Tapas Walking Tours

Has anyone done any of the Tapas Walking Tours in Barcelona? I am trying to decide between two different tour companies, one is Barcelona Tapas Walking Tour for 95E and the other is The Taste of Barcelona for 75E. I would appreciate any opinions/advice.

Sherri:)

I can't understand why anybody would pay those extortionate prices. There are literally hundreds of tapas bars in Barcelona, you don't need a guide. Part of the fun is discovering somewhere that looks nice. Have a read on Tripadvisor, even there you can find loads of information.

Thanks, that was super helpful!:rolleyes:

Sherri:)

I was trying to point out that a tour isn't needed, but I shan't bother anymore with this thread as you probably know better than me.

I can't understand why anybody would pay those extortionate prices. There are literally hundreds of tapas bars in Barcelona, you don't need a guide. Part of the fun is discovering somewhere that looks nice. Have a read on Tripadvisor, even there you can find loads of information.

I totally agree.

We did a Tapas tour with our river cruise company, but could have done it ourselves.

Here are some excellent restaurants in Barcelona.

One of the restaurants is located on the corner of a large market about 100 yards east of the Cathedral Square, across the street from the Gothic area. The name of the restaurant was Cuines Santa Caterina.

We had dinner at ATN, which was located close to a Roman excavation of tombs just off Las Ramblas on Canuda Street. The restaurant was open, even though it was about early by Spanish dinner standards. We had a wonderful meal with great service. Separate checks were not a problem with a party of six and credit cards were accepted. The next day, we had dinner at small tapas restaurant near the Plaza Sant Just on Palma De Sant Just. That restaurant, Bodega LaPalma, was not modern like ATN, but small and rustic. The tapas were excellent, with large servings for very reasonable prices. I highly recommend both restaurants.

My point is that I am asking for info from anyone who has done either of these tours. I have been to Barcelona many times and have done tapas on my own. I think this could be fun & different way to spend an evening visiting 5 different places with a guide who can provide background information. And while it seems like an exorbitant price, spending what we have spent at 1 restaurant for tapas & wine x 5 would be way over that price. I have also already read Trip Advisor which I have found on past trips to not always be an accurate representation.

Sorry if you got your feelings hurt, but I was not asking for advice or a lecture on why I shouldn't even consider a tour.

Sherri:)

I totally agree.

We did a Tapas tour with our river cruise company, but could have done it ourselves.

 

Here are some excellent restaurants in Barcelona.

 

One of the restaurants is located on the corner of a large market about 100 yards east of the Cathedral Square, across the street from the Gothic area. The name of the restaurant was Cuines Santa Caterina.

We had dinner at ATN, which was located close to a Roman excavation of tombs just off Las Ramblas on Canuda Street. The restaurant was open, even though it was about early by Spanish dinner standards. We had a wonderful meal with great service. Separate checks were not a problem with a party of six and credit cards were accepted. The next day, we had dinner at small tapas restaurant near the Plaza Sant Just on Palma De Sant Just. That restaurant, Bodega LaPalma, was not modern like ATN, but small and rustic. The tapas were excellent, with large servings for very reasonable prices. I highly recommend both restaurants.

We have been to ATN several times, it is a nice restaurant although the food can be hit or miss. But reasonable prices. I think we have also been to Bodega LaPalma, it sounds very familiar.

Do you know what company did your tour?

Sherri:)

My point is that I am asking for info from anyone who has done either of these tours. I have been to Barcelona many times and have done tapas on my own. I think this could be fun & different way to spend an evening visiting 5 different places with a guide who can provide background information. And while it seems like an exorbitant price, spending what we have spent at 1 restaurant for tapas & wine x 5 would be way over that price. I have also already read Trip Advisor which I have found on past trips to not always be an accurate representation.

 

Sorry if you got your feelings hurt, but I was not asking for advice or a lecture on why I shouldn't even consider a tour.

