Eat only tapas or are there other food favorites in Barcelona? I hear Chocolate is another good food item. Any other suggestions? Cheese, bread, or dessert?

www.maribelsguides.com provides good food suggestions -- I've been using this as I'm also planning for a trip in May. Watch for laclaire's posts as well.

My favorite tapas? the shrimp in spicey olive oil that you can smush the bread in! We actually did not find the tapas as tastey in Barcelona as elsewhere in Spain - myabe we just had bad luck. We went to one restaurant that served the traditional Spanish roasted suckling pig and lamb - I love those dishes. I think the Barcelona cuisine scene is more diverse than other parts of Spain, we had lots of yummy food - one place we did NOT like and I think is usually given pretty good reviews was the restaurant Set Portes (something like that). It is down by the harbor - we thought the food was so so, expensive and the service haughty. People stood in a long line waiting to get in - there is a door nazi - it was our least favorite but most expensive meal.

When did you eat at Set Portes? We were also going to this restaurant because a family member recommended it. What did you eat so we can avoid the same dishes?

Yes, it usually gets good reviews but we were just not impressed with it. We were in Barcelona in May 2004. I think our bad impression of the restaurant started by having to stand in line at the door while some people were waved on in and there didn't seem to be a reservation list. I think we had paella and maybe another seafood dish, not sure. Another minor thing - my husband wanted butter - I think they charged us 2 euros for that - at all the other restuarants they just brought it to us, no charge. We thought the food was nothing special but pricey. If you go, hopefully you will enjoy it more than we did!

There is great, great shellfish. Calcots (in the onion family) if they are in season. Butifarra (sausage). Anything with Romesco sauce. For me it is one of the best eating cities in Europe. I could eat every meal of my trip at Cal Pep and be very happy.

the tapas i had wasn't that great in barthelona. but my favorites are the frittata w/ potato, the chorizo, fried cheese balls (yumm!!), chicken croquettes. oh man, i'm getting HUNGRY!

settes portes was good, i went there the first night we were in barcelona. it's nice because it's old fashioned, i had paella. but for a tapas bar...you must go to cal pep, (real tapas, don't order, they just put it in front of you) vineria del cal, (my favorite) and cal majo. (a little fancy) for something different, go to "cheese me".
it was very interesting, and enjoyable. to be in barcelona, is to have pan con tomate (tomato spread on bread) and seafood! enjoy.

Thanks for all your wonderful answers. I can't wait to EAT!

Ekscrunchy is right! Calçots are absolutely delicious. I ate them as much as possible when they were in season, even traveling to Valls for the calçotada where my friends and I gorged ourselves all day long, eating something like 100 roasted onions a piece.

For a great selection of typical tapas, I always suggest La Tramoia (on the Southwest corner of Gran Vía and Rambla de Catalunya. . . one block up from Plaça Catalunya). Their bombas are fantastic, and they have all the usual suspects (chorizo, ensaladilla rusa, salchichas blancas, etc). It is usually very busy, but there is a lot of seating and the owner is very hands-on. If he is there, he approaches tables and asks how things are tasting, which is not the common practice.

On Aribau there is a restaurant (also called Aribau) right across from the old University. You will see it from the street. I had a few montaditos (tiny sandwiches) there once and they were very good.

Everyone talks up Cal Pep, and I have never been, but those who talk it up are quite trustworthy.

Here are some cut and pastes from messages I have sent along to friends:

If you want a really exquisite tasting menu, go to Commerç 24 (yes, that is number 24, Commerç St. . . near Estació de França, right down from the Arc de triunf). The chef is an Ell Bullí protegé and does a
lot of interesting things. Beautiful presentation and great atmosphere: quiet and sophisticated. Expensive, though.

Going for drinks: Go to the Mirablau at Tibidabo (the mountain to the north). The drinks are excellent (remember that Martini in Spain
means pure vermouth, so specify if you want it our way) and the view of BCN at night is so delicate. Also, the houses on your way up the
mountain are absolutely awesome.

Traditional Spanish: el bar de la Ciutadela (also on Commerç street. . . across from the Chocolate museum and opposite the restaurante El Foro). Either the lacón ham or the roasted lamb. My reaction was like that of the boy who ate Turkish Delight in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."

Coffee/tea: la Granja (on Banys Nous in the Gothic quarter). Enjoy the ambience. . . the turn of the century wooden entrance, the amazing, huge fridge that they still use, the bar, the waitstaff. . . if you get the Amelie-looking waitress (you will know her when you see her), try your Catalan. she loves that!

Bar: la Concha on Calle de la Guardia in the Raval (walk down Ramblas towards the Sea, take a right on Carrer Nou de la Rambla where the Guell Palace is. . . Guardia is the second street on the left). This is in a bad neighborhood, but the place itself is absolutely wonderful. It has a lot of character (black and white tiled floors, decorated with posters of Sara Montiel and fake flowers, has a small bookcase, you can order Moroccan mint tea before 10 pm, as well as smoke from a hookah) and the drinks are inexpensive. The theme is Arabic chill-out. I love the music (flamenco, arabic, some Spanish) and the guys that work there are extremely nice. There are red velvet couches along the back wall for sitting and people watching. It does get really smokey inside.

cheap, good home cooking: Bar Elisabets (about 2 blocks from the MACBA, down C/ Elizabets, headed towards the Ramblas). 8 euros for a full menu including drink and dessert (get homemade mousse, my favorite being lemon). Coffee is 1 euro.

Absolutely do not miss a meal.

Thank you, Claire for all of the useful information you have posted here and on many other threads. I would add: Try not only not to miss a meal but to have as many meals as possible a day! Truly awesome food awaits in Barcelona (and throughout much of Spain, in my opinion)

Thanks, ekscrunchy!

And seriously, just eat and eat and eat. As Homer Simpson said: "I have discovered a meal between breakfast and brunch!"

Hi,
Never been to a tapas bar in Spain before, so I was wondering if we stand and eat at the bar, or are there bar stools (in particular at Cal Pep in Barcelona)?

I'm pregnant and standing for a meal is not really an option at this point : )

Thx