If you've been searching for creative and affordable team building activities to do in Barcelona, you're in the right place. Barcelona is an excellent location for your next team building activity, but with so many options available in this dynamic city it can be easy to blow the budget. We've put together a list of some of our most popular, creative, fun, and wallet-friendly ideas below. Of course, there are plenty more where these came from. Visit our Team Building Activities page for more. Barcelona Photo Treasure Hunt (Exclusive to BarcelonaTours) This is our most popular team building activity and it's suitable for everyone. Armed with clues, a laminated map (sorry, no Google maps allowed!), a vintage Polaroid camera and your sleuthing skills, you'll set off around the city in search of answers. Your main group will be split into teams and armed with a backpack containing all you need. However, you will need to bring your smarts to this team building activity – unless, of course, you want to let the other teams win that is! Winners take home prizes plus you keep your polaroids from the event as a memento of the day. Good for: large or small groups, creative and problem-solving skills, seeing the city, keepsakes. Find out more and reserve the Barcelona Photo Treasure Hunt here. Grafitti Art Collective in Barcelona Unleash your inner Banksy with this creative, fun and memorable team building activity. Barcelona has plenty of hidden corners (or rincones) to discover. And if creating art is more your style, then this is one of the best creative activities to do with colleagues. In the activity, you will be guided by a street artist and given advice on how to approach your blank canvas. Do you want to choose a theme important to
If you’ve been searching for creative and affordable team building activities to do in Barcelona, you’re in the right place.
Barcelona is an excellent location for your next team building activity, but with so many options available in this dynamic city it can be easy to blow the budget.
We’ve put together a list of some of our most popular, creative, fun, and wallet-friendly ideas below. Of course, there are plenty more where these came from. Visit our Team Building Activities page for more.
Barcelona Photo Treasure Hunt (Exclusive to BarcelonaTours)
This is our most popular team building activity and it’s suitable for everyone. Armed with clues, a laminated map (sorry, no Google maps allowed!), a vintage Polaroid camera and your sleuthing skills, you’ll set off around the city in search of answers.
Your main group will be split into teams and armed with a backpack containing all you need. However, you will need to bring your smarts to this team building activity – unless, of course, you want to let the other teams win that is!
Winners take home prizes plus you keep your polaroids from the event as a memento of the day.
Good for:large or small groups, creative and problem-solving skills, seeing the city, keepsakes.
Unleash your inner Banksy with this creative, fun and memorable team building activity.
Barcelona has plenty of hidden corners (or rincones) to discover. And if creating art is more your style, then this is one of the best creative activities to do with colleagues.
In the activity, you will be guided by a street artist and given advice on how to approach your blank canvas. Do you want to choose a theme important to your company or create something stylised which includes your company logo? You are only limited by your imagination!
We make sure you have the right safety and protective gear before you start painting.
Good for:small or medium-sized groups, companies that want to make their mark creatively, fun, creative play!
Team building activities in Barcelona can be whatever you want them to be! So if you’re a fan of food and wine then this is a great option.
Whatever you do, don’t drink cheap supermarket sangria. Instead, learn how to make your own in this enjoyable workshop – then, of course, enjoy the fruits of your effort as well!
The concept of mixing fruit, wine, spirits and soda together sounds pretty simple, right? That’s where you’d be wrong! It’s easier than you think to make a ‘less than optimal’ sangria, but in this class, you’ll learn everything you need to make a classic sangria, a white sangria and finally, a Barcelona favourite – cava sangria.
Your teacher will guide you with the best flavour combinations. A good tip is to use seasonal fruits, but you can also throw in whatever you have to hand: oranges, peaches, red fruits, apples and more. Salud!
Good for:small, medium or larger groups (6-20+), short team building activities, food and wine aficionados.
Sailing the Mediterranean Sea Booking a private yacht charter in Barcelona is one of the best ways to enjoy what Barcelona has to offer. One of the most gorgeous sights when looking over the Mediterranean from the shoreline, are the little white sails routinely dotted all over the horizon. Locals love to sail and make the most of the blue skies and you can too when you visit this amazing city. Who should book a private yacht in Barcelona? Small groups on holiday: celebrating, relaxing and everything in between Private yacht trips in Barcelona are great for any group looking to spend a few hours on the sea. We use only clean, comfortable, spacious yachts and each boat can hold up to 11 people. Boats can be hired for a minimum of two hours and up to a full day (eight hours). This gives you the option to choose between having a quick boat trip as part of a busy schedule or taking a full day to kick back and relax with friends or colleagues. Included in the price is also a welcome drink, which can be cava, beer or a soft drink, and some “pica-pica”, or small snacks, to go with the beverage. Imagine sipping on a cold, refreshing drink as you set sail on your private yacht. Yachts depart from Port Vell, Port Olimpic or the new Port Vela, all easily accessible from different parts of Barcelona. We can also organise a catering service – just ask us for a price when you get in touch. Or see some of the different yacht charter options we offer here. Hiring multiple private yachts in Barcelona We say, the more the merrier! For groups of more than 11 people, you can hire multiple private yachts that will sail side-by-side. This can
Sailing the Mediterranean Sea
Booking a private yacht charter in Barcelona is one of the best ways to enjoy what Barcelona has to offer.
