This article is brought to you by Drive Me Barcelona.
New York and Paris. Monte Carlo and Dubai. Picture the world’s most luxurious cities and these are the ones that come to mind. Barcelona, however, has plenty of extravagant experiences to help you feel like a millionaire for the day.
Morning treat
Start off your day at the five-star Grand Luxury hotel located at the summit of Tibidabo. Gran Hotel La Florida has four restaurants, but breakfast is best enjoyed at Café 1925. From this privileged location, overlooking the glittering Barcelona skyline, you can savour delicious creations from its Mediterranean breakfast buffet, created with the finest seasonal ingredients. Breakfast is served from 7-10.30am.
If you want to stay closer to sea level, Meatpacking Bistro in Gràcia is another option. ‘A little piece of New York in Barcelona’, the restaurant’s decor is cosy, yet chic, with creative, industrial touches throughout. It offers typical dishes, made fresh every day with Km0 ingredients. Customer favourites include the Eggs Florentine, Sweet Pancakes and Philly Cheese Steak. Bon profit!
Shop o’clock
Next, you don’t want to miss the city’s most tempting shopping experience. From prominent international brands to Michelin-starred cuisine and iconic landmarks, Passeig de Gràcia is Barcelona’s most glamorous avenue. Its status was elevated in the wake of the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, when the prestigious American urban designer Allan B. Jacobs discussed it in his book Great Streets (1993), setting it on a par with New York’s Fifth Avenue and Paris’s Champs-Élysées. As you meander down the street, ducking in and out of stores, take note of its appealing blend of architectural heritage and high-end shopping.
Starting from Plaça de Catalunya, your list of experiences is endless. Find a new pair of pumps at Jimmy Choo or a luxury handbag at the Barcelona brand Lupo, which takes inspiration from architect Antoni Gaudí’s work to create its one-of-a-kind products. Stop to take in the multi-coloured mosaic facade of one of Gaudí’s masterpieces, Casa Batlló, or explore the roof of his other building on the street, La Pedrera, dubbed ‘the garden of warriors’ by Spanish poet Pere Gimferrer because of its 28 chimneys that appear to be protecting the skylights. And don’t miss Santa Eulalia Bistro and Champagne Bar hidden above the elegant displays of haute couture from the family-run fashion house of the same name. Here you can treat yourself to a glass of champagne with chocolates, or a cup of tea and macarons to recharge your batteries—for there’s more fun to be had.
Hit the road
There’s no better way to enjoy the scenery beyond Barcelona than in a supercar. Drive Me Barcelona offers three exclusive Supercar Road Routes that take you through the serrated mountains of Montserrat, along the Mediterranean coast to the seaside town of Sitges or into Catalan wine country. Each road route allows you to choose your car—a Ferrari California, Lamborghini Huracán, Ferrari 458 Spider, Porsche 911 Carrera, Nissan GT R, Maserati GranCabrio or an Audi R8 V10 Spyder—and drive your favourite road alone, for the ultimate privacy. You won’t need to bother with directions as your guide will lead the way on a motorcycle. Each experience is four to six hours.
At this time of year, driving through the vineyards and historic villages of Penedès is ideal. Leaving Barcelona, you’ll take narrow, winding roads through the wine region, past sun-bathed vines that produce some of the best wines in Spain. You’ll have the opportunity to tour the 17th-century vineyard Can Ràfols dels Caus, smelling of oak barrels and grapes. Walk among the rolling hills, almond trees and wildflowers before sampling house wines paired with traditional snacks.
Fine dining
Barcelona’s truly memorable gastronomic experiences are written in the Michelin stars. With two Michelin stars already, Moments restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona (Passeig de Gràcia 38-40) continues to win new awards and devotees thanks to its creative, fresh and healthy cuisine inspired by Catalan culinary culture. Under the direction of chef Carme Ruscalleda and her son Raül Balam, the menu currently includes such delicacies as quail in rose petals; red mullet with asparagus, aji amarillo and coffee; and rock octopus cannelloni with potato and paprika. The golden and amber hues of the Moments dining room create a magical atmosphere to appreciate every bite and flavour of your meal, offered by the à la carte menu or as a tasting menu. Dinner is served Tuesday-Saturday, from 8.30-10pm.
Another fine dining option is ABaC (Avda. Tibidabo 1), where the motto is ‘50% tradition. 50% avant-garde. 100% product’. Beautifully prepared dishes—such as Bloody Mary macarons, the mini oyster with frozen lemon zest, infused prawn bouillabaisse—are served on tasteful Versace china, in the intimate dining room that seats 56.
Regarding his cuisine, chef Jordi Cruz said it’s “evolutionary and restless, based heavily on the product”. For years, Cruz’s experimental cuisine has been a step ahead of changing industry trends. At age 24, Cruz became the youngest chef in the country, and the second youngest in the world, to receive a Michelin star for his work at the restaurant Cercs Estany Clar. In 2012, just two years after he took up the reins, ABaC was awarded its two Michelin stars. He has also authored a book of cooking techniques and concepts, opened his own restaurant and is a judge on MasterChef (Spain). The region is, naturally, proud of their thriving, home-grown chef.
Some say luxury is a state of mind. Whether your ideal day of luxury includes a supercar road trip or a fine dining experience, Barcelona can oblige.