Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Good Eats in Barcelona

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Good Eats in Barcelona

Looking for some recommendations...any suggestions? Will eat anything. Thanks.

A good place to eat dinner near La Rambla is called “Les Quinze Nits.” It is located at Placa Reial #6 (near Carrer de Ferran/La Rambla). Expect to wait in a line if you get there before 9:00 p.m. For some cheap (3 Euro) Catalan food in the Barri Gotic section of town, try Restaurante Bidasoa, Calle Serra #21 (Metro Drassanes). Just follow Calle Clave and take your third left.

My favorite in Barcelona was La Dolca Herminia at 27 Magdalenes--2 blocks toward Ramblas fro Palau de la Musica. Excellent food, reasonably priced, and even had a non-smoking section.

I ate at a place called 4Cats twice. I thought it was very good and reasonable.

I too recommend le quinze nits - the food was great; we had 3 courses with wine for approx £15 per person. Really good quality and a lovely setting as well. The queues are long but def worth the wait. Dont bother with any other restaurants on the Placa real tho. The bars to the left of the restaurant are good for peole watching but the restaurants are disgusting tourist traps.

There is another place called "La Fonda" on Escudellers, next to Los Caracoles. It is owned by the same family as Les quinze nits, and usually has less people. It doesn't have outside tables, though. As for Los Caracoles, AVOID IT! Other good places are: Cerveseria Catalana: On the corner of Mallorca and Rambla Catalunya. They have the best montaditos anywhere. Casa Tejada: Traditional (Castillian) tapas done the right way. On Tenor Vinas, next to Turo Parc. It is expensive for tapas, but quite worth it. If you like fried fish and shell fish, Moncho's places are good (there are a few around Barcelona). Moncho himself cooks at Botafumeiro, on Gran de Gracia. Great seafood, and very expensive.

Why not try Las Bruixes on Calle Aulestia i Pijoan in Gracia (Metro Fontana). Plça Del Sol also has some good Libanese food, try Equinox for this. Gracia in general has loads of great places, try Calle Verdi or one of the ones which run close by. Go on give Gracia a go, get out of the tourist area! If you do stay in the centre try Kasparo, just off calle Tallers in a small plaça. (basic but good about ?6 for a main course)

Julie, I can't thank Jean Valjean enough for her rec. of the Cerveseria Catalana. It's just terrific and a great bargain. Also I enjoyed anotherjulie's "La Dolce Herminia". And Moncho's places are quite dependable. There are 2 in the Port Olympic if you find yourself wandering around that area. Other great and very moderately priced restaurants (always packed) in the Eixample that we've really enjoyed: "La Tramoia" on Rambla de Catalunya "El Trobador" on Paris, right at the Diagonal "Paco Meralgo, Alta Taberna" on corner of Corsega and Muntaner (lively, new, hip, very popular with locals tapas bar) "Tenorio" on Passeig de Gracia (open late) And if you're hungry after a visit to the Picasso Museum on Carrer Montacada, do yourself a huge favor and head straight to the tapas bar/lunch counter, "Cal Pep" on Placa de les Olles #8, also in La Ribera, but get there early (opens at 1 for lunch), as by 2 p.m. the small counter space will be completely occupied and people impatiently waiting to take those bar stools. It's terrific food and great fun. I sent a friend there just last week, and after his first visit, he went back 8 times and took all his friends. The amusing and charismatic owner, Pep, took them under his wing and fixed great meals for the group and allowed them to sit at one of the highly coveted tables in the back room, which are usually reserved for regulars. It's a "not to miss" Barcelona classic. Delicious seafood. And in the Boquería market (officially called with Mercat Sant Josep) on the Ramblas, don't forget the little luncheonette hole-in-the-wall (about 16 bar stools) immediately to your right at the entrance. You'll see the Pinocchio drawing and the framed article from Saveur magazine about this bar called "Pinocho" being "The Most Food from the Smallest Kitchen in the Best Market in Europe". Just let Juan Bayan fix you anything (he's the ever smiling one with the bow tie-a short order chef who's world famous). Everthing he cooks is delicious and of course couldn't be fresher. Another Barcelona classic.

Hi, Julie, We enjoyed a wonderful "classic Barcelona" meal at Set Portes (7 Doors), down by the harbor. Their specialty is paella -- great ambience and reasonable prices. Check out their web site: www.setportes.com/ Happy travels. John H

Two words: Cal Pep! My husband and I have traveled all over the world and enjoyed many fantastic meals from Michelin awarded chici restaurants to dinky hole in the wall gems. We do not discriminate. Go to Chowhound.com's International boards and do a search on Barcelona/Cal Pep. It was the best seafood I've had to date served at an inconspicuous countertop/bar area. Transcendental eating :) I still get a postcard each Christmas from the owner. Run, Don't walk there. It's that fantastic. My original post on Chowhound has all the details. lisa

Several years ago, we ate at a restaurant that was run by the culinary school in Barcelona. The students prepared and served the food and it was wonderful and very reasonably priced. I recall lots of little "extras" such small tastings of appetizers and desserts that were provided complimentary. I dug up their web site as a reference: http://www.webares.com/catala/rest/b...s/frbcer20.htm

for a more upscale meal try Can Gaig (Fodor restaurant rec) - a real treat - take a cab, it's outside the city center