What are the top 5 sights I can't miss in Barcelona?

Hey as far as restaurants go, I personally really loved Euskal Etxea (Restaurant) and Lonja de Tapas. They're both right next to each other in El Born. Euskal has this amazing setup where you can eat much as you want (they have several delicious varieties of tapas) and in the end you pay depending on how many toothpicks you've used. It's a stand-up buffet and you get to meet a lot of interesting people. Lonja is nice to sit down and have a quiet and delicious meal, they also have great cocktails. 

As for my favourite things to do in Barcelona, I'd recommend 3 things. One, to visit La Boqueria near Las Ramblas. Fabulous food market, so many meats, cold cuts and foods to try! Here, definitely get breakfast at El Quim de la Boqueria. It's several hundred years old and has some of the best eggs you'll ever taste. I'd specifically recommend their baby squid omelette with foie gras. My second favourite thing to do in Barcelona, was to visit Tossa De Mar. Gorgeous beach next to a castle, cold Mediterranean waters to swim at - way better than the coastline in the city. This is like a day trip because it takes an hour each way. You can buy tickets from the main bus station at Counter No. 12 for SARFA buses, return tickets are around 23 Euros per person. My third recommendation would be the Barcelona Street Style Tour. I did only the Gothic Quarters/Borne side of the city, but if you have time you should do both their tours. It's some of the best street art you'll see and the guides are incredible! 

Have a great time in Barcelona :)

Just did back to back year trips to Barcelona because I love it that much. Everyone is covering the basics. Walk as much as you can . Go to Mirablau in Tibidabo for a cup of coffee or cocktail and a commanding view of the city. Visit El Born and Gothic Quarter (and if no line do the Museu Picasso). Visit the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya or at least take the subway over to the area and walk around. Beautiful waterfall and building and enjoy the nearby Miro Museum and walk around the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Stroll La Rambla (stopping at La Boqueria to meander the market and eat breakfast at El Quim, irecommend the tortilla espanol) then walk to the sea. Make a left and stroll to Barceloneta for a cocktail on the beach. Gaudi...first and foremost Basílica de la Sagrada Família. I would do both Casa Batlló and La Pedrera as well as Park Guell. My final recommendation is the aborigines walking tapas tour. Best food tour I have ever done. You will explore off the beaten path locations and food you would not have tasted if you do this tour. Great city, great people, great nightlife. Enjoy

Mercat de Santa Caterina

I def recommend going to the Mercat de Santa Caterina (Santa Caterina Market) there is such a nice and affordable restaurant located within the market. The front part of the restaurant has a tapas bar for drinks and tapas during the day. The back part of the restaurant only opens after 7pm and people are waiting in line, lots of locals too! 

Besides that the Gracia neighbourhood is very nice with local eateries, small boutique shops and terraces. You can get off at Fontana,parada de metro and explore this local neighbourhood.

All things Gaudi, including the Sagrada Família as suggested. Visit the El Born neighborhood. It's a little less hectic than Las Ramblas and has great gothic buildings. Here is a post l wrote about it. It includes 2 of the places we ate that, one for tapas and another for dinner in the Eixample area which is another place l would suggest meandering around in. It leads you all the way down to Las Ramblas via the big avenue whose name escapes me, but has all the fancy stores like Louis Vuitton.

I think 3-4 days will be "enough", BUT Barcelona is one of my favorite places in the world and I think I could stay for weeks. I love the language, the culture, and the architecture. I would check out Parc Güell, Basílica de la Sagrada Família, and all things Gaudi, he has two houses there I believe. There's a beach there with a boardwalk and a bunch of restaurants and clubs. It's fun to stroll through La Rambla street as well and see the street performers and merchants. This area is usually pretty crowded so make sure you have your stuff secure and keep an eye out as you would in any big city. If you have any interest in soccer I would check out the museum in Camp Nou. Pretty cool. 

If you are staying in a hostel, check out Kabul Backpackers Hostel. I've stayed there about 4 times. It's in Plaça Reial.  

Well, any good guidebook can tell you the top things to see. Others have covered the topic well.

But after touring, you gotta eat and drink. I lived there two years and loved it. Here's my list of favorite restaurants (not the fancy and expensive places, affordable):

Quimet & Quimet (Tapas)
La Cova Fumada (Home of the Bomba, only open in the day time)
El Vaso de Oro (Foie Gras and Steak cooked with Onions. Best home brewed beer))
El Quim de la Boqueria
Casa Delfin
Big Fish
Bar Celta Pulperia
Pipa's Social Club(Sunday nights live music, ring the buzzer to get in)
Federal Cafe Gotic for Sunday Brunch on the roof.
La Planchadora  (The belly of the bishop)

Milk Bar & Bistro Restaurant (Great Omlettes, good place to nurse a hangover)

Wet Deck Sunday nights in summer, live music by the pool at Hotel w 

Sala Apolo (Live music. I saw Morecheba there)

Take in a concert at the GREEK Barcelona  (I saw Corinne Bailey Rae there)

Order Rabbit if it's on the menu anywhere. It's delicious.

