Palau de Mar

Looming over the waterfront, this huge brick edifice was built in the 1880s as a storage depot for goods arriving from the port. Revitalised in the city's pre-Olympic makeover, the palau today houses an excellent history museum, the Museu d’Història de Catalunya (with a rooftop restaurant, 1881, opening to a panoramic terrace), plus street-level eateries and bars, including innovative microbrewery BlackLab.