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Joe H

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what a great update Jackie - headed to Barcelona in a few weeks and I will definitely rely on this

Thanks Niall - have a great time! I'm jealous... One other note I forgot to mention - Sitges is a short train ride away and is a very quaint little seaside town. We didn't eat much there, but it's a nice destination for a day trip.

Shishito peppers, perhaps? La Tienda sells them fresh, and you can find them on the menu at Estadio.

Thanks for the suggestions - an order has been placed with La Tienda (and I can't wait for it to get here). I will keep an eye out for the Shishito peppers for comparison.

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If you've never been Barcelona is a fantastic city. ...Tibidabo which is a 100 year old amusement park at the top of a mountain and reachable only by tram-it overlooks the entire area with a 100 km view on a clear day-this is a wonderful destination, maybe my favorite of any large city in Europe.

This is Tibidabo's website-it is in English. There is also a small photo which shows the view from a 1920's era Aeroplane Swing where riders can look out over the mountainside, the city several thousand feet below and the Meditarranean encircling and fading in the distance beyond it. This is not so much an antique amusement park as it is a "Twilight Zone" type of experience which truly feels surreal and unlike any other.

http://www.tibidabo.es/eng/coneix.htm

I didn't read this before our trip, but I absolutely have to second Joe H's recommendation to take the funicular up to Tibidabo. It is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city center - and you can walk back down from the station to town in 30-45 minutes. It's a bit like Glen Echo, on a much larger scale and still in operation.

One other recommendation from a local, that we didn't have time to try, was Restaurante Taktika Berri. We were told it was the best place for Basque cuisine in Barcelona. According to various online write-ups the tapas are supposed to be excellent and you really should make a reservation.

Taktika Berri

Carrer de València 169

Metro: Hospital Clínic

Phone: 93 453 47 59

Hours: lunch & dinner Mon-Fri, lunch Sat

I also failed to include Méson del Café in my earlier post. The same local was kind enough to escort us from La Seu (that wonderful cheese shop) the short two blocks to the Café and treat us to an espresso. It's worth a quick stop just to take in the character and charm of this tiny spot which has been in operation for 100+ years.

(I got my pimentons de Padron from La Tienda and they were as good as I remembered. A snap to recreate the dish we had - fry in a bit of olive oil until the skin blisters, sprinkle with coarse salt, and enjoy!)

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Quimet y Quimet – This was one of our first, and favorite, stops. The kindness of strangers served us well, as a friendly local helped us order and made sure we got some good things to try. The montaditos were great and, while there was a bit of a language barrier the owner was quite amenable to the pointing and asking (in broken Spanglish) for something made with a particular item. Standing only, so people move on relatively quickly. It was here that we learning about dropping the little paper napkins and toothpick wrappers on the floor - apparently it's the thing to do smile.gif

Tapas 24 – a basic selection of tapas, we walked in late afternoon/early evening and were quickly seated at the bar where we enjoyed the bikini (ham and cheese sandwich) and a few other bites.

These were our first two stops as well, several weeks ago. We absolutely loved the baby squid at Tapas 24 (almost as good as what we had at Asador Extebarri on our honeymoon last year). So tender and fresh! The grilled spring onions with romesco sauce and patatas bravas were quite enjoyable too. The small bites at Quimet y Quimet were tasty...I would liked them better if not lukewarm/room temperature.

Comerc 24 was probably a step down from what we had in San Sebastian but the tasting menu was inspired and well-paced all the same. Highlights included the shrimp ceviche with beet ice and the consomme with egg/truffle/parmesan bubbles.

Our breakfast at El Quim in the Boqueria was so filling that we didn't eat until much later that night. Loved the fried eggs with baby squid, the razor clams, and the fried artichokes. Perhaps the unexpected gem of our trip was the tasting menu at Gelonch...great price/quality ratio, super-friendly service, and several "wow" dishes (including the 24-hour sous vide Iberian pork with grilled octopus, the duck mini-burrito with foie gras, and the avocado-pistachio ice cream with lemon custard).

The tasting menu at Alkimia was as well-executed as Comerc 24 but seemed to lack soul. That said, all the dishes looked gorgeous.

We're now torn about whether to return to Barcelona on future trips to Spain, because there are so many other regions and cities to see!

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Well, we have finished parts 1 and 2 of our Spanish adventure - Madrid and Granada - and are now in Barcelona until our (sad) return to the U.S. More on that later, I'm sure...

bettyjoan, trust me on this one: the most popular market in Barcelona is Mercat de la Boqueria, but the one you want for pintxos is the little corner place in the very non-touristy Mercat de San Antoni.

If I were to experience two (and only two) pintxo bars in Barcelona, they would be the polar opposite Mercat de San Antoni (blue collar, ultra-fresh seafood most likely swimming that very day, dirt-cheap Txakoli served in water glasses), and perhaps the modern, trendy Tapas 24 (more upscale, but lots of substance behind the the trendiness, good wine selection) - they make for a fascinating juxtaposition and are both superb representatives of their type. You can definitely find substitutes for Tapas 24 (so don't build an evening of tapas-hopping around Tapas 24), but you will not find a suitable alternative for Mercat de San Antoni (which was recommended to me by a hotel worker when I made it unambiguously clear that I wanted pintxos where locals go to get them - he urged me to go here) - it's a fantastic experience and *the* place for spanking-fresh seafood.

See "What to do" in my jetsetter.com review of Barcelona.

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Don, thank you for the recommendations - unfortunately, due to some other reservations and plans, we were unable to make it to the Mercat de Sant Antoni. I was hoping to go tomorrow morning before our flight, but because it is Labor Day here, no one is very clear on what will and will not be closed. That said, we did go to Tapac 24 and I will report about that and the rest of our Barcelona dining (which, by and large, was very good) in that forum...