One of the most gorgeous sights when looking over the Mediterranean from the shoreline, are the little white sails routinely dotted all over the horizon. Locals love to sail and make the most of the blue skies and you can too when you visit this amazing city.
Who should book a private yacht in Barcelona?
Small groups on holiday: celebrating, relaxing and everything in between
Private yacht trips in Barcelona are great for any group looking to spend a few hours on the sea. We use only clean, comfortable, spacious yachts and each boat can hold up to 11 people.
Boats can be hired for a minimum of two hours and up to a full day (eight hours). This gives you the option to choose between having a quick boat trip as part of a busy schedule or taking a full day to kick back and relax with friends or colleagues.
Included in the price is also a welcome drink, which can be cava, beer or a soft drink, and some “pica-pica”, or small snacks, to go with the beverage. Imagine sipping on a cold, refreshing drink as you set sail on your private yacht.
Yachts depart from Port Vell, Port Olimpic or the new Port Vela, all easily accessible from different parts of Barcelona.
We say, the more the merrier! For groups of more than 11 people, you can hire multiple private yachts that will sail side-by-side.
This can be a lot of fun! Boats can stop in the same place – and in the summer months everyone can jump in the water and cool off together.
Spreading the group over multiple yachts also gives everyone more space to spread out and make the most of their boat trip in Barcelona. If you’re sitting towards the back, the skipper may even let you try steering the yacht! All sunseekers will want to stretch out at the front and soak up the rays.
Exceptional Skippers
We use only the best skippers to take charge of our boats! They are friendly, welcoming and ready to answer any questions you might have about the yacht itself or Barcelona’s beautiful skyline which you’ll be admiring from some of the best seats available.
All boats that we rent include a skipper, so there’s no sailing experience needed.
Team Building in Barcelona: Sailing Regatta
Sailing Regatta in Barcelona
For large groups that are visiting for a corporate event in Barcelona, be sure to consider our Sailing Regatta as a brilliant way to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea and include some healthy competition to boot.
Your group will be split into teams and each team will board their own boat with their own skipper to teach them all the necessary skills to win the regatta. No previous experience is required, but of course it will be an advantage for your team!
There will be a prepared route of buoys to navigate during the Sailing Regatta in Barcelona and the winning team will be the one that finishes the course the fastest.
Winners get a delicious bottle of cava! Will you sip it demurely or shake it up over the losers like the winner of a Formula 1 race? You decide.
There’s no danger of getting lost at sea as you will have a support motorboat coming along for the ride – the motorboat team are also judge, jury and executioner… well, timekeepers and judges at least! Do your best to impress them.
Private Catamarans
We also have a number of stunning catamarans available. See our Barcelona Boat Trips page for more information.
Looking for team building activities in Barcelona? Here are some things you won’t want to do: sit in a windowless conference room. That overused activity where you fall back and pretend not to catch each other. Cringe-inducing team meditation. An in-office buffet. If you want to avoid all those banal bore fests, Barcelona is a great choice for team building, team building activities and corporate events - and for plenty of reasons. Why Barcelona for Team Building? First, you get all the obvious good stuff! Including city-center beaches, constant sunshine, great weather, tasty food, Spanish smiles, countless restaurants, buzzing bars, excellent architecture, mega-famous sites, and one of the world’s best city breaks. Secondly, and on top of the good stuff, we’ve built an incredible package of Barcelona-based corporate events and team building activities. Some of our most popular take place on the sea, in, on and around Barcelona’s shimmering shorelines. Our most popular team building activities on the sea include: Escape Boat We work with the best Escape Room company in Barcelona to offer you on-boat Escape Room experiences that are fun, unique and genuinely exciting. You get 60 minutes on the deck of a boat to show why you’re not all absolutely useless. And, even if you don’t solve the problems, at least you’ll enjoy sailing along Barcelona’s beautiful coastline. Sailing Regatta For those of you who aren’t well-versed in maritime lingo, a regatta is basically just another way of saying a race. For this sailing regatta experience, you and your team are split into groups and given the help of an experienced captain. All team members are active participants in the race, which is preceded by eating, training and learning about in-race maneuvers. A fast-paced and fun activity, which really gets people working together to win the race!
Looking for team building activities in Barcelona?
Here are some things you won’t want to do: sit in a windowless conference room. That overused activity where you fall back and pretend not to catch each other. Cringe-inducing team meditation. An in-office buffet.
If you want to avoid all those banal bore fests, Barcelona is a great choice for team building, team building activities and corporate events – and for plenty of reasons.
Why Barcelona for Team Building?
First, you get all the obvious good stuff! Including city-center beaches, constant sunshine, great weather, tasty food, Spanish smiles, countless restaurants, buzzing bars, excellent architecture, mega-famous sites, and one of the world’s best city breaks.
Secondly, and on top of the good stuff, we’ve built an incredible package of Barcelona-based corporate events and team building activities. Some of our most popular take place on the sea, in, on and around Barcelona’s shimmering shorelines.
