We recently had the pleasure of being invited to attend the tenth anniversary of the planet’s largest and most prestigious celebration of international photography talent: The Sony World Photography Awards, held on London a few days ago.

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While office design doesn’t traditionally bring to mind innovation and inspiration, the daily 9-5 doesn’t have to be a grind if the space that surrounds you inspires.

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The post 10 Office Spaces We Wouldn’t Mind Working In appeared first on IGNANT.

Water source, meeting place, architectural wonder: The ancient Indian stepwell – a man-made, subterranean well also known as ‘vav’ or ‘baori’ – has been capturing the imagination of pilgrims and travelers for centuries.

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STUDIO LOVE ‘ORBITS CLOCK’

Made from three different circles – each representing one of the typical clock hands – the rotating ‘Orbits Clock’ brings time into another dimension – or at least, another dimension into charting time. Small gold indicators on each hand reveal the current time of day. Made from carbon fiber, the clock looks and feels almost weightless. Watch the clock in action and purchase it here.

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STUDIO LOVE ‘MANIFOLD CLOCK’

The ‘Manifold Clock’ explores the repetitive yet ever-changing nature of time. Two traditional hands are connected with a flexible sheet to create a 3D movement effect, thereby creating a new method of reading time that shifts every minute. See the clock in motion, and buy it here.

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VERONIKA SZALAI ‘NEW TIME’ WALL CLOCK

A nifty design masquerading in bed sheet packaging, this scrunchable timepiece is made from cotton fiber and metal, allowing the user to crumple it to their liking whilst retaining its function. See the full post about it on iGNANT here.

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SIRENE ELISE WILHELMSEN ‘365 KNITTING CLOCK’

The ingenious ‘365 Knitting Clock’ makes time tangible, one stitch per minute. After 356 days of knitting, the clock produces a 2-meter scarf. “Now the past can be carried out in the future and the upcoming year is hiding in a new spool of thread, still unknitted,“ Wilhelmsen explains poetically. See our full feature on the clock here.

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MOJOPTIX ‘SUNDIAL’

Mojoptix combined 3D printing with shadow to create a clever clock with a digital face. Printed with tiny holes, the plastic ‘arm’ of the sundial allows light to shine through, displaying the current hour on the ground. You can download the design files and print your own version, or purchase the complete device outright.

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SCOTT THRIFT ‘TODAY CLOCK’

Following his ‘Present‘ Kickstarter project, Scott Thrift created a clock face to ‘take the edge off passing time, simplifying a day into a perfect balance of dawn, noon, dusk and midnight.“ Designed to soothe the mind and even regulate sleep patterns, ‘Today’ – which was recently successfully funded on Kickstarter – can be pre-ordered here.

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DANIEL DUARTE ‘TIME MACHINE’

“The moment we are stagnant staring, as if we are hypnotized thinking about the future or the past, we called ‘abstract view’,” explains product designer Daniel Duarte of his ‘Time Machine’ prototype, constructed from plastic and PVC. “The effect is achieved by an optical illusion which results from the constant superimposition and rotation of monochrome geometric shapes.” A mesmerizing addition to your wall indeed.

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ATYPYK ‘TIME IS MONEY’ CLOCK

Taking literally the old adage that time is money, design studio ATYPYK created a minimal ceramic clock that doubles as a piggy bank. “If you want to save money, then make sure you do it in time,” reads the product description. You don’t have to break the clock to release your savings, though – there’s a cap on the back for removing coins.

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BEING AND DYING ‘UJI’

Positioning itself as ‘the physical expression of our heartbeat’, ‘Uji’ embraces Zen philosophies of time to offer a meditative reflection on the present moment. According to the designers, the goal of Uji is to allow us “to understand ourselves as existing ‘for the time being’.”

