Barcelona travel diary
It’s started to become somewhat of a tradition for the sis and I to take a long weekend away together every year; this usually tends to fall across the second May Bank Holiday, as my sister’s birthday always ends up on this weekend. Our destination of choice this year? Barcelona!
Our holiday didn’t get off to the best start: after hurrying to the airport on Friday afternoon, we were told just as we were boarding, that the flight had been overbooked and we’d been bumped onto a later one (that’s me never flying Vueling again!) When we finally arrived in Barcelona and checked into our hotel (the gorgeous Soho House Barcelona located right in the centre of town), it was well past 2am. However, our room was definitely a sight for sore eyes, awash with tones of pale pink and green, and stocked with all the usual Soho House amenities: homemade cookies and a generous range of Cowshed bath products.
As both of us had visited Barcelona before on separate occasions, we didn’t feel the need to revisit any of the usual tourist hotspots or dash around town trying to cram lots of things in…instead, we decided to take our holiday at a very leisurely pace, which was just what I needed. We started Saturday morning by celebrating Emma’s birthday over brunch at Little Fern Cafe, an Aussie cafe serving up stellar flat whites, sweetcorn fritters, and avocado toast.
We then spent the afternoon wandering around the Gothic Quarter, browsing some of the shops, and popping into Satan’s Coffee Corner for another coffee…before some more wandering, and yet another coffee (and cake) at Federal Cafe (got to keep hydrated in the sun…)
We wound up back at Soho House for a drink with friends before heading out to find some tapas for dinner, ending up at the famous Bar Cañete: authentic, fast-paced and packed to the rafters, you’ll find the waiters here expertly weaving in between the diners, and shouting out orders at the top of their lungs. Our seats by the bar afforded us views over the open kitchen, where the chefs toss together dishes, whilst also laughing and joking amongst themselves…the atmosphere here is full of life, and the tapas delicious.
On Sunday morning, we had breakfast on the rooftop at Soho House, before a final wander around town. The next leg of our trip was the part that I was most excited about: escaping to Little Beach House Barcelona, Soho House’s younger and smaller outpost approximately thirty minutes’ drive out of the city centre, and located right on the beachfront.
Little Beach House is located in the quaint town of Garraf, and has a more contemporary, relaxed design and atmosphere. The house features blue and green tones running throughout the communal areas, (including a beach side restaurant and rooftop bar), whilst the bedrooms are chic and minimal.
We were kindly upgraded to a Sea View Room, which had a little balcony overlooking the beach, and here we enjoyed a tasty tapas spread on our little terrace whilst watching the sunbathers outside.
We spent the afternoon lazing on the beach and soaking up the sun, before it was time to get ready for dinner at the restaurant: candlelit and offering views over the sea, the atmosphere here is super romantic in the evening, and the menu offers a mix of Spanish tapas, as well as more traditional Western classics.
Breakfast the next morning was enjoyed by the beach, and consisted of a delicious acai bowl and a generous stack of pancakes with fresh fruit and cacao nibs: Emma and I both agreed that the food at Little Beach House was quite possibly the best we’d eaten at a Soho House property before (other than Babington House). All of the plates we enjoyed during our stay were super fresh and tasty.
The rest of the morning was spent sunbathing on the beach, and I also indulged in a full body massage - whilst there is no Cowshed spa at Little Beach House, there is a private balcony where a Cowshed masseuse can offer treatments to one guest at a time. Having an outdoor massage in complete and utter privacy, and under the Spanish sunshine is incredibly freeing and relaxing, and I most definitely fell asleep during my massage…
We enjoyed one last lunch before it was time to check out and head back to the airport. I definitely did not want to leave, and our trip did feel extremely short and sweet; if anything, I’ll return to Little Beach House just to spend some days by the sea, quite literally doing nothing all day and eating fantastic food. I must say that when we arrived on Sunday afternoon, the house was overwhelmingly packed with tourists and local members alike…if we hadn’t been staying at the hotel (and able to order room service), we’d have had to book a table well in advance. In stark contrast, Monday morning was extremely quiet and peaceful, and given that I would primarily return to Little Beach House for rest and relaxation, I would definitely make sure to time my visit over several weekdays rather than a weekend next time.
