highly recommended – Bottle Street

May 31, 2016

Tickets

You need to book two months in advance to even get a table at Tickets. Can it possibly be worth the trouble?

It depends. Tickets ranks 42^nd in this year’s World’s Best Restaurant list among a list of serious fine-dining establishments, but it is, in essence, a tapas joint. That said, there’s a theme – the entrance is like arriving at a theatre, and the wait staff are in ringmaster uniform – and the tapas is unlike anything you’re going to get elsewhere.

We started with a beetroot meringue ‘biscuit’ with horseradish cream filling, and that was just the beginning of a meal of surprise and delight.

In that sense it was absolutely worth the wait. Tickets shows just how creative tapas can be in the hands of masters.

Bigger review here.

Av. del Paraŀlel, 164

Web

May 30, 2016June 1, 2016

Bodega 1900

Sister to Tickets, just across the road, Bodega 1900 offers a more traditional take on tapas. It leans fairly heavily on the ingredients, and they stand up too. Service is excellent. It’s only a small room, so book ahead.

Carrer de Tamarit, 91

Web

May 30, 2016

Arume

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

Web

January 4, 2016May 31, 2016

Bar del Pla

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.

Web

Calle Montcada, 2