Day one - 8.30pm: Salamanca (0034 93 221 50; gruposilvestre.com) is a boisterous, sprawling classic, with a seafront terrace and prices that are better than most (mains starting from around £11).
On arrival - 8pm: Head for the great Gothic cathedral, and the tangle of medieval streets around it – you’ll get lost, everybody does, but that’s the charm of the Barri Gòtic.
If you’re lucky you’ll find yourself outside the lively El Portalón (0034 93 302 11 87), where you can order terracotta jugs of house red and choose from a long list of tapas.
Day one - 10am: La Pedrera (0034 93 484 59 00; lapedrera.com; admission €11/ £9.30), Gaudí’s undulating apartment block, now contains an exhibition centre.
The fantastical Casa Batlló (00 34 216 03 06; casabatllo.cat, admission €20.35/ £17), a glittering, polychromatic affair, also open to the public.
Day one - 3.30pm: From here, it’s an easy metro ride to Gaudí’s other masterpiece, the unfinished Sagrada Família church (sagradafamilia.cat). It’s as breathtaking within as it is otherworldly without
Day two - 2pm: Cal Pep (Plaça de les Olles 8; 0034 93 310 79 61; calpep.com) is known for its super-fresh seafood tapas. It pays to book ahead. From around £15.