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ZELF KOELMAN ‘FERROLIC’

Designer Zelf Koelman used the material Ferro Fluid to create a clock with its own internal system of gravity and magnetic fields. Consisting of electromagnets that can be controlled via a web browser, ‘Ferrolic‘ is essentially programmable. To find out more about the highly intriguing and ongoing project, take a look at its microsite.

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Every summer since 2000, London’s famed Serpentine Gallery has invited leading international architects to design a temporary pavilion for its lawns.

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The post A Look Back At Our Favorite Serpentine Gallery Pavilions appeared first on IGNANT.

If the aim of architecture is to incorporate buildings into their surrounding area, then man-made constructions like skywalks and viewpoints take this concept to the next level by enabling visitors to experience natural surroundings in a more intimate way.

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In the space where design meets architecture meets fashion, innovative concepts abound. With light, display, tactile experience as foremost priorities, collaborations between forward-thinking design studios and brands with big ideas can produce enthralling spaces that are as much about the visual and physical experience as they are about the activity of shopping.

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The post Top 10 Mesmerizing Shop Designs appeared first on IGNANT.

Conversions are amongst the types of architecture projects that intrigue us most, particularly when it comes to giving new life to dilapidated historic buildings. Renovated art exhibition spaces provide a particularly fascinating example, given their demands for light, flow and adaptability.

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The post Top 8 Iconic Art Gallery Conversions appeared first on IGNANT.

Last week we featured the winner Willy Lamers as an Insta Fav. Today we’d like to introduce you to our Top 10 of all the submissions we received. Check out their feeds by clicking on their names, and don’t miss the next hashtag, that we’ll announce on Thursday.

@kristinenor

@amandajanejones

@dianak_gram

@cheecncpcn

@mapisho

@annararo

@siriahlstrm

@jereekespiritu

@ianintong

@suissas

The post #ignt_aquatic Top 10 Submissions appeared first on IGNANT.

Last week we featured the winner Catarina Sanches as an Insta Fav. Today we’d like to introduce you to our Top 10 of all the submissions we received. Check out their feeds by clicking on their names, and don’t miss the next hashtag, that we’ll announce on Thursday.

@annistaaa

@estercuni

@juliatrlr

@ioehowells

@sofiamottaa

@fabiobf

@anitados7oficios

@androkaliandi

@ritaawesomeee

@mattlouder

The post #ignt_springfever Top 10 Submissions appeared first on IGNANT.

PAPER BAG STORAGE

Tellkiddo creates charming kids interior. This toy sack with a bunny face (or actually it’s supposed to be a beaver) is made of white and brown paper. It’s durable and reusable many times over. Once placed and arranged into shape, the paper bag becomes a design object in any kids room.

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Rabbit Tissue Holder

Sparkly Pony creates animal-inspired tissue holders. Their rabbit shaped holder is our easter favourite. Each rabbit is completely hand cut, hand sanded, hand painted, it fits a standard size cube tissue holders. Check their shop for more fancy tissue holders.

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FRIED EGG POTHOLDERS

Red Stitch creates fun potholders which are handmade in Holland. These oddly shaped pair of potholders are made to look like fried eggs with a bright yellow appliqué on a white cotton base, an inside of cotton batting and to finish a layer of white cotton towel. You can get them for €20.00 here.

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SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER

These egg-shaped salt and pepper shakers made by Pigeon Toe will add intrigue and playfulness to your tabletop. Sold as a set of two (one with two holes, one with three), they fit perfectly in the hand. They’re unglazed and sanded smooth on the outside with a clear glazed interior. You can purchase them for €56.28 here.

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FUNNY EASTER CARD

At the Classy Cards Shop you’ll find whimsical cards for any occasion and they also have some easter-themed cards in their portfolio. View more over at their shop.

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SLEEPYHEAD HEDGEHOG

GladOArt created the sleepyhead hedgehog toy, made from 100% wool, in a dry milling technique. It’s fully handmade, even the small parts are shaped by hand. The size of toy is 11 cm (4.3 inches), you can get it for €66.95 here.

