Barcelona-based writer Julie Sheridan moved to Spain from her native Scotland in spring 2011, motivated by pure love for the Spanish language. A pale-skinned Celt, she’s convinced Spain and Latin America are past-life legacies. She is also a Trustee of award-winning Latin American street children charity Casa Alianza UK. Check out her Barcelona blog or follow her on Twitter @guirigirlbarca.
Like most foreigners arriving in Barcelona, I hadn’t heard of Sants before either. Visitors who do know the name are likely to be merely passing through the district’s main train station, before catching the metro to the city’s more limelight-loving localities. So what does Sants have to make you hang around?
Legendary landmarks might be thin on the ground, but what Sants lacks in attractions it more than makes up for in spirit - nowhere does dyed-in-the-wool Catalan conviction better than this compelling corner of Barcelona. Its unpretentious residential side streets are a riot of proud senyeras (the Catalan flag), and when you stay here, you feel like you’re getting a privileged peek into an authentic Catalan community.
I’ve lived in Sants for two years, and the first place I take visitors is the charming Plaça Osca square. This pedestrianised plaza is reminiscent of the lively squares of Gràcia, but without a tourist in sight. My favourite spot for a light lunch is Italian-inspired La Teta de Monja, whose pizzas and salads get a great name among the locals.
For an evening drink and some tapas, I make a beeline for Homo Sibaris, whose sybaritic delights include both local and imported craft beers, served up with a side order of cold cuts and cheeses. On balmy Barcelona evenings, pull up a chair on the square and prepare to savour the suds.
After downing a few on Plaça Osca, you’re bound to be feeling peckish. Here’s where Sants can really surprise you. Don’t take its run-of-the-mill residential appearance at face value – the largely working-class residents are discerning customers when it comes to Catalan cooking that cuts it.
And nowhere epitomises cosy Catalan fare better than restaurant Taberna La Parra (‘The Grapevine’). This little tavern is a must for meat-lovers, an homage to roasts and all things rustic. Think dishes that put hairs on your chest - slabs of pan con tomate, oven-baked artichokes and coal-roasted calçots (a cross between a leek and a spring onion, but better than both).
If you’re more into mariscos (seafood) than meat, you’re going to love La Paradeta - quality fresh fish in a fuss-free setting. You simply point to the seafood you want to sample, from octopus and lobster to crayfish and crab, pay by weight, grab a tray then wait to hear your number called. Get there early is my only advice – locals line up before the place even opens.
For a creatively quirky take on Spanish tapas, I wander along to Pan i Oli, not far from Sants train station. I always get a kick out of their patatas bravas, served in a glass with a twist on the traditional taste.
The other bonus of staying in Sants is being close to your choice of two covered markets – Mercat de Sants and Mercat d’Hostafrancs. Saunter around stalls selling fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, and stock up on some store cupboard essentials for your supper. For any other shopping needs, you’re in luck – Sants is home to Spain’s largest commercial thoroughfare, the Carrer de Sants.
I always make sure I’m in town during the last week of August, when the district kicks up its heels in its annual street festival. Residents go all out in decorating the streets, with funfair rides, fireworks, towering human pyramids and the traditional Catalan correfoc (fire run).
Another attraction whose novelty never wears off is the Magic Fountain, which enthrals kids and adults alike. I still wander along there on summer evenings, nestle on a bench near the top of the steps and wait eagerly for the spectacle to begin. And the best part is, it’s free.
I love Saturday mornings in Sants, when I head for Hostafrancs market and arm myself with bags full of freshly caught prawns, Catalan cheeses and melt-in-the-mouth olives from the market’s stalls. Then I’ll stop by sandwich bar Conesa on Sants’ main street, which serves gorgeous gluten-free baguettes, before taking my dog Inca for a walk to the Parc de l’Espanya Industrial. This is where she first learned to swim, and is an ideal spot to sit in the sun and soak up the local atmosphere.
