Barcelona hotels, restaurants, bars, attractions, and other useful stuff
More a bar than bistro really, though there are some actual meals to be had along with an interesting selection of bar snacks, leaning towards more traditional French fare. The home-made hipster furniture is taken a bit too far, so you’re likely to find one half of your table reclined in a discarded sofa, while the others are on straight-backed dining chairs. Just about gets away with it though, as the bearded guy behind the bar knows his stuff.
C/Riera Alta 8
A bit of a favourite this one, and not just because it is close to home. Every dish on the menu delivers on its promise, and most are fairly imaginative too, without going over the top. We have pretty much tried everything on the menu and have no complaints whatsoever. The service is spot-on, and the pricing is too low for what they deliver too. No wonder it is always full from ‘tourist hour’ at 7pm until late. Book ahead.
Carrer Botella, 11-13
With seating for a maximum of 20 diners, it can be hard to get a table at Palosanto – it doesn’t help that they only have a couple of tables for more than two. What must be the world’s smallest kitchen turns out some pretty decent burgers, along with some more traditional tapas fare, alongside a few more unusual dishes such as the rather nice artichoke salad with tuna.
Not exactly the most salubrious corner of town here, with working girls loitering around the street front, though Robadora is a pleasant surprise, and popular too. Not everything on the menu is a hit, though the cod brandade stands out – and is more substantial than you’d expect.
C/ Robadors 18,
T: 932 529 639
Hugely popular with a young crowd, El Dinamic can be a tricky place to find a table. Never mind – Lando is less popular for no particular reason I can tell, and is right next door. The space barely hides its warehouse origins, and the wait staff are too busy growing their beards to actually serve anybody, though when they do get around to it there are some nice tapas bites to be had here and a selection of local craft beers.
Okay, so it’s a homewares store. But the setting and the menu is much more than you expect from a café – think international bistro, and you’re on the right path. Worth the walk, though you may need to book in advance.
167 Carrer Pau Claris
By the same group as the crowd-pleasing Cuines Santa Catarina and Bar Lobo, and the flagship too, so Tragaluz should be a winner. Certainly the space is right – with its opening roof that should be spectacular on a warm summer evening – and the food presentation is what you’d expect from a place looking for Michelin stars.
But.
We got a bit of attitude from the wait staff on our last visit; some of the dishes were missing promised ingredients (a tomato salad didn’t seem to contain any tomatoes, for instance); and the wine list is quite short.
Almost there, but needs to do better.
Pasaje de la Concepción, 5
Okay, you’re in tourist-central down in Port Vell, but you may as well make the most of it. El Magatzem occupies a spot in the sun on the Barcelonetta side of the Museu d’Història de Catalunya, and is a pretty good place to sit in the sun and soak up the atmosphere.
The food’s actually pretty good too – which possibly makes it a stand-out in this area – but the location wins it here. Watch for busy days – service is excellent for the most part, but if the tables are full, it all becomes a bit haphazard.
Placa Pau Vila, 1
A traditional-looking tapas joint that doesn’t look vastly different from the rest with it’s unassuming facade, but one that raises the food to a higher level.
You’re not coming here for the décor, and what is it with the floodlit restaurants in this town? But it is worth the (probable) wait for a seat.
There’s a little experimentation in the kitchen, but largely it’s the standards done really well. They may not be described very accurately on the menu either: the “fried small fish” turned out to be more like a fisherman’s platter, and bloody good too.
Bar del Pla packed with locals, so that’s a good sign, and definitely worth a stop if you’re in the El Born district (on the same street as the Picasso Museum, but far enough away not to be completely overrun with tourists).
Book ahead, or be prepared to wait.
Calle Montcada, 2