Speaking of roof tops, there are so many great bars and restaurants located on the roof tops of hotels. Hidden, not in the guidebook.

Meetup.com was invaluable there and it's mostly in English.

Love Barcelona and just spent four days there in April. I could have stayed much longer, though! Here are my top five (get tickets to everything in advance):

1. Museu Picasso
   
2. Parc Güell
   
3. Casa Batlo
   
4. Mercat De La Boquería
   
5. Font Màgica de Montjuïc : this free colored light show to music is beautiful! Be sure to scope out times before going though.
   

Best five in Barcelona are: La Pedrera, Sagrada Família, Park Guell, Port Vell, Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya ,Casa Batlo .  La Rambla is a street of 1.2 kms long in central Barcelona full of excellent restaurant options of local and international gastronomy. That is the right place to find and buy anything you want.

Saludos!

Barcelona is my most favorite city in the world!  Sagrada Família - tour inside this amazing Gaudi designed cathedral. La Pedrera is another modernism style building, also worth touring inside this building.  La Pedrera and Casa Batlo are also very strange designed buildings.  La Boqueria on Las Ramblas is excellent for picture taking of the fruits and interesting fresh seafood.   When you are walking on Las Ramblas if you hear some birds squaking in the trees, look really good and you might see some wild green parrots.  The Gothic Quarter or Barri Gotic is wonderful to walk through and see the old part of the city along with the Cathedral.  The Palace of Catalan Music, Catalan Music Palace has a very impressive stained glass dome is worth a tour.  Cataluña's holiest site is the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey about 40 miles outside of the city located in the serrated mountains.  Be sure to have dinner at Los Caracoles, famous for their roasted baby pig, lamb and chicken.  And have Crema Catalana for dessert.  On one of my four visits to Barcelona I spent a week there and still wished I had more time.  The list is endless of what you can see in this city!     

Having lived here my whole life, I never get tired of Parc Güell and the Sagrada Família. I wouldn't consider myself much of an architect person but these two buildings cannot be missed. By far some of the most unique pieces of art I've ever seen in the world. 

Barcelona is lovely, 4 days is a lot. I find the main sites quite quick to see, and you run out of things to do, unless you are hitting the beach.

We ate all you can eat sushi at a really great restaurant near Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona (wish we remembered the name) and had a lovely dinner at The Attic on La Rambla with a great view of the street. The Gaudi sites are definite must sees, Basílica de la Sagrada Família and Parc Güell especially. 

We also went to Montserrat, the mountain top monastery, which was probably our favorite part. 

3-4 days are way too few to see even half of Barcelona's must sees. However here's list of some of them:

• Parc Güell
• Font Màgica
• Poble Espanyol de Montjuic
• Barcelona Zoo
• La Rambla
• La Barceloneta

and one typical place to stop by for some tapas and wonderful rose sparkling cava is Can Paixano also for lunch or dinner visit Restaurant El Rey de la Gamba 2

hope this helps

cheers

Simeon

Hello Stef!  First of all, follow Billy's advice about all things Gaudi.  There are several other Gaudi sites to see, including Casa Batlló.  Also try go visit La Boqueriaand pull up a seat at Pinotxo, preferably before noon.  Make sure you have a few Euro to tip your favorite buskers on La Rambla.  I would also see if you can try any restaurants run by the Adria brothers.  Ferran is famous for his molecular gastronomy movement at the now closed El Bulli.  If you have time, I would take the walk, as it's enjoyable.  If not, you can take the tram up to Montjuïc for great views. This is also the site of the Olympic stadium, which is worth a stroll. And make sure you make many tapas stops!  Have a great time in a fantastic city!  Safe travels!

For a good, cheap, typical tapas place, I like Elisabets Restaurant which is right off the Ramblas. I also like Anima for a good fixed-price lunch. 

3-4 days is enough. If you come for 4 days I would recommend you one day plan out of town.  
Five Landmark are mandatory in my opinion are: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Barcelona, Mercat Boqueria ,Sagrada Família Collblanc-Cardenal Reigand Parc Güell

But if you're looking for something a little more special  I would suggest visiting also on:
Gracia Are
El Raval
Mercat de la Concepció

We spent 3 days there and after a cruise spent another day there. Saw a lot traveling on the on/off bus after the Olympics there and got off at all the interesting places mentioned in some of these blogs. Spent a lot of time at Gaudí Bar, an amazing place, also La Rambla.

1. Go to the Dow Jones bar. You can watch the price of different types of beer go up and down based on the demand and supply.

2. Walk along Las Ramblas and eat Tapas (try patatas bravas - local dish). After Tapas go to the Flamenco show.

3. Parc Güell It is the most famous Spanish Architecture and a pleasant walk.

4. Visit the maze at Parc del Laberint d'HortaParc del Laberint. It is unusual.

5. Go to the port area.

Hi!

So many things to do in Barcelona! It depends on when you come and what you like. Everybody already told you about center town and Gaudí. However, if you can try to see Castellers (Human Towers)

I'm a Barcelona Local Expert, I can customize your stay if you need it :)

It's all about Gaudi!