Unbelievably, it seems that my time in Barcelona is drawing to a close. I celebrated my graduation from ESADE last Friday, had a tremendous time with my parents, Mary and Doug, and now need to spend the next week packing up my life and moving on to the next, Cape Tonian chapter. Whew!
BUT: before I left, I thought I’d leave you all with the legacy of information I’ve been gathering for the last 18 months about where to eat and drink in the city (having made myself a sort of unofficial expert, it’s the least I could do!). I’ll be doing this in two installments — where to eat and where to drink — since I have so damn much to say on both fronts!
Tapas, a few views:
For yummy, inexpensive, typical tapas: El Tropezon, Regomir 26, in the heart of the Barrio Gotico. This is a nondescript little joint where you write down your order on a slip of paper, hand it to the waiter, and wait for huge, oily, delicious plates of tapas to appear. My favorites at El Tropezon: pescaditos fritos (literally, “little fishes,” lightly breaded and fried, you eat the whole thing, and they’re fabulous — like fishy popcorn, as my mom would say), patatas bravas (the most garlicky aioli in town!), pimientos al padron (oily, salty, flavorful, delicious), champinones (in a white wine sauce with olive oil and salt, you’ve never had such yummy mushrooms!), pan con tomate (typical toasted bread with tomato and olive oil, and a must-have at any Catalan tapas joint), queso manchego (typical Spanish sheeps-milk cheese — dry, salty, potent, pairs perfectly with your pan tomate!). To be fair, though, you can’t really go wrong with anything there — it’s all delicious!
Another view on tapas: Calle Merce in the Barrio Gotico, in general, offers a slew of divey Spanish bars offering chorizo al diablo (Spanish sausage that comes to you in a little ramekin, covered in aguardiente — they light it on fire when they bring it to the table, and you cook it yourself!), chorizo a la sidra (chorizo cooked in Basque cider — the flavors complement perfectly!), and, unforgettably, leche de pantera (“panther’s milk” — an opaque white beverage that you buy by the bottle for about 9EUR, seems sweet and innocent enough but seriously packs a punch!). Calle Merce is a great place to bar hop and try a variety of inexpensive tapas, Basque Cider and leche de pantera without breaking the bank. If you like a good dive bar, these are awesome places to go!
Speaking of inexpensive tapas, I would be remiss in not mentioning La Champagneria, Carrer de la Reina Cristina 7 — in no way a secret to Barcelona natives OR tourists, as you’ll see by the mosh-pit dense crowds that always populate the locale. However, it’s absolutely worth getting a little pushed around (or, let’s be honest, felt up), to get your hands on a 2EUR chorizo sandwich to go with your 2EUR bottle of cava. A word to the health-code wary: don’t freak out. It may be dirty, it may be crowded, but fear not! I’ve never known anyone to get sick from eating there — and we’ve eaten there a LOT. I’d recommend starting an evening out there — try to get there before 5, particularly on a weekday, if you want to avoid the insanity. Also, be advised that they close early — 10pm, I think.
For the freshest tapas around, El Quim in La Boqueria never fails to deliver. It’s definitely on the expensive side, but you’ll be so happy with your jamon iberico, asparragos a la plancha, chipirones, pimientos al padron, gambas al ajillo, patatas bravas and obligatory cup of cava, you won’t care at all. Plus, it’s completely entertaining to watch the men prepare the food right in front of you, and infinitely satisfying to know it probably came from the stall right behind you. Tip: try to get there before 2pm, which is lunchtime in Spain, since there are only about a dozen seats around this tiny bar, and they fill up quickly. Also, they close at 4, so you’ll have to plan on going there for lunch.
