3 NIGHTS IN BARCELONA

Saturday

Can I just start by saying Barcelona is one of my favourite cities now if not my number one favourite? It really has it all!

I'd wanted to visit Barcelona for a long time so since this year I am making up for lost travelling time during Covid, it was the perfect time to book. I loved the trip so much that I am over-excited writing this and don't know what to tell you first but I will try to organise my thoughts clearly.

We went in September which is supposed to be their rainy season but luckily we had no rain, and it was a great temperature for walking around and sightseeing.

Park guell gaudi house

Travelling to Barcelona


We had an early start on the first day as our flight was at 9am from Gatwick and I like to be there super early (you never know how long the queues will be these days and I wanted breakfast and a glass of fizz).

The flight was only about 1 hour and 40 minutes on the way there and we had a pretty easy time going through both airports (we did NOT on the way back - more to come on this later).

Once we'd landed at terminal 1 in Barcelona, we got the airport bus which was the A1 (it's A1 for terminal 1 and A2 if you're at terminal 2) and it was only 4 stops into the centre of Barcelona. I think the bus took just over half an hour. They run every 5 minutes and are only 5.90 euros for a single journey so definitely worth doing if you are staying in the centre like we did.

Our hotel was then a 10-minute walk from that bus stop which we found using Citymapper. We stayed at the Ilunion Almirante which was a reasonable price and great location. Perfect for what we needed it for although we barely spent any time there.

Day 1


Once we'd checked in we had a little siesta and then got ready for our first afternoon. By the time we went out, it was about 4pm and we didn't really plan anything except dinner on day 1 so we went to the aquarium. 

I did really enjoy it because I love animals and sealife but it wasn't really any different to any aquarium I'd been to before so go if you have time, but if you only have time to see Barcelona-exclusive sights then you won't miss too much

The aquarium was right next to the harbour which by the way, had so many mega yachts in it I can't even imagine who is rich enough to own them. When we left the aquarium and came back to the harbour, we heard music so we followed it to see what was happening.

It turns out there was a free jazz and food festival which was perfect! We had a few drinks there and listened to the live bands for a while before heading to dinner at a restaurant overlooking the harbour. I love dining al fresco - that's when you know you're on holiday.

jazz and food festival barcelona

jazz and food drinks barcelona

It was a little disappointing though because I accidentally ended up eating Italian food when I wanted to try Spanish food but there was plenty of opportunity on the other days. 

As if our first day wasn't exciting enough, halfway through dinner there were fireworks in the distance - it was like something out of a rom-com I swear.

We later found out that it was a special holiday in Spain which is why they had a lot on. Our first day was a Monday so we were a bit like wow are the people of Barcelona this fun every Monday?

Day 2


The second day was reserved for sightseeing the main attractions so we got up and walked to La Sagrada Familia (with a pit stop for breakfast). The outside of La Sagrada Familia was so impressive, everywhere you look there is something different and there is just so much detail. Sadly we didn't get to go in as there weren't tickets available until the evening.

la sagrada familia barcelona

After that, we walked to Park Guell where all of the Gaudi houses are. I think it was 10 euros for entry but it was so worth it, the park was beautiful. There are lots of different ways you can go at the park and I feel like we probably missed some of it but you end up being quite high up after going up the stairs and you can see the whole of Barcelona from the top.

park guell barcelona

We could see the Sagrada Familia which looked so far away then we realised how much walking we'd actually done. I think by the end of day 2 we'd walked 6 and a half miles. Which is nothing compared to day 3 where we walked for 8 and a half.

After all the walking and sightseeing we went back to the hotel for another siesta, these were needed every day because of the amount of walking.

Then, we got ready for dinner and finally ate some Spanish food! We went to a tapas restaurant called Tosca which was round the corner from our hotel and I am telling you, this was one of the best meals of my life.

Joe and I ordered a lot of food, we are foodies and everything on the menu just sounded so nice that we had to try as much as we can.

We had a sharing platter of cheeses, meats and bread as the bulk of the meal. Then we ordered small plates of shell-on prawns, fried baby squid and a tiny plate of sirloin steak. Of course, this was accompanied by a jug (ok 3 jugs) of sangria.

fried baby squid

gambas on las ramblas

charcuterie board

This was my first proper tapas experience if you don't count the 3 for £10 small plates in Wetherspoons. 

Everything was top quality and not too expensive either. It wasn't majorly cheap but it was worth every penny.

Day 3


On the third day, we went to Camp Nou in the morning, the Barcelona football stadium. I know Joe wanted to go so I got us tickets for his birthday and he loved it. I enjoyed it too even though I'm not a massive football fan.

camp nou stadium barcelona

We got the metro there, and once we had spent the morning at Camp Nou, we got the metro back to the top of Las Ramblas, and walked to the bottom.