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STRUGGLING BUNNY BOOKMARK

blanc creates fun animal-inspired bookmarks for large and small bookworms. You can simply insert the flat half of the bunny to one page and leave the other half outside. Get the bunny bookmark for €4.90 here.

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CANDY MUSHROOMS

Andie’s Specialty Sweets created these colorful variety of wild mushrooms, complete with chocolate candy stems and chocolate filled shitake caps. In her shop, you can find much more amazing edible decor. This collection of 42 candy mushrooms is quite pricy but still an eye catcher, you can get it for €247.43 here.

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WOODEN EASTER EGGS

apple n amos created these wooden easter eggs that are the perfect toys for baby, toddler and preschooler. You can also paint them or use them as easter decoration. You can get a set of six eggs for €12.13 here.

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EASTER GARLAND

TransparentEsDecor create transparent garlands for any occasions. The easter garland is a gorgeous call to spring. If you want other colors combination or length, you can have it customized by contacting the shop owner. The deco can be purchased for €7.76 here.

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In the following we present our Top 10 Unique Kitchen Designs from all the amazing ideas that you’ll find inside the book. You can purchase it directly by clicking on the last image at the bottom of the article for €39.90.

HOUSE IN HIKONE

Image © Shinkenchiku-sha

Kobe-based Yo Shimada /Tato Architects designed this home for a young family in Hikone. It is a white oval cylinder punctured with 42 windows and accented with hanging wooden boxes. The kitchen is built in the same visual language with a steel countertop that demarcates the work surface. Utilities, from air ducts to light cables, cross the space exposed as visual elements, while the windows form a mosaic of views of the grassland outside.

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GAMMA KITCHEN COLLECTION

Image © Studio Pitari

Gamma von Arclinea is an exceptionally modern kitchen concept. It provides straight-forward, flexible solutions for the most diverse design needs. The units reflect the company’s core values — quality, functionality, customization, and socializing — and give you an almost endless variety of worktops, finishes, and door styles to choose from.

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CONVERSION OF OLD STONEHOUSE

Image © Hannes Henz

The renovation of this historic house in Scaiano, on the Swiss-Italian border by wespi de meuron romeo architects produced by Reto Vanzo Schreinerei raises the interior to contemporary standards of comfort while emphasizing the archaic simplicity of the original stone walls. Glass and larch wood framing give onto vistas of the stunning Lago Maggiore. The kitchen counter is designed as an extension of the concrete staircase, and is set over a series of wooden cabinets. An inset fireplace and over-head lighting reduce the need for additional furniture.

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APARTMENT IN AMSTERDAM

Image © Takumi Ota

Amsterdam is a wonderful city for many reasons, but the weather is not one of them. The family who occupy this duplex unit are used to a less gloomy climate, so they asked Mamm Design to make their home as bright as possible. The architects responded by putting the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms in a tower rising through the apartment. This allowed them to open up the surrounding spaces and let the light shine in. The sunken kitchen sits at the heart of a spacious living and dining area that opens onto a decked terrace.

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IST FAMILY HOME

Images © Peter Jurkovic

Bratislava-based JRKVC challenged themselves to build ‘a small house on a small plot for a reasonable price.’ The resulting 85-square-meter IST house, built for €85,000, takes inspiration from the humble materials, pitched roof, small windows, and gánok (porch) of Slovenia’s folk architecture. You can take a tour through the home here.

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CONCRETE & OAK

Images © Achim Hatzius

This spacious kitchen unit exudes a raw simplicity that comes as a welcome counterpoint to the increasing complexity of our everyday lives. Berlin-based designer Rainer Spehl has twinned a solid oak frame with a concrete worktop by betonWare to create a kitchen that does exactly what a kitchen should do. It has a sink, cooktop, and loads of open storage and preparation space. The materials are sturdy and in it for the long haul.