 

Sherri:)

I was also interested in possibly doing a Tapas tour in Barcelona. Yes, the fees are a little steep, but I was more curious about what the tour itself consisted of besides the dining part. Hopefully someone out there can provide you (us) with an answer.:)

Bill

Has anyone done any of the Tapas Walking Tours in Barcelona? I am trying to decide between two different tour companies, one is Barcelona Tapas Walking Tour for 95E and the other is The Taste of Barcelona for 75E. I would appreciate any opinions/advice.

 

Sherri:)

Let me complicate your choices by adding the name of an organization that provided an outstanding Tapas Walking Tour when we visited Barcelona: Spanish Trails. This company offers a number of food and/or wine experiences including a 95 E version and a 125 E version tapas walking tour. We took the more expensive version and considered the experience totally worth the money.

To all the naysayers who have told you to DIY, I can't disagree with their limited observation that anyone can constructed his/her own tapas walking tour. Other nights during our visit to BCN, we did that. (We also ate conventional meals and sometimes full meals at a single tapas bar.) But those experiences simply aren't quite as satisfying, no matter how delicious the food. Our guide provided a lively and informative explanation of the food/wine traditions, source information, and, occasionally, information about preparation, and history. This commentary more than justified the surcharge we were paying over the cost of the dishes themselves.

At least based on our excellent Spanish Trails experience, I recommend you sign up for a tour.

I was also interested in possibly doing a Tapas tour in Barcelona. Yes, the fees are a little steep, but I was more curious about what the tour itself consisted of besides the dining part. Hopefully someone out there can provide you (us) with an answer.:)

 

Bill

Here's a bit more detail about our Spanish Trails experience. The evening is scheduled to last about six hours which may seem quite daunting; however, the guide created a route that was very manageable. We began the tour at the Placa Catalunya and, from there, walked to places in the Eixample, the Gothic Quarter, and El Born. Seeing the various neighborhoods and hearing the guide's comments about them was a nice bonus en route. The itinerary and distances were organized to allow us to take a nice break between eating/drinking experiences. By the time the walk began to feel long, we were at our next destination. (At the end of the evening, we were walked out and took a taxi back to our hotel.)

Some weeks after our experience with Spanish Trails, I happened to run into another person online who had taken a tapas tour with a different guide in the company. She had visited Ciudad Condal (Eixample) as part of her route. This is a very well popular tapas place for locals and tourists alike. I had read about it before the trip and several people recommended it while we were in the city. My husband and I had a tapas lunch there one day. Despite the restaurant's good reputation, we had a very mixed experience. For example, the grilled razor clams tasted delicious but they were filled with grit which really detracted from the flavor. I'm confident that the Spanish Trail guides know the menus and avoid the less-than-stellar dishes at otherwise well-regarded tapas places. The DIY diner doesn't have that advantage.

Here's a bit more detail about our Spanish Trails experience. The evening is scheduled to last about six hours which may seem quite daunting; however, the guide created a route that was very manageable. We began the tour at the Placa Catalunya and, from there, walked to places in the Eixample, the Gothic Quarter, and El Born. Seeing the various neighborhoods and hearing the guide's comments about them was a nice bonus en route. The itinerary and distances were organized to allow us to take a nice break between eating/drinking experiences. By the time the walk began to feel long, we were at our next destination. (At the end of the evening, we were walked out and took a taxi back to our hotel.)

 

Some weeks after our experience with Spanish Trails, I happened to run into another person online who had taken a tapas tour with a different guide in the company. She had visited Ciudad Condal (Eixample) as part of her route. This is a very well popular tapas place for locals and tourists alike. I had read about it before the trip and several people recommended it while we were in the city. My husband and I had a tapas lunch there one day. Despite the restaurant's good reputation, we had a very mixed experience. For example, the grilled razor clams tasted delicious but they were filled with grit which really detracted from the flavor. I'm confident that the Spanish Trail guides know the menus and avoid the less-than-stellar dishes at otherwise well-regarded tapas places. The DIY diner doesn't have that advantage.