Our most popular team building activities on the sea include:
Escape Boat
We work with the best Escape Room company in Barcelona to offer you on-boat Escape Room experiences that are fun, unique and genuinely exciting. You get 60 minutes on the deck of a boat to show why you’re not all absolutely useless. And, even if you don’t solve the problems, at least you’ll enjoy sailing along Barcelona’s beautiful coastline.
Sailing Regatta
For those of you who aren’t well-versed in maritime lingo, a regatta is basically just another way of saying a race. For this sailing regatta experience, you and your team are split into groups and given the help of an experienced captain. All team members are active participants in the race, which is preceded by eating, training and learning about in-race maneuvers. A fast-paced and fun activity, which really gets people working together to win the race!
On-Catamaran Wine Tasting
For a gentler boat-based experience, we give you a catamaran, a trained sommelier, and a load of wine. You then enjoy it all in a tasty, relaxing, indulgent package of sun, sea, and slurping.
With space for more than 100 people, you get great wine, unbeatable panoramas, and a relaxing jaunt along Barcelona’s incredible coast.
If the sun is shining, which it probably will be, take your swimsuits to make a refreshing swim stop during the trip.
If you don’t want to explore Barcelona by sea, we offer landlubber-friendly team building activities and corporate events too. Our on-land options include tapas cooking, Barcelona Wipeout (our ridiculous version of Total Wipeout), flamenco nights, treasure hunts, salsa classes, graffiti projects, tours of the city and much more.
No matter whether you’d prefer a sea-based experience or an on-land event, we only craft bespoke, flexible experiences specifically tailored to what you and your team actually want to do. Want to make an event shorter? Longer? Gentler? More intense? Want to start at your hotel? Whatever you want from your Barcelona team building experience, that’s what we’ll give you.
A team building event shouldn’t feel like work – it should feel like fun. And with us, it will.
For genuine, authentic, non-forced fun with your team, come and enjoy some team building activities and corporate events in Barcelona. For corporate events and team building activities, Barcelona is one of the best cities on the planet.
This blog was originally posted on February 15th 2019 and was updated for March 2020. Barcelona begins to awaken from its winter slumber in March and spring is tapping at the windows. With temperatures rising, the days growing longer and the streets growing busier, March is a great month to dust off the cobwebs and set out for a holiday in Barcelona. Perfectly nestled between the low and high seasons, March is a window of opportunity to explore Barcelona before the crowds really start to arrive. Read on to discover the weird and wonderful events of Barcelona in March… Sant Medir Festival: Candy Culture When: 3rd March Where: Carrer Gran de Gracia, Gracia neighbourhood Price: Free, although you may wish to purchase a big bag. At first glance, this festival is a little tricky to understand. Well, first glance, second glance, at all glances really, unless you also have a candy and horses festival in your town? We didn’t think so. The Sant Medir Festival is born out of a local story of a farmer called Medir and a passing Bishop who was escaping Roman persecution. The Bishop told Medir that he was willing to die for his faith and told Medir not to lie if the Romans asked if he had seen him. Medir, who had been sowing his crop of beans, swore to tell the truth and, once the Bishop had moved on, his crop of broad beans began to grown rapidly. Unfortunately, when the Romans came and Medir told them he had seen the Bishop pass through, they took Medir, captured the Bishop, and both were executed. There is a sanctuary, the Ermita de Sant Medir, in Sant Cugat. How does this connect to candy and horses? Well, there’s another story too (stay with us): a local
This blog was originally posted on February 15th 2019 and was updated for March 2020.
Barcelona begins to awaken from its winter slumber in March and spring is tapping at the windows. With temperatures rising, the days growing longer and the streets growing busier, March is a great month to dust off the cobwebs and set out for a holiday in Barcelona. Perfectly nestled between the low and high seasons, March is a window of opportunity to explore Barcelona before the crowds really start to arrive.
Read on to discover the weird and wonderful events of Barcelona in March…
Sant Medir Festival: Candy Culture
When: 3rd March
Where: Carrer Gran de Gracia, Gracia neighbourhood
Price: Free, although you may wish to purchase a big bag.
At first glance, this festival is a little tricky to understand. Well, first glance, second glance, at all glances really, unless you also have a candy and horses festival in your town? We didn’t think so.
The Sant Medir Festival is born out of a local story of a farmer called Medir and a passing Bishop who was escaping Roman persecution. The Bishop told Medir that he was willing to die for his faith and told Medir not to lie if the Romans asked if he had seen him. Medir, who had been sowing his crop of beans, swore to tell the truth and, once the Bishop had moved on, his crop of broad beans began to grown rapidly. Unfortunately, when the Romans came and Medir told them he had seen the Bishop pass through, they took Medir, captured the Bishop, and both were executed. There is a sanctuary, the Ermita de Sant Medir, in Sant Cugat.
How does this connect to candy and horses? Well, there’s another story too (stay with us): a local baker was suffering an awful illness and made a promise that if he recovered, he would make a pilgrimage every year to the Ermita de Sant Medir. As the years went on, people joined his pilgrimage and were said to throw broad beans to the crowd that watched. Over time, broad beans were (thankfully) replaced with candy and thus the “Sweetest Festival” was born.
