2017 was an interesting year where it seemed like there were a lot of people traveling out to Barcelona. I don't blame them for making that choice and in doing so, I put a list of a few places that they should visit while there.
Places to š½ :
- Cal Pep | Yelp ā Definitely must go. And get there early. There a line for this place and the restaurant is somewhat small. They use their bar area for lunch and open up the dining area for dinners ā but only have a total of about 40-45 seats. The server put together a little tasting menu for us and everything was really good. Iām sure this will be on there, but make sure you get the āSpanish omeletā. Itās potato based and melts in your mouth. Canāt go wrong with any of the other seafood options there ā one of the most tender octopus I ever had.
- Rias de Barbanza | TripAdvisor ā Itās a bit outside of the central city (but cheap uber ride). One of the memorable seafood meals we had and very ālocalā. Ordered the clams, shishito peppers, and octopus (another spot where the octopus was really good). This is also where we got the green aperitif post-meal.
- El Xampanyet | Yelp ā Small spot located super close to the Picasso Museum and gets super busy so you may end up standing at the bar or cocktail tables. Great tapas but fav dish was the Garbanzos com tocino (garbanzo beans with bacon). Be sure to get the cava and/or vermouth to go with your tapas.
- Bar La Plata | Yelp ā This is on the fence of a āmust doā when I return. Itās just a tiny spot within walking distance to the beach and gothic quarter. They only serve 4-5 dishes (mainly fried anchovies and a tomato/onion/olive āsaladā) and wine/beer. Itās def a spot Iād look to get a snack, chat with the owner, and head out.
- La Paradeta Sagrada Familia | Yelp ā There are a few scattered throughout the city. Lines start early for the dinner rush (they were about 20 deep when we got in line at 730pm for an 8pm open). You walk into different types of fresh seafood on ice. Pick what you want, indicate how you would like it prepared, and then wait at your table until the buzzer goes off. When you pick up your food, they ask if you want garlic sauce. Iād get it on the side ā itās good, but I think they load it up MSG.
- Restaurant Gaig | Yelp ā Michelin-star restaurant. Would recommend this one over Alkimia. Iād recommend getting the traditional tasting vs the āupgraded tastingā. The one dish to look out for is their Canneloni ā itās a cheese/truffle/short rib/foie gras goodness all in one. Met the chef/owner and he mentioned it was a dish passed down generations. Good stuff.
- El Salamanca | Yelp ā Restaurant on/near the beach. Specialize in paellaās. Nice place to grab grub before/after hitting the beach.
Places to š„ :
- Dry Martini | Yelp ā Iād suggest sitting in the main area which gives more of an old-school NYC bar/lounge vibe or at the outdoor patio seats (donāt recommend sitting in the āmodernā section). Per your drink of choice and preference, theyāll probably be able to meet your drink without an issue. Their dry martini is good and strong. Oh, and we ended up going here twice during our week-stay there.
- Old Fashioned | Yelp ā The spot for cocktails. Itās small and down an alleyway but drinks are worth it. This is where I saw the $10k-$20k bottles of Pappy, Yamazaki, and some other rare bottles.
- Mirablau | Yelp ā Outdoor bar that overlooks the city. We went at night and didnāt think there was much of a view (the skyline isnāt really lite up). I think if you were to go out there, Iād go during the day to take in the scenery.
- Slow Barcelona | Yelp ā If you happen to find yourself out after hours (post-2am), this is one of the bars the locals and bartenders go to. Drinks are strong here but it couldāve been b/c we happened to be there w/ some of the servers from Dry Martini. Thereās also a club upstairs.
Places for š¼ :
- Hotel Casa Fuster | Yelp ā We didnāt have time to go here, but it was on my list for live Spanish music. If you plan on going, make sure you make a reservation. Another option is to get dinner and stay for the musicā¦ but not sure how the food is.
Places to š· š¹ :
- Montserrat | TripAdvisor ā Iād recommend going via train vs on the tour (unless you have an interest in guided tours). The views were amazing and if you like hiking, thereās opportunity to do that there (in addition to seeing the Basilica/black Madonna). The guided tours are nice, but they try and group a number of activities together and we didnāt get to spend as much in Monserrat as we wouldāve liked.
- Picasso Museum | TripAdvisor ā His wife donated a lot of his work to the museum. If youāre into art, pretty cool and you can appreciate his work and the progression over the years. Close to El Xampanyet.
- Vineyards ā We did a number of these. I think if there was a specific wine or cava you want to get and can only get at the vineyard, then itād be worth it. The tours included 3-4 stops throughout the day and wasnāt the best use of our times out there.