SPAIN - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1482

Lunching Simply yet Memorably near the Ramblas
(See “Barcelona's Old City Restaurants” map, here .)
Although these places are enjoyable for a lunch break during your Ramblas sightseeing,
many are also open for dinner.
Taverna Basca Irati serves 40 kinds of hot and cold Basque pintxos for €1.80 each.
These are small open-faced sandwiches—like sushi on bread. Muscle in through the hungry
local crowd, get an empty plate from the waiter, and then help yourself. Every few minutes,
waiters prance proudly by with a platter of new, still-warm munchies. Grab one as they
pass by...it's addictive (you'll be charged by the number of toothpicks left on your plate
when you're done). Wash it down with €2-3 glasses of Rioja (full-bodied red wine), Txakolí
(sprightly Basque white wine) or sidra (apple wine) poured from on high to add oxygen and
bring out the flavor (daily 11:00-24:00, a block off the Ramblas, behind arcade at Carrer del
Cardenal Casanyes 17, Metro: Liceu, tel. [phone]).
Restaurant Elisabets is a rough little neighborhood eatery packed with antique radios;
it's popular with locals for its €12 “home-cooked” three-course lunch special. Stop by for
lunch, survey what those around you are enjoying, and order what looks best. Apparently,
locals put up with the service for the tasty food (Mon-Sat 7:30-23:00, closed Sun and Aug,
lunch special served 13:00-16:00, otherwise only €3 tapas, 2 blocks west of Ramblas on far
corner of Plaça del Bonsuccés at Carrer d'Elisabets 2, Metro: Catalunya, tel. [phone],
run by Pilar).
Café Granja Viader is a quaint time capsule, family-run since 1870. They boast about
being the first dairy business to bottle and distribute milk in Spain. This feminine-feel-
ing place—specializing in baked and dairy treats, toasted sandwiches, and light meals—is
ideal for a traditional breakfast. Or indulge your sweet tooth: Try a glass of orxata (or
horchata — chufa -nut milk, summer only), llet mallorquina (Majorca-style milk with cin-
namon, lemon, and sugar), crema catalana (crème brûlée, their specialty), or suis
(“Swiss”—hotchocolatewithasnowcapofwhippedcream). Melymató isfreshcheesewith
honey...very Catalan (Tue-Sat 9:00-13:30 & 17:00-20:30, Mon 17:00-20:30 only, closed
Sun, a block off the Ramblas behind Betlem Church at Xuclà 4, Metro: Liceu, tel.
933-183-486).
Cafeteria: Foraquick,affordablelunchwithaview,theninth-floorcafeteriaat ElCorte
Inglés can't be beat (€10 salads and sandwiches, also café with €1.50 coffee and sit-down
restaurant with €20 fixed-price meals, Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, closed Sun, Plaça de Catalun-
ya, Metro: Catalunya, tel. [phone]).
Picnics: Shoestring tourists buy groceries at El Corte Inglés (described above, super-
market in basement), Carrefour Market (Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, closed Sun, Ramblas 113,
Metro: Liceu), and La Boqueria market (closed Sun, described next).