear bikes, bright orange saddles and eye-catching bamboo frames. Bicious aims for an interesting fusion of biking, coffee and the occasional art exhibition. They sell, repair and customise bikes and brew up a great coffee (free if you ask for it). So shoot the breeze with other customers and artists while the staff doctors away on your two-wheeler.
Bicious, Lluna 3. www.bicious.com
MEMBERS ONLY
West-London private members’ club and regular hang-out spot of Prince Harry and chums, is the latest addition to Barcelona’s club scene. With venues in London, Hong Kong and now the Catalan capital, Boujis has become a notorious nocturnal playground for international A-listers and the super-rich. Situated alongside some of the city’s most exclusive bars and clubs in the Sant Gervasi area, Boujis Barcelona is a worthy contender, with restaurant, cocktail bar and club, all under the same roof.
The London branch comes with a pricey annual membership fee, which Barcelona is yet to introduce. So, there’s no time like the present to party like GaGa without selling a kidney.
Boujis, Tuset 3. www.boujisbcn.com
ORIGINAL VERSION
Things just keep getting better for Barcelona’s cinema goers. Hot on the trail of the new Zumzeig Cine Bistro in Sants and the renovated Boliche on Diagonal, comes Balmes Multicines in Sant Gervasi. The high-tech original version multiplex is owned by Grup Balaña—proprietors of several cinemas and theatres in the city. With 12 salas, all equipped for 3D films, and a total capacity of over 1600 people, it’s now the biggest VO cinema in Barcelona. Despite the doom and gloom of the past few years, the demand for original version and cine d’auteur happily shows no signs of abating.
Balmes Multicines, Balmes 422-424. www.grupbalana.com