content · tapas bars ou might want some informal eating as well during your trip, and tapas is...

© ForeverBarcelona.com – Memorable private tours

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CONTENT

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 3

TAPAS BARS 4

PAELLA 8

FISH & SEAFOOD 12

RESTAURANTS 16

BY AREA 16

NEED MORE IDEAS? 18


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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK As a private tour guide, my clients often ask me for advice on where to eat. Tapas, paella and seafood are what most people want to try. I want everyone to have a great experience in Barcelona, and this is why I have created this e-book with my favorite recommendations. At the end of this book, you’ll also find lists of restaurants organized by area, as sometimes proximity or the opportunity to cover an area of the city where you haven’t been yet, can also be a reason to choose a restaurant over another. I’ve tried to make the reviews nice and short and to the point. They are not comprehensive descriptions of each venue, but rather concise comments with the key information that will help you deciding what’s the right choice for you. Disclamer No restaurant has paid or otherwise rewarded the author to be included in this guide book or influence its content whatsoever. The content of this guide book is inspired in the author’s posts in the ForeverBarcelona Travel Blog, where you can find even more restaurant recommendations: http://www.foreverbarcelona.com/travel-blog/


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TAPAS BARS ou might want some informal eating as well during your trip, and tapas is definitely the most informal and fun way to experience Spanish food. Order a bunch of specialties to share and make a full meal out of it.

There is however a big chance to hit a tourist trap and not enjoy it at all. So where should you go, to make sure it’s a success? Check out our recommendations

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CERVESERIA CATALANA LA COVA FUMADA

Area: Passeig de Gràcia

Website: NO WEBSITE

Area: Waterfront - Barceloneta

Website: NO WEBSITE

If you don't want to go too far from your comfort zone, by either going too far from the city centre or by having to try too adventurous foods, that's a beautiful bet! Locals mix-in gracefully with tourist, showing up at least 1 hour earlier than they would to get a table anywhere else! They also have a sister-restaurant called Ciudad Condal where they serve the exact same food. If you are not too familiar with tapas, I suggest you start by ordering a couple of dishes that sound “safe”, to start with, and then keep checking what the other tables are brought. Then ask the waiter what those were, and order whatever sounds exciting enough. Tapas are often ordered in several rounds: so you’ll be safe and look like a connoisseur at the same time!

Let’s say you want to be adventurous and that you love fish... In that case you'll have to head to the Barceloneta district and find La Cova Fumada, a super-authentic tapas bar hidden behind a door that doesn't even have a street number! But if you ask around, anyone in the neighbordhood knows it: don’t be afraid and push that door to get in! Inside, the time hasn’t gone away since the 1940’s: it’s still decorated in the same old-fashioned working-class style from the time when the blue collars of the nearby factories used to come for lunch. They are famous for a tapa that is said to have been invented here: the “bomba” (a mashed-potato ball filled in with minced meat and a mildly spicy sauce. Make sure to try it! Their sardines are also spectacular.


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LA ESQUINICA QUIMET I QUIMET

Area: Up-Town - Horta

Website: NO WEBSITE

Area: Montjuïc - Poblesec

Website: NO WEBSITE

Now let's go a bit further away... Take the blue line of the subway (ok, or maybe take a taxi) and get to La Esquinica. That's a place where no tourist would get by mistake, as it's a totally off-the-beaten-path neighbourhood. A family-owned tapas restaurant where locals of all ages gather to sample some affordable tapas and get a few drinks. Their half-liter jars (be it wine or soda) are called “guays”, which would translate as “cools”. That shows you the informality and sense of humor of the waiters. Be prepared to wait outside until you are given a place to seat, as it's always crowded.

If you don't mind standing, another of my favorite places is Quimet i Quimet. Halfway between a deli grocery and a bar, their specialty are bread buns with assorted toppings. They prepare them right in front of you, while you are standing by the counter. It's a quite small venue, and the owners are superfriendly. They have a long list of them (English menu available, yey), but I’d suggest to pick one or two, and then go for some delicious mushroom croquettes and a place of cheese. It’s gorgeous! Their seafood platter is also interesting, but don’t think you’ll be served freshly grilled or steamed shells: it’s instead assorted canned mussels and seafood – a very typical tapa, but you might not be that used to it.


