Today's interview… Getting to know Alexandra Ramió
August, 3, 2022. Written by Clara De Nadal Trias
It is said that curiosity is something innate in people, it is a way of acquiring new knowledge to have a fuller and happier life. However, it is not easy to understand what that force or motivation leads us to want to continually explore, to know more about the world and about ourselves.
If I think of curious people, Alexandra Ramió is one of the first people that comes to mind. Besides being curious, she describes herself as an enthusiastic woman, passionate about life, a lover of discovering new places and living gastronomic experiences far from the conventional.
Born and raised in Barcelona, Alexandra is highly sociable, generous, very familiar and a very good friend of her friends, although she knows perfectly well the value of to be alone sometimes. She likes to learn new things every day and thanks to her way of being, she lives constantly sharing, generating new projects, putting people in contact as the best "match maker" you've ever met... And, unwittingly, she is constantly looking for new business opportunities with a social vocation and purpose that contributes to create good for the society.
Professionally, she works related to many different sectors: entrepreneurship, consultancy, cooperative, hospitality, management of shared work spaces… And recently she has joined the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce as Head of HUB where, through Co-works and spaces of encounter and reunion, dynamizes the territorial ecosystem to help through contacts, services and various projects in order to create synergies, access to information and knowledge and to establish connections between them.
Please tell me a confessable secret…
I always find out things that others don’t and without anyone noticing.
Professionally, what do you think is your greatest contribution to a city like Barcelona?
My greatest professional contribution to the city of Barcelona I think it is the revitalization of the ecosystem, the promotion of synergies to help create businesses and to boost the economy and the traction of talent so that they can be successful.
According to your personal experience... What is the best thing about living in Barcelona? And the most curious thing?
For me, the best thing about living in Barcelona is its cosmopolitan air, the art and architecture of the city, the endless gastronomic offer, the proximity of the sea and the mountains at the same time, the constant innovation and the non-stop appearance of disruptive business models. Without a doubt, Barcelona is one of the most open and diverse cities in the world.
And the most curious thing about Barcelona is who you can get to know. For example, my brother married a Japanese woman and my partner is from the Philippines. All this cultural mix nourishes me a lot.
What is your favorite neighborhood in Barcelona?
That’ is an easy question to answer. Gracia, my neighborhood.
What are your 3 favorite restaurants or bars?
Raspall: In this restaurant I feel at home. It is a meeting place and also the last place I went just before the lockdown due to Covid19 pandemic. The interior design is charming. Being located in Plaza Raspall, it mixes with the gypsy community and is a place with a lot of tradition and history. For example, Flamenco musicians as Peret and Pescadilla used to get together here to play. It is also one of those restaurants that meet the three conditions in a restaurant: good, nice and cheap.
Koi-Shunka: for me it is a space of pleasure for those of us who love gastronomy and understand it as a way of life. Its chef, Hideki, manages to transport food to a world of pleasure, surprise and innovation that provides a sense of adventure.
Bar La Plata: a very typical bar whose simplicity of its menu does not detract from the complexity of its gastronomic offer. It is also a place to share and meet new different people from well-known artists and actors and local people of the neighborhood.
If someone who has never been to Barcelona asks you... what can't I miss, do or not visit?
Without a doubt, to get lost in the streets of the Gracia neighborhood, since it is a micro-city within the city with its own town hall, restaurants from all over the world, local and genuine commerce, countless entrepreneurs with enthusiasm in creating their unpretentious projects: baby clothes, oils and salts, local wine cellars always looking for quality and detail. For me, living in Gracia is like living in a town with its squares, streets and no cars to enjoy long walks.
What is your favorite plan in the city?
Vermouth time. I love “going out for a vermouth”, walking from bar to bar and ending up at Bar Leo (located at La Barceloneta neighbourhood) and meeting new people, laughing, singing and talking with Leo (the owner) and enjoying listening to her stories.
If you didn't live in Barcelona... Where would you live?
If I didn't live in Barcelona I would live in Pamplona for its people and because of the family I have there. But the truth is that it lacks the sea, which as a good Barcelonan is essential for me. And also in New York due to its frenetic lifestyle, it has sea, Central Park, all kinds of businesses, creativity... And on top of that, it is a city with a wide gastronomic offer.
If Barcelona was a person... Who would it be?
Well, I think Salvador Dalí because he was creative, gastronomic, adventurous, enigmatic, sociable, connector and artist… Like Barcelona.
Last question... Please mention someone who you think I should do this interview to:
Laia Serrano, the founder of Barcelona Actúa. She has been able to create a social project that not only adds value to the city but also helps marginalized people, elderly people who are alone, workshops for women, a language school... I like a lot what she has created because it is a project that humanizes, and there are even volunteers who collaborate, contribute and receive services at the same time.
More info about plans and people from Barcelona here
Interview written and translated by Clara De Nadal Trias