4 Gluttonous Friends Do Barcelona - Help us!
 

Ah, gluttony. A grand sin.

My 3 friends and I are hitting Barcelona for a few days and would love some recommendations for some Barcelona cuisine! We are not seeking to break the bank - mostly because we want to try as much food as possible but also because this is stop 1 on a 3 week adventure. I've been scouring the forum here to find some good info but, alas, I am stumbling about and am seeking some assistance that does not require too much more delving (I know, I know! I apologize!! But I think this community will forgive me in the pursuit of feasting). We will be staying near the Gothic Quarter and want to explore some fun places for the 4 of us to sample lots of different tastes. Tapas, wine, cava - I am a bit of an adventurous eater myself and will try just about any dish once.

Hoping to find a bit of both touristy/not-so-trendy tapas diners. We won't shy away from a touristy spot for a bit of familiar conversation but also want to wander and find some more off-the-beaten-path locales (Gracia dist. perhaps?).

Short notice - but any replies would help! I am looking to bring 2-3 restaurants to the table for my group (lunch and/or dinner).

Thank you!

Can Culleretes
Restaurant 7 Portes
Tapeo
NOT Cerveceria Catalana

Patapam
Carrer de la Reina Cristina, 10, 08003 Barcelona
Patapam

Traditional tapas dishes, some in their old glory, some with a modern twist.
But without any molecular follies or similar.
Everything we tried there had been delicious.
The crowd is more local who simply want to eat good tapas without the pomp and circumstances of the "in" places.
The restaurant is also not that small, so from tuesdays till thursdays you can also try without reservations.
Live music on fridays - usually.

Second vote for Can Culleteres. It’s been years since I was in Barcelona, but I still remember the meal I had there. It is touristy and I thought the service was a bit surly but the food was cheap, hearty and so so tasty. After week of tapas that were mostly meh, it was great to have actual Catalan cuisine.

La Tasqueta de Blai for pintxos. Also Quimet y Quimet for conservas.

Thank you for all your help! If anything else comes to mind please drop a reply. I have taken all of these and looked them up. I am intrigued by just about everyone. They all seem to have their own little flair. Will circle back eventually to let you know which we end up at!

I'm not sure! I dined at Cerveceria Catalana only once, in 2015, and found it decidedly unsatisfactory. Only 1 of 4 tapas I tried was what I would call tasty -- the other 3 were frankly disappointing. And it was crowded and loud and the service was OK, but on the brusque, unhelpful side. Maybe I simply had a bad experience, but with some many great options in the city, I don't feel that I can recommend it. JMO.

And for what it's worth, I had excellent service at Can Culleretes -- welcoming and friendly. I'm sure time and circumstance make a difference with many restaurants.

A wander through the market - la Boqueria - would seem obligatory for any gourmand worth his or her salt.