Barcelona · Poble Sec

Xemei

Venetian-inspired restaurant serving cicchetti and Italian small plates with a Catalan twist.

About Xemei

Venetian-inspired restaurant serving cicchetti and Italian small plates with a Catalan twist. The Italian owners import ingredients directly from Venice, and the wine list focuses on Italian natural wines. The tiramisu is worth saving room for.

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The place

Getting there

Address

Pg. de l'Exposició, 85, Sants-Montjuïc, 08004 Barcelona, Spain

Neighborhood

Poble Sec →

Nearest Metro

Poble Sec (L3)Paral-lel (L2/L3)

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Good to know

Tips, answered

Book the small terrace tables in warm weather—they're quieter and more intimate than the indoor dining room.

Plan for about 2 hours.

Xemei is in the Poble Sec neighborhood of Barcelona. The address is Pg. de l'Exposició, 85, Sants-Montjuïc, 08004 Barcelona, Spain. The area is well-served by metro.

This works well at any time of day, though mornings tend to be quieter. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.

Around the corner

Nearby in Poble Sec

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Park & Garden

Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies

This terraced park transforms the site of Barcelona's old thermal power plant into a surprisingly peaceful green space where three massive brick chimneys rise like industrial sculptures. You'll climb winding paths through drought-resistant Mediterranean gardens - lavender, rosemary, and olive trees - with the smokestacks creating dramatic focal points throughout your walk. The upper terraces offer unexpected angles of Montjuïc and glimpses toward the port, making it feel like you've discovered Barcelona's secret rooftop garden. The park unfolds in levels, each terrace revealing different perspectives of the towering chimneys that somehow manage to look both imposing and elegant. Locals treat this as their neighborhood backyard - you'll see people reading on benches, kids running between the aromatic plants, and couples sharing evening picnics on the grass areas. The industrial heritage creates an unexpectedly photogenic backdrop, especially when late afternoon light hits the red brick towers. Most guides oversell this as a major attraction when it's really a pleasant neighborhood park that works best as a pit stop or picnic spot. The views are nice but not spectacular, and you'll cover the entire space in 30 minutes unless you're lingering with food or a book. Skip it if you're pressed for time - Parc de la Ciutadella or Park Güell offer more bang for your sightseeing buck.

30-45 minutesExplore

Park & Garden

Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera

This botanical garden houses over 800 species of cacti and succulents on Montjuïc's sun-baked slopes, creating one of Europe's most impressive desert plant collections. You'll find massive barrel cacti from Mexico, towering euphorbias from Africa, and rare Australian desert roses arranged across terraced hillsides. The Mediterranean climate lets these plants grow to extraordinary sizes - some specimens are over a century old and tower above head height. Walking the winding paths feels like exploring different desert landscapes without leaving Barcelona. The garden's terraced design means you're constantly discovering new sections, from dense clusters of prickly pears to sculptural agave gardens that look almost alien. The western-facing slope catches afternoon light beautifully, and the elevated position gives you sweeping views over Barcelona's port and the Mediterranean beyond. Most visitors rush through in 20 minutes, but you'll want the full hour to properly appreciate the diversity. The garden is completely free, which makes it one of Barcelona's best value attractions. Skip it if you're pressed for time - while beautiful, it's fairly niche unless you're genuinely interested in desert plants. The paths can be steep and there's minimal shade, so avoid midday visits in summer.

1 hourExplore

Park & Garden

Parc de Joan Miró

A modern urban park built on the site of a former slaughterhouse, dominated by Miró's 22-meter tall sculpture 'Dona i Ocell' (Woman and Bird). The park features palm-lined promenades, a shallow pool, and abstract landscaping. It's a popular spot for locals to exercise and walk dogs.

30 minutes - 1 hourExplore

Landmark

Carrer de Blai

This narrow pedestrian street in Poble Sec has become Barcelona's unofficial pintxos alley, with nearly every doorway leading to a tapas bar displaying creative small bites on toothpicks. The street comes alive in the evenings when locals bar-hop, paying only for the toothpicks accumulated at each stop. It's a budget-friendly way to sample diverse flavors in a festive atmosphere.

1-2 hoursExplore

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