On 3rd March, you can watch the procession which now not only has horses and carts, but trucks and decorated floats. You’ll want to bring a big bag or even an umbrella (turned upside, a local trick!) to catch as much candy as possible. This is a great evening of fun to share, especially if visiting with children, as they can catch candy and then follow the procession to the firework display in the Jardinets de Gracia.
Monumental Club: ¡Ay, qué rico!
When: 14th March
Where: La Plaza Monumental de Barcelona (map link)
Monumental Club is an event worth attending just to see the inside of one of Barcelona’s old bullrings (this activity has been banned in Catalonia since 2012; another bullring located in Plaza Espanya has been converted into a shopping centre). La Monumental still retains all its seating and the Monumental Club event takes place right in the ring in the centre. Walking in and out of the old entrances for the “matadors” and bulls alike is an awesome experience in itself, but throw in some live music, delicious food and beer and you’ve got an all-round winner.
Monumental Club takes place at least once a month in Barcelona, always with different acts and different themes, so don’t worry if you miss this March edition.
Well, the title is pretty self-explanatory here! Take the train from Plaza Catalunya out to L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, which takes around 30 minutes and only costs a few euros, and join thousands of others in sampling the best international beers at this huge three-day festival. Tickets start from just 7,75€, which includes the booking fee, a glass that you use for sampling the beers and that you can keep after the event, a map and booklet to show you where to go and two tokens to help get you started on your tasting adventure.
If you’re new to the world of craft beers, you will find volunteers around the venue that will be more than happy to explain the origins of craft beer and also make suggestions on what to try. This is undoubtedly a must-see (and must-taste!) attraction for beer lovers; there will also be delicious gastronomic offerings to help line your stomach, so what more do you need?
The opening times on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 are from 11.00h to 23.00h – that’s right, a full 12 hours of beer drinking! Make sure you have something to eat at one of the amazing stands. On Sunday 15, it’s from 11.00h to 21.00h, but ten hours is enough for a Sunday!
Barcelona Beer pt. 2: St Patrick’s Day
When: 17th March
Where: All over the city
Price: Varies, but at the minimum, it’s the price of a few beers!
Yes, even in Barcelona, St Patrick’s Day is now widely celebrated. It’s up to you if you want to celebrate it in the city centre with other tourists, in one of the many Irish pubs that can be found around Barcelona, or if you want to celebrate with the locals in a small bar or restaurant, we hope the luck of the Irish will bless you! Be prepared for Guiness, Irish music and even Irish dancing – and plenty of “craic” (which means “fun” in Irish slang).
Barcelona-Sitges Rally
When: 21st, 22nd and 23rd March
Where: starting from Plaza Sant Jaume
Price: Free to watch
Now, we cannot stress enough how important it is not to drink and drive! But if you want to see some incredible cars after visiting the beer festival, then the Barcelona-Sitges Classic Car Rally is here to help.
Held every year since 1959, the rally sees participants race from Barcelona to Sitges, with the exit from Barcelona a highlight. Classic cars, lovingly restored by the participants (who will also dress in period-appropriate clothing), leave from Plaza San Jaume in the centre of Barcelona and travel to Sitges. Don’t worry if you don’t catch the opening ceremony, there are other spots around the city to catch the race – lookout for updates on the official website.
Also, from the 2nd to the 21st March, six classic cars will be on display at L’illa Diagonal Shopping Center, including a 1916 Hispano-Suiza and a 1908 Cadillac Thirty.
Festival in the Gothic Quarter
When: 20th – 24th March
Where: Gothic Quarter
Price: Most festivities are free.
The Festa Major del Pi, also known as the Festa de Sant Josep Oriol, takes place in the Pi area of the Gothic quarter, which consists of the church, Santa Maria del Pi, and the streets that surround it. The major features of the celebrations are the Gegants del Pi, some of the oldest Gegants in the whole of Catalonia (gegants are large paper-and-wood representations of men and women, each neighbourhood has their own). While the gegants will be used in dances and processions, there will also be theatrical demonstrations of local legends, from stories about Sant Josep Oriol to tall tales about thieves and highwaymen.
The popularity of plant-based diets has exploded in recent years. More and more people are reducing their consumption of meat, fish and dairy, and looking to get their nutrients from plants. People have also become more concerned about additives, such as artificial colours, flavours and preservatives in their food. Vegan or plant-based diets may once have seemed restrictive. However, as time has gone on and restaurants have become more creative, the plant-based revolution shows no signs of slowing down. Unique Restaurants: Impress your clients We’re sure your clients are always looking for the new and interesting when it comes to booking group dinners in Barcelona. Host your group dinner somewhere that will get people talking and excited about plant-based food. Enter Roots & Rolls. Opened in November 2018, Roots & Rolls is a delicious, stylish, plant-based restaurant located in the Eixample neighbourbood of Barcelona. Their original and innovative menu will satisfy carnivore, vegetarians, vegans and everyone in between, with the focus being on fresh, healthy, flavoursome food. We are very lucky that their restaurant is located just a short walk from the BarcelonaTours office, so we have been able to sample a great deal of the menu. The Restaurant: Group Dining in Style Roots & Rolls is light and spacious, making it a wonderful place for group dinners and events. Decorated in black and white with wooden floors and tables, this chic venue has private dining spaces, as well space for long tables. The restaurant also has a covered patio at the front, a great spot to share some sushi and a glass of wine with friends. The capacity of the restaurant is 120 people, so there’s plenty of space for everyone! The Menu: Try the sushi The stars of the Roots & Rolls menu are their incredible uramaki sushi
The popularity of plant-based diets has exploded in recent years. More and more people are reducing their consumption of meat, fish and dairy, and looking to get their nutrients from plants. People have also become more concerned about additives, such as artificial colours, flavours and preservatives in their food.