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LIFE POD

Images © Brett Rubin

Life Pod is a 17-square-meter prefabricated home designed for the South African context, manufactured in Johannesburg, and delivered and installed on-site. Architect Clara da Cruz Almeida and designers DOKTER AND MISSES arrange the micro-kitchen underneath the sloped roof, with laser-cut plywood and bent, powder-coated steel storage containers mounted on vertical channels above stainless steel counters. The utilities are designed for easy connection to conventional electrical and plumbing supplies or to off-grid energy generators.

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CHOP CHOP

Images © Patric Dreier

Few of us probably think much about the fine motor skills and strength needed to prepare a meal, but these things can present a whole range of challenges for elderly and disabled people. Dirk Biotto’s ChopChop kitchen module is all about removing these problems and providing an innovative approach to dinner. The design packs numerous solutions into one compact unit. They include a frame that allows you to adjust the countertop to your height, an extendable hose that brings water to where it is needed, a sloped sink that makes it easy to pull (rather than lift) things in and out, and an embedded grater and milled groove that mean you can grate carrots and butter bread one-handed.

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HOUSE IN ITAMI

Images © Stephen Clement

When Tato Architects designed this house, they wanted to challenge the conventional division of architecture and furnishings. Stairs, laundry space, and handrails have a distinctly furniture-like quality, while sofas and closets look like architectural elements. The concept is also reflected in the kitchen, which is built around the stairwell between the first two floors. The dining table doubles as a partial roof for the stairwell, while a kitchen unit serves as an extension of its sidewall.

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SHOREDITCH APARTMENT

Images © Stephen Clement

This East London apartment was a garment factory in a former life. Its heritage is still very much visible today, as Solenne de la Fouchardière of design company Ochre has filled the vast space with concrete-gray tones, industrial details, and retro metal furniture. The kitchen worktop, meanwhile, has something of the sci-fi about it, appearing to almost hover in mid-air between a translucent strip of wall at one end and a single column at the other. Stool-height chairs can either make a breakfast bar of the worktop or allow cooks to rest their legs as they rinse, chop, and stir their way to a feast. The rustic wooden surface of the dining table brings a bit of country into the intensely urban surroundings, and the mismatched chairs make everything feel nice and relaxed.

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Today we give a little sneak peek into the London issue. If you plan to visit London anytime soon, you should make sure to get your hand at this publication. You can purchase it for 10 EUR online or at selected stores.

MAISON TROIS GARCONS

Image © Paul Raeside

Maison Trois Garcons is located on Redchurch Street where you’ll find the full variety of the East End behind graffitied Georgian façades — from kitsch sofa cinemas like The Aubin to fashionable brands like Aesop or APC. At the home deco store Maison Trois Garcons you won’t even have to stop shopping whilst enjoying one of the healthy snacks on the Portuguese-tiled tables in the integrated café. All hot spots of Redchurch Street can be found in the London Guide.

Maison Trois Garcons
45 Redchurch Street, London E2 7DJ
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TRAMSHEAD

Image © Danny Elwes

Once, the enfant terrible of the Young British Artists used to fill museums — these days, Damien Hirst fans flock to Tramshead. Set in a former electricity generating station for trams, this Shoreditch restaurant is defined by a massive Hirst tank towering over the dining room. In it: a cow and a chicken, suspended for eternity in formaldehyde. Quite fitting, as the menu revolves around steak and chicken. The highlight is a whole roasted bird — yet squeamish diners be warned: the chicken is served standing upside down on a platter, with the feet still intact, waving at its table-companions.

Tramshead
32 Rivington St, London EC2A 3LX
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DETOX KITCHEN

Image © Detox Kitchen

At Detox Kitchen in Soho you can enjoy healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner or anything in between or takeaway some deliciousness for when you are in a rush. They offer a range of fresh seasonal salads, lean meat and fish, fresh smoothies, juices, teas and coffees. You can check their Instagram for some more impressions.