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TICKETS BAR

Area: Montjuïc - Poblesec Website: circa1905.com

And let's finish our tapas bar recommendations with some more exquisite tapas. Is your trip more than 3 months ahead? Lucky you! Head over the website of Tickets Bar to book your table. This bar is run by world-famous chef Ferran Adrià and his brother. Every day at Spanish midnight they open bookings for one day, 3 months ahead of time. Keep an eye on their calendar for your favorite date, and when time arrives… hurry up! Available tables there fly! The Adrià Brothers have made a strong bet for informal and fun food: tapas, but they have kept their passion for high quality produce and their passion for originality and surprise. Every dish will make you smile.


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PAELLA

alking about traditional foods, paella is probably the most famous dish from Spain (if we are not taking Jamón Ibérico into account). It actually is original from Valencia, however since we share some of our historical

and culinary origins, this dish has become also very popular here and no Catalan would look down at a good paella. Here is where locals go: tourist-trap safe recommendations.

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CAN SOLÉ KAIKU

Area: Waterfront - Barceloneta Website: restaurantcansole.com


Website: restaurantkaiku.cat

A fishermen restaurant in the Barceloneta quarter with a sailor-style decoration, famous for their rice dishes. Many locals will tell you here make the best paella in town. And not just paella, but up to 9 different rice preparations, 5 different fideuà noodle recipes and over 40 fish specialties! (Sorry meat lovers: only 2 options for you…) The adventurous eaters will love to try their squid ink dishes, with either rice or noodles. And the more traditional tastes will be delighted with their grandma stews. It's not cheap, but eating here is a glorious experience.

A personal favorite, from outside it doesn't look like anything special but as soon as they serve you the food, the paper tablecloths don’t matter anymore and you feel part of a selected group of insiders that know where to go for good food. Since a good rice takes around 20 minutes to be prepared, get some starters while you wait. Seasonal products such as zucchini flowers, artichokes or asparagus, are a must. Or sea cucumbers, if you want something more exotic. And make sure you don’t miss their smoked vegetable rice served with arugula salad on top. Sounds weird, but it's amazing!


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ELCHE CAN MAJÓ

Area: Montjuïc - Poblesec Website: elcherestaurant.es


Website: canmajo.es

As I was mentioning before, paella is actually a dish from the region of Valencia. If you want to be a purist, then you'll have to venture off the beaten path into the Poblesec district, where a family of Valencian immigrants opened the first rice restaurant in town in 1959. You’ll get to learn about all the different Spanish ways to prepare rice, just by reading the menu: The variety of their paella dishes is quite appealing: mixta (seafood & chicken), parellada (clean of shells), black (with squid ink), abanda (served aside of the fish stock), or caldós (soupy rice). You won't find a more authentic paella in town!

Back to the Barceloneta district, if you are looking for a great location outdoors you'll love Can Majó. It's a family-owned fish and paella restaurant serving fresh local dishes and it's got one of the most coveted outdoor terraces in the area.

Every day they get the best seafood coming from the Atlantic and the Mediterrean coast, to prepare their sailor-inspired recipes inherited from their ancestors. They are especially proud of their bouillabaisse, their lobster platter and their lobster rice. You’ll also be able to try local delicacies such as percebes (barnacles, yes they are edible... and very appreciated!)


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TOC DE SAL, @ MERCAT PRINCESA

Area: El Born Website: mercatprincesa.com/toque-de-sal

The downside of most paella restaurants in Barcelona is that they won't serve you paella unless at least 2 people in your party are ordering it. But if you just want a little sample, head to this tapas market in the Born district and you'll be able to try not just one type of paella but several different ones, in tapas portions. And if not everyone in your group wants to order rice, in the other market stalls they’ll be able to get anything from sausages, to pintxos (basque canapés), potatoes, fried specialties, cheese, ham or eggs. Sounds like fun!


