Barcelona - March 2026

We've been to Barcelona about four times, including an extended six-day visit. On this trip, we had two short stays in Barcelona. We departed Madrid via an Iberia flight and stayed at the Mercer Hotel, in the Gothic Quarter, for two nights. 

Departing on a 15 day cruise from Barcelona, we boarded Viking Ocean's Saturn on our way to port stops in Marseille, Civitavecchia, Corsica, Malta, Tunisia, Algiers, Morocco, Cadiz, Malaga and a return to Barcelona. At the end of the cruise,  Viking Saturn arrived in Barcelona too late for us to make our return flight to the US. Thus, we had an additional night in Barcelona before our 9:30am flight the next morning.

With limited time in Barcelona, we primarily spent time walking in the city, relaxing and visiting restaurants for late lunches and dinners. In addition to a visit to the La Boqueria market on La Rambla, three dining highlights for us included:

Caelis is a Michelin star restaurant in the Hotel Ohia. The chef of this restaurant is Romain Fornell, the only chef to have been awarded Michelin stars in both Spain and France. On this occasion, we tried the "Earth and Sea" tasting menu over lunch. This menu is a curated, multi-course experience, offering small portions that highlight the chef's creativity and seasonal ingredients. We were not disappointed as each of the 14 small plates was beautifully presented and delicious.

Bodega Biarritz 1881: We've eaten at this small tapas restaurant back in 2023 and our return visit was just as tasty. We selected its special tapas menu of the day (45€), which includes eight tapas and an appetizer for sharing. The Tripadvisor reviews average 4.7, with a few cooncerns about long queues to enter and range of tapas offerings. We enjoyed the food once again and the digestif shot offered after our lunch.

Source: Bodega Biarritz 1881

Le Bouchon: This small tapas restaurant is located next to the Mercer Hotel. We shared three vegetarian tapas, and each dish (zucchini carpaccio, porcini ravioli and aubergine with honey and cheese) was delicious. The restaurant also serves non-vegetarian tapas, but we didn't try them. We did enjoy the special sangria made with red wine, brandy, gin, orange juice and a spritz of lemon soda.  

Our Barcelona Hotel

The Mercer Hotel is a 5-star hotel, offering 28 rooms/suites located in a narrow Gothic Quarter alley. The hotel is built on part of the Roman wall of Baron, including a former watchtower and 14th century arches. The Roman foundation is from the 1st century AD. The building served as a medieval mansion and convent before becoming the Mercer Hotel in 2012.

Our junior suite was spacious, well-maintained and clean. In the evening, there was turn-down service, as well.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant was a special experience with fruit, pastries, a la carte selections and wonderful full service.

Junior Suite
Source: Mercer Hotel, barcelona