Barcelona hotels, restaurants, bars, attractions, and other useful stuff
Yes, it’s a hotel owned by a footwear brand. We don’t want to say that Casa Camper‘s rooms are shoeboxes…ahem.
With 30 rooms and 10 suites, Casa Camper is our sort of hotel. And it is conveniently located in El Raval – Barcelona’s hipster hotspot, where you’ll find a great range of bars and restaurants.
Not that you’ll need to go far for a bite – the one-Michelin-star Dos Palillos is actually attached to the hotel.
Carrer d’Elisabets, 11
Bar Lobo is just off La Rambla, and not too far into deepest, darkest El Raval, so you know there are going to be tourists. Still, it’s also on the local radar.
We’ve got a love/maybe-not-quite-love relationship with the place. When it is on, it can be great, and for us the trigger point is how busy they are: If you have to wait for a table – no bookings here – we’d suggest somewhere else, because the systems fall apart a bit when the place is full.
That said, if you avoid the plentiful deep fried menu items, there are some real gems – the tuna tataki is really quite fabulous, for instance.
Opt for indoor seating – because the place is full of tourists, the square in front sees a constant flow of buskers.
Carrer del Pintor Fortuny, 3,
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
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
Suculent The Tavern, is the tapas bar, while the restaurant is two doors down.
The arroz with rabbit and black pudding is superb, and the fried octopus, and the anchovy too.
The menu is in Catalan, so you’re going to need help from the friendly wait-staff to order. Half of it was unavailable when we visited, plus the menu changes seasonally, so maybe none of our recommendations are available any more! Easy to rack-up a sit-down dinner type bill though.
Rambla del Raval, 39
Hole-in-the-wall take-away coffee joint (unfortunately Gustavo has lost his battle with the authorities, and no longer has any window seats – shame). The friendly service remains, and the empiñadas are hard to resist.
Carrer de Joaquín Costa, 3
Achingly hipster brunch/lunch joint. Waiters with beards and tattoos, naturally (okay – the males sport the former, while the females are adorned with the latter). It’s so hipster they have their own-label craft beer, their own smoked and cured pork products, and house-made pickles too. That means the burgers are pretty fabulous (though it’s a double cheeseburger, so go hungry).
The quinoa croquettas are pretty good too. Plenty of eggy options for those slow-start days.
In the evenings it’s a taqueria, and the quality of the food equals what you get in the daylight hours – winner!
Carrer Pintor Fortuny, 31
Old-school tapas joint that’s popular with tourists and locals alike. No point bothering with the restaurant, sit at the bar (two doors down) and watch your food being prepared in the open kitchen in front of you. Bar Cañete isn’t going to surprise you with anything cutting-edge, but it’s a solid choice. Arrive early (i.e. Before 9:00pm) or you’re likely to have to wait for a seat.
Carrer de la Unió, 17
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