If the town of Florence had a Homecoming Prince, it would be my local friend Urbano Brini, who knows everyone and everywhere to go, worth going.  His input has been invaluable for my multiple trips to Florence and should keep you well entertained for your visit.

Gypsy Tips:

Volume

Bar & Lounge with an eclectic setting best described as a library meets an art gallery meets an hole in the wall bar. Find a seat and enjoy the unique surroundings or the quite often live music.  Whomever is playing, you’re guaranteed to hear a mix of popular English language songs, a few Italian numbers and always one or two Sting covers…an homage to the honorary Florentine resident.

Address: Piazza Santo Spirito, 5r Phone: 055 238 1460

www.volume.fi.it

Ultra chic lounge and bar with amazing views atop the Ferragamo owned Hotel Continentale. Fantastic option for a sunset drink while lounging on one of the outdoor chaises.

Address: Viccolo del Oro, 6R Phone: 39 055 27262

www.lungarnocollection.com/en/eat-drink-e-shop/sky-bar-roof-top-terrace-e-lounge-florence.html

SeiDivino

Tiny wine bar with a great ambience and even better gem of a back room where live music meets open mic night.  There is also a great selection of aperitivos to try out if you arrive early in the evening.

Address: BorgoOgnissanti, 42 Phone: 055 217 791

All’AnticoVinaioFedra& Daniele

Although best known for enjoying wine and mingling with locals ages 25 – 85, at the stand up / street side bar, this spot is a must to try some of the aperitivos as well, so arrive hungry as well as thirsty.  Not to miss are the porchetta sandwiches and the many crustinis with toppings.

Address: Via de Neri, 65/r Phone: 055 238 2723

Golden View Open Bar

Whether taking a few drinks w/ friends on the café side or enjoying dinner, drinks and live jazz on the restaurant side, this chic and minimalistic setting is the perfect place for a lovely night and magnificent views of the River Arno and the Ponte Vecchio.

Address: Via de Bardi, 58/r, Ponte Vecchio Phone: 055 214 502
www.goldenviewopenbar.com

Gucci Museum Bar

This newly opened museum to fashion hosts a an equally chic caffe where it’s great to go for a lovely evening drink.

Address:  Palazzo dellaMercanzia, Piazza Signoria
http://www.gucci.com/us/worldofgucci/mosaic/think_forever/gucci_museo

Although the Barcelona food scene is most commonly know for it’s packed tapas bars, where you eat on foot while enjoying drinks, or the other end of the spectrum, it’s many outside cafes and beachfront establishments, there’s a whole world or dining in between to be explored.

La Taverna Del Clinic

Understated setting and chic presentation make this my top choice for fine dining.  Some not to be missed items on the menu are the amazingly rich grilled foie in a cream of calcots, the duck breast salad with mixed greens and berries, the grilled ahi tuna, the bacalao three ways and the house specialty chocolate desert created by famed Catalan pastry chef Oriole Balaguer.  If it’s your first visit, you’ll need to try the patatas bravas, as La Taverna del Clinic has modernized this typical spanish tapa in presentation to fit with it’s fine dining counterparts on the menu.

Address: c/ Rossello, 155 Phone: 934 104 221

www.latavernadelclinic.com

El Xampanyet

One of my favorite tapas bars, where it’s a must to enjoy various canned seafood options, the salmon, bacalao, and mussels, as well as the many pintxos (tapas on tiny pieces of toasted bread) and the goat cheese stuffed peppers, all washed down by Xampanyet (the house sparkling wine). It’s the perfect place to start the night before hitting the bars in El Born and more time than not, it’s more of a packed bar / standing room only setting itself.

Address: c/ Montcada, 22 Phone: 933 197 003

La Bodegueta

Great local neighborhood restaurant where you can try various typical tapas or a must, the ous estrellats amb pernil (runny fried eggs mixed with sauteed pototoes and surrounded in iberian ham) and the pimientas padrones. Sit at the bar, stay a while and make friends with the locals and the best staff in Barcelona.