Las Ramblas is the main tourist street of Barcelona with lots of shops, food and tourist attractions on either side of the street. Just off Las Ramblas, there is a food market called Mercado de la Boqueria. Here, they had fresh ingredients to buy and cook with as well as food that was ready to eat. There were also tapas bars within the market but they were a little more expensive than the ones in less touristy areas.

adult lunchable

Walking down Las Ramblas takes you to the beach which is something we hadn't done yet. We had been to the harbour but not the beach so we went there and had some sangria at a beach bar.

sangria jug

What I love most about Barcelona is that it's a city that has it all. A top-tier city break destination but it also has a beach so you have the best of both.

We went back to the hotel after that to get ready for the evening and we found a random restaurant down a side street not far from Las Ramblas with outdoor dining. Sadly, I can't remember what it's called but it was a lovely place to sit.

All across Barcelona they have al fresco dining and it's not difficult to find a restaurant that is going to have good food and good sangria.

We ended up walking 8 and a half miles on day three! I'd definitely say take some comfy walking shoes when visiting Barcelona. There is so much to see on foot.

Travelling home


Now it's disappointing that I have to write about this because we had the perfect trip apart from the travelling home.

Our flight back to Gatwick was at 10:50am so we got up nice and early to get to the airport for 8:30am so we had time for breakfast, and queues if there were any.

Once we'd gotten past security and passport control, we saw that our flight that was on the board previously, had been removed from the board.

I checked my Vueling app, as that's who we flew with and there was a notification saying "new flight time - 7pm." It was about 10am at this point so we were mortified when we realised we had to wait 9 hours, past passport control by the gates.

That flight was then delayed until 8pm and Joe and I couldn't sit together either because they'd squeezed us onto a flight that was full.

The reason for the delays was that air traffic control staff members were on strike so for this reason, Vueling refused to give us any compensation. I am still in the process of trying to get compensation so if anyone has any experience with this or knows their legal rights when flying, any advice would be great.

The flight over to Barcelona was fine, but if you are planning to fly with Vueling, take into account that there is a chance your flight may be cancelled with little to no warning at the last minute. It is an affordable airline but not necessarily the most reliable.

Overall


Let's end on a positive note. I genuinely think Barcelona is my favourite place I have visited so far. There's genuinely nothing I would fault about it. If you have been considering going then book it!
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GIGGLING SQUID SALISBURY REVIEW

Disclaimer: This was a PR visit but all opinions are my own.

I was recently invited for a meal at The Giggling Squid in Salisbury. This is a firm favourite in my family but this was the first time I'd visited.


Seating area at the giggling squid

Seating area at giggling squid


First of all, I want to start by saying it has been newly decorated in there and the interior looks great. I took my mum along with me and we were lucky enough to sit at the most insta-worthy 'bird cage' table.


The food


Let's get straight into the main part - the food.


Prawn crackers at the giggling squid


At the start of the meal, they brought over some prawn crackers which was great because I was really hungry. Then for starters, I had the duck spring rolls, and mum had the salt and pepper squid. Of course, we tried each other's and both were incredible.


salt and pepper squid

duck spring rolls


For the main course, I had the giant butterfly prawn Pad Thai which was soooo nice. This was my first time trying Thai food and it turns out I am now a huge fan of Pad Thai. Definitely the best noodle dish I've had for sure. Mum had the sea bass on the summer menu which she really enjoyed. I did try it but it had a little too much spice for me (bearing in mind the spiciest thing I can eat is a tikka masala curry).


giant prawn pad thai

seabass giggling squid


We also then had dessert even though we may not have had the room for one. I had the chocolate melt in the middle heart and mum had the caramelised mango cake. Again - both incredible.


chocolate melting heart pudding

caramelised mango cake

Related: Cosmo Bournemouth restaurant review

The cocktails


Our first cocktails were from the summer menu. I had the pink and peachy which I was pleasantly surprised with actually. I thought it was just going to taste like pink gin and lemonade but it was really delicious and had such a lovely flavour. Mum had the midsummer mule which was also lovely. Safe to say they both went down well.


summer menu cocktails giggling squid


For our second cocktails mum had a lychee bellini which she didn't really like too much but she loved my Thai Sabai. Typical. The Thai Sabai was recommended to us by our fantastic waitress as it was her favourite. Apparently, they serve them all over Thailand!


cocktails at the giggling squid


The service


From the moment we arrived at The Giggling Squid we had excellent service. I think we were served by the manager as she didn't have a uniform on like her colleagues. She was really attentive and we could tell they all really cared about what we thought of the experience.


I'd have to give The Giggling Squid in Salisbury a 10/10 overall. There is literally nothing I can fault. The food, drinks, service and decor of the table we sat at were all amazing and I am so happy I have found a new favourite spot in Salisbury.

Related: The ultimate foodie guide to Salisbury

It was also great to try new things as well. You definitely need to try The Giggling Squid in Salisbury if you are local, or one near you!

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COSMO BOURNEMOUTH RESTAURANT REVIEW

Disclaimer: This visit was a PR invite but all opinions are my own.

