giro

So wife and I have been planning a two week trip to Spain and Portugal. Most of the time was to be spent in Andalucia , Madrid and Lisbon.
To make a long story short we arrived in Barcelona last Thursday and I was immediately rushed to hospital where I remained until yesterday. (Fantastic care received at Quiron private hospital...but that's another story.)
We are now in Barcelona until Saturday morning until our flight back to the States.
Looking for restaurant suggestions, ie. Seafood Paella.
Any non touristy Flemenco shows?
We will be taking it easy, but wanted to tick a couple of boxes.
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
I have tickets to see casa Barolo, plan on seeing Picasso museum.
Thanks

ribeirasacra

Flamenco is not native to BCN. So you can only expect touristy shows.
Here is the location to visit.
http://www.deflamenco.com/conciertos...barcelona.html
Paella is also not native to BCN but you can find some places to eat it.
look through this lot.
http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/resta...paella-arroces

kimhe

FLAMENCO:

For a genuine flamenco experience you should go and see Antonio Rey & Diego del Morao perform in Sala Apolo on Friday: https://www.sala-apolo.com/en/events...morao/_e:2542/

Diego Morao is son of late guitar genious Moraito, and Morao is great in himself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgubqlxfcUk

Flamenco is basically Andalucia, but - contrary to what many think - it's also a great flamenco culture in Barcelona, much due to earlier immigration from the South. In fact, many of the greatest artists on the current scene are from Barcelona and surroundings. And the greatest of them all, Carmen Amaya (1917-1963), grew up in a poor neighbourhood close to the Barceloneta beach where - as she said - the waves taught her to dance.

Her grand-niese Karime Amaya often dances in Tablao Cordobes right on Las Ramblas, one of the most famous tablaos (flamenco restaurants) in the country. Her career is taking off right now, but only top of the shelf artists perform here: http://www.tablaocordobes.es/es

Clip of Karime Amaya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CklXLAvSIyc

Tablao de Carmen (yes, the same Carmen Amaya) is also excellent. It's on the site where Amaya made her public debut in front of king Alfonso XIII during the World Expo in 1929. http://www.tablaodecarmen.com/

One of my favourites, El Junco, in Tablao de Carmen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sENoCuTQYPs

Trailer to a recent documentary about the vital flamenco culture in Barcelona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BibV3tYo0U

RESTAURANT:

For a traditional seafood paella, I can highly recommend 7 Portes from 1836. Excellent food and an institution in town with tons of history in the walls. Reservation is a must: http://www.7portes.com/angles/index.php

I must always have the divine Arroz Caldo (a local and more liquid variant of a Seafood paella) here when in Barcelona: http://www.foodspotting.com/places/1...73-arroz-caldo

Video from the 175th anniversary in 2011, a major Barcelona event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujDIsGzDO38

And from a trip a few weeks ago, I highly recommend tapas at Tapeo in El Born. The Coca de Sardina is to die for, but everything here was top quality. http://www.tapeoborn.cat/
Coca de sardina: http://www.tapeoborn.cat/tapas-menu/...ardina-en.html

Had one of the best meals of my life in Xemei on the same trip. The Bigoli en salsa Veneciana is something completely different from anything I've tasted before (from about 1.35 in this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lvcjtoh0tU

giro

Thanks for the responses.
Spent the day walking around Gotic area. Toured the old Jewish quarter and visited the major Sinagoga dating from Roman times. Fascinating.
Then took Kimhe's advice and went to Tapeo. What an experience. We arrived at 3:45 and they were about to close. As the only patrons we were seated and it felt like a private banquet. The best tapas ever for us. As vegetarians we had some amazing dishes. We also eat fish and the salmon tartare, potato and wasabi was mouth watering.
Thank you so much for the heads up about this place.
Hopefully more to come.

Surfergirl

Arroz caldo. Sounds great! Looked at the link and the picture, and need to try this! Thanks for the info!

kimhe

Glad to hear that you're out of the hospital and that you liked Tapeo, excellent place.

Talking about synagogoes, you should visit Montjuic (the Jewish mountain) right in the city center. Museums, theaters, 1992 Olympic arenas, greens and spectacular views of the city and the sea from the castle on the top. http://www.telefericdemontjuic.cat/en/tickets

Xemei is at the foot of Montjuic. The Bigoli en salsa Veneciana is something completely different from anything I've tasted before (from about 1.35 in this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lvcjtoh0tU

For a genuine Barcelona lunch, go to no fuss La Perla, almost vis a vis Xemei: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html