Address: Rambla de Catalunya, 100 Phone: 932 154 894

Los Caracoles

One of the oldest restaurants in the city and situated in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, Los Caracoles is an institution in Barcelona.  This tiny bar area in the entrance way leads its way back into an expansive multi room restaurant that feels more like dining in a historical home.  What to ask for on the menu, the caracoles (snails) for a starter and the suquet de pescadores (typical Catalan mixed fish stew).

Address:  c/ Escudellers, 14  Phone:  933 012 041

www.loscaracoles.es

La BodeguetaProvenca

The “Couture” version to La Bodegueta’s “Ready To Wear”. Similar menu, but spruced up a bit in modern presentation and more gourmet ingrediants, while the casual but industrial chic décor is welcoming but trendy.  Not to be missed are the pulpo gallego, the brie stuffed mushrooms and the risoto.

Address: c/Provenca, 223 Phone: 932 151 725

Mercat de la Boqueria 

People watching at one of the most vibrant open air markets in Europe. Find yourself a stool at either Bar Central down the main central aisle towards the back, past the fish section or Kiosko Universal, off to the left about 2 rows back, order a drink, a seafood parillada (grilled seafood), grilled vegetables with pan con tomate and enjoy! Need I say more.

Address: Rambla 91, Mercat de la Boqueria Phone: 934 121 215
www.boqueria.info

Restaurant Salamanca

The local’s favorite for paella by the sea, although technically the best seats in the house are inside.  The gigantic oysters and sepia a la plancha are some of the best in town as well, so definitely do starters, but save room for the paella de mariscos.

Also, while waiting for your table, wander the restaurant’s tiny rooms checking out the numerous celeb photos they have posted of their VIP visitors over the years.

Address: AlmirallCervera 34, 27 Phone: 932 215 033

www.gruposilvestre.com/salamanca.htm

Arenal

The perfect beachside restaurant to pass a few hours in the afternoon lingering over lunch.  Ok, ok, so the paella isn’t exactly as great as Salamanca’s but you’re actually dining right over the sand, with fantastic people watching on the beach and the tranquility of the waves crashing in the background.  Arenal can be a tad pricey, so choose the menu del dia for an exceptional value of a 3 course meal with wine.

Address: In front of l’Hospital del Mar onPasseigMaritim Phone: 932 210 810
www.arenalrestaurant.com

La Paradeta

The freshest seafood apart from catching it yourself.  This market style setting with rustic tables is great for any seafood lover and has become so popular that often times you’ll find a line down the block.  Multiple locations, but El Born is home to my top choice as it’s in the perfect neighborhood to enjoy some barhopping the delicious meal.

Address: c/ Comercial, 7 Phone: 932 681 939
www.laparadeta.com

Local VIP Faves:

Josep Maria Ferret Guasch

Founder, CAVA JOSEP M FERRET GUASCH

Address: Barril’Alzinar, 68 (Bústia 25) E-08736 Font-Rubí (Spain) Phone: 93 8979037

www.ferretguasch.com

ROSAL 34

Chic and trendy fine dining experience. Must tries: Espuma de patatasbravas and Costillas de conejorebozadas

Address: C/Rosal, 34  Phone: 933 249 046

www.rosal34.com

RESTAURANT RACÓ D’EN CESC

Address: C/Diputació, 201 Phone: 934532352

www.elracodencesc.com

QUIMET I QUIMET

Address: C/Poeta Cabañas, 25 Phone: 934423142

From bar hopping in El Born to clubbing until the sunrise, Barcelona’s nightlife has something for everyone.  I myself love a place where I can get done up for a night on the town, and this is exactly my town for that type of scene.

Opium Mar

Whether you’re looking for early evening drinks by the sea and a chill vibe or late night dancing until the sun rises, you can satisfy both appetites at Opium Mar.  VIP Table service is a must unless you want to be bumping shoulders with the many 18-22 year olds packed in here on the average night.

Phone: 902 267 486
www.opiummar.com

Nuba

When the beautiful people head indoors for the cooler months, this is where you’ll find them.  Located in the ritzy Sant Gervasi neighborhood, Nuba is rarely recommended by hotel concierges as it’s a bit up the hill but well worth the trip for this chic indoor / outdoor lounge setting.