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So, when I was in Barcelona 11 years ago (at the end of my four month stint in Madrid), I had ridiculous allergies AND I was very violently mugged. Not a lot to live up to - but the city impressed me more than I thought it would. It seems to me that, unlike Madrid and Andalucia, it's harder to just saddle up to ANY bar or cerveceria in Barcelona and get truly good food - you have to be a bit more savvy and do a little research.

We had a lovely tasting menu at Casa Calvet (in a Gaudi building of the same name), despite being drenched from a pop-up thunderstorm during our walk over; highlights were a monkfish dish with local clams and a sherry reduction, and a coconut-mango-basil dessert.

We had dinner at Tapac 24, and we LOVED the bikini (Catalan for a ham and cheese sandwich, called a mixto in most of the rest of Spain) and the chocolate-olive oil-sea salt dessert.

Lunch at Moo, in the very sleek and modern Hotel Omm, was probably our best fine dining experience - we ordered a la carte and enjoyed the best paella of the trip, some super-fresh and perfectly cooked sole and sea bass, and a Cuban inspired dessert that included a rum cake with mint granita and a crazy-good chocolate cigar.

But the real culinary surprise of the trip was dinner at Paco Meralgo. Almost everything is closed on Sunday nights, so I was lamenting the fact that we'd have to order room service when my husband discovered the place via TripAdvisor reviews (I think it was mentioned briefly upthread as well). We didn't have much to lose, so we headed over and WOW - the place was packed, with locals and tourists alike. It's an attractive space, with two bars and two seating areas, and they have an extensive menu of tapas and some paella and larger plates. Nothing super creative or new, but PERFECTLY executed and served with humor and pride. Seriously, the staff seemed to be having the best time - joking with each other, interacting with all of the guests, and just generally keeping spirits very high. Razor clams, patatas bravas, garlic rabbit, gambas a la plancha, croquetas, crema catalana, and the best pan con tomate we had in all of Spain - a ton of food for two, plus a bottle of wine, for under 70 Euro. I would recommend it to anyone, and I would definitely return on a subsequent trip.

Bottom line, Barcelona is a great food city (and a great city in general, considering all it has to offer), but I will still take Madrid any day of the week and twice on Sunday. :D

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Tickets booked for a trip this October so the planning starts. Flying into Barcelona and departing from Madrid with 11 days on the ground. I will obviously be reading this thread and the one about Madrid. We are considering getting a car and making a slow trek to Madrid and are curious about interesting places (food, architecture, history, etc.) to see/stop along the way.

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Tickets booked for a trip this October so the planning starts. Flying into Barcelona and departing from Madrid with 11 days on the ground. I will obviously be reading this thread and the one about Madrid. We are considering getting a car and making a slow trek to Madrid and are curious about interesting places (food, architecture, history, etc.) to see/stop along the way.

La Sagrada Familia is the most magnificent human structure I have ever seen in person, and I'm certain that 1,000 years from now, it will be looked upon as one of the greatest artistic triumphs in world history (*). Make *sure* to buy your tickets online (morning of, or night before) - this is worth a full half-day. It is worth a trip to Europe *just* for this - the amazing thing is how "not famous" it is.

(*) How fragile technology has made life.

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Tickets booked for a trip this October so the planning starts. Flying into Barcelona and departing from Madrid with 11 days on the ground. I will obviously be reading this thread and the one about Madrid. We are considering getting a car and making a slow trek to Madrid and are curious about interesting places (food, architecture, history, etc.) to see/stop along the way.

You are doing our trip, but backwards (we flew into Madrid and out of Barcelona). Frankly, unless you really like driving, I don't see the need to get a car - there are buses, trains (high-speed and regular), and planes that can get you to nearly anywhere you want to go in Spain. And where that is will depend on what types of things you want to see and do. Madrid and Barcelona alone could easily take 11 days. We added Granada to our trip, because the Alhambra was something I wanted my husband to see AND because I feel that Andalucia is just such a different and fun region to experience. What are your interests? Spain is my favorite place in the world (I think I have convinced Jason to retire there someday...), so I am happy to live vicariously and assist any way I can. :D

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Absolutely love Spain, and Barcelona in particular (although Madrid is fantastic as well, and I don't know that I've ever eaten as well as I did in San Sebastian). I'd start your Madrid planning by checking out the suggestions Gerry Dawes gave me, both during his chat, and in the Madrid section proper. In Barcelona, our favorite single spot was Pinoxto Bar. Make sure you stop here. More to come later.

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Tickets booked for a trip this October so the planning starts. Flying into Barcelona and departing from Madrid with 11 days on the ground. I will obviously be reading this thread and the one about Madrid. We are considering getting a car and making a slow trek to Madrid and are curious about interesting places (food, architecture, history, etc.) to see/stop along the way.

I have been to Madrid and Barcelona. I think 11 days will be about enough to just see both of them, and nothing more really, especially if you want to explore some of the art museums in Madrid and see the architecture in Barcelona, which really are worth touring on the inside, as well. West of Barcelona on the way to Madrid is the Penedes wine region, which we enjoyed renting an Alfa and touring. I really liked Barcelona as a great place culturally with so much to do and see, but also just a great vibe. Madrid has so much to do and see, but I just don't think it is as much fun to stay at, it just doesn't have the same vibe. I would definitely spend more time in Barcelona, but perhaps it is my personal preference.