Vegan or plant-based diets may once have seemed restrictive. However, as time has gone on and restaurants have become more creative, the plant-based revolution shows no signs of slowing down.
Unique Restaurants: Impress your clients
We’re sure your clients are always looking for the new and interesting when it comes to booking group dinners in Barcelona. Host your group dinner somewhere that will get people talking and excited about plant-based food.
Enter Roots & Rolls. Opened in November 2018, Roots & Rolls is a delicious, stylish, plant-based restaurant located in the Eixample neighbourbood of Barcelona. Their original and innovative menu will satisfy carnivore, vegetarians, vegans and everyone in between, with the focus being on fresh, healthy, flavoursome food.
We are very lucky that their restaurant is located just a short walk from the BarcelonaTours office, so we have been able to sample a great deal of the menu.
The Restaurant: Group Dining in Style
Roots & Rolls is light and spacious, making it a wonderful place for group dinners and events. Decorated in black and white with wooden floors and tables, this chic venue has private dining spaces, as well space for long tables. The restaurant also has a covered patio at the front, a great spot to share some sushi and a glass of wine with friends.
The capacity of the restaurant is 120 people, so there’s plenty of space for everyone!
The Menu: Try the sushi
The stars of the Roots & Rolls menu are their incredible uramaki sushi rolls, each more creative in its flavours than the last. In their efforts to ensure that their sushi rolls are as jam-packed with flavour as their fish-featuring counterparts, Roots & Rolls went all out.
They have eight sushi rolls to choose from. You’ll be forgiven for not being able to choose which ones to try, so they have helpfully included sushi tasting platters, ranging from 20€ for 20 rolls and two varieties of nigiri, up to 75€ for 46 rolls and three varieties of nigiri.
Our personal favourites are the “Srirango” roll, composed of black rice, mango, avocado, cucumber, roasted red pepper and topped with sriracha veganaise (a sriracha-infused vegan mayonnaise which adds a delightful kick) and “Kimchi-me”, a roll of four grains, kimchi, cucumber, sesame tofu, spring onion, coriander & cashew pesto and gochujang veganaise.
Beyond sushi
The delights don’t stop at the sushi menu. The snacks (“pica pica”), starters and salads are great to share between your group, and then we come to the main dishes.
We love the rich thai red curry with sweet potato, figueres onions, courgette, portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, coconut milk and basmati rice, a dish sure to fill you up and warm you up in the colder months. Ramen lovers will be quick to order the tofu ramen miso, which layers up the flavours of dashi stock with shiro miso, prunes, shiitake, kombu, roasted peppers, caramelised figueres onion, portobello, sweet potato, pickled daikon, sesame, julienne veg and udon noodles.
As for the desserts, plant-based and healthy doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself! Try to the chocolate avocado brownie or the chocolate truffle symphony for a rich, indulgent treat.
Group Dinners: Menus for Groups
Roots & Rolls currently offer two group menus starting from just 25€ per person. The menus offer a great cross section of the delicious food on offer, including an appetiser, a starter, a sushi platter, a main and a dessert – everything you need for a full and happy group.
Hungry to know more? Book your group dinner in Barcelona with BarcelonaTours and choose Roots & Rolls.
The Owners: An Interview with Sandra de Jong
We wanted to know more about the restaurant, the owners, their favourite dishes and their plans for 2020. We put some questions to Sandra de Jong, one of the two owners.
What made you want to open a plant-based restaurant?
It was a combination of many things. We wanted to create a restaurant that could have a positive impact in a stylish and elegant setting. Plant-based food has a much smaller impact on the environment and is better for the planet and, of course, for the animals. We also wanted to ensure the food was healthy, and plant-based food has been proven to be a healthy addition to any diet.
Why did you choose a Japanese-inspired menu?
So many reasons! A personal love of sushi played a big part. I had tried some inventive vegan sushi elsewhere and really loved it. I saw it as an opportunity to get creative as you can put so many complimentary ingredients into one sushi roll and make a real explosion of flavour. A lot of the vegan sushi you find in Barcelona is just cucumber and rice or red pepper and rice, so there was definitely a gap in the market.
Making food that non-vegans would love was also important. The food needed to be exciting and match or exceed the variety offered by non-vegan restaurants, and Japanese food, not just sushi but curry and noodle dishes too, is highly adaptable.
