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Characterized by originality and relative affordability, the shopping scene in Barcelona has become a jubilant fair of fashion, design, craft, and gourmet food. Different parts of town specialize in different goods, and you can explore parts of the city through shopping and browsing boutiques.
The Ciutat Vella, especially the Born-Ribera area, is rich in small-crafts shops, young designers, and an endless potpourri of artisans and merchants operating in restored medieval spaces that are often as dazzling as the wares on sale. Even the pharmacies and grocery stores of Barcelona are often sumptuous aesthetic feasts filled with charming details. Although the end of rent protection has seen many heritage establishments close, a new law will at least ensure that their unique architectural and decorative details will remain intact. Hat shop Sombrerería Obach and candlemakers Cereria Subirà are two old town traders who have remained charmingly unchanged over the decades.
Shopping for design objects and chic fashion in the Eixample is like buying art supplies at the Louvre: it's an Art Nouveau architecture theme park spinning off into dozens of sideshows—textiles, furnishings, curios, and knickknacks of every kind. Any specific shop or boutique will inevitably lead you past a dozen emporiums that you hadn't known were there. Original and surprising yet wearable clothing items are Barcelona's signature contribution to fashion. Rather than copying the runways, Barcelona designers are relentlessly daring and innovative, combining fine materials with masterful workmanship.
Browsing through shops in this unique metropolis feels more like museum-hopping than it does a shopping spree. Design shops like Doméstico and Jaime Beriestain delight the eye and stimulate the imagination, while the area around the Passeig del Born beckons young designers from across the globe. Passeig de Gràcia has joined the ranks of the Champs Elysées in Paris and Rome's Via Condotti as one of the great shopping avenues in the world, with the planet's fashion houses well represented, from Armani to Zara. Exploring Barcelona's antiques district along Carrer Banys Nous and Carrer de la Palla is always an adventure. The shops open daily around Santa Maria del Mar in the Born-Ribera district range from Catalan and international design retailers to shoe and leather handbag designers, to T-shirt decorators and coffee emporiums. The megastores in Plaça de Catalunya, along Diagonal, and in L'Illa Diagonal farther west sell clothing, furniture, furs, books, music, and more. The village-like Sarrià and Gràcia are filled with intimate antique and clothing shops, with friendly boutique owners who add a personal touch.
If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind statement piece for your home, look no further than Azul Tierra. This 1,400-square-foot showroom is filled with weird and wonderful interior design from all around the world, from sculptures, to ornaments, knick-knacks and furniture—all carefully selected by owner and designer Toni Espuch on his travels.
Old meets new at this small but stylish shop. Restorer Lídia Matos and carpenter Oriol Viñas put their skills to good use when opening Fusta’m. Matos, for her part, collects and restores unique objects from around the peninsula. In addition to decorative pieces and original furniture from the '60s and '70s, Fusta’m sells a selection of glassware, ceramics, macrame, and other home decor items.
This Aladdin's Cave of design, housewares, furniture, clothing, and accessories bursts with creativity and color. The carefully curated collection includes everything from vases by cult ceramics maker Apparatu, cabinets rendered in Technicolor lacquers, African bead necklaces, and tables covered in antique tiles. The emphasis is more on craftsmanship than the latest trends—just about every item has an intriguing backstory.
Hidden away down one if the tiniest alleyways behind the Santa María del Mar basilica you will find this delightful treasure trove of interior design, photography, and craftsmanship. From the Balinese furnishings to the Moroccan rugs and Cuban artwork, everything in this concept store has been sustainably made and carefully selected to shine the light on the work of local artisans from all over the world.
It's a hardware store, yes, but one like you've never seen before. Servei Estació is situated in a rationalist-style landmark building dating from 1962. For decades it served the city's builders and handymen with tools and materials, but more recently the huge inventory has expanded to modern design and housewares, and sells everything from ropes of string to designer shopping carts.
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