Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
IfyoustepnofurtherthantheRamblasorthestreetsoftheBarriGòtic,youarenotgo-
ingtoexperiencethebestofthecity'scuisine-inthemaintouristareasfoodandservice
canbeindifferentandpriceshigh.Forthefinestfoodthecityhastooffer,itpaystobea
bitmoreadventurousandexplorethebackstreetsofneighbourhoodslikeSantPere,La
Ribera,ElRavalandPobleSec,whereyou'llfindexcellentrestaurants,somelittlemore
than hole-in-the-wall taverns, others surprisingly funky and chic. Most, but not all, of
the big-ticket, destination-dining restaurants are found in the Eixample. Gràcia, fur-
therout,isanicevillage-like placetospendtheevening,withplentyofgoodmid-range
restaurants, while for fish and seafood you're best off in the harbourside Barceloneta
district or at the Port Olímpic.
Barcelona'sthousandsof
cafés
keepthecityfuelledfrommorningtonight,andyou'rerarely
more than a step away from a coffee fix or a quick sandwich. Many are classics of their kind
- century-old establishments or unique neighbourhood haunts - while others specialize in
certain types of food and drink. A
forn
is a bakery, a
pastisseria
a cake and pastry shop, a
xocolateria
specializes inchocolate,whilea
granja
(milkbar)offerstraditionaldelightslike
orxata
(
horchata
, tiger-nut drink) and
granissat
(
granizado
, a flavoured crushed-ice drink).
The
tapas
boom, meanwhile, shows no sign of abating, with increasing numbers of bars
and restaurants figuring that small is beautiful when it comes to designing new menus. Little
dishes are all the rage, and while there are still plenty of old-style, hanging-ham and counter-
display tapas bars in town, there's also a real sense of adventure in new-wave places that are
deadly serious about their food. You're as likely to get shrimp tempura, a samosa or a yucca
chip as a garlic mushroom these days, while a few stand-out places offer classy, restaurant-
standard experiences that are still truly tapas at heart.
Traditional
Catalan and regional Spanish food
remains at the core of many
restaurant
menus, while the city has the usual range of pizza places, curry houses, fast-food joints and
the like. But these are exciting times for foodies in Barcelona, as
contemporary Spanish
cooking
continues to be a big deal. The minimalist, food-as-chemistry approach, pioneered
by best-chef-in-the-world Ferran Adrià (of
El Bulli
fame), has spawned a thousand follow-
ers, many with restaurants in Barcelona (and a fair few now with Michelin stars). The best
are reinterpreting classic Catalan dishes in innovative ways, and while prices in these gastro-
temples are high there's a trend towards more economic, bistro-style dining even by the hot-
test chefs. Meanwhile, the current fad obsessing city restaurateurs is the fusion of Medi-
terranean and Asian flavours - a so-called
“Mediterrasian” cuisine
- that combines loc-
al, market-fresh ingredients with more exotic tastes. Sometimes this works (Catalan-Asian
sushi-style tapas), sometimes this doesn't (erm, Catalan-Asian sushi-style tapas), but eating
out in Barcelona has never been more interesting.