I also wanted it to be something that you wouldn’t make at home. To make just one of our sushi rolls at home would take hours, so coming to visit us and being able to try multiple sushi rolls in a welcoming setting is a much better idea!
Which three-courses would you recommend to someone visiting the restaurant for the first time?
We would suggest four courses! It’s difficult to say if sushi is a starter or a main in our restaurant, but we suggest following the sushi with one of our hot dishes. This way you will experience a little bit of everything we have to offer.
“Pica-pica”/Starter: Kale chips, cauliflower popcorn and the gyozas
Sushi course: a sushi tasting platter
Main: Kari coco (we described this Thai curry in a previous paragraph)
Dessert: Chocolate avocado brownie with ice cream.
If you could pick only one sushi roll from your menu, which would it be?
This is so difficult! Our bestseller is the Jumping Jack which is made of black rice, heüra (a scarily-realistic meat substitute, similar texture to chicken), bbq jackfruit, rocket, caramelised onions, sesame, alioli & homemade hoisin sauce.
What have been some of the highlights for Roots & Rolls in 2019?
There’s been so many. I personally get a real kick out of messing with the “carnivore mindset” when it comes to plant-based food. We have so many clients who come in for their first-ever plant-based meal and they’re always stunned and thrilled with the quality of the flavours, textures and variety that we offer. This makes me really happy.
We feel that we’re still on the “edge” of things in Barcelona and it can be difficult to convince people to have a group dinner in an entirely plant-based restaurant, but thankfully things are changing. Over Christmas, we had several large groups from tech companies with lots of young employees that are more eco-conscious. It’s wonderful to see companies making these choices for their employees, to show them that you can still have a great Christmas event with no meat, fish or animal products involved. These groups were a real highlight.
Of course, we also love when we see repeat customers and we have a really high number of customers that come back again and again. People will come back with different members of their family, with friends, with visitors, it’s wonderful to see that so many people want to shout about our food and share it with others.
And finally, what does 2020 hold for Roots & Rolls?
We have so many fun things lined up. Firstly, we change the menu three times per year to fit with which vegetables are in season. We have also changed our head chef and we can’t wait to see what creativity they will bring to the table.
We will also have lots of exciting events and are collaborating with other vegan and plant-based people and businesses in Barcelona under the umbrella title “Living Plantastic”. There will be a gala event on Saturday 18th January – red carpet, drag queen and DJ included! There will also be smaller group activities, from plant-based cooking workshops to beach trash pickups.
In general, we want to make plant-based, eco-conscious living more appealing and more exciting to the masses. If we work within mainstream channels, engaging with carnivores and herbivores alike, then we will reach more people and maybe convert more people to a eco-friendlier, more plant-based lifestyle.
We will continue to work on these ideas in 2020 and beyond, so watch this space!
Thank you Sandra!
BarcelonaTours.net: The Agency You Need for Event Planning in Barcelona
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This was originally posted on the 22nd December 2018; it was updated 18th December 2019. January in Barcelona is a quieter time, but that doesn’t mean that the festivities stop and the city shuts down for a month. On the contrary, as a Catholic country (officially, although many people in Cataluña are not religious), there are still two more holidays in January to be celebrated before the yuletide season comes to a close. There are also still many amazing activities taking place, and lots of fun things to see, so if you’re trying to combat the January blues with some Mediterranean merriment, let us guide you through the chilly streets and show you some of the great things you can do during January in Barcelona. Don't forget, visiting in low season means that all the major attractions will be less busy. January is a great month to visit Sagrada Familia and Gaudí's other works, as well as to enjoy the emptier streets. We still suggest buying tickets in advance, just in case! If you're visiting for a conference or a team-building, be sure to check out our Team Building Activities and Group Travel Services, and get in touch for help getting tickets to the main attractions for large groups. Important! The average temperature in Barcelona in January is around 13 degrees, so while you might not want to go swimming, won’t need 50 layers and thermal undies to spend some time with us. Speaking of swimming… Go to the beach: Primer bany de l'any 2020 When: 1st January Where: Sant Sebastia beach, just in front of the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta Price: Free or 3€ for access to the showers and a certificate. As with many coastal cities, hot and cold, Barcelona holds an event to celebrate the first swim of
This was originally posted on the 22nd December 2018; it was updated 18th December 2019.
January in Barcelona is a quieter time, but that doesn’t mean that the festivities stop and the city shuts down for a month. On the contrary, as a Catholic country (officially, although many people in Cataluña are not religious), there are still two more holidays in January to be celebrated before the yuletide season comes to a close. There are also still many amazing activities taking place, and lots of fun things to see, so if you’re trying to combat the January blues with some Mediterranean merriment, let us guide you through the chilly streets and show you some of the great things you can do during January in Barcelona.
Don’t forget, visiting in low season means that all the major attractions will be less busy. January is a great month to visit Sagrada Familia and Gaudí’s other works, as well as to enjoy the emptier streets. We still suggest buying tickets in advance, just in case! If you’re visiting for a conference or a team-building, be sure to check out our Team Building Activities and Group Travel Services, and get in touch for help getting tickets to the main attractions for large groups.
