Caelum

Caelum's founders were inspired by visits to Spanish monasteries and convents, where they found recipes and techniques for sweets preserved since the Middle Ages, and in 1998 they opened this shop and café in the Gothic Quarter to bring those products to the city. Its suppliers are monasteries and artisan producers who work to traditions at least a century old, and the name, Latin for heaven, hints at the shop's theme.

The ground floor is a shop lined with shelves of biscuits, pastries, sweets and preserves, many of them in simple, traditional packaging that makes good gifts. Browse first, then sit down in the café for a coffee, tea or hot chocolate with something sweet made to a monastery or convent recipe. It is a calm, quiet space, a contrast to the busy shopping streets outside.

Caelum opens every day from 12pm to 8pm, staying open until 8.30pm on Saturdays, so it is better for an afternoon break than for breakfast. Prices are moderate for the quality and for the old town, and many products are small enough to carry home in hand luggage. If you are buying for someone with allergies, ask the staff, as many traditional sweets contain nuts and eggs.

The café suits couples, families and anyone with a sweet tooth or an interest in food traditions. It is also a good place for a rest in the middle of a day exploring the Gothic Quarter, and its range of products from different regions of Spain gives an insight into monastic food culture that is hard to find elsewhere in the city.

Caelum is on Carrer de la Palla, a narrow street running from near the cathedral towards Plaça del Pi, in the heart of the Barri Gòtic. The nearest metro stations are Liceu on line L3 and Jaume I on line L4, each about five minutes' walk. Barcelona Cathedral, the antique shops of Carrer de la Palla and Carrer dels Banys Nous, and the Gothic church of Santa Maria del Pi are all close, and Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, one of the quietest squares in the old town, is a short walk away.