Looking for Christmas presents? Does the thought of the queues at FNAC and El Corte Ingles make you break into a cold sweat? I love to support local businesses, so here is my list of alternative ideas for finding unique presents that won't break the bank. Many of them are great for foodies too!

BONITO ESTUDIO

This new shop in Gracia is absolutely packed with wonderful items to decorate the home, illustrations, zero waste items, notebooks and journals, hand-made jewelry, plants, bags and backpacks and much more. Everything is carefully curated and run by creatives.

Travessera de Gracia 168 (Gracia).

FUNKY BAKERS DELI

Charming Funky Bakers has a deli absolutely packed with wonderful things for your food-loving friends and loved ones. Here you’ll find things you can’t find anywhere else, the coolest food items and also other great gifts such as books, candles, and more, and lovely Christmas decorations, panettone and more. A dream of a shop.

Carrer de la Diputació 347 (Eixample Dreta).

ANJALINA CHUGANI

Talented chef Anjalina Chugani has wonderful Christmas gifts available:

Anjalina Lifestyle Capsule Collection: a selection of very unique, beautiful pieces, all made in India and chosen with lots of love and care. You can download the catalogue here to see all the pieces, and to order you can send a message to Anjalina on Instagram (@anjalinachugani), or send her a WhatsApp (the number is in the catalogue). It’s a wonderful opportunity to get your hands on something very special.

Rasa - Her latest, beautiful book is the perfect gift! In the book she shares her personal journey, wonderful recipes, and lots and lots of stunning photos not only of the (all vegetarian) dishes but also from her beloved India. You can order the book here, and you can also find it in many bookshops in the city.

Her Soul Spices cook book filled with delicious recipes, different packs with online courses, and much more! Find more info on her webpage here!

BACKSTORY BOOKSHOP

This should be the #1 stop for anyone looking for gifts for a book lover. The shop is so inspiring and it is absolutely impossible to leave without a stack of books in your hand. You’ll get excellent recommendations from the staff. They also have a really good selection for kids and young adults. You can also buy a gift card in the shop or online here.

Carrer Mallorca 330 (Eixample Dreta).

couple_photographer_in_barcelona-1-2%20copy_VSCO.JPG

Photo credit: Maria Yemets.

PHOTOSHOOT WITH MARIA YEMETS

A very special, unique and memorable Christmas gift: a photo shoot with a professional photographer. Maria Yemets offers gift certificates for a 1-hour photoshoot including 70 edited photos in her stunning, signature cinematic style, and 1 short Reels-style video (10-15 seconds). She specialises in family, couple, maternity and wedding photos, creating warm, emotional and natural stories for people who want beautiful, timeless memories. She has several main locations for her shoots: nature spots around Barcelona, the Gothic Quarter, the seaside area of Castelldefels during sunset, Pedralbes, or her signature Secret Location with forest, river, and seaside. The link to the gift certificates is here, and pricing here.

Photo credit: Mellow Sheng.

MELLOW SHENG

A tea ceremony? Chinese calligraphy? Home-made ferments? Mellow Sheng offers all of these and much more, you can check her website here. I did a beautiful tea ceremony with her and loved it so much. She also offers gift cards.

INDOI

A charming shop in Poblenou that sells clothes (designed by the owner), home decor with beautifully sourced items, and creations from local makers. A great place to find something one-of-a-kind.

Carrer de Marià Aguiló, 83 (Poblenou).

Photo credit: Nacho Alegre for Casa Bonay.

TERMAS BONAY

Hotel Casa Bonay has recently introduced its new wellness space, Termas Bonay, a calm outdoor experience inspired by Northern European saunas. Their Termas experience package includes a rejuvenating session, with sauna, hammam, ice bath, and Japanese ofuro, followed by a delicious meal at lovely Bodega Bonay. Gift vouchers are available, making it a lovely gift idea. More info here.

Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 700 (Eixample Dreta).

ESNAF

New lunch and coffee takeaway spot Esnaf in Poblenou has won everyone’s hearts with their beautiful, comforting food. They also have a deli shelf, and they will be doing Christmas hampers you can buy to gift someone who appreciates delicious things to eat and drink. Stay tuned for more info on their socials (IG: @esnaf.barcelona). I’ll be updating here too when I have more info!

