48 24 HOURS IN BARCELONA
Mandarin Oriental Barcelona
Chic
CATALAN
With year round sunshine, stunning architecture and a true zest for life, Barcelona is a feast for the summer senses.
Street performer
9:30am Check in at one of the Passeig de Gracia’ s best addresses; the chic, intimate 98- room Mandarin Oriental Barcelona boasts the same impeccable level of service as its bigger sisters around the world, delivered in a design-savvy boutique package. A swim in the rooftop pool, complete with mesmerising city views, followed by a butler-served energy boosting breakfast enjoyed on the private terrace of your Barcelona Suite is a great way to start the day. 38 Passeig de Gracia, Tel: + 34-93- 151-888; www. mandarin-oriental. com
11am A short walk from the hotel’ s main entrance are several of the city’ s most celebrated pieces of architecture, including the outlandish landmark, Casa Batllo or House of Bones. Designed by the remarkable Catalonian artist Antoni Gaudi in 1877, it boasts the architect’ s distinctive Art Nouveau design, with flowing sculpted stone work and irregular oval windows, decorated with a colourful mosaic of broken ceramic tiles. You can also easily reach another leading icon, the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’ s incomplete but Unesco-protected cathedral 43 Passeig de Gracia, www. casabatllo. es
12pm For a spot of lunch, jump in a taxi and head over to Dos Palillos restaurant, headed by famed chef Albert Raurich. With six years training at the renowned three-Michelin starred eatery El Bulli behind him, chef Raurich’ s menu is adventurous and a gourmet’ s delight as it marries Japanese flavours with traditional Spanish tapas ingredients. Be sure to try the onsen tamago, a free range egg cooked at precisely 63 degrees Celsius as it would be traditionally cooked in a Japanese thermal spring. 9 Carrer d’ Elisabets, Tel: + 34- 933-040-513; www. dospalillos. com www. jetsetter. hk