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Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free Barcelona

Just like most modern cities, Barcelona has a great variety of food to please everybody. Vegan, vegetarian or intolerant, you can still find a lot of options to enjoy a great meal in this great city. If you are looking for vegan paella or gluten free tapas here are some restaurants you can not miss:

Cat Bar

veggie-burger-and-patatas-bravas — (Credit: Barcelona Lowdown)

This small vegan restaurant is situated in the center of the city, next to one of its main streets, Via Laietana. It is known for some of the best vegan burgers in town. The lunchtime menu always features the mouth-watering veggie burger and other dishes that are not only tasty but also absolutely divine. On top of that, you can enjoy a large selection of authentic Catalan craft beers.

Veggie Garden

asian fusion vegan food in Barcelona — (Credit: The Dream Boat)

Placed next to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA), this restaurant offers Asian-infused vegan food. Two of its specialities are gazpacho and Indian thali. It is an excellent choice for lunchtime as the menu includes an appetiser, a main dish, and a glass of water or wine.

Petit Brot

Vegan dish of one f the may vegan restaurants in Barcelona — (Credit: Plateselector)

You can find this restaurant a few minutes away from Les Rambles, in Raval. This is an organic restaurant and juicery specialised in raw vegan cuisine. It offers daily lunch menus, and also sweet and sour snacks. It is a great place to enjoy a seasonal menu with a variety of dishes, cold pressed juices and scrumptious snacks.

L’Arrós

gluten free and dairy free foo served in Barcelona — (Credit: Trending Barcelona)

Situated next to the seaside, in La Barceloneta, this paella restaurant is a great choice for people with particular type of food intolerant. The gluten-free and dairy-free dishes are clearly marked on the menu. It offers different varieties of rice dishes, including paella and arròs negre (black rice with seafood).

Cal Marius

This small bar situated next to Sagrada Família is specialised in pastrami snacks, bagels and hamburgers. Most importantly, all of the food served here is gluten free. There is also has a huge selection of beers available. At lunchtime, there are affordable menu options from 9€.

Allium

gluten free tapas cooked in Barcelona — (Credit: Allium Restaurant)

This restaurant has a splendid menu for gluten intolerant people. Situated right in the center of Barcelona, in Plaça Sant Jaume (Town Hall and Catalan Government), the menu has a large variety of dishes for everyone (gluten free and non-gluten free). All of the gluten-free dishes are marked clearly. You should definitely try the tapas, paella and salads; they are the best!

The Juice House

healthy vegan and vegetarian food prepared in Barcelona — (Credit: The Juice House)

Situated in Poble Sec (next to Montjuic Mountain), the menu of this restaurant offers a variety of Catalan, Spanish and Mexican dishes. All gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan dishes are clearly marked, so you know exactly what you are ordering.

Som Sacs

Situated in the central district of L’Eixample, this place offers a special kind of cannelloni made of rice and a variety of other dishes. The entire menu is 100% gluten free, so you can rest assure that there will be no mix-up with your order.

At Europea Residences we hope that you found useful our vegan guide for your getaway in Barcelona!

Sitges Near Barcelona: Beach And Culture In One Day

Sitges (40km from Barcelona) is a perfect one-day getaway for lovers of the beach and culture. It is also a good opportunity to have a deeper look of the Catalan culture.

Sightseeing

The old town, situated on a hill next to the sea, is made up of narrow and winding streets. Many of the buildings are designed in the Modernist style. One of the top buildings of this area is the Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla church, which was built in the 17^th century. Here are taken the most iconic pictures of the town.

The center of town is the commercial area. The most important streets are Carrer de Parellades, Carrer de Jesús, Carrer de Sant Francesc and Carrer Major.

Sitges Port is a picturesque area with boats and yachts waiting to sail the Mediterranean Sea. Passeig del Port d’Aiguadolç is the street that connects the town with the port. It is lined with palm trees and is nice to walk along. In this area, there are some good terraces and seafood restaurants.

