Cafés, tapas bars and restaurants - The Rough Guide to Barcelona - page 294

andwide,from patatasbravas tooctopus.Itcanbestandingroomonlyatlunchtime(andnot
much of that either), so get there early. Daily 8am-1.30am.
Tapas24 c/delaDiputació269 934880977, carlesabellan.com ; PasseigdeGràcia;
map . Carles Abellan, king of pared-down designer cuisine at his famed restaurant Comerç
24 , offers a simpler tapas menu at this retro basement bar-diner. There's a reassuringly tradi-
tional feel that'sechoed in the menu - patatasbravas ,Andalucian-style fried fish, meatballs,
chorizo sausage and fried eggs. But the kitchen updates the classics too, so there's also cala-
maresromana (fried squid) dyed black with squid ink or a burger with foie gras. Most tapas
cost €4-16. There's always a rush and a bustle at meal times, and you might well have to
queue. Mon-Sat 9am-midnight.
RESTAURANTS
Casa Calvet c/de Casp 48 934 124 012, casacalvet.es ; Catalunya/Urquinaona; map .
The wonderfully decorated townhouse built by a young Antoni Gaudí for a Catalan indus-
trialist makes for a truly glam night out. It offers a seasonally changing modern Catalan
menu,withdessertsthatareartworksinthemselves,thoughwithmainsaroundthe€30mark,
lunch at €34 or tasting menus from €50 to €70, expect it to be a purse-emptying experience.
Mon-Sat 1-3.30pm & 8.30-11pm; closed 1 week in Aug.
Elj Apo Nés Ptge. de la Concepció 2 934 872 592, grupotragaluz.com ; Diagonal;
map . Designer style - gun-metal grey interior, black-clad staff, sharp service - at moderate
prices gives this minimalist Japanese restaurant the edge over its more traditional city rivals.
Tick your choices from the long menu of sushi, sashimi, tempura and noodles and hand it
to the waiter; average meal cost is around €25 a head. Daily 1.30-4pm & 8.30-11.30pm
(Thurs-Sat until 12.30am).
Tragaluz Ptge. de la Concepció 5 934 870 621, grupotragaluz.com/tragaluz ; Diagon-
al; map . This place attracts beautiful people by the score, and the classy Mediterranean-with-
knobs-oncooking, served under a glass roof( tragaluz means “skylight”), doesn't disappoint.
Mains include steak tartar, slow-roasted pork with pineapple and pasta with truffles, and cost
€15-24. It's a relaxing stop for those fresh off the modernista trail (La Pedrera is just across
the way). Daily 1.30-4pm & 8.30-11.30pm.
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ESQUERRA DE L'EIXAMPLE
CAFÉ
Fast Vínic c/de la Diputació 251 934 873 241, www.fastvinic.com ; Passeig de
Gràcia; map . Fast Vínic is a designer sandwich bar - but not just any sandwiches and not
just any bar. The food emphasis is on top-of-the-range ingredients from sustainable sources
(sandwiches mostly €5-10), while at the same time you get to sample from a range of more
than twenty Catalan wines, starting at pocket-money prices. It's the more democratic outpost