Roc Boronat 102 (Poblenou).

MAKRAMA

In the Born you’ll find this lovely shop and studio, where beautiful conscious jewelry is made. They also have workshops where you can learn to make jewelry yourself (and you can give away the workshop as a present, I love this idea!). I discovered this brand when a friend bought me a bracelet, and have since bought several gifts for loved ones from here. You can visit their shop, or buy a gift card online. The minerals they use are fair mined.

Carrer de Grunyí, 6, L2 (Born).

Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.

UNCORQT

Charming wine bar Uncorqt has a bodega with really interesting wines, from both Spain and Catalunya but also from all over the world. It’s a great place to buy some wine for the holidays, or as a gift for a wine lover, and also support a small, local business!

Carrer de la Riera de Sant Miquel, 77 (Gràcia).

BON VENT

Bon Vent is packed with curated interior decoration details, including some vintage finds. A wonderful option for finding unique gifts.

Carrer de l’Argenteria 41 (Born).

Lot Roasters Barcelona — LOT ROASTERS
Chocolate lovers rejoice! This bean-to-bar spot is great for artisan chocolate bars and anything related to cocoa. Make sure to stay for a specialty coffee and a pastry.
*Carrer de Bailèn, 43 (Eixample Dreta).*

CAN ALEMANY

This beautiful old restored farmhouse 50 minutes from Barcelona is the coziest escape you can imagine. Surrounded by forest and olive groves, it’s so calm and peaceful. Each room/apartment has its own personality and charm, and it is that perfect getaway for that friend who you know needs it. Read my review here.

Sta. Margarida de Montbui.

MAS SANT MARC

Another charming getaway in La Cerdanya is Mas Sant Marc: a lovely restored family farmhouse that feels like it’s taken out of a Massimo Dutti ad. All the rooms are different (and super cozy), and there’s even a separate bungalow you can opt for. There are so many things to do nearby, including skiing in winter, and horseback riding.

Camino de Sant Marc a las Pereras s/n, 17520 Puigcerdà, Girona.

Photo credit: Bionicled.

BIONICLED

Bionicled is a small, local business that sells high-quality grow lights for house plants. As a plant lover, this is a dream gift! When you don’t have enough light from your windows or not enough space, you can put your favorite plants literally anywhere in the house, and just add a grow light and your plants will grow like crazy. They are very easy to install, they’re safe (very important since you’ll have them turned on for many hours a day), and very low in electricity consumption. If you have any questions you can just drop them a message (also on Instagram) and they’ll be happy to help. You can order online here. I’ve had mine (three of them) for more than a year, and they are top-notch lights: my plants grow like crazy.

FIEDLER’S APOTHEKE

I adore the concept of these products, where you can make your own blends from intriguing essential oils for perfumes, body lotions, and more. The smells are amazing; if you are a fan of Aesop you will love these products.

I love that all the ingredients are 100% organic. If you have trouble deciding, there are also ready-made blends for you to choose from. Here is a link to the online shop (you get 15% off from your first order).

SENSE

Sense in Gràcia is an entire shop filled with alcohol-free drinks, the first one in Spain. They have very interesting options, ranging from gins, to wines, beers, whiskey, rum, tequila… A perfect place to get holiday drinks, for mocktails and more, and to give away as a present. They also have an online shop!

Plaça del Sol 2 (Gràcia)

MELLOW SHENG

Jenny Mellow Sheng make has been creating the most delicious ferments for years and sharing her tasty creations. She also holds tea ceremonies. On her website you can buy packs of ferments, spicy sauces, and a lot more, check it out here.

RENA ROOTS
Celia runs a social impact skincare startup called Rena Roots together with a UN humanitarian. They create skincare that feeds your skin while helping to fight hunger. They formulate their serums using botanicals sourced from countries affected by war and poverty (such as Afghanistan) to support jobs locally. Their biochemists formulate the botanicals alongside science-backed active ingredients for the best results. The products are vegan and cruelty free. They are still a young brand and deserve all the support they can get! Check out their online shop here.

248 COLMADO

This charming, family-run shop is filled to the brim with beautiful items for the home and things to eat, too. It’s very easy to find something to gift here.