I was recently invited to Cosmo, an all-you-can-eat buffet with cuisines from around the world, along with my friend Kitty. There are a few Cosmo restaurants across the country but I went to the Bournemouth one which I think is pretty new, another one near me is in Southampton.


Depending on which day you go and what time, the price for the all you can eat experience ranges from £19-£21 which in my opinion, is a pretty good price for what you get. They also add a 3% service charge which again is not bad.


The restaurant


restaurant with pink flower decorations

My first impressions of the restaurant were good as the walkway from the front door to the front desk was stunning with lots of pretty pink flowers. It was also very busy which is a sign of a good restaurant. Although it was busy, the food was plentifully stocked at all times and it was all still hot.


I get a little apprehensive of buffets when thinking about food that has been sitting there but I could tell that their standards were high when it came to looking after the food that was out.


Another thing that I found really cool was they had robots! It was the first time I'd ever seen them in a restaurant before. These robot device things (whatever they are called) took plates away and they can also sing happy birthday. I am not very good at describing it but it was so cool and you should go and see for yourself!


The food


There was such a large range of food from all over the world. We started on the left-hand side with all the Asian dishes, then got to the European dishes. After that, there were burgers, etc and a carvery.


I mainly had Asian and Italian food. In true buffet style - I piled my plate(s) with a random mix of food. My favourite food was probably the Chinese food and the mac and cheese.


buffet food

buffet food


I would say this restaurant is very family-friendly and would be great to go to for kids' celebrations. There is a lot of picky-eater-friendly food, which was good for me too.


For dessert, there was a chocolate fountain, along with many other cakes and an ice cream machine - the chocolate fountain alone is enough to impress me.


chocolate fountain

chocolate dessert

chocolate dessert


I believe the soft drinks like Coke, Fanta, and so on are refillable, but with cocktails and alcoholic drinks, you have to pay per drink.

Related: Best pizza in Salisbury

The service


I couldn't fault the service at all it was brilliant. Even though you are left to your own devices a lot while going up and getting your own food, the staff were still really attentive and asked us how our food was. They were also super speedy at clearing plates away (this is needed when you are going up to get multiple plates).


Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Cosmo in Bournemouth. The restaurant had a really nice interior, good food, fab service, and robots! It was a great experience and I'd definitely recommend going. All you can eat for around £20? Bargain.

Related: Blacklock Covent Garden review

Would you try Cosmo all you can eat buffet?

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BLACKLOCK COVENT GARDEN REVIEW

One of my favourite accounts to follow on Tiktok and Instagram is @foodguidelondon. It's run by a woman and sometimes her daughter and basically, if they have been to a restaurant in London and have enjoyed it, you will want to go!


One of her favourite restaurants in London is Blacklock, so I had to give this a try, especially because I recently went to London on a Monday and they do special deals on a Monday!


Blacklock is a steak restaurant that does sharing steaks so it's great to go with a group or for date night with just the two of you. I think they have a few restaurants across central London, and we went to the Covent Garden branch.


Blacklock covent garden porterhouse steak


On Mondays, their steaks are at butcher's prices so the Porterhouse steak that we had would have been £9 per 100g but we got it for £6 per 100g. Our steak was 700g which for two people is about 12oz each.


The steak


If you are vegan, you should probably stop reading now.


We had the Portherhouse steak which is effectively a T-bone steak with mainly a sirloin cut, with a little bit of fillet down the other side of the bone.


They cut the steak for you which is great and the fat down the side was really easy to see and cut off.


For a starter, we tried the Cull Yaw crumpet, I only had a bit because I have a bit of a weird thing about crumpets, but the meat on it was amazing! It was slow-cooked mutton, I wasn't expecting much but it was really tasty.


Cull yaw crumpet blacklock covent garden


With our steak as the main, we got the chips, the kale and parmesan salad (tried to get some greens on there) and the garlic and marrow rub for the steak, along with the gravy - which by the way, was the best gravy I've ever had.

Related: Flesh and Buns London review

We had the steak cooked rare as I was sharing and didn't mind as much, I would normally have mine cooked medium-rare but I still really enjoyed it - especially with the accompaniments.


I feel like Blacklock is quite an indulgent restaurant and would be perfect for a celebration, especially if you pay full price on any other day that isn't a Monday.


There were 2 of us and we paid around £50 each for a bottle of prosecco to share, a starter to share, the steak, 3 sides between us, and 2 steak sauces. There was also a 12.5% service charge added too so overall, I didn't think this was too bad. And I love getting money off so I'd definitely try to go on a Monday if you can, but it would be worth going any other day too because the food is 10/10!


The service


The service was also as good as the food. Our waitress was lovely and very knowledgeable. She explained the menu to us very well as we hadn't been before and she filled up our glasses of water and prosecco so often that we barely had to touch them ourselves.


I definitely want to go back on a Sunday to try their roast dinners now!

Related: Gordon Ramsay Bottomless Street Pizza review

Will you be adding Blacklock to your list?

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