This post is part of my Barcelona Neighbourhood Guides series. Fancy visiting another area of Barcelona? Check out my other guides here, including information regarding the sites, history, charm, food and drinks of the area you’re curious about.
Tucked away from the tourist-heavy bustle of central Barcelona, Vila de Gràcia feels like its own village, and in fact, it once was. Today, it blends bohemian spirit, neighbourhood intimacy, and serious culinary flair. You’ll spot older residents walking the same daily routes, and young creatives working from terrace cafés or co-ops. This isn’t a place designed for tourism. And that’s exactly its power. You fall in love with Gràcia not because it puts on a show, but because it invites you to belong.
Here’s a walking tour through some of my favourite spots in the area, from first cold brews to vermut-fueled afternoons and rooftops with views.
Start Slow: Coffee & Morning Bakes
My first cold brew in Barcelona was at SlowMov back in 2021, a cosy little coffee shop. Founded in 2015 by François and Carmen after time spent living in France, England, and Poland, SlowMov is built on the values of the Slow Movement, doing things with intention, care, and respect for the people and systems behind every product.
SlowMov is a team of specialty coffee roasters, educators, sustainability advocates, and connectors in the local food and hospitality world. They roast their beans, visit producers at origin (Brazil, Ethiopia, Mexico, and beyond), and prioritise long-term relationships with growers who farm without chemicals. Indeed, they make a really good cup of coffee.
From there, you’ve got two exceptional bakeries nearby:
- Origo Bakery: A minimalist space with a Scandinavian-Japanese sensibility. Their laminated pastries are precise, beautiful, and deeply satisfying. Clean lines, calm atmosphere, and quiet excellence.
- Coush Armo Gràcia: One of several locations in the city, but this one feels right at home in the neighbourhood. A perfect spot for flaky pastries, hearty breads, and natural-style baked goods that strike a balance between rustic and refined. Grab a loaf to go or linger with a pastry and watch the morning unfold.
The Heart of Gràcia
The heart of Vila de Gràcia isn’t defined by a single landmark, but rather it’s a mood, a rhythm, a way of life. It’s kids kicking soccer balls around shaded plazas while older neighbours chat on benches. It’s the clinking of vermut glasses before lunch, the smell of fresh bread wafting from bakeries, the hum of conversations in Catalan and Spanish (and a bit of everything else).
Start in Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia, with its stately clock tower (Torre del Rellotge) rising above a plaza lined with cafés and community spaces. This is the social hub, a place where people gather not to sightsee, but to live through reading, sipping, and people-watching.
In August, this plaza becomes the beating heart of the Festa Major de Gràcia, when the entire neighbourhood transforms into a surreal, handmade art installation and street party that locals spend all year preparing for.
A few blocks away is Plaça del Sol, a more youthful, unfiltered space where you’re just as likely to stumble onto an impromptu guitar jam as a political protest. It’s livelier, sometimes louder, and especially vibrant at night when people bring their drinks out onto the square, turning it into an open-air bar. It’s one of the few places in Barcelona where police look the other way to open drinking on the street.
But the real magic is in the in-between with the neighbourhood’s narrow, pedestrian-only streets like Carrer d’Astúries, Carrer de Verdi, and Carrer de Torrijos, where independent cinemas, organic grocers, tiny galleries, and old bodegas sit shoulder-to-shoulder. Gràcia is a neighbourhood of localism, where chain stores feel out of place and every corner seems to have a story.
The architecture here is quite different from the Eixample and other parts of Barcelona, with its century-old facades, colourful shutters, laundry fluttering overhead, hidden courtyards, and the occasional unexpected modernist gem.
Midday Mood: Bodegas & Vermut
Gràcia does vermut culture like nowhere else. These are the spots I keep coming back to:
- Bar Bodega Quimet: Our favorite order here is the Varied Vermut Quimet, a greatest hits of local conservas — atun, navajas, anchoas, boquerones, berberechos, pimiento rojo, olivas. It’s salty, briny, and perfect.
- La Vermu: Classic vibes, standing tables, always bustling. A must for aperitivo hour.
- Vermuteria del Tano: A tiny, no-frills local spot with old-school charm.
Lunch in Gràcia: Where to Refuel
After a vermut and a few salty bites, lunch is the moment to settle in and take your time. This is still Barcelona, after all. Whether you’re in the mood for something classic or more modern, Gràcia delivers.
- La Pubilla: A beloved Catalan spot near Plaça de la Vila, known for its menu del dia. This is a local go-to, so you’ll often see solo diners reading the paper alongside multi-generational tables.
- Polleria Fontana: A chic but casual Mediterranean spot in a former poultry shop. The menu is playful but grounded, and the interior keeps some nods to its original purpose.
Afternoon at Casa Vicens
After lunch, walk it off with a visit to Casa Vicens, Gaudí’s first major commission and a brilliant example of his early, playful style. While later works like Casa Batlló and La Pedrera embrace curves and surrealism, Casa Vicens is all sharp lines, vibrant tilework, and geometric rhythms. It blends Eastern, Moorish, and Mediterranean influences into something bright, bold, and unique.
Inside, it’s a study in ornamentation: carved wood ceilings, painted floral motifs, and patterned ceramic tile covering almost every surface. It’s intimate and eclectic.
Don’t miss the rooftop as it’s one of the quieter Gaudí rooftops in the city, but no less beautiful. Terracotta, tile, and chimney details offer a peaceful, open view of the Gràcia skyline.
Pre-Dinner Drinks: Rooftops & Sherry
Ease into the evening with a drink or two (either before or after dinner). Gràcia has options for both low-lit intimacy and high-up views.
- Bodega Bonavista: Less a bodega in the traditional sense and more a cosy, well-curated wine bar. Excellent selection of natural wines by the glass, a few thoughtful small plates, and a casually elegant vibe that makes it perfect for a pre-dinner pause.
- 14 De La Rosa: A refined, atmospheric cocktail bar with a focus on sherry and other fortified wines. The bartenders know their stuff, and the interior feels like a timeless European salon. This bar is ideal for a slow, elegant pre-dinner drink.
- Rooftop at Hotel Casa Fuster: For something more panoramic, head to the top of this modernist landmark (now a hotel). It’s a lovely place to catch the last light over the rooftops of Gràcia and the distant sea.
Dinner in Gràcia
Dinner in Gràcia can go in a few directions — cosy and traditional, modern and creative, or somewhere in between.
- Casa Inés: Elegant but approachable, with a contemporary style and seasonal dishes that highlight local ingredients. Perfect for a slower, more composed meal.
- Can Codina: Classic Catalan plates, no pretence, just good food. Outdoor seating makes it a favourite for lingering with a bottle of wine and a few shared dishes.
Vila de Gràcia isn’t a checklist kind of place. It’s meant to be wandered, even lingered in. Sit in the sun, order one more vermut, and let the rhythm of the neighbourhood unfold around you. Whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth, Gràcia has a way of making you feel like you’ve always belonged.
Planning a trip to Barcelona? Don’t skip Gràcia.
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