Denisse Ariana Pérez is a Caribbean-born, Barcelona-based photographer and author.
I’m a creative director, copywriter, author, and photographer, and while I’ve moved through multiple countries in my life—from the Caribbean to Scandinavia to the United States—and Barcelona felt like the first place in my nomadic life where I wanted to set genuine, firm roots. I moved here in 2020, a peculiar time to experience the city, both dystopian and beautifully sincere. During this time, the city was practically empty of tourists, and I got to meet locals who had been here all their lives or had returned because of the pandemic. I talk to strangers practically every day; I just love connecting with people and hearing about their stories. I’m always observing or photographing the human experience and all its beauty and complex messiness.
For me, 2020 was the perfect time to get to know Barcelona and its people; it felt like it was just them and me in the city, in the empty museums, at the beach, sitting on benches with Catalan octogenarians and talking about their lives. That intimate time with the city made me fall in love with it. There was a simplicity, a refreshing honesty, a response to life that I hadn’t found elsewhere, and I knew I wanted to become part of it. I still see myself as a child of the world, one who travels often, but I’m rooted in this special place that always manages to ground me again. —Denisse Ariana Pérez, photographer
I have taken their tours in six different cities around the world (and counting). Their tours are intimate and, in my humble opinion, one of the best ways to experience a city’s history and food. The founders are journalists and food writers, so they have been able to curate and investigate the restaurants they choose thoroughly. The most beautiful part is that the tour guides have developed genuine relationships with the restaurants and shop owners, and they have fascinating histories of their own. Even I, as a local, learn something new about Barcelona every time I do their tours in my city.
Seafood is a love language for me, and the same goes for this restaurant. Everything coming from the sea is cooked brilliantly. Get the “huevos rotos con gambas al ajillo”—they are forever etched in my memory.
The chef’s passion and anarchism are in every detail of the restaurant, from the design of the plates to the food. He takes the best of Mexican cuisine and modernizes it beautifully. Also, everything in the menu that involves corn is divine (corn cake, pancakes, the tortillas for the chilaquilles)
Visit La Fabra to explore more contemporary, less mainstream artistic voices. Their current exhibition,” Stones on Their Palms, Embers and Flame,” is so potent and relevant.
Everything here is about respecting history and infusing it with modern touches, from preserving the architecture to the green velvet seats. I’ve probably tried 90% of the menu by now, and every dish is just as delicious and comforting. The greatest compliment I can give the food is that all my Catalan friends who have joined me here have said that, second to their grandmother’s and mother’s dishes, these were the best they had ever had. In an ever-gentrifying city and neighborhood, places like these that preserve Catalan cuisine and culture become even more precious and important.
If it’s a Sunday between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., head to La Paloma. A century-old ballroom, this is where people of all ages gather to dance to Latin music—especially salsa. The space itself is magical, and seeing people of all generations dancing together, so joyfully and freely, takes it to a new level. If you miss Sundays, they have live sets on other nights tackling different genres.
Based simply on the energy of this space, you can tell that artists and creatives gather here. The baked goods are incredible, and the inner patio is the best place to enjoy them.
Time moves at a different tempo here, away from the busyness of the nearby streets—it kind of feels as if your lunch were a private, prolonged aperitivo into the afternoon. The food is Tuscan, and you can watch fresh pasta being stretched right in front of your eyes. Also, the hostess (Flori) is a breathing gem—her energy will make you feel so very at home.
I once asked the hostess at one of my favorite local restaurants what other restaurant had a similar approach to theirs (local, fusion of Spanish/Catalan tradition and modern). This was her answer, a place where she would go to eat besides their own restaurant. I think that says it all.
People might not think of coming to a new city to go to the movies, but I’m that kind of person. Zumzeig is a neighborhood cinema—it only has one room showing one film at a time. You won’t find big Hollywood films here, but rather more precious and rare ones from all over the world. They also have a cafe/bar in the lobby where you can linger before or after the film.