Address: Dr. Flemming / Santa Fe de Nueva Mexico  Phone: 932 411 720
www.nubabcn.com

Wet Bar at the W Hotel

Take in the gorgeous views of the beach while lounging on a poolside bed. This scene is hip day or night and significantly more upscale than any of the other beachfront venues. My recommendation, reserve a poolside bed around 8:00 pm on a Sunday evening and enjoy the scene, the drinks, the music (usually a live funk band or dj) and many drinks!  No matter what your taste, Bohemian Chic, Jetsetter, Laid Back, you’ll be happy at Wet Bar.

www.w-barcelona.com/wet-bar

Eclipse Bar at the W Hotel

On top of the world in Barcelona. It’s intimate and rarely overcrowded (except for the occasional Sunday late night), yet always filled with the right people and the best music.  Sunday nights reign, but DJ Kris White and his HairclubEstilistes are now making Thursdays Fashionably Late just as chic. If you’re not the late night clubbing type, check Eclipse out for their Sunday afternoon Yum Cha dimsum cocktail.

Address: Placa de la Rosa del Vents, 1, Final de Passieg de Joan de Borbo  Phone: 932 952 800

www.w-barcelona/eclipse-bar

Club Astoria

My neighborhood “go to” club and one of the best nightspots over the winter months.  Here you’ll find sumptuous velvet lounging spaces and seductive lighting. Depending on the night you can find a chill after work party or a pull a late night bender on the dance floor.

Sutton

It’s mainly locals at this posh neighborhood nightclub. You can always count on a packed dance floor, so hitting that is a must, or reserve yourself a table in the VIP area for a little more space to ensure you’re not wearing your drink at the end of the night.

Address: C/ Tuset, 13 Phone: 670 547 946

www.thesuttonclub.com

Local VIP Faves:

Josep Maria Ferret Guasch
Founder, CAVA JOSEP M FERRET GUASCH

Address: Barril’Alzinar, 68 (Bústia 25) E-08736 Font-Rubí (Spain) Phone: 93 8979037

www. ferretguasch.com

RA 

Where an eclectic crowd meets eclectic décor. Great place for a variety of drinks in the afternoon and good music, quite often live band or dj in the evenings. The ceviche is not to be missed for a snack.

Ra is right in the heart of the growing underground Jazz bar and live music bar scene in Barcelona’s Raval neighborhood.

Address: Plaça de la Gardunya, 3 (Behind Mercado de la Boqueria) Phone: 615 959 872

www.ratown.com

Palau DalmasesEspaiBarroc

A baroque mansion converted to a cozy live music venue. You can find anything from jazz to opera here depending on the night.  This is the perfect place to combine a few drinks with culture early on before going out barhopping in The Born.

Address: C/Montcada, 20 Phone: 933 100 673

Some people need ice cream, others alcohol or drugs, but for me, as I stepped off of the plane in Barcelona, I felt like I could breathe again.  Dealing with a heart that wasn’t truly broken, but slightly crushed by the weight of disappointment of “what could have been”, I knew that I was in the right place and soon to be on the mend.  This time around, I was truly home, greeted by my Realtor Extraordinaire, Rafael Rosendo, of Lucas Fox Realty and the keys to my flat for the summer.

After such a long journey to arrive, there was one solution prior to sleeping, to help cure the combination jet lag and hangover from the in flight drinking and continued drunken misbehavior in the One World Lounge at London Heathrow.  I dropped off my bags, and headed straight to La Bodegueta, my version of Cheers, where everyone knows my name, except the food is much better.  With eyelids so heavy that I could have used toothpicks to keep them open, I scarfed down my Ous Estrellats amb Pernil (fried eggs with sautéed potatoes and Iberic cured ham) specialty of the house and instantly cabbed it back to my new bed.

Coming out of my pseudo hibernation a day and a half later, revived and ready to go, what better thing is there to do on a Sunday afternoon in June than to hit the beach.  Remembering that Opium Mar was the “it” place for late afternoon drinks by the sea, I headed over after a few hours of sun, to enjoy a bite, a drink and a little people watching.

