The most-asked questions before, during, or after a vacation usually center around food, at least in my world. “Where should we eat?” “What’s good here?” “What was your favorite restaurant?” We did more than our share of eating in Barcelona, and now, I’m sharing my food finds.
Breakfast, snacks, and treats came from La Boqueria, a colorful, vibrant food market right off La Rambla. Fruit and colorful stuff in front, food the locals come for in the back. Try to avoid looking at the sheep heads and cow noses at the meat stall if you can. They’re real appetite killers.
Breakfast at La Boqueria!
Chicken eggs, ostrich eggs, emu eggs, quail eggs…
And any candy you can think of!
My favorite tapas restaurant was La Flauta (link to Trip Advisor review). The tapas were amazing, the gazpacho was delicious, and it’s great for big groups like ours. Lots of seafood, and there are other options than tapas, should you get tired of them (I kind of did). Try the Padron peppers. I ate them almost every day.
Lots of fresh, delicious seafood at La Flauta
Another good one is El Callejon. One of its specialties is salmon tartar with avocados.. It’s kind of guacamole-like, but with lots of lemon.
Salmon tartar with avocado at El Callejon
I also really liked the La Llavor dels Origens (if this link is still to the website under construction, click “menu” and you can at least get that). I’m not sure why I don’t have photos from this place… I probably was too busy eating! They use all locally-grown food and the menu lists the ingredients in everything. The place was slammed shortly after we arrived, but the ONE server did a terrific job til help arrived. Still, it probably took years off his life.
Of course, you have to try paella while you’re in Barcelona. I had it a couple of times. I prefer the fideua to the rice version. It’s paella made with noodles that are kind of like vermicelli. I got this at our the Hoteles Catalunya on the Placa Catalunya, but you could find it most places. Truthfully I’m just adding this paragraph after finishing this blog post, because someone would have undoubtedly noticed that I didn’t include anything about paella. Probably my dad. I like paella; it’s festive and tastes good, but it’s always too much food. I eat til I’m in an uncomfortable food coma and I still have lots left over. Anyway, enough of the required eating. Moving on.
Figeua at Hoteles Catalunya
My favorite all-around food experience was at Els Quatre Gats (The Four Cats). It opened in 1897. It was a hang-out of Picasso and Gaudi. This place had the best atmosphere of any of the many restaurants we went to. The menu was interesting and delicious. It was also $$$. I suggest going for lunch for the fixed menu.
If it looks like I ate my way through Barcelona (and Italy and France), it’s because I did. Now that I’m home for a few days in Park City, I’m in self-imposed food rehab. It’s all salad and simple food with no sauce. But now, I leave for a 3-week bike trip through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. I anticipate lots of food that’s fried… and beige.
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