I did a huge trip report from Barcelona, but it's on Chow, I can send it to you, but it is from 2007, so quite a bit dated. My previous trip before that where we went to a bunch of other cities, I was backpacking and on a very limited budget, so my eating wasn't very memorable. Plus by the time I got to Madrid it had been so long since I had been home and eaten anything familiar (we didn't do fast food or stuff we could get at home) I begged my traveling companion to eat dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and we had fajitas and burgers, I can't even remember our other meals there. I thought the Alhambra really was worth seeing, but it's a good bit out of the way. If I was going to do that I would pair it with Cordoba and Seville on another trip. Valencia would be an option too, but then you are really limiting your time in either Madrid or Barcelona. I might consider one or two day trips outside the city, but no more, then just take high speed rail between the two. It really is so much to see the two, unless you have no interest in museums or architecture.

If you end up renting a car there is a beautiful winding road that follows the crest of the mountain in Barcelona up to Tibidaldo that is a really beautiful drive with a number of gorgeous overlooks.

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Road trip with my 20-year old daughter and my sister coming up this August. 4 days in Barcelona, 3 in San Sebastian and 3 in Madrid. Museums, churches, food, wine, beach, architechture, food, wine, beach, wine ...

WE are flying into Barcelona, flying to San Sebastian, and then taking the train to Madrid

I've cut and pasted some of the recommendations above - but many of them are a bit dated so if you have any more recent updates, I'd be happy to hear about them!

Also, any suggestions to links I should check out would be appreciated!

Did anyone use any of the special city passes or skip-the-line tours or hopon/off busses in the cities?

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Road trip with my 20-year old daughter and my sister coming up this August. 4 days in Barcelona, 3 in San Sebastian and 3 in Madrid. Museums, churches, food, wine, beach, architechture, food, wine, beach, wine ...

WE are flying into Barcelona, flying to San Sebastian, and then taking the train to Madrid

I've cut and pasted some of the recommendations above - but many of them are a bit dated so if you have any more recent updates, I'd be happy to hear about them!

Also, any suggestions to links I should check out would be appreciated!

Did anyone use any of the special city passes or skip-the-line tours or hopon/off busses in the cities?

We did the hop on hop off bus in Barcelona because we were so tired from our flight and couldn't get into our hotel room, so we rode around and got our bearings, then after one full circle hopped off and toured the Rambla. We bought tickets to the Gaudi houses online and didn't have to wait in line, there was a ticket that you could see multiple houses that we bought. Other than Gaudi, and the aquarium I don't think we did a lot of museums because I had already been to them, and my Husband didn't really care to see the Picasso Museum or etc (I think I bought online tickets here too so we could skip the line when I was there previously, that line actually gets pretty long.) And Barcelona is so much fun to wander.

I can't remember what we did in Madrid, I only remember that the ticket sales person at the Prado was really mean to me and yelled at me about the student discount when they could have politely said it didn't apply. We did take a hop on hop off bus there, as well. It's been so long ago now. If the passes include the hop on off buses might be worth it depending on what else they have because those aren't cheap.

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Road trip with my 20-year old daughter and my sister coming up this August. 4 days in Barcelona, 3 in San Sebastian and 3 in Madrid. Museums, churches, food, wine, beach, architechture, food, wine, beach, wine ...

WE are flying into Barcelona, flying to San Sebastian, and then taking the train to Madrid

I've cut and pasted some of the recommendations above - but many of them are a bit dated so if you have any more recent updates, I'd be happy to hear about them!

Also, any suggestions to links I should check out would be appreciated!

Did anyone use any of the special city passes or skip-the-line tours or hopon/off busses in the cities?

NOTE: August is vacation month in Spain (e.g., when the locals high tail it outta there because it is so gosh darned hot), so whatever you decide to do, you are going to need to call ahead and make sure it is open. The "big ticket" tourist attractions will stay open, of course, but some of the smaller attractions may have different hours. Locally/family owned bars and restaurants will surely be impacted. Be prepared to see far more tourists and plenty of signs on doors indicating closures. No, it's not going to be like a ghost town, but you will have a different experience than if you went during another month. You just need to go in with the right expectations. Spain is still the greatest place ever. :D

I am much more of an expert on Madrid than Barcelona, so I always tend to do my own thing when I am in the former. The museums are first-rate, and I think that a tour of the royal palace is worth every minute and every penny. If the weather is nice, Retiro Park is fantastic for some outdoor time. I personally find the hop on/hop off buses to be really cheesy and impersonal, so if you don't want to walk or take Metro (which, by the way, is cheap and efficient and clean and safe and fantastic in just about every way), perhaps you can find a local guide or a small group situation?

In Barcelona, we did a tour with Viator that allowed us to skip the lines at Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, and a couple of other things. It was MUCH appreciated - the lines were really long. We also had a super awesome local guide and a bus to take us from point to point (we covered a LOT of the city - it would have been too much walking). I would highly recommend Viator - they have a lot of different tours depending on your interests. You could use them in Madrid as well.

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Road trip with my 20-year old daughter and my sister coming up this August. 4 days in Barcelona, 3 in San Sebastian and 3 in Madrid. Museums, churches, food, wine, beach, architechture, food, wine, beach, wine ...

WE are flying into Barcelona, flying to San Sebastian, and then taking the train to Madrid

Did anyone use any of the special city passes or skip-the-line tours or hopon/off busses in the cities?

I haven't been since I made my 2011 recommendations but you're following almost the same path that we took; we flew from Barcelona to Bilbao and then drove to San Sebastian. I won't give any specific food recs since my info is dated but I highly recommend the side trips from San Sebastian to Bilbao (about an hour away?) and to Hondarribia (40 minutes ish?) which was written up in the NY Times a few years ago. We had excellent pintxos in both places and they're wonderfully charming little towns.

