Just a few healthy metres off Las Ramblas lies Placa Reial. I’d recently returned to take this square in with the family but approached it via the back streets of Barri Gotic and from the Marina. It was in the evening and suffice to say it was like looking for a needle in a rather large shredded wheat.
The dark back streets of Barri Gotic aren’t the best place to get lost either. Although full of people wandering round this hugely vital part of town, there can be occurrences with muggings…stick to the large streets rather than the pencil thin alleys especially if obviously a tourist.
As this is facing Las Ramblas it’s probably best to find it via this famous street (it’s clearly listed on any map of the city).
This square is busy for the best part of the day, but in the evening much more so. Of course being such a busy tourist pocket, it’s expensive and pretty hard to find a seat. However, if you’re new to Barcelona then it’s worth dropping by here to take in some of the atmosphere as it positively drops with the stuff. We found a free table (people tend to perch nearby till one becomes available) and we where served almost immediately and with reasonable prices. Palm trees and outdoor seating dominate the square as does the sound of raucous enjoyments fizzing through the evening air.
Definitely worth a visit.