Ljs: An alternative guide to Barcelona

We've taken a peek inside the latest offering from one of Europe's most offbeat travel guides, following insider tips from breakfasts at La Boqueria market to late-night lock-ins

In a world of hand-held digital information, where utility is everything and art is an afterthought, the humble, papery travel guide is oft predicted an imminent, sticky end. Admirably, Le Cool seems not to care. Its beautifully produced city books are rarely handy. Neither do they sub-divide into useful district-by-district sections. There are a couple of maps in its new Barcelona guide, but they are all hand-drawn and relegated to the index. In fact, it could all be a little bit annoying, in kind of hipstery devil-may-care way, if the content wasn't so consistently good.

Good luck to them. We've rifled through the latest guide for some of Barcelona's best bits. And because we're not as cool as Le Cool, we've put a map at the bottom. Sorry.

Hangover cure ? El Quim & Pinotxo, La Boqueria market

The typical Spanish breakfast consists of a cigarette and a shot of hot coffee ? not necessarily the right treatment for a bruised stomach. For food to soak up last night's leftovers, pay a visit to the Boqueria medicine men. The scrambled eggs at El Quim (stall 606) come with white sausage, foie gras, baby squid or pretty much any other animal-based ingredient you fancy. If you're in a really bad state, order the tripe. Alternatively, have Joan at Pinotxo (stall 66) serve you a stew of chickpeas and black pudding, accompanied by a glass of cava. That'll put you back on your feet in no time.

? Mercat de la Boqueria, La Rambla

Bargain hunting ? Els Encants

Els Encants is the bastard love child of an antiques shop in London and a car boot sale in Kabul. There has been talk about its relocation for years, but so far the crazy jumble of broken TV sets, dirty silverware, battered books and wooden picture frames remains in the anonymous no man's land next to the Pla�a de les Gl�ries. As at any flea market, you'll have to dig your way through piles of junk in order to find the collectors' items ? and once you find your prize, be prepared to bargain hard with the old man on the other side of the blanket. Arrive early to grab the better items.

? Dos de Maig, 177-187, Eixample. Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9am-6pm

Lunch ? diners in Born

Don't let the ramshackle interior at Casa Mari y Rufo (Freixures 11) distract you from the tastiness of the sirloin steak with foie gras, flamb�d by Mari, Rufo, or their son, with an industrial blowtorch in the middle of a dining room packed with suited businessmen and construction workers. Nearby, the typical diner at Salvador (Agullers 18) is 50, male, and works at the trade union headquarters on Via Laietana. The typical waiter drinks beer for breakfast and shouts to be heard over the general racket. And the typical meal consists of chickpea stew followed by pig's feet or veal chops. Because real men need real food.

Day trip ? Cap de Creus

One of the best trips outside the city is to take a car and drive all the way up to the very edge of Spain, the Cap de Creus nature reserve. First, visit Cadaqu�s, a remote fishing village of whitewashed houses that acquired fame in the 1970s as the centre of two artistic movements, one centred around Salvador Dal� and the other around Galeria Cadaqu�s, which attracted people such as Man Ray, Joseph Beuys and David Hockney. Stroll along the promenade and have an aperitif at one of the beach bars, then drive to neighbouring Port Lligat to visit Dal�'s former house. From there, follow the signs towards the easternmost and highest point of the cape, and lunch with breathtaking views at Restaurant Cap de Creus (+34 972 199 005 ? call to reserve and request a table on the terrace by the window).

Top tapas ? La Plata & Lolita

La Plata (Merc� 28, Barri G�tic) is a tiny corner bar that serves only three dishes: deep-fried anchovies; a salad of tomatoes, onions and olives; and Catalan sausage on bread. All have been honed to perfection and should be accompanied by beer or wine in a "porr�n". You'll figure out how to drink it. Lolita (Tamarit 104, Eixample Esquerra) is a down-to-earth tapas bar run by a member of the Adri� family. It has naturally attracted a lot of attention ? which means that you either get here before 8pm, or queue. Order the anchovy fillets and croquettes.

Peaceful retreat ? Montju�c Cemetery

Crawling up the sea-facing side of Montju�c is a city of the dead - a collection of high-rise graves that forms the Montju�c cemetery. Wedged in between are innumerable works of art, from perfectly sculpted angels of death to gypsy-kitsch celebrations of love, virtue and virility. Off the southern edge of the cemetery you'll find a little-known monument built on the site of a mass grave, where 4,000 victims of the Franco regime were buried during the Spanish civil war. The grave, El Fossar de la Pedrera, designed by architect Beth Gal�, is one of the most peaceful ? if not melancholic ? places in town.

? Mare de Deu del Port 56

Best Vermouth ? La Cova Fumada

It's the hair of the dog or the beginning of a very long lunch. It comes with a plate of olives or an array of tapas. The company may be old friends or new acquaintances, but the vermouth will invariably be dark and sweet. At La Cova Fumada, the old lady in the open kitchen shouts at her son behind the bar. The son shouts back. A diner drops his full glass into the washbasin. People push into crammed space. Squid, artichokes and black pudding sizzle. The toothless great-grandmother sits in her chair at the entry to the kitchen and smiles happily at the mayhem.

? Baluard 56, Barceloneta

Tortilla ? Flash Flash

In the 1970s, Flash Flash was the meeting point of the bourgeois part of the Gauche Divine art movement. Those same people come today, only now they bring their grandchildren to this legendary establishment, which looks like the offspring of the Korova Milk Bar and an American diner. Serviced by cheeky old Catalans in crisp white suits brandishing epic menus and razor-sharp comebacks, this is retro dining Spanish-style: the self-proclaimed "tortilleria" offers a crash course in more than 60 varieties of a national treasure, the Spanish omelette.

? Granada del Pened�s 25, Zona Alta

Dinner ? Xemei

It may look like a bundle of contradictions, but Xemei's Venetian owners, Stefano and Max, are damn sure of what they're selling. The chipped walls are tagged with black marker pen and menus are scribbled daily on to dog-eared, coffee-stained paper. But the platters of langoustines are as fresh as they come, the mozzarella is from their mate's farm in northern Italy and the tiramisu sings with expensive booze. Just make sure you're on time ? Woody Allen's reservation was swiftly cancelled for tardiness.

? Paseig de l'Exposicio 85, Poble Sec

Last drink ? El Rinc�n del Artista

Knock on the shutters, but not too hard. As a surly waiter peeks out, tell him that you work at a nearby club or bar ("trabajo en el Apolo", for example). Stay calm as he suspiciously eyes you up and down. After a moment of doubt, he'll open the door to a bustle of policemen, ambulance drivers, and strippers from the Bagdad club next door mingling over chicken sandwiches.

? Nou de la Rambla 105, Raval

? Le Cool Barcelona, ?24.99, is available now.