Main Shopping Areas in Barcelona
Barcelona´s shopping can be categorised (roughly) by district, or in the very centre by neighbourhood and even street.
The most elegant shopping can be found at the Passeig de Gracia, the Rambla de Catalunya, Avingunda Diagonal and around Turó Park. Santa Eulalia, Jofré, Comella and Bua are well-known luxury boutiques. Be prepared to spend upwards of €200 per piece, ranging into a couple of thousand or more for the prettiest and most complicated items.
If you’re looking for something equally elegant but slightly less expensive, try Sugar & Spice on Calle Amigo. This is the same street that you’ll also find one of the nicest childrenwear stores: Nicolí. You can get a cute outfit for the cutest member of your family for around €100.
Calle Amigo and nearby Calle Santaló offer a number of pretty shops, restaurants and trendy bars. Drinks are cheap in Spain, even at the ritzy places, so you will get plenty of change out of €10 if you and a friend are stopping for afternoon re-hydration.
Cutting through, Calle Madrazo has two of the best boutiques in the area, Anna Cortina and Coquette. If money is no object walk around Turó Park and discover the many boutiques by Jofre, Bonpoint for your demanding kids, and Lucio’s expensive but original furniture, to name just a few. These are the places your credit card will really get a workout, so don´t blanch if prices average €500 upwards per outfit.
Another fantastic home design shop can be found at the corner of Paseo de Gracia and Diagonal, while, if you like modern design, Vinçon on the Paseo de Gracia is a must. (Vinçon also offers online shopping at: http://www.vincon.com/)
If you feel adventurous don’t forget to explore the area between the Ramblas and Via Laietana, especially around Carrer de Ferran and Avinyo; it is touristic but interesting. Touristic means more expensive too, so it´s fine to ´window shop´ here and then head down a side street for the same kind of item at two-thirds of the price. Often it really is only a matter of taking a walk of less than 50 meters to be ´off the beaten track.´
The trendiest area in Barcelona is the Borne with its bohemian chic atmosphere, and its many restaurants, bars, cafes and terrazzos. There are many fantastic finds along the narrow medieval streets and has the feel of New York City’s Soho district. The best boutiques can be found on the Paseo del Borne and calle Rec. The most impressive are Lobby, Hugo Boss, Coquette (women) and Hamptons (men), but you should also try other well known shops such as Como Agua de Mayo, La Commercial, Custo, Marithe and François Girbaud, the outlet Betty B, and so on. If you are looking for home decoration check out Ivo & Co. The Borne is the perfect shopping experience: you’ll be able to enjoy a drink while sitting at a table in one of the many squares and look at the fashionable young set walking by, nibble some tapas or have a good meal at one of the many trendy restaurants in the area. To finish off the day there are numerous bars and clubs in the Borne area.
Prices at the above stores vary but you can pick up pretty shiny bargains for under €20 or lash out for up to €1000 for a really beautiful man’s suit.
