My final instalment of our Barcelona adventure is focusing on the fabulous food and drink we had. There are some amazing options around and we did a lot of research before we went so that we could find the very best. We are complete foodies and so this was very important to us.
First up I want to say that in Barcelona, as an aperitif, they drink either Cava or Vermouth, who were we to break this tradition? We joined in wholehearted. I never knew that they were so gorgeous, seriously, so good, you must try them.
Our favourite place for Cava was Bodega Maestrazgo. This is an old wine shop and has been serving customers in the heart of El Born in Barcelona since 1952. It has an ever changing list of wines by the glass and serves Vermouth straight from the barrel. If you are a meat eater the Jamon Iberica is just the best, absolutely delicious with a glass of their cava. This place was seriously amazing.
For potatas bravas we absolutely loved Bodega La Puntual. Their tapas is simply amazing, traditional with a modern twist. I have never tasted better potata bravas, seriously, so good (and spicy). It’s a typical Spanish interior with barrels as tables and high stools. We all loved it. The vermouth here is also particularly good.
If you are a cider lover El Chiqre 1769 is the place for you. Eat with the anchovies in vinegar and you are onto a winner. It is where the locals go, and is just so authentic. It’s a small intimate setting with an open kitchen window. The selection of food is amazing and it’s a good place to people watch.
La Vinya de Senyor is located in front of the church Santa María del Mar and has been open since 1996. It’s cosy and relaxed and has the most amazing wine selection by the glass, even better you can have small or large pours depending on how much you want to drink. The walls are covered with wine bottles and although tiny it’s perfect. The wine servers are very knowledgeable and helpful. a perfect place again to people watch. We went here only for the wine and sat outside.
Bar La Plata is just fabulous. It has been established since 1945 and since then has only ever had 5 tapas on the menu. We tried all 5. The big hits were the sausage and the fried anchovies, but all were gorgeous. Don’t be put off by it’s size. Although it’s tiny, the atmosphere is inviting and buzzing and the staff are super friendly and helpful.
At Bar Le Del Pla a reservation is a must. The house red and the mussels are divine, in fact all the food is. Again they have an amazing wine list. Great atmosphere and we found the service really good.
La Boqueria market is amazing, like totally amazing. It is Barcelona’s biggest food market with 40,000 visitors a day. Food and drinks everywhere. Each stall has all manner of goodies including cured meats, fruits, juices, nuts and seafood. It is foodie heaven. So colourful and the sounds are exhilarating.
There are tapas bars within the market which are definitely worth a try. Bar Pinotxo is a small family-run business and the food really does do the talking. Their speciality is garbanzo beans with blood sausage. You also can’t go wrong with the beef cheek stew or eggplant omelette. Kiosko Universal is another amazing tapas counter which specialises in grilled seafood directly from the market, making it super fresh. If you love cooking it’s fascinating to watch the cooks at work. Finally we tried El Quim De Baqueria. Every local raves about this place which started as a tiny 5 stool bar in 1987. It’s now much bigger and is always busy. The house speciality fried eggs with baby squid was a huge hits with the kids. Other favourites include the grilled garlic shrimp, foie gras with caramelized onion and wild mushroom, and oxtail risotto.
Granja Viader is magnificent for breakfast. It was created in 1870 and for five generations has belonged to the same family. Their churrus with a suizo (sweet chocolate drink) is amazing. Like oh my goodness amazing (well if you like sweet things for breakfast anyway and my kids certainly do), as is their croissant and coffee.
In Gracia we loved La Petita. The best thing for the kids was the fact that you could graffiti on their walls. The food was delicious, the service was amazing and the atmosphere was buzzing. We were there quite early for the Spanish but it was getting very busy when we left.
We loved Le Nena for breakfast. The Churros and chocolate was magnificent and were a big hit with the kids as were the kids games that were available. We also loved Mama’s Cafe. Lots of healthy choices with lovely teas and juices. Their breakfasts are served all day, there are daily specials, gourmet sandwiches and all are made with mainly organic ingredients. There was also delicious cakes (the carrot cake is meant to be amazing) and it was a lovely interior.
And so that ends my posts on our Barcelona adventure. This post focuses on the different areas to stay and how to travel from the airport and around Barcelona. This post focuses on the sights we saw and enjoyed. I hope that you find this helpful
Shelley x