Like ktmoomau we also did the hop on hop off when we landed in Barcelona because who can think on practically no sleep? Sometimes I don't think those buses are worth it but i liked it for Barcelona since it can get you to most of the major tourist spots on a 2 day pass. It was also totally worth it to get La Sagrada Familia super early to be first in line since we're talking saving time on both a short ticket line and a short elevator line. We saw the lines on the hop on bus and realized that there was no way we were doing that. Plus the place wasn't packed with tourists and you could really stop and enjoy it.

We were so worn out by the time we made it to Madrid I can't even remember what we did but I do know we took advantage of the free hours at the Prado and that I ended up loving the Reina Sofia more than I thought I would.

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Saw it and will do research on the market but since the post is almost a year and half old and others have been there since then I was hoping for some more current info.

This is the type of tapas bar (the one at Mercat de San Antoni) that will be exactly the same in 2040. You'll see what I mean when you get there (think: Market Lunch at Eastern Market, except it's tapas made with market-fresh seafood, and cheap glasses of good Txakoli). :)

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Okay, just bought plane tickets to Barcelona from December 19 - January 3rd for the honeymoon.

The plan (currently scribbled in pencil):

8 days in Barcelona

8 days in San Sebastian (with day trips to Bilbao and possibly a wine tour in Rioja or out west).

Questions:

  1. Rent an apartment (from airbnb, homeaway, flipkey) or stay in a hotel? I don't think we currently have the funds for a michelin star food experience AND a luxury hotel experience. Has anyone rented an apartment instead of a hotel?
  2. What are the chances of doing some winery tours during this time of year? Based on the advertisements and websites I've seen, doesn't appear to be a time where wineries are operating.
  3. Lunch reservations or late night dining? What did folks prefer when they experienced these times, is it easier to get in to some of the Arzak, etxebarri, Mugaritz in the evenings?
  4. Dress codes for these fancy places? Should I be packing my suit?
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Okay, just bought plane tickets to Barcelona from December 19 - January 3rd for the honeymoon.

The plan (currently scribbled in pencil):

8 days in Barcelona

8 days in San Sebastian (with day trips to Bilbao and possibly a wine tour in Rioja or out west).

Questions:

  1. Rent an apartment (from airbnb, homeaway, flipkey) or stay in a hotel? I don't think we currently have the funds for a michelin star food experience AND a luxury hotel experience. Has anyone rented an apartment instead of a hotel?
  2. What are the chances of doing some winery tours during this time of year? Based on the advertisements and websites I've seen, doesn't appear to be a time where wineries are operating.
  3. Lunch reservations or late night dining? What did folks prefer when they experienced these times, is it easier to get in to some of the Arzak, etxebarri, Mugaritz in the evenings?
  4. Dress codes for these fancy places? Should I be packing my suit?

1. Apartment

2. Not sure - write Gerry Dawes and ask him (he could set you up, but you'd need to pay him a fee (it's his career))

3. You can get into all of these places with reservations

4. Comfortable sportcoat and slacks, no tie

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Okay, just bought plane tickets to Barcelona from December 19 - January 3rd for the honeymoon.

The plan (currently scribbled in pencil):

8 days in Barcelona

8 days in San Sebastian (with day trips to Bilbao and possibly a wine tour in Rioja or out west).

Questions:

  1. Rent an apartment (from airbnb, homeaway, flipkey) or stay in a hotel? I don't think we currently have the funds for a michelin star food experience AND a luxury hotel experience. Has anyone rented an apartment instead of a hotel?
  2. What are the chances of doing some winery tours during this time of year? Based on the advertisements and websites I've seen, doesn't appear to be a time where wineries are operating.
  3. Lunch reservations or late night dining? What did folks prefer when they experienced these times, is it easier to get in to some of the Arzak, etxebarri, Mugaritz in the evenings?
  4. Dress codes for these fancy places? Should I be packing my suit?

1. Airbnb is your friend. We stayed in the Gracia neighborhood in Barcelona and loved it.  In San Sebastian I would warn against staying in the old town, as we found it a bit loud.  We had a great stay at Hotel Astoria 7 that is about a 15 minute walk from old town. Check the San Sebastian thread for my thoughts on our trip in 2011.

2. dunno

3. We always did lunch at the big stars and saved our evenings for tapas and wine.  When we head back, we'll stick to the same plan.

4. No need for a suit.

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3. We always did lunch at the big stars and saved our evenings for tapas and wine.  When we head back, we'll stick to the same plan.

I like this strategy, for both towns, although there is something nice about the last thing of the day being relaxing with a 3-star dinner and lotsa wine (yes, that means getting the sex out of the way before going out I didn't just say that).

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I like this strategy, for both towns, although there is something nice about the last thing of the day being relaxing with a 3-star dinner and lotsa wine (yes, that means getting the sex out of the way before going out I didn't just say that).

Well...it will be our honeymoon. :D

Thank you for the quick responses! Off to hunt for apartments on airbnb and to book reservations.

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We stayed in a rental apartment and it worked out great.  Much cheaper than a hotel (I paid about $100 for three nights and three days) and if we planned better we could have cooked a lot at home.  One walk around the Boqueria and you will want access to a kitchen.

Due to the lack of palates of those I was traveling with we had multiple meals at the same place where everyone was happy.  They could eat cheap pizza and I could have real food. I had a grilled seafood platter that will be very difficult to top for about 26 euros at Genove 1911 on La Ramblas.  Yes, it's on La Ramblas, but the food was still great.  The platter had two types of crab, six types of prawns and shrimp, two types of clams, mussels, and snails.  A few nights before, at the same restaurant, I had zarzuela, another incredible seafood dish. Skip paella and have this instead.  Again, a lot of seafood in a sauce that I can't describe but was finger licking good.

