Sarrià-Sant Gervasi

The exterior of Albert Ventura's fine dining establishment is unassuming—right off the Diagonal Avenue, a few blocks from Plaça de Frances Macià, the facade is simple and reserved, which actually matches the restrained, bare-bones décor inside. The formal dining room here is actually downstairs—there, you'll find a pre-fixe menu of small, gorgeously plated takes on traditional Catalan dishes. While the dining room is great for large parties or special occasions, we actually prefer to be seated at Ventura's more casual tapas bar upstairs. There, you can chit-chat with the chef about each dish, and order from an a la carte menu that, if a bit more casual, is just as elegantly considered as what you'll find downstairs. Either dining area is great for a more dressed-up lunch option.

Mirablau is a favorite for its prime Tibidabo mountain location, which affords an amazing, panoramic view of Barcelona. Grab a cocktail and a seat next to the huge window overlooking the city—a tough spot to beat.

Can Martí is a very informal restaurant in the mountains, best accessed by a hike along the Carretera de las Aigües, a dirt road where people from Barcelona go to jog, bike, and walk their dogs. Accordingly, it offers great views of the city. The food is simple, with dishes like tortilla de patata, judías blancas, barbequed meat, salads, and barbequed calçots. It’s essential to reserve in advance, and if it’s calçot season, reserve those, too.

With its wooden architecture and a wide open-air porch, La Balsa is the type of place where you'll want to stall a little while you finish off your bottle of wine post-meal.

In the quiet, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood of Sarrià, this bar is a classic for tapas, especially the patatas bravas—everyone in Barcelona knows the “bravas del Tomás.” It's always full of students, so the atmosphere is crowded, but unlike other tapas places, it has tables with chairs so you can sit down.

Even before she set out designing her namesake accessories line, Beatriz picked up on the importance of quality and longevity at a young age—her family has been in the apparel business since 1898. The Italian-leather totes, clutches, loafers, and flats on display at her teeny boutique all transcend seasonal trends and only look better the longer you wear them.