SPAIN - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1488

Xaloc is the place in the old center for nicely presented gourmet tapas. It's a classy,
woody, modern dining room with a fun energy, good service, and reasonable prices. The
wallsarecoveredwith Ibérica hamhocksandwinebottles.TheyfocusonhomestyleCatalan
classicsandserveonlyonequalityofham—andit'stops.Agazpacho,plankofham, paamb
tomàquet (toast with tomato), and nice glass of wine make a terrific light meal (€2-6 tapas,
€5-12 main dishes, open daily, a block toward the cathedral from Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol
at Carrer de la Palla 13, Metro: Catalunya, tel. [phone]).
Bar del Pi is a simple, hardworking bar serving good salads, sandwiches, and tapas. It
has just a handful of tables on the most inviting little square in the Barri Gòtic (Tue-Sun
9:00-23:00, closed Mon, on Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol 1, Metro: Liceu, tel. [phone]).
RestaurantAgut, aroundsince1924,featuresacomfortable,wood-paneleddiningroom
that'smodernandsophisticated,butstillretainsaslightbohemianair.Thepicturesliningthe
walls are by Catalan artists who are said to have exchanged their canvases for a meal. The
menuincludesverytastytraditionalCatalanfood,withsomeseasonalspecialties(€13three-
course weekday lunch special, €10-14 starters, €13-18 main dishes, Tue-Sat 13:30-16:00 &
21:00-24:00, Sun 13:30-16:00 only, closed Mon, just up from Carrer de la Mercè and the
harbor at Carrer d'En Gignàs 16, Metro: Jaume I, tel. [phone]).
Andelana Restaurants: A local chain called Andelana has several bright, modern eat-
eries that are wildly popular for their artfully presented Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine,
crispambience,andunbeatableprices.Becauseoftheirthree-course€10lunchesand€16-21
dinners (both with wine), all are crowded with locals and in-the-know tourists (à la carte:
€7-9starters,€8-11maindishes,allopendaily13:00-15:45&20:30-23:30,unlessotherwise
noted; the first three are near Metro: Liceu). Warning: These places are notorious for long
lines at the door—arrive 30 minutes before opening, or be prepared to wait. Les Quinze
Nits hasgreatseatingrightonatmospheric PlaçaReial(daily11:00-16:30&19:00-23:00,at
#6—you'llseetheline,tel.[phone]).Twoothersarewithinablock: LaCremaCanela,
a few steps north of Plaça Reial, feels cozier than the others and is the only one that takes
reservations (opens at 20:00 for dinner, Passatge de Madoz 6, tel. [phone]). La Fonda
is a block south of Plaça Reial (opens at 19:30 for dinner, Carrer dels Escudellers 10, tel.
933-017-515). Another location, La Dolça Herminia, is near the Palace of Catalan Music
in El Born (2 blocks toward Ramblas from Palace of Catalan Music at Carrer de les Mag-
dalenes 27, Metro: Jaume I, tel. [phone]); the fifth restaurant in the chain, La Rita, is
described later, under “Restaurants in the Eixample.”
Tapas on Carrer de la Mercè in the Barri Gòtic
(See “Barcelona's Old City Restaurants” map, here .)
Thisarealetsyouexperiencearare,unvarnishedbitofoldBarcelonawithgreat tascas —col-
orful local tapas bars. Get small plates (for maximum sampling) by asking for “tapas,” not