Top Picks: Cool Barcelona

Hidden restaurant with no sign where the diners have to register as new "members" of a secret dinner club on their first visit. The place is outfitted gorgeous wooden tables and fine china. The cooking is executed precisely, and the dishes are innovative and seasonal. The restaurant/supper club is located in an old umbrella factory next … to co-owner and designer Ricardo Feriche's private studio. [link]

Barcelona is known for its all-night parties and clubs, but eventually even these close down, and clubbers head to the after parties. Though such locales change and move frequently, Le Cool recommends the one at Souvenir, just outside of the city. Free shuttle buses run from Poble Espanyol from 6 a.m. until the party ends at 2 p.m. The … mixed crowd runs a little more gay than straight. [link]

Downstairs is a comprehensive deli with all kinds of cured and raw hams, but Le Cool recommends walking past the hanging meat, up the spiral staircase, and into the afternoon restaurant -- a favorite with lunching big shots. The menu is loaded foie gras, expensive cuts of meat, and intricate sauces. They also have one of the longest … Scotch lists in the city. [link]

One of the coolest additions to the once seedy (and still a bit dodgy, if you ask us) Raval neighborhood is Mau Mau. It's a plush members-only lounge, though anyone can "join"; the mock exclusivity just deters the lowest common nightlife denominator. Le Cool recommends Thursday nights, when the DJs are warming up for their big shows … around the corner at Sala Apolo. [link]

For true relaxation and pampering, Le Cool recommends the Hotel Senator Spa. They have baths of snow, pools filled with oranges, and a eucalyptus sauna, along … with seven other special stations. They also offer massages and facial treatments. [link]

A hidden gem of a store, Heritage has some of the best vintage clothing, accessories, tapestries, teacups, and trinkets in Barcelona. It's a favorite among the city's trendy and hip young dames. [link]

The titular five rooms at this B&B are comfortable and luxurious, equipped with satellite TV, environment control, net access, phone, and private bathrooms. Instead of the usual B&B creepiness, this feels like a real hotel, albeit a small, intimate, and welcoming one. [link]

For super-sleek, incredibly classy, and as James Bondian as any bar in Barcelona can get, go to Dry Martini. Think Sinatra, think Jackie Kennedy, Greta Garbo. Sip an upscale drink at the swank bar while chatting with a squeaky-clean-cut bartender dressed in white coat and bow tie. Or have an exquisite dinner at the "secret" restaurant, … Speakeasy. [link]

Like ChikaLicious, Kyotofu, and Room 4 Dessert in New York, Dolso in Barcelona focuses only on desserts. The chefs experiment with all kinds of chemistry, flavors, and new techniques to create some of the most innovative and surprisingly tasty culinary climaxes around. [link]

One of the coolest gay clubs in the city, Dietrich has velvet sofas, sparkling chandeliers, acrobats, tranny strip shows, and all kinds of drinking and dancing. Le Cool says, "If gay Barcelona were New York, Marlene would be its high-heeled, lipsticked Statue of Liberty." [link]

For a quiet repose from the hectic pace of the city, check out the large Gothic library at Pompeu Fabra University. More properly known as the Mar Library, it isn't exactly open to the public, but the security guards never bother anyone who wants to check the place out. [link]

One of the friendliest and cheapest hostels in town, Alberguest is run by Al, a man who carefully chooses all of his guests. Instead of accepting reservations, Al reportedly goes to the train and bus stations to pick out his kind of people and invite them to stay. Last year, he opened a new place called Alternative Creative Youth Home, a … hostel geared toward young, cool, creative types. The place comes equipped with wifi, cinema space, free Spanish audio lessons, and private keys so there's never a lockout. Beds in the dorms start at €20. [link]