Here are some of the changes you might find if you visit Barcelona in the coming year.
Foodies should start planning their trip now. March 2005 to March 2006 has been designated Barcelona's Year of Food, Cuisine and Gastronomy. Throughout this time, the city will celebrate its rich gastronomic culture and history through street food fairs, wine and cava tastings, cooking classes in the main markets, small food producer fairs and such crowd pleasing events as a Chocolate Fair on the site of Forum 2004 by the sea.
The Palau Robert, the region's tourist information centre (Passieg de Gràcia 107, Metro: Diagonal; tel. 93 238 80 91) will be the epicentre of the related activities, with cookbooks on sale and exhibitions on local techniques and produce. Even the Filmoteca, the state-run cinema (Avinguda de Sarría 33; tel. 93 410 75 90) is getting in on the act with a season of food films. The programme is still being finalized, but you can get a taste of things to come on the website www.barcelonaturisme.com.
Casa Camper (Elisabets 11, 08001, Barcelona, Metro: :Liceu; tel. 93 342 62 80, fax 93 342 75 73; www.casacamper.es).
Perhaps only in Barcelona would a family of cobblers diversify into the hotel business. And with the cobblers in question being Camper -- the Mallorcan company whose distinctive, funky footwear is now seen treading the streets of every major capital in the world -- their neo-hippy philosophy is firmly present in their concept of this new boutique hotel. Located in a 19th century building in the heart of the Raval (next door to the company's fast-food venture Foodball) the Casa Camper has been conceived for the new breed of independent global traveller who would prefer to grab a pushbike than take a bus tour. Each room has it's own private lounge area across the corridor with flat screen TV, internet access, sound system and a nifty wall map of the city. In theory this sounds like a cool idea, but in real terms, the concept doesn't justify the five-star price you are paying. The bedrooms on the other hand are well conceived, with plenty of cupboard space, low beds and an agreeable Zen-like ambiance in red and black. The reception area offers 24-hour snacks (included in room price) bike hire, and trendy souvenirs for sale. The designer-clad staff is young, multi-lingual, and helpful, and tend to go about their duties with the air of monastic dedication. In a first for Barcelona, all rooms and public areas are non-smoking. (25 units. 190-225€ double, 245€ suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Self parking 20€. Amenities: bar/cafe; babysitting; laundry service; business center; dry cleaning; non-smoking rooms. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, safe, Internet access)
Tapioles 53 (Tapioles 53, Metro: Parallel; tel. 93 329 33 38) A new kid on the block, Tapioles 53 is refreshingly hard to pigeonhole. Its lack of street sign and reservation-only policy screams exclusivity, but once inside a welcoming décor of miss-matched furniture and original artwork is as welcoming as Mom's kitchen. And that's the essence of the place. What you eat depends on whatever resident chef Sarah sees fit on the day. The three-course set dinner may consist of a plate of the antipasti followed by succulent spinach gnocchi or shitake mushrooms tossed in egg yolk with braised lamb with artichokes for the main. The desserts are a delight: ginger and mascarpone cheesecake or, in a nod to Sarah's roots, good old Australian pavlova (a soft meringue topped with cream and fruit). The wine list, although small, is no less eclectic. (Fixed price, 3-course dinner 28€. AE, DC, MC, V. Open Tues-Sat 9 to 11.30pm.)
Emu (Guilleries 17, Metro:Fontana; tel. 93 218 45 02) Is this the beginning of a new trend? Yet another Antipodean eatery to hit Barcelona is Emu. But as opposed to Tapioles 53 (above) whose influence is predominantly European, the Sydney-ite owners of Emu are perhaps the first to introduce the city to the seductive flavous of pan-Asian cuisine. From a Pad Thai to Vietnamese spring rolls, Indonesian satays and the staple stir fries, Emu brings a taste of home to Aussie backpackers, foreign residents and locals in their small, welcoming café in the bo-ho enclave of Gràcia. For a real taste of down-under try the kangaroo meatballs with tomato sauce. A selection of Australian wines and beer complete the journey. (Main Courses 8-14€. No credit cards. Open Mon-Thu 1-4pm and 7pm-2am, Fri, Sat 1-4pm and 7pm-3am).
Enoteca (Hotel Arts, Marina 19-2, Metro: Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica; tel. 93 483 81 08). Not content with being one of the finest hotels in Spain, the Hotel Arts has just upped its culinary ante with the Enoteca. As the name suggests, the reastaurant's forte is wine, and their cellar boasts over 450 varieties from all over the world. But since the recent arrival of renowned chef Jaime Perez, it's foodies as well as wine buffs that have been raving about the place. Decked out in tones of burgundy, taupe and russet, the setting is as sosphisticated as the menu. A little overwhelmed, we let Jaime decide for us and were seduced by tasty morsels of foie gras with figs and pistachios, hake served with salsa verde and a pert little row of the freshest clams and tiny, tender lamb chops resting on a bed of creamed chickpeas. The wine ranged from the crispest Spanish manzazilla (sherry) to an excellent South African chardonnay and finsihed with a suprising sparkling muscatel from Italy. The Enoteca also hosts regualar catas (wine tastings), showcasing vintages from top Spanish bodegas. (Reservations required; Main courses 28-35€; tasting menu 75€; AE, DC, MC, V. Open Mon-Tues 11:30am-3:30pm, Mon-Sat 8pm-midnight).
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) (Palau Nacional, Parc de Montju¿c, Metro: Espanya; tel. 93-622-03-60; www.mnac.es). Visitors to Spain will probably most associate the name Thyssen-Bornemisza with Madrid, and the huge museum of the same name that contains work spanning from the Renaissance to Andy Warhol. But when the collection was bequeathed to Spain in 1993, a small selection of the works was sent to Barcelona and they have just found a new home at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). They span the Italian and German Renaissance periods and the Baroque, including important works by Tintoretto, Zurbarán, and Rubens. The jewel of the collection is Fra Angelico's "Madonna of Humility." Dated 1430, it marks a turning point in Florentine painting for the delicate features of the Madonna and child and the coherence of the composition. Other highlights include some splendid oils of Venice by the city's most famous scenic painter Canaletto, or Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán's haunting "Immaculate Conception." El Greco -- another Spanish master -- is represented with portrait of Saint Peter and Paul. Supplemented with other private bequests and permanent loans, these works are now the core of the MNAC's new "Renaissance and Baroque Art" section, one that, despite the absence of a "Royal Collection" (such as the case of El Prado in Madrid), is an excellent representation of one of art's most glorious periods. What's more, along with the MNAC's prolific Romanesque, Gothic, and 20th century art collections, their claim of "a millennium of art" under the one roof is now truly justified. (Admission 4.80€ adults, 3.30€ students and youths 7-21, free for children under 7. Temporary exhibitions: 4.20€. Tues-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 10am-2:30pm).