Carrer de Pau Claris, 181, bajo Derecha (Eixample Dreta).

Polvorón__Las_Jellys — *Photo credit: Las Jellys.*

LAS JELLYS COCKTAILS

This local business (that ships all over Spain) makes solid jelly cocktails: elaborate flavors that are both cute to look at and delicious! They have special Christmas flavors: they’re making a box with liquid polvorones (sounds cool!), and other mixed boxes you can choose from. They also have a brick-and-mortar shop you can visit. Now they also have an alcohol-free pack.

C/ de Muntaner 85 (Eixample Esquerra).

THE PRINT ROOM

The Print Room in Barcelona organizes textile print workshops once a month, where you create your own beautiful prints with natural dyes using screen printing techniques. Perfect for a lovely, personal gift idea (they offer gift certificates). Find them on Instagram: @theprintroom.barcelona.

LA CENTRAL DEL RAVAL

In the La Central bookshop there’s a little room dedicated to only cookbooks! There are some very cool ones, and many of them in English. The perfect gift for a food lover, am I right?

Carrer d'Elisabets, 6 (Raval).

BOMBONERÍA PONS

In Sants there is a very special family-owned shop, first opened in 1960. These artisan chocolate and praline makers (bombonería), are one of three left in Spain. They have special Christmas packs with their hand-made chocolates and turrones, and you can also buy them online.

c/ Olzinelles 78 (Sants).

CARA CARA ORANGE

Cara Janelle makes absolutely wonderful ceramics, bought by many famous restaurants around the world. If you want to get your hands on her ceramics, just make an appointment at her studio by dropping her a DM on Instagram. She will also be selling her ceramics at the Holiday Makers Market on Sunday December 15th on Ramón Turró 156-158, from 11h to 17h. And good luck with buying her beautiful pieces for friends and family, you’ll want to keep them all to yourself..!

LIMONADA DE LAVANDA

Limonada de Lavanda is a shop specializing in natural skincare and perfumes, located in Poblenou, but they also have an online shop if you prefer to shop from the comfort of your home.

Marià Aguiló 60 (Poblenou).

**CASA PAMPA**
For a plant lover, Casa Pampa is heaven. In addition to plants they have gorgeous terrariums in different sizes, macrame hangers, beautiful illustrations, jewelry, and of course gift cards.
*C. de Pujades, 140 (Poblenou).*

CAJ CHAI

For your tea-loving friend Caj Chai is a temple. They are experts on teas, and they also sell absolutely stunning ceramic tea accessories. Don't stop by without trying one of their teas!

C/ Salomó Ben Adret 12 (Gótico).

LA CAVA CAKERY

This cute family-run cupcake shop is doing beautiful Christmas gift boxes and cava for the holidays. The cava and cupcake pairing is a wonderful experience: they source their own cava from a winery close to Barcelona. They also have delicious vegan options, and delivery all over Barcelona (including scheduled delivery over Christmas).

Pg. de Sant Joan, 111 (Eixample Dreta).

ORIGO

In addition to the delicious bread and baked goods, Origo also has a shop with ferments, wine, cheeses and more, perfect for making a nice Christmas hamper for someone.

Carrer de Milà i Fontanals, 9 (Gracia) and Ronda de Sant Pau 67 (Sant Antoni).

GREY STREET BARCELONA

What an adorable shop this is, a little corner of heaven! The items on sale are carefully hand-picked to suit the atmosphere of the shop. You'll find beautiful prints, gorgeous kitchenware, organic Australian chocolate, delicate jewelry and fascinating tarot decks. They have moved, below is their new location.

Carrer de Jovellanos 1 (Raval).

A ROMANCE COURT

The most charming bookshop has recently opened in Gràcia, and it’s called A Romance court. Micaela, the owner, has come from an engineer background and changed careers to open this lovely shop where you’ll feel right at home if you like anything from romance to fantasy. Micaela is very helpful and will make sure you’ll find the right gift for your booklover friend.

C/ Monistrol 1 (Gràcia).

ROOFTOP SMOKEHOUSE

They have several different boxes to choose from in their online shop, packed with their delicious smoked goods. Our friends gifted us a box from Rooftop Smokehouse and it was such a lovely surprise. You can also visit them at their beautiful shop, and they will be at the Mercat de Nadal in Fàbrica Lehmann.

