Hotels
Barcelona has always been an important city, from the time it was a fort for Roman soldiers, and in the Gothic Quarter you can still find many examples of architecture from across the ages. But it was the arrival of visionary architect Antoni Gaudí...
Bars & Nightlife
Whenever I see the word Soprano, I have to resist running for the Sopranos box-set, or it’s another three days before anyone sees me. And speaking of boxes, there’s plenty on show in this pizzeria/bar in Gavà, Barcelona. These days it seems if...
Bars & Nightlife
Combining three of things we like most in life – buildings, beer and Barcelona – we were pre-disposed to liking architect Jean Nouvel’s re-working of an old brewery before we’d even seen it, and we’re happy to report he’s served up a...
Hotels
A little gem of a hotel in the cool area of Born in Barcelona is the brilliantly named Chic & Basic. Located within ten minutes of the beach, the Ramblas and some of the best tapas in Barcelona, this 31 room hotel is ideal for the design, culture...
Shopping
BD Barcelona Design is a design heavyweight of significant repute. The Spanish company was founded in 1972, in a Barcelona brimming with creativity following four decades of Franco's repressive dictatorship, and has sold furniture and design objects...
Eating Out
Born is one of those areas of town that have undergone major transformations in recent years. You know the type of place, every city's got 'em - hookers and drug dealers moved along, in favour of chic spots for hipsters. But this is Barcelona -...
Hotels
Similarly anti-chic to East Berlin's gritty and creative Michelberger Hotel, Barcelona's Hotel Acta Mimic shares an unpolished vibrancy with its local surroundings, the infamously seedy, yet decidedly creative, El Raval district. Once home to...
Lifestyle
A new concept from the team behind the massively successful wine bar, Monvínic, Fastvínic pays - a particularly gastronomic - homage to the most humblest of snacks, the sandwich. Now, posh sandwich joints are nothing new, but throwing together the...
Culture
Casting aside any tendencies to nod towards the past of this historic cultural institution - El Molino was originally opened in 1898 - with retro or kitsch touches, Barcelona's Fernando Salas has thoroughly embraced futurist design with his...
Stuff Crush
Weirdness is a notion long entwined with the concept of creativity. Mocked by the strait-laced confined to their boxes of conformism, celebrated by the bold and the brave who pursue the outré as a means of pushing beyond the banal. In Weird...
City Notes
In Montreal’s Little Italy, a new arrival is making waves with a fresh take on Italian dining. Pasta Pooks, which opened in March 2025, is a compact five-seat takeout counter serving pasta and natural wine in a space that marries Old World charm...
City Notes
A once-forgotten 19th-century residence in Savannah’s historic district has been brought spectacularly back to life, reincarnated as The Douglas; a refined 16-room boutique hotel at 14 East Oglethorpe Avenue, where design meets old-world...
Dispatches
In a country where club floors open with Buddhist chants and Ladyboys offer dawn alms in corsets and stilettos, Elizabeth Waterman has found a world of contradictions too vivid to ignore. Over the past three years, and across four extended trips,...
Dispatches
There's a paradox about self-care, which is that those who need it most are probably the least likely to practice it. If you're one of those people, you might even be put off by the term self-care. Maybe it sounds too self-indulgent to you. If...
Dispatches
Looking for a Japanese tutor in Chicago without breaking the bank? You’re not alone. Whether you’re aiming to order ramen with confidence, ace a language exam, or shape your skills for business or travel, one thing’s clear: good private...
Dispatches
If you’ve ever looked at your balcony and thought, “What a wasted space,” you’re not alone. Many of us live in homes where every square foot counts, yet balconies often remain underutilized. Whether it’s too small, too plain, or simply...
Dispatches
Recognising the world’s most inspiring work across design, innovation and creativity, the A’ Design Award & Competition stands as one of the most respected and far-reaching international design accolades. Each year, a diverse panel of academics,...