Joaquim Costa: a trendy street in the lively Raval

Are you familiar with Joaquim Costa street? This street in the upper Raval area is full of trendy shops and bars combined with interesting offers and the essence of Raval. Do you want to learn more?

Joaquim Costa goes from Ronda Sant Antoni to Carme street, very close to the Rambla del Raval. It’s not very wide but it’s almost pedestrian, not many cars drive through it. The street combines trendy shops and interesting places with the typical open until late fruit shops and arabic businesses very present in Raval (bakeries, butchers’…)

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Shops

Starting from Ronda Sant Antoni you can find two interesting shops next to each other: Fusta’m and Fantastik. Fusta’m is a vintage furniture and decor shop that combines vintage items (lamps, tables, chairs…) with vintage inspired furniture designed and built by themselves. They have a workshop so they also take orders, if you want new pieces of furniture with a retro touch, this is your place! Fantastik is a decor shop selling items from all over the world: from figurines to pots, chairs, teapots, mantelpieces, posters… Whether you want to buy something or not the shop is worth a visit, it’s so different and colourful you will probably like it. It’s as if the word kitsch was invented to describe this place. You also have a couple of clothing and accessories shops further down and the hipster Vicenç Moretó Barber Shop in number 51. Another interesting contribution is in number 33, where you’ll find Les topettes, a nice soap shop selling alternative and environmentally friendly soaps, creams, candles and perfumes. The space is really beautiful and all the details have been taken care to give a vintage soul to the shop (the tables and furniture were designed and built by their neighbours in Fusta’m).

Bars

But if there’s something in which Joaquim Costa excels is in the offer of interesting bars. In the corner with Ferlandina street you can travel back in time in Casa Almirall, a modernist bar running since 1860, that still preserves its beautiful interior. Although there are other examples where the old lives with the a modern touch, like the retro Olímpic Bar (number 25), that intentionally keeps a 70’s look (and it’s crowded at night) or the Cafe Beirut (number 37) and its gorgeous statue of a chubby vedette. But if you want to experience the really retro kitsch experience, you should go straight ahead to Bar Piscis (number 41). Other options are the hipster bar-art gallery 33/45 (number 4) with comfy sofas and tables, and Djs at the weekends, Oddland (number 52) to have a cocktail with a relaxed atmosphere or the vintage inspired Betty Ford’s (number 56).

Food

Although there are some, Joaquim Costa is not the street for restaurants. There are only terraces in the
small square that it’s created on the corner with Peu de la Creu street. But there are options for take away food, some of them really worth mentioning. Try delicious empanadillas in Komo en Kasa (number 3), a slice of good pizza at a good price any moment of the day in Pizzeria Peccato di Gola (number 18) (you can also have it inside but the space is really small and simple) or a gourmet hot dog in The Dog is Hot (number 47).