Important! The average temperature in Barcelona in January is around 13 degrees, so while you might not want to go swimming, won’t need 50 layers and thermal undies to spend some time with us. Speaking of swimming…
Go to the beach: Primer bany de l’any 2020
When: 1st January
Where: Sant Sebastia beach, just in front of the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta
Price: Free or 3€ for access to the showers and a certificate.
As with many coastal cities, hot and cold, Barcelona holds an event to celebrate the first swim of the year and it’s called “Primer bany de l’any”. This New Year’s Day swim will certainly combat any hangover you may have acquired due to the previous evenings antics, as the Mediterranean Sea can be mighty cold in the winter. If you’re looking for a fun but frosty way to wash away the cobwebs of 2019, or even just the memories of New Year’s Eve 2019, join the hundreds of other locals and visitors as they plunge into the water.
And it’s not just hangovers, the locals will tell you, that a dip in the sea will help. All year round in Barcelona, young and old residents alike will take an invigorating dip in the water, which you will hear promotes good health and a long life. If you think you can handle the New Year’s Day shivers for a year of positive energy then bring your swimsuit along to your winter holiday.
You can either join the swimmers waiting on Sant Sebastia beach for free, or you can register as an “official” swimmer on the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta website and have access to a hot shower and receive a diploma when you exit the water.
Concert Agenda: Concert de Nadal de l’Orfeó Català
When: 3rd January
Where: Plaza del Rei, Gothic Quarter
Price: Free
If you’re a fan of choirs then you won’t want to miss this moving performance that takes place in the iconic Plaza del Rei. This is the square where Christopher Columbus is said to have presented the treasures he found in America to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. The Orfeón Catalán, a foundation that supports choirs in Catalonia, presents this concert, with acapella performances from the Men’s Choir and the Young Choir of the Orfeón Catalan. The music echoing off the medieval walls will fill you with festive cheer.
Plaza del Rei provides the perfect setting for these beautiful recitals. While the songs will be performed in Catalan, you don’t need to understand the words to appreciate the quality of the performances and the stunning setting. Also, you may recognise the melodies of classic Christmas carols like “Silent Night” (Santa Nit), “The First Noël” (On Aneu Pastorets) and “Oh Christmas Tree” (Oh Arbre Sant). Stay for one song or the whole evening, the enchanting voices of the choirs will help it feel like Christmas isn’t over yet.
Celebration: Día de los Reyes
When: 6th January
Where: Beginning at Port Vell, then spreading across the city
Price: Depends what you do! But the parade is free.
Speaking of Christmas not being over yet, the Día de los Reyes, or the Day of the Kings, is the highlight of the festive period for many children. On the 6th January, Catalan children will once again head to the Christmas tree to see what the three kings have brought them in the night. However, Barcelona’s way of celebrating this day is truly a sight to see – or should I say a sight to Sea?
On the evening of the 5th January, head to the Port Vell in Barcelona between 4 and 4.30pm and you will see hordes of families looking out to see, waiting for something. And what are they waiting for, you ask? Why, the Three Kings of course! That’s right, a highly decorated boat carrying the Three Kings will dock in Barcelona and so begins the celebration of King’s Day. From here begins the three hour parade through the city. It is, of course, amazing and exciting for children, adults will enjoy the experience as well; it’s a great way to combine a day out with a truly local experience. Be sure to try the traditional cake too, decorated with neon coloured fruits to represent a crown.
Celebration: Las Festas de Sant Antoni
When: 17th – 26th January
Where: Gracia
Price: Depends how much you eat and drink!
If you’re looking for something a little less Christmassy but still ready to celebrate, look no further than the street parties in the neighbourhood of Sant Antoni. These fiestas are the honour the neighbourhood’s namesake, Saint Anthony, whose Saint’s day in the Catholic calendar is the 17th January. Of course, in true Barcelona style, only one day of parties is never enough and this week-long event is sure to combat any January blues that may have settled.
Originally a celebration on the island of Mallorca, the festivities have travelled across the sea and landed in Barcelona, when Mallorcan and Catalan traditions collide: this means plenty of Human Towers, plenty of parades featuring the statues of giants (in Catalan they are called gegants – have a look on Google or show up on the day for a surprise!) and, most excitingly, a correfoc. This word translates to “fire run” and is a pyromaniacs dream! Fireworks, fire crackers and bonfires will form a part of these amazing celebrations, with people dressed as demons roaming the streets with pitchforks covered in fireworks – not for the faint-hearted!
If you’re not here in January, fear not, correfocs are part of many other celebrations during the year.