Consell de Cent 159, Local B (Eixample Esquerra).

ONIMA PANTRY

You might have seen these wonderful small-batch hot sauces made in Barcelona at different events in the city, and we love their brand! It’s not easy to find good hot sauces in BCN, but they have a great selection, from milder ones to strong sauces, and fermentation kits so that you can make your own. You can order them on their webpage here. They also have gift cards and merch.

FAMILY BEER

Is your partner or friend a fan of craft beers? Then head to the Family Beer shop and buy a home-brewing kit. The package is really cute and the instructions are easy to follow, their web page has even a video in case you get lost. The guys at the shop are very helpful. Oh, and they arrange courses, and offer cheesemaking kits, too!

Carrer de Salinas 10 (Gracia).

SANTO PORCELLO

Lovely Italian gourmet shop Santo Porcello might not be big, but it’s filled to the brim with Italian charcuterie and a lot of tasty Italian products. They now have three locations!

C/ Sepúlveda 151 (Sant Antoni), Plaça d’Artós (Sarrià-Sant Gervasi), Buenos Aires 11 (Eixample Esquerra).

ALTELL 112

The most perfect shop with cool, alternative, and sustainable brands. The service is very friendly, and it’s a perfect opportunity for supporting small shops. They also have an online shop!

C/ Bailén 112 (Eixample Dreta).

CORPEN GIN

This small distillery in Poblenou makes the most amazing (and multiple award-winning!) gins: the beautiful Levant, and now for the holidays they also have a small batch of Christmas gin called Mestral. Order them online here, or buy a gift card on their website!

NANA BANANA

I love this shop for clothes and accessories on C/ Verdi. They always have fun beautiful things to wear, cool backpacks and lovely shoes. They even have a gender neutral clothes collection! Overall Verdi is a great place to shop nowadays, with wonderful small shops with handmade jewellery, clothes shops and more. If you order online they do free delivery, in 24h, which is a great deal.

Verdi 24, (Gracia).

ENTROPIA

A shop full of goodies for those who love wonderful notebooks, washi tapes, papers... It's a place to fall in love with, so cute. You can order online too if that's your thing.

Aribau 127 (Eixample Esquerra).

EAST DROPS

East Drops is a local business making craft cocktails, ready to drink! They make them with the highest quality, locally sourced ingredients, and they are nice to look at, too. The Lavender Daiquiri sounds so dreamy..! They have a nice gift box, where you can choose two bottles from their collection. You can order online here.

Noa Noa Coffee Barcelona — *Noa Noa, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.*

EL NOA NOA

El Noa Noa has expanded into a separate store and a coffee shop! You can buy their famous specialty coffee advent calendar (similar to the one in the photo), or books, art, items for the home, magazines and more, not only in their shop in Gràcia but also in their online shop that is packed with fun goods.

C/ de Torrijos, 22 (Gràcia).

CHANDAL STORE

It doesn’t get much cooler than this. Chandal store is packed with cool objects for adults and kids, and an excellent range of interesting magazines.

Tantarantana 16 (Born).

CAN LUC

A great option for finding presents for a foodie friend. This is mainly a shop for cheeses, but there is plenty of other interesting food-related items. You won’t leave this place empty-handed. Read my post about Can Luc here. Now they have a second shop in Poblenou, AND an online shop!

Carrer de Berga 4 (Gracia) and Maria Aguiló 150 (Poblenou).

MASALA CHY

I absolutely love this chai spice concentrate, made in Barcelona. You can use it not only to make your own masala chai, but also add it to your pancakes, porridge, and much more. You can find their chai blend in many cafes around the city, but you can also order it online! Their shop has not only their chai concentrate, but also ceramics and merch. A perfect winter gift.

BLAU DEL MIRALL

This amazing hairdresser from Sitges that has created its own haircare brand, without any chemicals whatsoever, only plants and essential oils. Their personalized herbal haircare treatments at their salon are AMAZING (a gift card for a treatment is also a great idea). You can buy the Blau del Mirall product range online here.