For fancy, up-scale tapas, Carles Abellan, a disciple of El Bulli’s Ferran Adria, has provided two different perspectives on what tapas can be. His tapas bar, Tapas 24, is a bustling, hip little spot on the corner of Diputacion and Passeig de Gracia. He offers typical tapas done with style and flair. It’s reasonably priced, and well worth the hour you’ll probably wait to get in, as they don’t take reservations. (I recommend nosing up to the bar for a glass of cava or several while you wait — the hour will fly!) Be sure to order the bikini (a toasted sandwich with mozzarella, jamon serrano and truffle paste — heaven!) and the chocolate dessert (little balls of chocolate ganache covered in olive oil and chunks of rock salt — it’s decadent, interesting, and utterly delicious). Going further up the pricing scale, I must mention Comercio 24, a much more avant garde take on tapas. I recommend really going for it and ordering the Grand Festival: 12 courses of tapas, each one flavorful, decadent, innovative and rich. I ate there on Saturday with my folks and Mary and Doug, and there was precious little conversation in our 4-hour meal that didn’t sound something like “oh my GOD, did you try THAT one yet??” We ate things like sea urchin soup, duck risotto with foie mousse, oysters on the half shell, entrecot with cauliflower foam, and tuna tartar with egg yolk vinagrette (to name just a few). However, be warned: you may spend a month of rent on one meal — but it’ll be worth it!
Moving away from Spanish cuisine, I’ll mention a few non-Spanish favorites:
For delicious, home-made Italian cuisine, Made In Italy, Calle Ample 50. This has been my stand-by favorite restaurant in Barcelona — it’s close to my house, affordable, and always delivers a meal that is as delicious as it is filling. I recommend the Insalate Tricolore, Rollitos de Salmon or Queso al Forno to start. For main courses, you pretty much can’t go wrong with the pastas, but the lasagne tends to be a hit, as does the pear and goat cheese filled pasta with gorgonzola cream sauce. Also, I’m a big fan of the pumpkin risotto that actually comes to the table in a hollowed-out pumpkin. For dessert, the home-made tiramisu is excellent, or the irish coffee — made with mascarpone! — can help to pick you up for a long night out.
Other honorable mentions that I love:
Arc Cafe, Calle d’en Carrabassa 19 — super affordable, eclectic menu, free wifi!
Abissinia, Torrent de les Flors 56 (in Gracia, metro L4 Joanic) — home-made Ethiopian food. Order the Plato Combinado, go with your friends, and prepare to be delighted by the friendly service and rich, interesting food!
Bollywood, Avenida Drassanes 27-29 — authentic Indian cuisine (the mango lassi is excellent!) and Bollywood films on screens around the restaurant. A great place to go with a large group, and a totally awesome vegetarian choice as well!
La Coronela, Calle Consulat de Mar 23 (in Born) — the only place, in my opinion, to eat Mexican food in Barcelona. A bit on the pricey side, but worth it when you’ve experienced the awesomeness of the conchinita pibil and tamarind margaritas!
La Paladar del Son, Torrent de les Flors 6 (in Gracia, metro L4 Joanic) — Cuban food — ropa vieja and mojitos that don’t disappoint! — affordably priced and sufficiently off the beaten path to avoid the hordes of tourists you’ll find in other areas of Barcelona.
Maoz, a chain of take-away vegetarian falafel joints, can be found in various locations around the city, and is the perfect way to fill up on healthy-ish food on the go. Be sure to load up your falafel with toppings at the Buffet Libre to get the most bang for your buck (er, Euro…)!
Milk, Gignas 21 in el Barrio Gotico, is the only place I know in Barcelona to get brunch. This is a great place to recover from your big bad Friday/Saturday night — which you can do with a Bloody Mary and an Eggs Benedict! They only serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10-4, but at night this cozy little restaurant becomes a cocktail lounge and bistro. At any time of day, it’s not a spot to be missed!
Rambla Samosas — for a late night snack, when you’re stumbling around Las Ramblas after the bars close, don’t be afraid to buy a samosa (or several!) from one of the many men to be found with boxes of hot samosas at 3am. Seriously, they’re delicious, and you’ll be glad for the oily, alcohol absorbing properties of the fried potatoey goodness!
Alright, I feel like I’ve covered most of my favorites, but PLEASE feel free to comment and add any that I’ve forgotten!!!
Next post: where to drink. Cheers!
Man, reading your best of list here made me remember the awesomeness of our trip and how much I wish I’d never had to leave. The availability of cava at every watering hole in town is reason enough to move there. We should make a trip back together sometime in the future…