Barcelona
 

Hi!

I was dreaming about Barcelona for a loong time, and finally - I will be there between 29th oct and 6th of Nov... I'm not very intrested in architecture (ok, maybe Gaudi will change that::)) and sightseeing so I will really appreciate if you could advise some good places to seat&eat&rest as I prefer to spend my time in a good restaurant more than looking at paintings in the church:):) . Thanks for any tips!

Well Gaudi is not paintings in a church by any means - I think his style of architecture is very fanciful and entertaining - I would suggest going to Parc Guell, looking at the Sagrada familia from the outside and then going into one of the apartments, after all you can't eat all day long! There are restaurants galore in Barcelona, tapas and more. Besides tapas my two favorites are a paella with squid ink (we usually get this at Sete Portes) and then a meal of either roasted lamb or suckling pig - check out Asador de Arrana. Enjoy!

Some ideas:

Can Culleretes from 1786 for traditional Catalan food:
http://www.culleretes.com/
Still very popular with locals: http://www.culleretes.com/

Cal Pep serves tapas from out of this world, expensive and a true experience. Get in line at leat 15 mins before opening to get a seat at the bar where all the goodies are prepared right in front of you: http://eatlikeagirl.com/2011/05/06/b...ch-at-cal-pep/

The world's most famous chef the past decade or so, Ferran Adria, has recently opened Tickets tapas bar: http://www.ticketsbar.es/web/

To get an idea of the famous Basque kitchen (and the pintxos), I recommend Euskal Etxea in the vibrant El Born area close to Cal Pep.
http://www.euskaletxeataberna.com/eng/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

And:
Fabulous flamenco dancer El Junco performs in Tablao Cordobés on Las Ramblas all of your nights in Barcelona. One of my absolute favourites after some ten years addicted to the art. Here he is in another tablao in Barcelona a year ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sENoCuTQYPs

Info and tickets, outstanding program this fall/winter: http://www.tablaocordobes.com/espect...eneral/en/1/73

What have your 'dreams' about Barcelona involved? You say you don't like 'sightseeing, architecture, churches, paintings". Lots of people can only stand so much looking at the 'sights' listed in guidebooks, museums, etc. but there's a whole city to see. Walk around neighborhoods (in Barcelona there are very distinct, hugely different areas: the old town (around the cathedral), the harbor, the Gaudi filled 'new town', Park Guell, the beach. Are you interested in anything besides eating?

I don't wanted to sound like a total ignorant:) I mean, that visiting a city I enjoy founding nice places like restaurants, interesting parts of the city more than going everywhere with the guide. I hope, now it sounds better:) Kimhe, thank you for links!

I'll be posting a trip report in the next day or so - we just got back on Sunday afternoon. We loved our time in Barcelona!

I never thought of Barcelona as a gastronomic captial but everyone has their idea of what appeals to them. If you want to go there just to eat that's fine. You don't have to apologize for it. I guess, like isabel, I was wondering what you were dreaming of when you dreamed of Barcelona? Restaurants and cafes?

Barcelona and Catlunya in general is a major food area. Competes with the Basque region in beeing the gastronomical centre of Spain, and hence of all of Europe.

The Boquería food market is one of the finest in the world, (voted the best in the world in the Public Markets Conference in Washington in 2005): http://www.boqueria.info/index.php?lang=en

22 Michelin star restaurants in town:
http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Resta...ights=&people=

The best restaurant in the world the past ten years was the now late El Bulli a little north of Barcelona.

Hi Emilka_Czyszczon, I very much enjoyed the Chocolate Museum and the Gaudi apartment. I'm assuming you have a guide book so you should find them easily.

Have a great visit.