Company name: Onna Event date: 19 - 20th September 2019 Number of people: 60 Company details: A tech company that has employees in Barcelona, New York, North Carolina and Toulouse. Activities provided: Photo Treasure Hunt, Basics of Mosaics, Graffiti Collective, Sangria Class, Desk Yoga class, Cava tasting, plus transport. Event brief Onna contacted BarcelonaTours in August to help organise some amazing team building activities for their company. The event was called “Onna Camp”. The company wanted Onna Camp to bring people together from their different offices. This was their first global reunion, so Onna wanted to make this super fun, interactive, and inclusive. While they specifically requested to try our Graffiti Art Collective activity, they were also open to other ideas for Onna Camp. They also informed us they had rented a villa in the city to host the event activities. wanted the activities to run concurrently, with each team member able to choose what to participate in. What we did We started out by providing a proposal with lots of fun and interesting ideas for the client to choose from. Onna then came back to us with a list of activities they were interested in: treasure hunt, graffiti, mosaic making, yoga, cocktail classes and our transport services too. As Onna had already rented a space for their event, we set about organising how we could do each of their selected activities in the villa and the best rooms/areas to use for each activity. This was done through a site visit a couple of weeks before the scheduled event date. The rest of the organising was done through conference calls and emails between Onna and BarcelonaTours. The venue chosen by Onna was called Los Tilos. This venue is available for hire for private events and has ample space
Company name: Onna
Event date: 19 – 20th September 2019
Number of people: 60
Company details: A tech company that has employees in Barcelona, New York, North Carolina and Toulouse.
Onna contacted BarcelonaTours in August to help organise some amazing team building activities for their company. The event was called “Onna Camp”. The company wanted Onna Camp to bring people together from their different offices.
This was their first global reunion, so Onna wanted to make this super fun, interactive, and inclusive. While they specifically requested to try our Graffiti Art Collective activity, they were also open to other ideas for Onna Camp.
They also informed us they had rented a villa in the city to host the event activities. wanted the activities to run concurrently, with each team member able to choose what to participate in.
What we did
We started out by providing a proposal with lots of fun and interesting ideas for the client to choose from. Onna then came back to us with a list of activities they were interested in: treasure hunt, graffiti, mosaic making, yoga, cocktail classes and our transport services too.
As Onna had already rented a space for their event, we set about organising how we could do each of their selected activities in the villa and the best rooms/areas to use for each activity. This was done through a site visit a couple of weeks before the scheduled event date. The rest of the organising was done through conference calls and emails between Onna and BarcelonaTours.
The venue chosen by Onna was called Los Tilos. This venue is available for hire for private events and has ample space for large groups.
The event
On Thursday 19th September, guests who had chosen to do so took part in the Photo Treasure Hunt. On Friday 20th September, guests could choose which activities to take part in at the event venue. A member of the BarcelonaTours team was on site for the full day to help with logistics and managing the day’s activities.
All the activities (apart from the Treasure Hunt) were held in Los Tilos and the space was a gorgeous spot for Onna Camp.
Each activity had skilled and professional instructors that brought along the materials for the activities where needed. The Sangria Class, Mosaic class and Graffiti Collective activity were done outside as the weather was great, while the other activities took place inside. You can see photos of the event below.
The activities, as well as being fun, were a mixture of educational, practical and relaxing. Desk yoga was included to teach people how to incorporate stretches and gentle movement into working day, something that is very much needed as many people spend most of the day seated at a desk; the mosaic and graffiti activities brought people together through artistic expression and creation, while giving guests the opportunity to take part in something they might never have tried and might never do again; finally, the sangria class and cava tastings were an educational look at Spanish wine and cocktails, and a delicious way to experience these drinks.
The results
Onners were very happy with the event. The Google review read: “We hired Barcelona Tours for our offsite retreat in Barcelona. They were AMAZING! We organized a scavenger hunt, sangria making class, cava tasting, graffiti workshop, mosaic building, as well as transportation throughout the city. Every activity was flawless and perfectly executed. We were super pleased with their service and will definitely work with them again.”
Activities breakdown
Photo Treasure Hunt: 30 guests took part in this activity, 3 hours in duration. We also organised transfers from the company’s office in Barcelona for this. The Treasure Hunt involves exploring the Gothic quarter and taking pictures with Polaroid cameras, which Onna then could keep as a memento of the day.
Graffiti Art Collective: organised for up to 60 guests, up to 3 hours in duration. Onna stated they wanted the theme of their art pieces to be “Barcelona” and “New York”.
Mosaics Design: organised for up to 60 guests, up to 3 hours in duration. Onna means “waves” in Catalan, so the company created a design using the colour blue and the design was then to be hung in their office after the event.
Sangria making class: organised for up to 20 guests, 1 hour of instruction. They learned how to make 3 different types of Sangria (1 traditional, 1 with cava and raspberries and 1 with white wine, green tea, mint and jasmin).
Cava tasting: organised for up to 20 guests, 1 hour of instruction with professional sommelier and a tasting of 4 different cavas.
Desk yoga: organised for up to 20 guests, 1 hour of instruction.
All the activities are adaptable to larger groups.
Would you like to book an event with BarcelonaTours.net?
Please get in touch if you would like to organise an event in Barcelona: email info@barcelonatours.net or call +34 935 00 82 26.
Unleash your inner Banksy with this creative, fun and memorable team building activity.
Team building activities in Barcelona can be whatever you want them to be! So if you’re a fan of food and wine then this is a great option.
The Owners: An Interview with Sandra de Jong