Sitges is also a town of museums. The most important are: El Cau Ferrat (modernism art), El Museu de Maricel (20^th century art collection) and La Casa Bacardí (Catalan famous rum).

Culture

Sitges has the honour to host “The Sitges Film Festival”. This cinema festival is one of the most important international festivals of fantasy and horror films. Founded in 1968, it normally takes place in early October. The main venue is the Auditori, which can host up to 1.384 people. The Maria Award winners are the main awards of the festival, which are selected by an international jury. Movies like “Citizen X” and “Requiem” have been chosen as best films.

Sitges is also known as the host of one of the most famous carnivals of Catalonia and Spain. Depending on the year, it takes place between early February and early March. The streets transform into a big party where people costume up and drink and dance until the dawn. A parade also takes place during these days.

The beaches

The pearl of them all is Platja Sant Sebastià. Considered one of the best European beaches by the world known newspaper the New York Times, it is situated between the old town and the port. It is a family beach frequented by locals with more than 200 meters of coastline. From the beach, there are wonderful views of the old town.

Platja de la Ribera is right in the center of the town. During the weekends the beach is full but during the week you can enjoy its quietness and family atmosphere. Other beaches worth visiting beaches are Platja de Sitges and Platja Balmins.

How to get to Sitges from Barcelona

The fastest way is to take the C-32 highway (toll highway). It takes around 40-50 minutes by car. Another option by car is to take the picturesque C-31 road. It takes a bit more than one hour.

Sitges is also reachable by train from Barcelona. Catch the train at Passeig de Gràcia or Sants railway stations (line R2), and in 50 minutes you will be in Sitges.

London: The Best Restaurants in Soho

Whether you’re shopping on Oxford Street or sightseeing and looking for a bite to eat, Soho is by far one of the best areas of London when it comes to food. Known for its density and diversity of choice, Soho will satisfy any culinary craving you might have.

Here is a list of the best restaurants in Soho.

Cookhouse Joe

This Lebanese influenced rotisserie is considered one of the cheapest yet best eats in the area. If you love chicken and mediterranean food, then look no further! The entire menu is a fusion of both cuisines. The restaurant interior is cramped with cheap furniture, you’ll be served tin trays but the food is the show stopper, paired with delicious cocktails. This is truly the best place to go for a drink after work or a quick bite after a day of shopping or before a show.

Zelman Meats

The owner of this steakhouse opened this place as a way of experimenting with the cooking of different cuts of meat and perfecting the art of grilling a steak. Although the menu is dominated with beef dishes, you’ll also find seafood (in homage to its predecessor restaurant). If you’re here for the meat, they offer three different kind of cuts: Picanha, Chateaubriand and rib. We recommend taking the Picanha for it’s deliciously smooth smoky and soft flavour, which costs an astonishingly low 6£ for 100g.

Banana Tree

This trendy Thai chain sells “tasty food at a reasonable price” and they deliver just that. Here, you can satisfy any asian food craving with their diverse menu covering Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai and Vietnamese dishes. You can accompany your curry, stir-fry, noodles with some delicious cocktails or cool beers. We recommend having the Red Saigon cocktail (vodka, raspberry, ginger syrup, lime, mint and fresh pomegranate).

So if you’re in London looking for something more exotic, we definitely recommend going to the Banana Tree.

The Queen’s Head

If you’re in for all things British, The Queen’s Head is a pub worth visiting for a meal. They pride themselves in having locally sourced ales and serve traditional pub food. The restaurant is located upstairs from the busy pub and, there, you will taste a variety of traditional British dishes from ethical and sustainable sources. So if you put aside your pessimism towards British cuisine, you might find yourself delightfully surprised.

Our recommendation: the Fish & Chips or the homemade Piccadilly Pies

Copita

Not many people know of this place, TripAdvisor will tell you that it’s only number 2000+ of restaurants in London but Copita will give you an amazing Tapas experience, I can guarantee it! If you are a tapas connoisseur, you will find all the typical dishes of the famed Spanish cuisine with a surprising but delightful twist. This is such a good place to spend time with friends and share food.