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FISH & SEAFOOD

arcelona beeing located by the Mediterranean sea, we couldn’t close our selection of favorite restaurants without mentioning where can you indulge in some of the freshed products of the sea. Either it is fish or

shells, fish is a staple in most locals diets, and it’s also a healthy way to keep your stomach satisfied. Check out our recommendations

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BOTAFUMEIRO RÍAS DE GALICIA

Area: Gràcia District Website: botafumeiro.es

Area: Montjuïc – 1929 World Fair Website: riasdegalicia.com

Its tricky name refers to the censer that receives pilgrims in Santiago de Compostela, after a long trip across the North of Spain. The water tank with alive lobster and crabs that welcomes you at the entrance announces that you are entering what many locals consider to be the best seafood restaurant in Barcelona. It mostly features simple plates: plain grilled, steamed, baked or fried fish or seafood, and some reach rice dishes such as that wonderful "arròs caldós" (soupy rice). It is also a great option if you don't want to wait until locals are hungry to eat, as the kitchen is open nonstop.

If rock-star chef Ferran Adrià, God of gods of chefs from over the world, decided to partner with the owners of this restaurant, it has to be for a good reason! It serves superbly fresh seafood, served without estridences, but aiming at excellence. A real marisqueria (Spanish seafood restaurant), that comes in very handy for a nice meal after seeing the magic fountain show or visiting the Hill of Montjuïc. And if you are open to new experiences and you love raw fish, you need to try their space upstairs: Espai Kru, and innovative tapas bar without fire where their stars are the raw seafood dishes served with inspirational touches of genius.


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PASSADÍS DEL PEP ELS PESCADORS

Area: El Born Website: passadis.com

Area: Poblenou Website: elspescadors.com

No sign would tell you that that door is the entrance to a great restaurant, but hidden at the end of a corridor opens up an arched venue with a traditional Catalan feel, the paradise of foodies. This option is great for adventurous people, as you will not get to choose your food: The waiters will keep bringing you plates and plates of fish tapas, and then when you can eat anything else they will ask you... "So, what should you have as main course?" And they are serious! They will be offering you the best fish they found that they on the market - But I need to say that I usually skip that and go direct to dessert and coffee!

And if you are looking to go a bit more off the beaten path, then I recommend you to venture in the Poblenou district, and in this cozy plaza you will find a very authentic local restaurant that many tourists haven't found yet. It started out being a fishermen tabern, that has evolved into a familiar restaurant that keeps its Mediterranean charm. Every day they receive fish from the best local fishmongers, that they cook according to traditional recipes to which they are not afraid to add modern touches. After lunch or dinner, I recommend a nice walk down the Rambla del Poblenou and if you have still some more room left in your stomach stop at Tio Che for a glass of fresh orchata or a scoop of ice cream.


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FISHOP

Area: Passeig de Gràcia Website: grupofishop.com

Is it a Japanese restaurant or a fish shop? In Barcelona has become quite popular a type of fish restaurant that look like a fish mongers: You get to choose the fish or the seafood that you want to be served, and then they prepare in front of you. From the many options available, I find this to be the one of highest quality. At Fishop, every evening at 5pm arrives the best fish from the Barcelona and Galician fish mongers, freshly caught during the night and early morning. For more affordable options, you can try similar venues such as La Paradeta and Mariscco. Not into fish so much? Fishop has a meat sister-restaurant, too: Beefshop.


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RESTAURANTS

by Area

Old Town City Center

Area: El Born

Toc de Sal @ Mercat Princesa Passadís del Pep

Area: Passeig de Gràcia

Cerveseria Catalana Fishop

Montjuïc Traditional

Area: Poblesec Tickets Bar Elche Quimet i Quimet

Area: Horta La Esquinica

Area: 1929 World Fair Rías de Galícia

Area: Gràcia District

Botafumeiro

Waterfront

Area: Barceloneta La Cova Fumada Can Solé Kaiku Can Majó

Area: Poblenou Els Pescadors


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This is a ForeverBarcelona ebook by private tour guide Marta Laurent Veciana.

We hope you have enjoyed it!

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BARCELONA, 2014 All rights are reserved. No parts of this book can be reproduced without the author’s written consent.

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