Only minutes later, I had landed my eyes on what I consider to be one of the most beautiful male creatures to have ever caught my attention, and what was this, he was checking me out as well? To this day, I still do not have exact recollection of how it all happened, as the mind can play tricks on you when in the presence of such beauty, but somehow, after enough exchanged glances, I ended up mid conversation with he, an adorable and way too young German footballer, and his group of friends while enjoying cava, sangria and sushi.

Honestly, this encounter all had more or less originated by my attempt to avoid the group of flashy Russian guys, sitting on the bed to my left, who instantly spotted me as their prey from the moment I arrived and began slowly edging themselves towards my bed.   Almost simultaneously, at the final determining moment where these guys were so close to have made conversation inevitable, I could feel the weight of the stare of this tall and dark haired Adonis, and I thankfully stood up, grabbed my glass of wine and moved over to join him, just in time to escape from any undesired conversations with my other neighbors.

So, yes, my graceful German host with very broken English ended up being sweet and incredibly seductive.  Having stayed there drinking with he and his group until well beyond sunset, then being invited out later, to dinner, accompanied by one of the others as a bit of a translator, and afterwards, reuniting with the whole group again at Opium Mar for some partying until sunrise. The shocker of it all was that the significant age difference didn’t really seem to deter either of us.  He did look and act a good deal older, or that’s how I justify it, we’re quite a bit in contact till this day, and I still get a smile on my face when I think of his kissable soft lips like pillows.

With one simple Rock Star afternoon turned into night, my bruised heart was well on it’s way to being mended and my optimism up for the phenomenal summer that I had ahead of me.

Just the thought of lingering afternoon paella lunches at Arenal on the beach, evening poolside parties at The W Hotel, nights of dancing upstairs at Eclipse that turn into mornings before you even know it, mixed with the occasional cultural outing like the Magic Fountain laser and light show, or live music in the summer concert series Musica Als Parcs in Parc Ciutadella, I was filled with excitement! And I hadn’t even started on the “unknown”.

 If only there existed a simple equation like this to solve the other challenges in my life.

*Inspired by my travels to Barcelona, I’ve teamed up with Braccialetti Cruciani to create the perfect wrist look for this destination.  Gypsy Love’s Cruciani, “Accessorizing my way around the world, one Cruciani Bracelet at a time.”  

Hope to see you rocking this look next time you’re in Barcelona!

Perhaps I was doomed from the beginning, boarding my 9 hour fight from Sydney to Hong Kong and feeling a bit robbed of the full Australia nightlife experience.

I immediately took it upon myself to make up for lost times and once settled into my business class seat of my Cathay Pacific flight, put my feet up and soon had a refreshing beverage in my hand, compliments of the most attentive cabin crew thus far in my travels.

Knowing that I was to arrive in Hong Kong and be picked up by my local friend, Marc, who is quite “In the know” of the nightlife scene, it didn’t phase me if I were to arrive slightly buzzed … and then some, nor did it phase the helpful flight attendants, as they served me one “Pacific Sunrise” signature drink after another.

Although my 12 hours total in Hong Kong included a couple hours worth of an initiation drive of sight seeing around the city and it’s surroundings, the three main things that I recall most clearly from this leg of my trip were the following: 

1. The massive humidity that smacked me in the face, immediately after exiting the airport.

2. The incredible view of the city skyline and Victoria Harbour at night from the top of the American Club terrace

3. The speed at which I was able to get through security and to my departing gate of my flight to London – 10 minutes tops!

Quite possibly, I could have shaved off another minute from #3, but did stop running about 5 gates prior to mine in order to gather my composure and give my best attempt at disguising my drunkenness. 

Apparently it worked.  I didn’t open my mouth once until the plane had taken off, and once securely in the air, I slipped away to freshen up in the bathroom while the flight attendant prepared my bed.

Waking up slightly hungover, 10 hours later and being served breakfast prior to the plane preparing for landing, I thought to myself, “Was I really just in Hong Kong?”  At least I have the stamp on my passport and a few photographs to prove it.

Marc, I promise I’ll be back for more!