Detox Kitchen
10 Kingly Street, London W1B 5PJ
Facebook

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THE BOOK CLUB

Image © Sylvain Deleu

Those expecting people in thick-rimmed glasses, hunched over dusty books, philosophising about life will be surprised. The Book Club is anything but a bookish place. In fact, it’s one of the most multifaceted clubs in London. This intimate venue is spread over two floors: you can head for a game of ping pong in the ground-floor bar, which also serves British nibbles such as pork scratchings, scotch eggs and various sharing platters. The downstairs club is where the music is pounding and the sweat is flowing. International DJs host fun, themed club nights, while the electro swing club attracts a flappered and dappered up crowd.

The Book Club
100–106 Leonard St, London EC2A 4RH
Facebook

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KEW GARDEN

Image © Kew Garden

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in West London is one of the world’s most important and most beautiful botanical gardens. The 132ha large domain boasts a collection of about fifty thousand different plant species as well as many impressive buildings such as the Palm House and the ten-story Pagoda. Definitely worth a visit and a nice location for taking some beautiful pictures aside from the busy streets of London.

Kew Garden
Kew, Richmond TW9 3AB
Facebook

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HARWOOD ARMS

Image © Harwood Arms

There are pubs that are older; there are pubs that may look fancier… but the Harwood Arms is the only Michelin-starred pub in London. Alex Harper is the chef responsible for the straight British cuisine: A signature dish is the splendid Scotch egg. All the ingredients are local: The fish is line-caught in Cornwall and the beef is supplied by farmers in the Lake District. Vegetables are grown on the own roof garden. If that’s not enough of a reason to come, make a reservation for the first Tuesday in the month: The Quiz Night is legendary.

Harwood Arms
Walham Grove, London SW6 1QP
Facebook

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SERPENTINE GALLERY

Image © Jim Stephenson

Serpentine Gallery at Hyde Park is wonderfully situated and always has something good on — especially in the summertime with their architecture series. In the picture you see Sou Fujimoto’s pavilion on the lawn outside the Serpentine Gallery.

Serpentine Gallery
Kensington Gardens, LondonW2 3XA
Facebook

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ST. JOHN

Image © Patricia Niven

St. John in the City and St John Bread & Wine in Shoreditch (photo) are real London institutions. Just like the simple no-frills interior, the menu focuses on simplicity: no-nonsense dishes such as goat’s curd with roasted red onion or rabbit and bacon pie are made with regional and seasonal ingredients and cooked to perfection. Recently the former head chef at St John Bread & Wine, James Lowe, opened his own restaurant in Shoreditch: Lyle’s has clear influences from St. John, the food is a celebration of revisited classics. If you go for the original or the new- comer: Be sure to expect a real British treat.

St. John
26 St John St, London EC1M 4AY
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KRISTINA RECORDS

Image © Kristina Record

Who is interested in music and Vinyl should try to get recommendations from Nigel, Chris, Sean at the West store or Phil, Noreen over East. They are the classic London record store. You can also go to Black Market for more British dance music. Kristina Records on Kingsland Road is new and very exciting. There are also three or four new record stores in Shoreditch and Dalston that are great.

Kristina Records
44 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 7XJ
Facebook

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DISHOOM

Image © Ming Tang-Evans

For proper Indian nosh, head to Dishoom, just north of Brick Lane. Here, the Bombay café food is what curry dreams are made of. Chef Naved Nasir’s menu boasts authentic food that’s hard to find outside Mumbai’s hustle and bustle: crispy okra fries, aromatic cranberry-studded rice biryanis, spicy char-grilled lamb chops, and a heavenly slow-cooked black daal. And if you’re feeling a little delicate from the night before, Dishoom’s breakfast bacon naan is one of the best secret hangover cures in town.