Our suggestion: the truffled goat’s cheese with almonds, honey and toast.

After reading our list of the best restaurants in Soho are you looking for a place to stay? EUROPEA has the accommodations you’re looking for!

The Arts In Barcelona: El Grec Festival

El Grec is a big part of Barcelona’s identity. In July, this festival transforms the warm summer nights, bringing to the city some of the best theatre, dance, music and circus acts. If you are in the Catalan capital at this time, don’t miss the opportunity to attend some of the performances.

This year, El Grec will take place the whole month of July. Although the programme is not yet complete, we know that the main theme will be that of the ‘Mediterranean’. Some highlights will include the flamenco dance ‘La Baila’ of choreographer Israel Galván (Teatre Grec, July 4-5) and the new play by Dimitris Papaionnou, which will be both experimental and meticulously arranged (Mercat de les Flors theatre, July 2-4). In fact, Papaionnou is well-known for designing the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens Olympics back in 2004.

El grec Barcelona — Legend of flamenco: Israel Galvan (credit: lerocherdepalmer.fr)

The story

The festival started in 1976 when the Assembly of Actors and Directors of Catalunya decided to give a platform to the innovative and independent performing arts. A lot of these appeared right after the death of the Spanish dictator Franco and the restoration of democracy in Spain.

In 1979, Barcelona City Council became the organisers of the festival. This meant that international actors and directors started coming to Barcelona, alongside Catalans already playing at the festival.

Since then, some of the best theatre writers, directors and performers have come to play at El Grec. Dario Fo, Lindsay Kemp, Robert Lepage and many others have enjoyed the July nights in Barcelona. Some famous musicians have also graced its stages, like Caetano Veloso, Bob Dylan and Santana.

The venues

Teatre Grec

This is the heart of the festival. The main performances and events take place at this venue built in 1929 by Ramon Reventós and Nicolau Maria Rubió I Tudurí. On July 8, Santiago Auserón will play some of his songs, accompanied by the stunning Barcelona Municipal Band. Not far from the Teatro Grec, you can stay in one of our luxury apartments, our Plaza Espana II residence.

Theater Grec Barcelona — Rocky backdrop and great acoustics: the Teatre Grec (credit: lameva.barcelona.cat)

Teatre Nacional de Catalunya

Opened in 1996 and designed by the famous Spanish architect Ricard Bofill, it us one of the most outstanding cultural facilities of Barcelona. The main building of this theatre takes is inspired by the Parthenon in Athens, with two halls (450 and 870 people can be seated in these theatres). Some of the main events take place here during the festival.

Teatre Lliure

Founded in 1976, its main stage is in the former Palau de l’Agricultura of Montjuïc. The main hall, Sala Fabià Puigserver, can seat more than 700 spectators. It is worth visiting it even if it is just for its beautiful exterior. The Teatre Lliure is also conveniently close to our beautiful Botadura residence.

Auditori

This was opened in 1999. The venue has three halls: Sala 1 Pau Casals for 2.200 spectators, Sala 2 Oriol Martorell with 600 places, and Sala 3 Tete Montoliu with 400 places. Nowadays, some of the greatest orchestras of the world come to the Auditori. It also serves as the home of the Orquestra Simfònica of Barcelona, where the best upcoming conductors and orchestras are taught and perform.

Although main events and activities take place at all the venues mentioned above, a few shows of the El Grec are also hosted in other venues like the Teatre Romea, La Villarroel, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), the Joan Miró Foundation and the CaixaForum art centre. In particularly, it’s worth noting that the Sala Beckett (in Poblenou) will host “Un tret al cap” (July 5-30), the much-anticipated new play of Pau Miró, one of the most popular Catalan theatre directors.

El Grec Barcelona festival — Playwright Pau Miro will present his latest work at the festival (credit: Xavier Solanas)

If you want to learn more about the festival as the full programme is announced, check out their website.