In the Boqueria, find El Quim, enjoy a glass of sangria while you wait for a seat, and eat whatever seafood they put in front of you when you finally sit down.  The razor clams were the best I've had.  It's a tiny little joint, with maybe a dozen seats and four or five guys in the smallest "kitchen" you can imagine cooking seafood caught that day to order.  It was recommended to us by a fishmonger as the best in the market and she was right.

Also in the Boqueria you will want to try one of the dozens of flavors of fruit juice for 1-1.5 euros.  Don't pay more than that.  At many of the stands you can buy meat on a stick/in a cone/ in a McDonald's french fry shape container.  Everything from salami to iberico ham.  They also sell vacuum packed sliced Spanish meat and sausages to take home.  I didn't have any problem flying back to Switzerland with a backpack of meat but you should check about flying in to the US. Oh, and don't forget the olives.

Otherwise, I just ate at random places I found while wandering around the city.  I had iberico sandwiches for breakfast every morning.  The best one I had was at the stand just before you go into Boqueria from La Ramblas.  I had cravings when I got home.

I managed to go 49 days without seeing a Starf*&cks until I got to Sagrada Familia where it was across the street.  Much more upsetting though, was the Dunkin Donuts next to the Boqueria.  Damn Americans.

I was advised by many locals I spoke with to not go to the other market Don mentioned.  It is under construction and I was told not to bother, so I didn't.  There is so much to try at the Boqueria that you won't miss it.

One last thing to remember is that nothing but touristy stuff is open on Sundays so make sure you stock up on goodies Saturday.  And go hungry.

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Market hopping today...The Boqueria was amazing.

Mercat de Sant Antoni was closed for renovation.  :(  There's a temporary market set up, but it didn't appear to have any pinxtos bars.

Mercat de Santa Catarina was also pretty awesome, we had a late lunch there. Grilled asparagus with romesco, roasted suckling pig leg and a huge bottle of cava.

Picked up ham, ham and more ham for tomorrow and some ingredients for a christmas dinner.

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Club Chefs of Connecticut & New York Taste of Spain Tour 2014 with Gerry Dawes, Days 1 & 2, Jan. 13 & 14, A Gastronomic Adventure in Barcelona

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The lovely Gemma Bosch Roca at her Palmira i Neus - Gemma seafood stand. 

Photo by Gerry Dawes©2014 / gerrydawes@aol.com / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest. Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

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The legendary mushroom-and-truffle guru, Llorení§ Petrí s, now-retired, but who just happened to be at his Bolets Petrí s Fruits del Bosc stand in Barcelona's Mercat de La Boquerí­a that day (the stand is now run by his sons Isaac and Xavier) and showed the chefs a pile of prime black truffles. Club Chefs of Connecticut & New York Taste of Spain Tour 2014 with Gerry Dawes. Photo by Gerry Dawes©2014 / gerrydawes@aol.com / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest. Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

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Quim Mí rquez, Quim de la Boquerí­a, La Boquerí­a Market, Barcelona.  Photo by Gerry Dawes©2014 / gerrydawes@aol.com / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest. Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

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Chef-owner Quim Marquès shows his paella Catalana con mariscos, mar y muntanya (Catalan "sea and mountain" paella) with cigalas (Dublin Bay prawns), mejillones (mussels), pollo (chicken) and ciruelas pasas (prunes), Suquet de L'Almirall, La Barceloneta, Barcelona.

Photo by Gerry Dawes©2014 / gerrydawes@aol.com / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest. Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

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Jordi Cruz in his open kitchen at ABaC Restaurante, Hotel ABaC, Barcelona.

Photo by Gerry Dawes©2014 / gerrydawes@aol.com / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest. Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

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El Xampanyet is about 100 footsteps or so away from The Picasso Museum in the Gothic Quarter and it's the restaurant we're still talking about since we got home. Opened in 1929, no website, no Facebook page, no written menu. It's a tiny place that by 8pm is spilling into the street with people drinking Cava out front. Just a crazy fun and memorable meal here with remarkably good food. Standing at the bar packed like sardines, dish after dish was offered to us, and each seemed better than the next. Little plates of jamon, tortilla, anchovies, olives, stuffed peppadews, squid over veggies, potato with peppers and chorizo; and the coup de grace, a spiced Lomo Iberico sausage a la plancha on one half of the plate, with some thin, long green and slightly hot peppers, also grilled, on the other side of the plate, topped with an herby olive oil. All of our food with four glasses of Cava (or maybe it was six, I forgot), came to 48 Euros. Really, go to this place. 

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We just got back from a quick long weekend visit to Barcelona. The city is much changed since our first time there in 2006 - it feels safer, cleaner, more welcoming.

We were last in Spain in 2009 for a mega foodie blitz that we planned around a reservation at El Bulli and the trip started in San Sebastian including meals at Mugaritz and Extebarri, a drive through Rioja, then a day in Girona and meal at El Cellar de Can Rocas before heading to Rosas for the meal at El Bulli finally ending in Barcelona - one must purchase meats to smuggle back into the country. It was ten days of once in a lifetime meals, our favorites being El Cellar de Can Rocas and Extebarri. We swore we would return to both. So a year ago, we made a reservation at El Cellar de Can Rocas.

We did a mini-recreation of the infamous 2009 trip on this visit to Barcelona - a return to Can Rocas with meals at Tickets and Disfrutar in Barcelona and some late night pintxos upon arrival.

Girona

El Cellar de Can Rocas - it was as good, if not better than we remembered. The food, service and wine pairings were impeccable and inventive. The food is visually arresting. We are so happy we went back.

