La Rambla & Barri Gòtic - Barcelona - page 129

Most diners sit at the large wraparound counter, where you can watch the culinary wizar-
dry in action. Set multicourse menus are pricey but well worth it for those seeking a truly
extraordinary dining experience.

FUSION

PLA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 93 412 65 52; www.elpla.cat ; Carrer de la Bellafila 5; mains €18-25;
7.30pm-midnight; ; Jaume I)
One of Gòtic's long-standing favourites, Pla is a stylish, romantically lit medieval dining
room where the cooks churn out such temptations as oxtail braised in red wine, seared tuna
with oven-roasted peppers, and polenta with seasonal mushrooms. It has a tasting menu for
€38 Sunday to Thursday.

ROMAN WALLS

From Plaça del Rei, it's worth taking a detour northeast to see the two best surviving
stretches of Barcelona's Roman walls, which once boasted 78 towers (as much a mat-
ter of prestige as of defence). One wall ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) is on the southwest side
of Plaça Ramon de Berenguer Gran, with the Capella Reial de Santa Àgata ( MAP
GOOGLE MAP ) atop. The square itself is dominated by a statue of count-king Ramon de
Berenguer Gran done by Josep Llimona in 1880. The other wall ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) is
a little further south, by the northern end of Carrer del Sotstinent Navarro. The Ro-
mans built and reinforced these walls in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, after the first
attacks by Germanic tribes from the north.

DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE

BAR

OCAÑA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 93 676 48 14; www.ocana.cat ; Plaça Reial 13; 5pm-2.30am Mon-Fri, from

11am Sat & Sun; Liceu)
Named after a flamboyant artist who once lived on Plaça Reial, Ocaña is a beautifully de-
signed space with fluted columns, stone walls, candlelit chandeliers and plush furnishings.
Have a seat on the terrace and watch the passing people parade, or head downstairs to the
Moorish-inspired Apotheke bar or the chic lounge a few steps away, where DJs spin for a
mix of beauties and bohemians on weekend nights.