Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the bigger “
raciones.
” Glasses of
vino tinto
go for about €1. And though trendy uptown res-
taurants are safer, better-lit, and come with English menus and less grease, these places will
stain your journal. The neighborhood's dark, the regulars are rough-edged, and you'll get a
glimpse of a crusty Barcelona from before the affluence hit. Nowadays many new, mod res-
taurantsarepoppingupinthisarea,butdon'tbeseduced—youcamehereforsomethingdif-
ferent. Try
pimientos de padrón
—Russian roulette with little green peppers that are lightly
fried in oil and salted...only a few are jalapeño-spicy. At the cider bars, it's traditional to or-
der
queso de cabrales
(a very moldy blue cheese) and spicy chorizo (sausage), ideally pre-
pared
al diablo
(“devil-style”)—soaked in wine, then flambéed at your table. Several places
serve
leche de pantera
(panther milk)—liquor mixed with milk.
From the bottom of the Ramblas (near the Columbus Monument, Metro: Drassanes),
hike east along Carrer de Josep Anselm Clavé. Then follow Carrer de la Mercè, the small
streetthatrunsalongtherightsideofthechurch.Foramontageofediblememories, wander
west to east and consider these spots, stopping wherever looks most inviting. Most of these
places close down around 23:00.
Bar Celta
(marked
la pulpería,
at #16) has a bit less character than the others, but eases
you into the scene with fried fish, octopus, and
patatas bravas,
all with Galician Ribeiro
wine. Farther down at the corner (#28),
La Plata
keeps things wonderfully simple, serving
extremely cheap plates of sardines (€2.50), little salads, and small glasses of keg wine
(less than €1).
Tasca el Corral
(#17) serves mountain favorites from northern Spain by the
half-
ración
(see their list), such as
queso de cabrales
and chorizo
al diablo
with
sidra
(hard
cider sold by the bottle-€6).
Sidrería Tasca La Socarrena
(#21) offers hard cider from As-
turias in €6.50 bottles with
queso de cabrales
and chorizo. At the end of Carrer de la Mercè,
CerveceriaVendimia
slingstastyclamsandmussels(hearty
raciones
for€4-6aplate—they
don't do smaller portions, so order sparingly). Sit at the bar and point to what looks good.
Their
pulpo
(octopus)ismoreexpensiveandisthehousespecialty.CarrerAmpleandCarrer
d'EnGignàs,thestreetsparalleltoCarrerdelaMercèinland,havemorerefinedbar-hopping
possibilities.
(See “Barcelona's Old City Restaurants” map,
here
.)
El Born (a.k.a. La Ribera), the hottest neighborhood in town, sparkles with eclectic and
trendy as well as subdued and classy little restaurants hidden in the small lanes surrounding
the Church of Santa Maria del Mar. While I've listed a few well-established tapas bars that
are great for light meals, to really dine, simply wander around for 15 minutes and pick the
place that tickles your gastronomic fancy. I think those who say they know what's best in
this area are kidding themselves—it's changing too fast, and the choices are too personal.
One thing's for sure: There are a lot of talented and hardworking restaurateurs with plenty