MANUEL DREESMANN

This atelier for leather goods was first opened in 2021, and all the items sold are made right there in the shop. It is a wonderful option for stunning laptop sleeves, bags of different sizes, and more. They have an online shop here.

Carrer del Rec 20 (Born).

GATUARI

Have a friend or a family member who adores cats? Gatuari is a non-profit organisation and a cat café (where you can adopt a cat!), and they have a shop with plenty of cat-related and sustainable items. And make sure to check out their cool range of books for kids. And an additional bonus: when you buy something here you know the proceeds go to a great cause. Read my post about Gatuari here.

C/ Sant Lluis 14 (Gracia).

COOKONA

This cute cookie shop has an online store, where you can buy cookie boxes in different sizes and have them sent to you, or someone you love. You can personalize the order and add a note.

Carrer del Rosselló, 160 (Eixample Esquerra).

LIBRERIA FREETIME

You probably know by now how much I adore this shop packed with magazines you can’t get anywhere else in the city. I would love to get a set of magazines from this shop from Santa..!

C/ Comte d’Urgell 32 (Sant Antoni).

LIBRERIA ON THE ROAD

A fun, different bookshop, also with plenty of books from Latin America.

Carrer Verdaguer I Callis 14 (La Ribera).

MORYARTY

This poster shop is a gem! They have so many amazing, beautiful, and fascinating posters, and they keep changing their range a lot, so you’ll see new stuff all the time. The prices are great, too. You can also buy online.

C/ Comerç 23 (Born) and C/ Pujades 140 (Poblenou).

BERBENA

If you want to make someone your friend for life (or REALLY feel like they owe you one!) then for goodness sakes, get them a gift voucher from Berbena. This restaurant is EVERYTHING, and whoever is the lucky person receiving this gift will have a meal of a lifetime. Read my review of this heartbreaker of a restaurant here (spoiler alert: it’s one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Barcelona). Their sister restaurant Pompa offers the option of gift vouchers, too, see more info here.

C/ Minerva 6 (Gràcia).

RESTAURANT GIFT CARDS
In lieu of the above it’s worth checking with your favorite restaurant if they offer gift cards. Some have their options available on their website, lovely vegan restaurant Gallo Santo sends you an electronic voucher (call 657 202 288 or email gallosantobarcelona@hotmail.com), for charming Mina you can get yours here, at friendly La Fame Trattoria you can pick up one at the restaurant, Michelin-starred Fishology has different gift pack options here, and some you can simply write on Instagram and ask how it would be best to get a voucher.

LEA JOYAS

Lea Joyas is an absolutely gorgeous jewelry shop in Gracia. Jewelry made in Barcelona is a lovely gift, don’t you think?

Ramon y Cajal 126 (Gracia).

YES FUTURE POSITIVE SUPERMARKET

Giving sustainable gifts for Christmas is the way to go. I love this refillable concept store, that also has cool sustainable things such as organic and plastic free lip balms, reusable coffee cups, tooth brushes, razors, and straws, and so much more.

Carrer Viladomat 66 (Sant Antoni).

HEY STUDIO

This cool design studio has a showroom in Poblenou, filled with colorful items ranging from bags to illustrations to books and much more. It’s open by appointment only.

Carrer de Pallars 141-143, 3B (Poblenou).

ALL YOURS

This shop has three locations in Barcelona, one in Madrid (and an extensive online shop), and focuses fully on natural, vegan, and cruelty-free beauty products. They have a very large collection of all sorts of fun products, and I love browsing their shelves. They also have a big selection of unique perfumes from different brands.

Various locations.

Dual+Cafe+Panettone+Barcelona — *Panettone from Dual Cafe, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.*

PANETTONI PAVOLUCCI

Two lovely Italian twins, Chiara and Francesca make their own panettone with lots of love: they’re both gorgeous and delicious..! They have many tasty flavors to choose from, including white chocolate and peach, three chocolates, and many more. You can order them here!

C. del Comte Borrell, 65 (Sant Antoni).

FESTIVALET

A lovely 2-day market celebrating crafts and independent design. What better place to find unique gifts? The entry fee is 3€ (entry is free for kids under 12). This market has been a yearly event since 2009. It takes place the 13th and 14th of December.