Gelateria Rocambolesc - the Rocas brothers have an ice cream shop. Fascinating flavor combinations and really interesting toppings including cotton candy. Long line but totally worth it.

Barcelona

Tickets - When we went to El Bulli in 2009 we didn't get the famous spherical olives, they're on the menu at Tickets and we took full advantage. They will pick items for you and basically keep sending food until you cry mercy. We definitely over-ordered ending up with something in the neighborhood of thirty items. There were only a couple items we wouldn't recommend someone else order and things we would say do not miss. Desserts were not nearly as exciting as the savory items. The setting is fun and casual.

Disfrutar - This restaurant is brand new. Opened by El Bulli alums. We went for a late lunch the day we arrived in Barcelona. it is a long and inventive tasting menu and have a great wine list. We really enjoyed it and it is definitely reminiscent of El Bulli - they also do the spherical olive. The setting is very modern. The food is fantastic, but with room to mature. I think this is destined to a must visit place.

Boqueria - It is a tourist trap. But a photographer's dream and the fruit stands are bigger and more expansive than we remembered while fish/seafood and meats seem less prominent than our last two visits to the city.  But each time we've been we've had a great meal at Kiosk Universal - they serve super fresh seafood a la plancha and seasonal vegetables plus other local specialties. These are always some of our most memorable meals and the tiny, sweet clams are something you dream of.

Vila Viniteca - Great wine shop, they speak English and have plane ready boxes. We bought a case of interesting Cava and library reds to bring home.

Caelum - They sell artisan foods made by nuns and monks around Spain and have a little tea shop. I love this store, it is a little touristy but I don't care. They make amazing hot chocolate and lots of lovely pastries.

Baluard Bakery - Excellent bakery. Good place to grab a snack relatively close to the Sagrada Familia.

We've stayed at Casa Camper a couple times now, and definitely recommend this hotel highly. Not cheap, but if you are someone who appreciates amenities and American sized rooms it is a good choice right off Las Ramblas.

Photos are all up on Instagram

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lekkerwijn's recent report was great timing for my trip to Barcelona.  Based on lekkerwijn's report, I made a reservation for Disfrutar and loved it.  Having been to various modern food/molecular gastronomy type restaurants, I wasn't sure how much I wanted to go to another one, but I'm so glad I went.

And, to contribute something to this thread -- it was my first time in Barcelona, and I enjoyed this Gracia neighborhood tapas tour from Devour Barcelona food tours.  The tour starts at 10am and lasts until about 2 to 2:30 pm.  We visited 9 locally owned spots for a small plate or two and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic were available).  Plus a lesson on how to make the ubiquitous tomato bread.  They were also able to accommodate vegetarians.

I also had a great meal at Hoja Santa.

Edited to add links.

Edited by cheezepowder
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lekkerwijn's recent report was great timing for my trip to Barcelona.  Based on lekkerwijn's report, I made a reservation for Disfrutar and loved it.  Having been to various modern food/molecular gastronomy type restaurants, I wasn't sure how much I wanted to go to another one, but I'm so glad I went.

And, to contribute something to this thread -- it was my first time in Barcelona, and I enjoyed this Gracia neighborhood tapas tour from Devour Barcelona food tours.  The tour starts at 10am and lasts until about 2 to 2:30 pm.  We visited 9 locally owned spots for a small plate or two and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic were available).  Plus a lesson on how to make the ubiquitous tomato bread.  They were also able to accommodate vegetarians.

I also had a great meal at Hoja Santa (whose website doesn't seem to be working right now so will link to it later).

I'm so happy to hear that you liked Disfrutar!

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And, to contribute something to this thread -- it was my first time in Barcelona, and I enjoyed this Gracia neighborhood tapas tour from Devour Barcelona food tours.  The tour starts at 10am and lasts until about 2 to 2:30 pm.  We visited 9 locally owned spots for a small plate or two and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic were available).  Plus a lesson on how to make the ubiquitous tomato bread.  They were also able to accommodate vegetarians.

NPR article "Barcelona's Mom-and-Pop Tapas Bars Take on the Big Tourist Chains" that also talks about the Devour Barcelona food tour.

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i'm headed to barcelona/san sebastian/mallorca in september and would love any new recommendations.  voraciously taking notes of earlier recommendations!  my daughter is coming with the us and one question i had was...do restaurants generally open after 8/9?  need to bring the afternoon siesta back into practice so she can be up past her bed time.  

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...do restaurants generally open after 8/9?  need to bring the afternoon siesta back into practice so she can be up past her bed time.  

I'm sure it depends on what neighborhood you're in and where you want to go, but I had things planned for later in the evening so I went to lunch and dinner unfashionably early - like around 1pm for lunch and 5 pm, 7/8 pm for dinner in Barcelona.   Some places I made early reservations, and some places I just walked in.

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Looking for good food recommendations in Barcelona (not prix fixe, and not in the far outskirts) from anyone who has a recommendation from the last couple years.

One thing we want is a molecular gastronomy-influenced place (not everything there has to be, as long as something is), where we can order a la carte and not a tasting menu. Disfrutar looks like you can only order a set menu - if I'm wrong about that, please tell me.  ABaC is set menu only, but 10s has tapas that 'follow the philosophy' of Jordi Cruz, so I'm interested in that.

I was excited to go to the El Barri restaurants, Tickets or Bodega 1900, but sadly they are all closed when we're there (unfortunately, spring break from school means it's Holy Week in Spain, but our tickets are already booked so we're definitely going then).

El cellar Can Roca is closed that week (and is in Girona, & may have been above our price point and/or too late to book), but Roca Moo in Barcelona is open then and has an a la carte menu. Has anyone been there? Edit: I see that bettyjoan went there in 2012 and liked it very much - excellent!