Dishoom
7 Boundary Street, London E2 7JE
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10. HAND SEWN PORTRAITS BY DAVID CATÁ

Does love really has to hurt? According to artist David Catá it obviously does. The Spanish artist uses his body as a canvas, writing an autobiographical diary. In his ongoing series ‘A Flor De Piel’, he embroiders portraits of people who have influenced or marked his life – family, friends, teachers, lovers, partners – sewn into the palm of his hand.

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9. AUNTIES PROJECT BY ALEAH CHAPIN

For her series ‘Aunties Project’ artist Aleah Chapin studied wrinkles, tattoos, mastectomy scars, pubic hair, lactating breasts and sagging bosoms, painting a series of giant nudes, featuring a group of older women – her mother’s friends, who she ‘grew-up with’ and has known all her life.

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8. INTO THE WILD WITH JAIME BEECHUM

Some of your favourite images were taken by San Francisco based photographer Jaime Beechum. Her love for the outdoors gets quite obvious in her photographs. Jaime shoots on a Mamiya 7, catching intimate moments and wonderful moods. The lighting seems soft and warm while the pictures are vivid and upbeat.

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7. PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVIS AYER

LA-based photographer Davis Ayer is more of a visual artist than just a photographer. He uses his camera as an instrument and paintbrush, mastering the art of double exposure with an unbending attraction toward what is beautiful. Shooting mostly on a Mamiya RZ, Ayer’s work features a dreamy host of colors and moods.

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6. TREEHOUSE BY PETER BAHOUTH

Architect Peter Bahouth built a series of houses in the trees connected by wooden bridges in Atlanta. Inspired by his love for nature and his childhood memories of boyhood treehouses, environmentalist Peter Bahouth created this grown-up fort in his Atlanta backyard.

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5. BEST ROAD TRIP PHOTOGRAPHERS

Earlier last year we introduced you to our ‘Top 10 Road Trip Photographers’. We must say that this list will probably never succeed in being complete as there are so many talented photographers out there capturing their trips in the most amazing ways so please feel still invited to add your personal favorites in the comments to get this list growing. The pic above was taken by Jeff Luker.

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4. KOSTIS FOKAS SEXUALLY CHARGED IMAGES

With his colorful, energetic and humorous images, Kostis Fokas explores sexuality and the simple means of erotic. With faces hidden and bodies stripped bare, the human form becomes a landscape of tension.

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3. CAMOUFLAGED CONCRETE HOUSE

Olson Kundig Architects created a camouflaged concrete house called ‘The Pierre’ in San Juan Islands, Washington. The owner’s affection for a stone outcropping on her property inspired the design of this house. Conceived as a retreat nestled into the rock, the Pierre (the French word for stone) celebrates the materiality of the site.

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2. POETIC JEWELLERY BY RUBY ROBIN

Irish artist Ruby Robin creates handcrafted jewellery that contains little bits and pieces of nature. She states: “My handcrafted jewellery is designed to allow the quiet beauty of nature to shine, to stir the imagination, inspire wonder and encapsulate a microcosm of long forgotten memories.”

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1. IIU SUSIRAJAS BODY TALKING SELFIES

The article featuring Finland-based self-portrait photographer iiu Susiraja had the most views in 2014. The artists is creating humorous, perky portraits of herself, balancing a dog bone on her upper lip or wedging a broom under her boobs.

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The post Top 10 Blogposts 2014 appeared first on IGNANT.

CLOUDSTREET BAKERY

Wir starten mit einem kurzen Stopp in der kleinen, charmanten Cloudstreet Bakery, die auf kompaktem Raum einen riesigen Holzofen von 1926 unterbringt, der von den aktuellen Besitzern in liebevoller Handarbeit restauriert wurde. Dementsprechend rauchig schmeckt auch ihr fantastisches Brot, während die katalanisch-französisch-australischen Teilchen die Bäckerei zu einer echten Perle im Eixample-Bezirk machen.

