One of my favourite places in Barcelona is Gracia neighbourhood. Gracia is a former village that became absorbed by Barcelona as its urban development spread towards the end of the XIX century. This is the charm of Gracia: it combines the community feeling of a small village with the sophisticated urban touch of a big city.

The neighbourhood is divided in squares or “places” that articulate the social life. It is frequent to see children playing in between bar terraces where people enjoy having a coffee.

My favourite areas in Gracia are Verdi and Torrijos street where Verdi cinemas are located. I love going to the cinema in the area after having dinner at one of the many Middle East restaurants in the area. I have been to quite a few of them and, honestly, I love them all! Most of the servings consist of a huge plate with a variety of sauces and vegetable or meat: hummus is delicious with pitta bread, but I also recommend Kebbe (wheat semolina, meat and pine kernel croquette) and Slata Geben (salad of feta cheese, tomato and onion with thyme).

A good time to visit Gracia is in August during the street festival of the neighbourhood. This is a fabulous time to be there because all streets are decorated with different topics made by the very same neighbours who have probably spent the whole year working on it to win the prestigious prize.

It’s great to perceive the sense of solidarity in the communal tables laid along the streets where neighbours enjoy a collective dinner in the open air while you can listen to the music of live bands playing nearby as people dance the night out…..