On our Sants food tour, we will visit many of these area institutions, both old and new, getting a taste of what life in Barcelona was like before the city became the global hotspot that it is today. We will start with a hearty breakfast in the newly restored Mercat de Sants – in business since 1913 – and sample what’s on offer from the vendors inside. As we continue through the area, we’ll drop by some of its numerous food shops and restaurants, both old and new, tasting well-loved dishes from menus that change according to the season. Along the way we’ll stop at old school bodegas and bars to enjoy some vermut with tapas among the wine casks and at small bakeries and chocolate shops for handmade sweets.

We won’t leave Sants, though, without a visit to one of the neighborhood’s most unique social and cultural projects, a massive 19th century textile factory that after decades of disuse has been transformed by locals into a bustling cultural centre – one that even has its own bar and microbrewery. Over a drink and more bites of Sants food, we’ll learn about the history of community organising in Sants and what makes this area so special. After all, it’s not every day that you get a chance to go off the grid while still being in the heart of the city.