From the recommendations above, I definitely will plan to go to Mercat san Antoni for tapas, and El Xampanyet by the Picasso museum.

I am hoping that sights are not closed during Holy Week (I expect many will be on Good Friday, but hope not the rest of the week beforehand) .....would like to take the teen to Tibidabo, and every Gaudi site, and the Picasso Museum, and other places.

Any other recommendations would be very welcome!I know there's more up above but they're several years old, though I'll look into those places for sure. We'd only go to a molecular gastronomy place once, I think, so we'd have lots of other meals. Will do some tapas (I will check out the NPR link posted above), some regular restaurants, will not want to travel out of the city for meals.  Will be exploring lots of the Gaudi sites, so anything near Parc Guell would be great to know. We can't drink, so don't need to know which places have good wine/cava.

Thank you!

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Looking for good food recommendations in Barcelona (not prix fixe, and not in the far outskirts) from anyone who has a recommendation from the last couple years.

One thing we want is a molecular gastronomy-influenced place (not everything there has to be, as long as something is), where we can order a la carte and not a tasting menu. Disfrutar looks like you can only order a set menu - if I'm wrong about that, please tell me.  ABaC is set menu only, but 10s has tapas that 'follow the philosophy' of Jordi Cruz, so I'm interested in that.

I was excited to go to the El Barri restaurants, Tickets or Bodega 1900, but sadly they are all closed when we're there (unfortunately, spring break from school means it's Holy Week in Spain, but our tickets are already booked so we're definitely going then).

El cellar Can Roca is closed that week (and is in Girona, & may have been above our price point and/or too late to book), but Roca Moo in Barcelona is open then and has an a la carte menu. Has anyone been there? Edit: I see that bettyjoan went there in 2012 and liked it very much - excellent!

From the recommendations above, I definitely will plan to go to Mercat san Antoni for tapas, and El Xampanyet by the Picasso museum.

I am hoping that sights are not closed during Holy Week (I expect many will be on Good Friday, but hope not the rest of the week beforehand) .....would like to take the teen to Tibidabo, and every Gaudi site, and the Picasso Museum, and other places.

Any other recommendations would be very welcome!I know there's more up above but they're several years old, though I'll look into those places for sure. We'd only go to a molecular gastronomy place once, I think, so we'd have lots of other meals. Will do some tapas (I will check out the NPR link posted above), some regular restaurants, will not want to travel out of the city for meals.  Will be exploring lots of the Gaudi sites, so anything near Parc Guell would be great to know. We can't drink, so don't need to know which places have good wine/cava.

Thank you!

If you don't have dinner at ABaC, have breakfast on the patio there if the weather is nice. It'll cost you plenty, but you'll be Queen For A Day without having to ante up for dinner or a room, and it'll probably be empty - you'll get a chance to walk through the hotel and grounds, too. Jordi Cruz works over his plates with tweezers, so I'm not sure following his philosophy will amount to much - his ideas aren't all that groundbreaking (not in today's day and age), but his execution is quite good. If there's *any way* you can stay at ABaC, try and do it - when I went, I was the only room in the hotel and had the entire spa for as long as I wanted - even went back a second time that same day. It was ... glorious, but if you're going to be out and about, spending crazy money to stay in a hotel is pointless unless you're Bill Gates. I know ABaC's PR rep, and can try to help you, although there's nothing I'd be able to do in terms of pricing (who knows though - if it's slow, you might get an upgrade).

I've done this "cheat" with many a deluxe hotel - it cost me twenty bucks to have a leisurely, hour-long breakfast on the patio at Cháteau de la Chèvre d'Or, and my little rental Renault Mègane was the only car there that wasn't a Bentley or Lamborghini. As long as you're polite and dress decently, in situations such as this, the staff is *glad* to have your business because they have to be there anyway; the owner is probably off somewhere in the Emirates.

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Thank you, Don - breakfast at ABaC sounds like a terrific idea! I don't want to do a set menu dinner b/c everyone in our family has something they can't eat and so we do better a la carte, but the breakfasts sound lovely and like a great way to experience the place.

We're staying in an apartment (hotels with two beds to fit three people being harder to find and more expensive, and an apartment allowing us to bring back some food from the markets, though I don't expect we'll cook, but having a fridge and a sink will be great) near Casa Mila (near Diagonal subway stop).

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Looking for good food recommendations in Barcelona (not prix fixe, and not in the far outskirts) from anyone who has a recommendation from the last couple years.

One thing we want is a molecular gastronomy-influenced place (not everything there has to be, as long as something is), where we can order a la carte and not a tasting menu. Disfrutar looks like you can only order a set menu - if I'm wrong about that, please tell me. ABaC is set menu only, but 10s has tapas that 'follow the philosophy' of Jordi Cruz, so I'm interested in that.

From the recommendations above, I definitely will plan to go to Mercat san Antoni for tapas, and El Xampanyet by the Picasso museum.

Take a look at the menu for Hojo Santa (not sure if it's one of the closed restaurants when you're there?). When I went, they had those molecular gastronomy "olives," and I thought some of their other dishes were molecular gastronomy influenced (though the dishes were not as "different" as Disfrutar's tasting was).

I also enjoyed El Xampanyet -- I arrived soon after they opened on a Saturday and was glad to have arrived when I did because they got crowded quickly.

I wish I were going back to Barcelona!

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El Xampanyet sounds good! We may have gone there nearly 20 years ago when we were last in Barcelona.

Hojo Santa will be closed, as will that whole group, sadly. I have had the olives here at Jaleo, and liked them.

Good Friday tons of things will be closed, but it looks like enough will be open for the two of us who aren't fasting then to get some good meals on our last day there.

