Some awesome things:
-
Go to Kiosko and have a burger. Seriously, they're amazing, I highly recommend the chicken one:
-
Across the street from Kiosko is Negro Carbon. It's run by Argentian friends of ours and is really nice. Good place to go for lunch.
-
Buy a T-10 for the metro, it's the cheapest way to get around. You can use one card and share it with your friends, then replace it when it runs out.
-
If you want to spend some money and have a nice meal go to Morelia or Montiel. They're both a bit pricey, but also both super awesome:
http://www.moreliabcn.com/ http://www.grupmontiel.com/restaurantemontiel.html
-
Of course the touristy stuff is good. My two favourites are La Sagrada Familia and Casa Battlo. If the weather is nice it can be nice to head over to Park Guell for an afternoon picnic.
-
It seems that Spain is full of funiculars (in which you must laugh hysterically the whole time you're riding it). You can take one to get up to the Teleferico (gondola) in Mont Juic. The Teleferico is a bit touristy, but you get a beautiful view of the city and end up at the beach, which is always a good thing:
-
If that seems too far, head over to Parc de la Ciutadella. Lots of locals there and, if nothing else, it's a nice for a little walk:
http://www.aviewoncities.com/barcelona/parcdelaciutadella.htm
-
I know you don't like coffee, but even then... go find a coffee shop with a nice terrace and have a "cortado". It means "cut" in Spanish and is basically 1 part espresso and 1 part milk and is Jenn's and my favourite style of coffee. One nice thing about Spain is that the coffee is excellent pretty much everywhere.
-
Most of the clubs around Placa Real play house music and are kind of shitty. In fact, Placa Real in general is a tourist trap and not so awesome. Good places to go are clubs/bars in the Born and also in Gracia. Much more of a local experience there (even though they are also a bit touristy, especially the Born (which is where we lived)).
-
Go to Boadas and have a cocktail. It's the oldest cocktail bar in town and is super awesome:
-
I guess you know this, but the cheapest way to eat is to have a "menu del dia" in the middle of the day, between about 2pm and 4pm. You can get a decent 3 course meal, often with wine, for 8-12 euros.
-
If you're up for a brunch, go to Milk, it's great:
-
Go to Antic Teatre and have a beer or cocktail. It's super awesome and is where all the cool Spanish kids hangout. We lived a few blocks from there and spent quite a bit of time hanging out with friends:
-
If you're up for a day trip go to Monserrat. It's easy to get to by train and is very beautiful:
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/tour/montserrat-spain.html
Also, be very careful with your purse and cellphone. Don't hang your bag on the back of a chair, wear your purse on the front of your body, leave as many valuables (passport, for example) at your hostel, etc. There are a lot of pickpockets and purse snatchers and they prey on tourists.