The location of this apartment is excellent! Muntanel was a famous architect and this area is a tribute to them. We walked to Las Ramblas, and also to Gaudis buildings on Passeo de gracies. This apartment has been restored to the typical architecture by Barbara's husband and it is simple and elegant. Barbara is so kind and friendly and has excellent communication. We had a problem with the hot water and she came with a plumber immediately to repair it. She also followed up to make sure that everything was settled.
The patio is glorious especially for coffee in the morning, and my friend and I were also able to practice yoga out there. There's construction jack hammering behind the building after 9am from a neighboring building but it never woke us up because you can't hear it from the bedrooms, and we were awake weekdays before that time. There is a fabulous Taiwanese/Chinese restaurant literally next door which I highly recommend - best chicken curry I have ever had. They do offer take away. There is a 24 hour mart with a surprising amount of product options just a few doors down and the cafe Brunch and Cake which is just a few blocks away was spectacular. We kept dreaming of going back there but weren't able to squeeze it in. This apt has a blow dryer, and a washer and Dryer!! There is also an elevator to help transport luggage. The club downstairs (two doors down) was a happening place, so bring ear plugs if you are extra sensitive to noise. It didn't wake us up though. The beds were extremely comfortable and our hostess was so patient when we got stuck for 3 hours at passport control prior to check in (due to the new law just implemented for additional security measures). We were able to find taxis with ease when needed too.
One more neighborhood food recommendation is El Secret de tall, the waiter francisco was superb.