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MITJA VIDA

Kurz vor Mittag helfen wir unserem Appetit mit einem Wermut auf die Sprünge. Im Laufe der vergangenen Jahre hat dieses typisch-katalanische Mittagsritual, das hier seit dem frühen 20. Jahrhundert zelebriert wird, auch unter den Jüngeren und Nicht-ganz-so-jungen wieder an Popularität gewonnen, sodass sonntags regelmäßig wahre Massen zu den beliebtesten „Vermuterías“ pilgern.

Unsere Wahl fällt auf das Mitja Vida, das sich in einer Seitenstraße des eher noblen Sarrià-Sant Gervasi-Viertels versteckt. Der Ableger des erfolgreichen Morro Fi, das sich einst aus dem gleichnamigen Bar- und Restaurant-Blog entwickelte, versorgt seit 2012 durstige Kehlen mit dem anregend-bitteren Tropfen.

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BAR MUT

Für das eigentliche Mittagessen fahren wir ins Stadtzentrum. Und obwohl der Name es vielleicht suggeriert, hat Bar Mut wenig mit der soeben verlassenen vermutería gemein. Auf den ersten Blick wirkt das Etablissement eher wie eine klassische Wein- und Tapasbar mit schwarzer Markise, Marmortresen und flaschengesäumter Wand, doch glücklicherweise regiert hier ein Koch, der sein Handwerk versteht – und traditionelle Gerichte grandios neu interpretiert.

Zum Auftakt gönnen wir uns erst einmal einen warmen Spinat-Walnuss-Feigen-Salat, drapiert über ein leicht geschmolzenes Stück “Torta del Casar” – dieser Schafsrohmilchkäse wird ausschließlich in der spanischen Extremadura-Region produziert. Mit dem “Carpaccio d’ou ferrat” folgt eine Variante des Katerklassikers “Ous ferrats”, Eier auf Pommes Frites.

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XURRERIA DELS BANYS NOUS

Wir legen im Barri Gòtic eine kleine Pause ein. Vorbei an vielen mittelalterlichen Gebäuden – und noch mehr Touristen – führt unser Weg zur Banys Nous, einer schmalen Gasse, in der wir mit Sicherheit den Nachmitagssnack finden werden, nach dem wir Ausschau halten. Unser Ziel ist die Hausnummer 8 und ein Geschäft, das sich so nüchtern-bescheiden gibt wie sein Name: Xurreria dels Banys Nous.

Im Interieur warten Berge unterschiedlicher Süßwaren auf Kunden, doch unter diesen Leckereien ist eine sichtlich besonders gefragt: Das Churros-Tablett der Xurreria ist fast immer leergefegt. Dieses längliche, frittierte und in Zucker getunkte Brandteiggebäck gilt in Barcelona, kombiniert mit einer dickflüssigen heißen Schokolade, als beliebter Frühstückssnack.

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LA GRANJA

Versorgt mit einer Papiertüte frischer Churros spazieren wir nur ein paar Häuser weiter, denn hinter der eindrucksvollen Jugendstiltür des La Granja wartet eine wärmende Tasse heißer Schokolade auf uns. Gegründet 1872, gilt in diesem Lokal als ungeschriebenes Gesetz, dass man seine eigenen Churros mitbringen darf. Und auch sonst regiert die Tradition: In der ehemaligen Molkerei sind sogar noch Reste der alten römischen Stadtmauer erkennbar.

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JARDINS DE MOSSÈN COSTA I LLOBERA

Zeit für einen Szenenwechsel: Deutlich weniger gedrängt als im Zentrum geht es auf dem Montjuïc zu, einem imposanten Berg oberhalb des Handelshafens, der viele versteckte Parks und Gärten beherbergt.

Unter anderem der von Einheimischen oft ignorierte, doch umso spektakulärere Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera, einer der größten Gärten für Kakteen und Sukkulenten in ganz Europa. Hier präsentieren sich, nur wenige Meter voneinander entfernt, exotische Arten aus Südafrika, Mexiko, Kalifornien, Australien, Südamerika und der Karibik von ihrer besten Seite.