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Just make *sure* you go to La Sagrada Familia, and the most important thing I can tell you is: *buy your tickets in advance, online.* Otherwise, you will not get in.

This is the most beautiful building I have ever seen in my life - it, alone, is worth a trip to Europe.

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Yes, we are absolutely going - we went there 20 years ago and loved it, and can't wait to see all the progress (pix I've seen look fairly different).  It's my husband's #1 favorite thing in Barcelona (maybe in any city).  I want to revisit all the other Gaudi sights as well (and our teen hasn't seen any of them), as well as any we missed last time.

I'm trying to find info on whether there's some kind of city pass or Gaudi pass or anything where I should be buying tickets to multiple sights in advance.  Then I need to figure out what is closed on Good Friday and/or Maundy Thursday (Friday is a holiday throughout Spain; Thursday is a holiday someplaces in Spain, but not, I think, Barcelona).

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I'm trying to find info on whether there's some kind of city pass or Gaudi pass or anything where I should be buying tickets to multiple sights in advance.  Then I need to figure out what is closed on Good Friday and/or Maundy Thursday (Friday is a holiday throughout Spain; Thursday is a holiday someplaces in Spain, but not, I think, Barcelona).

"Differences Between Barcelona Tourist Travel Pass and the Barcelona Card" on barcelona-tourist-guide.com

"Barcelona: Tickets in Advance" on tripadvisor.com

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This modest list based on one short, four-day visit this past summer:

La Boqueria is the main food market, off Las Ramblas.  Inside it is a a little counter called Pinoxto Bar, which has great tapas and great atmosphere -- breakfast and lunch
 only, from 6 am or so until 4.  Get the tortilla (omelet) and 
xuixu (custard filled pastry things) for breakfast; the chickpeas and any seafood you see, including baby squid and beans, clams, etc. -- all great, at lunch or breakfast.  Decent coffee, too.

El Quim, also in the market, supposed to also be great, for mussels and other things, but we didn't eat there.

Within three blocks of the Picasso Museum, in "El Born," are at least three great tapas places -- Bar Del Pla (which we ate at), Tapeo, and El Xampanyet.  Could get a couple of dishes at each, or settle in at one.  Excellent shopping happening around there, too. 

For a slightly nicer meal (but not ridiculously high-end), Gresca, for lunch, in the Eixample (close to the Casa Battlo)--great value.  (Good for dinner, too, but less of a value.)  Make reservations.  We also found that Gelonch was great -- some Peruvian influence.  But it's far less well known -- less of a scene.  Hisop also supposed to be excellent in that price range or a bit higher.

For dinner, definitely make reservations at Bar Canete in the Ravel (not the restaurant but the bar portion).  Fantastic.

 
We also had excellent Pintxos straight from San Sebastian at Zeruko-- good value-- but it's fairly new and no one seems to know about it yet, so very quiet.
 
For ice cream DelaCream is supposed to be incredible, especially the Pistachio ice cream, and also check their seasonal fruit flavors.
 
Am told that for bakeries and sweets check out La Pastiseria on Arago Street and Takashi Ochiai, a Japanese bakery.
 

Looking for good food recommendations in Barcelona (not prix fixe, and not in the far outskirts) from anyone who has a recommendation from the last couple years.

One thing we want is a molecular gastronomy-influenced place (not everything there has to be, as long as something is), where we can order a la carte and not a tasting menu. Disfrutar looks like you can only order a set menu - if I'm wrong about that, please tell me.  ABaC is set menu only, but 10s has tapas that 'follow the philosophy' of Jordi Cruz, so I'm interested in that.

I was excited to go to the El Barri restaurants, Tickets or Bodega 1900, but sadly they are all closed when we're there (unfortunately, spring break from school means it's Holy Week in Spain, but our tickets are already booked so we're definitely going then).

El cellar Can Roca is closed that week (and is in Girona, & may have been above our price point and/or too late to book), but Roca Moo in Barcelona is open then and has an a la carte menu. Has anyone been there? Edit: I see that bettyjoan went there in 2012 and liked it very much - excellent!

From the recommendations above, I definitely will plan to go to Mercat san Antoni for tapas, and El Xampanyet by the Picasso museum.

I am hoping that sights are not closed during Holy Week (I expect many will be on Good Friday, but hope not the rest of the week beforehand) .....would like to take the teen to Tibidabo, and every Gaudi site, and the Picasso Museum, and other places.

Any other recommendations would be very welcome!I know there's more up above but they're several years old, though I'll look into those places for sure. We'd only go to a molecular gastronomy place once, I think, so we'd have lots of other meals. Will do some tapas (I will check out the NPR link posted above), some regular restaurants, will not want to travel out of the city for meals.  Will be exploring lots of the Gaudi sites, so anything near Parc Guell would be great to know. We can't drink, so don't need to know which places have good wine/cava.

Thank you!

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i highly recommend going on a walking tour with culinary backstreets.  i did the mediterranean, seaside of barcelona and it was not only a culinary experience but they really take you to the backstreets.  be prepared to eat.  i think we stopped by 15+ places with bites from each stop.

i would also check out paco meraldo!  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d945264-Reviews-Paco_Meralgo-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

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We dined well in Barcelona but a let down after staying in Rioja and going on a Tapas crawl in Lagrono. My belief is that local knowledge is worth a lot more then 4 star reservations and calling an audible is highly recommended. I do suggest a tour of Rioja and can suggest a. Driver and the Frank Gehry designed hotel in Rioja was one of the finest I have ever been too.

In Barcelona we took a cooking class but the night was Armen Van Buren at club Opium. As my boys tell me, live large and out of your comfort zone.

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