A special occasion calls for the good stuff and a birthday in Barcelona ticks a lot of boxes for a big old celebration. The city boasts the enviable combination of dreamy beach location and vibrant city life, jam-packed with things to do. Whether it’s your favourite person's birthday or your own, we here at Plum Guide have done the hard work for you (as usual). We've selected the best birthday ideas Barcelona has to offer, to make sure the big day is frankly, perfect. Dine at the cities best restaurants, toast your special day with absinthe at the oldest bar in town and shop high-end gifts for the special someone in your life. (No judgement from us if this is yourself.) Get high and see the sights, enjoy the wine of the region during a massage, a make-your-own tour or just sup it at sunset in Gaudi’s gardens. Barcelona has got it all. Enjoy.
Celebrate with a drink at Bar Marsella
Get drunk good and proper at this longstanding (read: dusty, oh so dusty) watering hole in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. Low hanging chandeliers, peeling ceilings and a less than welcoming entrance add authenticity and charm. Once you’ve found it you’ll be as happy as Picasso’s Seated Woman, and yes, he did drink here.
Taffy Deck, Plum Guide home in Barcelona
Feast on a foodie walking tour
Tapas in Barcelona
What’s that? You went to Spain and ate tapas? How original. Mix it up a little by taking a tour with a local to get the inside scoop (of bienmesabe, look it up) of the best eateries. Find the best spot for gazpacho, tortilla and churros in the kind of spots you would miss if you didn’t have a local by your side.
Eden Project, Plum Guide home in Barcelona
See the city from dizzying heights
A host of kind helicopter owners will take you to dizzying heights and cracking views of the city for an exorbitant fee. So nice of them. The price is worth it when you get to see how big the La Sagrada Familia actually is. Head towards the clouds and feel small compared to Barça’s epic architecture.
Cactus Jack, Plum Guide home in Barcelona
Enjoy fine dining at Enoteca Paco Pérez
With two Michelin stars, if you’re not impressed by Chef Paco Pérez’s delectable menu, then you’re probably the fussiest person we’ve ever come across. Ingredients fresh from the sea, orchard and hillside farm are served in oh so beautiful surroundings. Choose to dine alfresco overlooking the marina or in the elegant dining room.
Opulent Ruby, Plum Guide home in Barcelona
Treat yourself to the perfect present
These guys have been decking out Barcelona’s elite in their finest since 1843. They know what they’re doing, and their handpicked selection of clothing, jewellery, perfumes and bags from the likes of Balmain, Givenchy and Moncler are on point. Treat yourself or that special someone to a Barcelona birthday present. We know what you're thinking...what scintillating, out of the box, birthday ideas; Barcelona shopping - but you can thank us later.
Bathe in wine at Aire Ancient Baths
Got you interested? Ok, so you’re not actually submerged in a tub of the good stuff, but you are massaged with Spanish Ribera del Duero red grapes by a very nice person. Thank god, it would be a waste. Feel the glory of all its purifying and invigorating effects at Aire Ancient Baths. Drinking wine during your spa trip is not a requirement, but definitely recommended.
Stay in a beautiful Plum Guide home
It’s a special occasion, make sure the day isn’t ruined by noisy neighbours, a kitchen without champagne cava flutes or bad bedding. Expert and meticulous (picky, ok?) home critics hand-select and rigorously test each and every home on the Plum Guide platform, so you can be damn sure they’re not going to let you down.
Wander the streets of El Born
Ciutadella Park, Barcelona
Sandwiched between the Gothic Quarter and Ciutadella Park the narrow, medieval streets of El Born are some of Barcelona’s trendiest. People watch as you hop between boutique shops and rest those weary shopping feet at quaint cafes - regular stops at cafes, bars and cake shops top the list for birthday ideas, Barcelona’s selection is second to none and El Born won’t disappoint.
Treat yourself at Chocolates Lacasa
If there is ever a time to buy a box of fancy chocolates and not share with your friends, it is your birthday. Chocolates Lacasa is a boutique of chocolate (darling) and there’s plenty to satisfy the sweetest tooth. The store started in Jaca, a tiny town in the Pyrenees and harks back to the golden age of chocolate; 1852. Okay, maybe not the golden age but if it’s lasted that long it must be good. Join the cacao trail and visit the Museu de la Xocolata nearby.
Experience the Penedes wine region
Day trip ahoy! Visit a vineyard, an ancient cellar and learn all about the production of cava at this family-run spot just outside of Barcelona. You’ll have to undergo strenuous field research; taste testing a lot of the bubbles before designing and bottling your very own version. You can even design the label on your bottle, ‘Happy Birthday to me’ in anything but comic sans will do perfectly.
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