Um Mehr leckere food spots in Barcelona zu entdecken, schau auf mb! Magazine vorbei.

Photography by Gunnar Knechtel, Text by Julia Keller| Via: mb! Magazine

If translated from Catalan, Bar-cel-ona literally means ‘bar, sky, wave’. Not an inaccurate name for a city that is well known for its bar culture, excellent weather and its location right on the edge of the Mediterranean sea. With these three ingredients as the core of their recipe, mb! Magazine cooks up a day of exploring the cities most delectable culinary offers.

CLOUDSTREET BAKERY

The first stop takes us to Cloudstreet Bakery, a tiny but remarkably charming bake shop equipped with a massive wood fired oven from 1926, restored to its former beauty by its current owners. The taste of their bread – almost entirely made with organic flours – is decidedly smoky, and their catalan-french-australian influenced pastries make this place a true gem in the Eixample neighbourhood.

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MITJA VIDA

It’s almost noon when we head to our next destination, which translates to vermouth o’clock in our food-centric schedule. Over the last years, this quintessentially catalan midday ritual, which dates back to the early 20th century, has seen a resurgence among young –and not so young- people, resulting in mass Sunday noon pilgrimages to the citie’s most popular ‘vermuterías’.

Our bar of choice is located in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi neighbourhood. In this rather swanky part of the city, hidden away in a sidestreet, Mitja Vida opened its doors in 2012, following the success of the owner’s first venture, Morro Fi, that was created as a brick and mortar extension of their homonymous blog, a platform for reviewing the local restaurant and bar scene.

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BAR MUT

For lunch, we head towards the city centre. Disregarding of its name – Bar Mut, a pun on ‘vermut’ – it is in many ways the opposite of the vermutería we just left. At first glance, it looks like a classic wine and tapas bar, with its black awning, marble counters, and walls lined with wine bottles, but the chef’s modern take on traditional dishes is what really sets it apart.

We start with a warm spinach, walnut and fig salad, placed over a melted piece of ‘Torta del Casar’, a cheese made from raw sheep’s milk, produced exclusively in the Extremadura region. Our next dish, ‘Carpaccio d’ou ferrat’, is based on the classic hangover dish ‘Ous ferrats’, meaning sunny side up eggs, scrambled over french fries.

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XURRERIA DELS BANYS NOUS

We head towards the Gothic Quarter. Passing a large number of medieval buildings, and an even larger number of tourists, we arrive at Banys Nous, a narrow alley that will provide the particular kind of afternoon snack, or “merienda”, that we are looking for. Number 8 hosts a shop that is as straightforward and unadorned as its name: Xurreria dels Banys Nous.

Inside, carefully arranged piles of various fried goods are waiting for sweet-toothed customers, but the one tray that is always empty gives a clear sign of what people come here to buy. Churros, a tube-shaped fried choux pastry dipped in sugar, are usually eaten for breakfast, together with a cup of thick, hot chocolate.

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LA GRANJA

We leave with a paper bag full of fresh churros, but don’t go far – only a couple of houses down the street, La Granja lures us with its impressive art nouveau door and promises of hot chocolate. BYOC – bring your own churros – is an unspoken agreement at this café dating back to 1872, which used to be a dairy and boasts remains of the Roman wall in the backroom.

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JARDINS DE MOSSÈN COSTA I LLOBERA

En route to a much less crowded scenery, we drive up the Montjuic mountain, rising over the commercial harbor and home to many hidden parks and gardens.

Among them, mostly disregarded by Barcelona’s inhabitats, are the spectacular Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera , one of Europe’s largest cactus and succulent gardens. A walk through this unique landscape reveals species from South Africa, Mexico, California, Australia and the Caribbean and South America.

To discover more tasty food spots in Barcelona, head over to mb! Magazine

Photography by Gunnar Knechtel , Text by Julia Keller | Via: mb! Magazine

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