Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Taller de Tapas in the heart of Barcelona's Gothic quarter.
(
El Prat (13km/8 miles)
bcn.com). $$
Duques de Bergara,
Berg-
ara 11 (
&
34/93-301-51-51;
www.hoteles-
catalonia.com).
L
$$$
Montecarlo,
Les Ramblas 124
(
&
34/93-412-04-04;
www.montercarlo
Street Eats
37
Searching for Souvlaki
Succulent Shish Kebab
Athens, Greece
Chunks of well-seasoned meat, grilled on
skewers to succulent perfection—that's
souvlaki at its simple best, found all over
Greece. Things get a little more confusing
in cosmopolitan Athens, where the term
souvlaki is also used to refer to gyros,
sandwiches made from thin slabs of meat
shaved off of those roasting hunks of meat
on vertical spits in shop windows (which
can also be delicious, there's no denying).
But if it's the shish kebab kind of souv-
laki you want, you'll be gratified to find it
served at stands and in casual cafes all
over town. (You've got to love a city whose
chief fast food is something this honest
and delicious.) One standout in the bus-
tling commercial center of town is
Ta
Souvlakis tou Hasapi
(1 Apollonos St.;
&
30/210/322-0459
), which is basically a
butcher's outlet, fast, cheap, and incredi-
bly popular at lunchtime. Though tradi-
tionally Greek souvlaki is made from pork,
you can order your skewer with pork,
chicken, or ground beef here. Another
option lies on Mitropoleos Street, 1 block
north but several streets west, toward the
Plaka. The pedestrianized section at the
end, by Monastiraki Square, is known as
