Kitchen and Dining Equipment
For a start to your Spanish cooking tool-set, head to your local market. This will probably be held on a Friday morning (just follow the elderly ladies pushing shopping bags on wheels). As well as the fresh fruit, meat and vegetables you will need to begin cooking like a local, you will be able to buy a paella (the large, circular metal dish that the rice dish – also called paella – is cooked in). For next to nothing, you can stock up on cooking implements, cutlery, gas-powered barbecues, aprons, pots and pans, napkins, table cloths, glasses and crockery.
For the next easiest thing (and if you can´t yet face the language barrier), try Ikea or the homeware stores in the major shopping centres (see the section Shopping Centres and Department Stores). All of the shopping centres listed have homewares stores but the best is La Roca Village, an ´outlet town´ that stocks some high quality kitchen and dining equipment. There are also no shortage of local Mom and Pop stores on almost every other city block that carry kitchen and dining equipment, too.
For uberchic homewares and accessories, try Vincon on Passeig de Gracia, 96, 932 156 050 or Mercado, Plaza Comercial 3, Barcelona, +34 93 268 86 31. This is a gallery cum street-wear store cum homeware display. If you like cutting edge urban design then this is the shop for you, otherwise stick to the plentiful chain stores in the shopping centres.