We are thinking that this might be a great way to end our trip in Barcelona. As far as your Spanish Trails tour went, could you comment a bit on the food you were given to try? More specifically, we are wondering how "gourmet" the gourmet tour actually is. Thank you.

We did the Barcelona Taste in 2012 and were exceedingly pleased.

The tour was about 4 1/2 hours and we hit 4 locations with a number of scenic spots in between.

I'm a little fuzzy on the exact locations and menu at this point but -

Location 1 - A family run traditional tapas place. Had to be 12 or 15 different options they brought out.

That was just some of the items (the round orange balls were called Bombas, that I remember and they were terrific!) Alcohol was an option and included. One note at this point - my wife is a picky eater and they made very sure options were available for her at every stop.

Stop 2 - Was a cheese shop run by a scottish lady for Wine and Cheese (try the Ufft! if they have it )

Third was a Catalan Tapas restaurant for another 5 or 6 options (very different than stop 1). I think this was it:

Last was a bakery for dessert - At this point we were so stuffed even with the walking that I don't recall what this was.

In between there was lots of good commentary and conversation and some nice scenes of Barcelona at night..

After it was done they were happy to find us a taxi back to our hotel and give the driver clear instructions (Our guides were US expats who also spoke fluent Spanish and Catalan)

All in all, a great tour and I would recommend them HIGHLY

We are thinking that this might be a great way to end our trip in Barcelona. As far as your Spanish Trails tour went, could you comment a bit on the food you were given to try? More specifically, we are wondering how "gourmet" the gourmet tour actually is. Thank you.

We were extremely impressed with the quality and sophistication of the food. Definitely gourmet. A couple of examples: a very elegant foie preparation and a beef with a slice of foie from two different stops on the tour. Despite the repeat of the ingredient, the tastes were extremely different. The ham and cheese plate included the highest grade of ham, Jamon Iberico de Bellota. According to the Spanish government's grading scale, this is the highest of the four Iberico hams which, in turn are higher than the three Serrano hams. The cheeses were from artisanal producers and delicious. There was no let down in quality throughout the evening.

The wines/alcoholic beverages were equally special. We wimped out on the opportunity to drink from a porron, a decanter that is delivers wine at great distance. The wine that gets consumed using a porron tends not to be the finest wine Spain has to offer, but the tour includes this experience as a stop since it is a traditional part of the food and wine culture.

Here's a photo of a man drinking from a porron the expert way -- at reasonable distance:

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608053428213252503&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

Here's a photo of what the average person on the tour looks like, if anyone even dares to try: (Actually this fellow is holding the decanter a surprising distance from his mouth given his obvious novice status.)

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=drinking+from+a+porron+images&qpvt=drinking+from+a+porron+images&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=338ADBE2A7A02327F77BFEE1D0BD5CBE7C971C99&selectedIndex=21

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.607998452631146296&pid=1.7

(Apologies in advance if the attachments don't work. I've never attached a photo from the internet.)

We were extremely impressed with the quality and sophistication of the food. Definitely gourmet. A couple of examples: a very elegant foie preparation and a beef with a slice of foie from two different stops on the tour. Despite the repeat of the ingredient, the tastes were extremely different. The ham and cheese plate included the highest grade of ham, Jamon Iberico de Bellota. According to the Spanish government's grading scale, this is the highest of the four Iberico hams which, in turn are higher than the three Serrano hams. The cheeses were from artisanal producers and delicious. There was no let down in quality throughout the evening.

 

The wines/alcoholic beverages were equally special. We wimped out on the opportunity to drink from a porron, a decanter that is delivers wine at great distance. The wine that gets consumed using a porron tends not to be the finest wine Spain has to offer, but the tour includes this experience as a stop since it is a traditional part of the food and wine culture.

 

Here's a photo of a man drinking from a porron the expert way -- at reasonable distance:

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608053428213252503&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

 

 

Here's a photo of what the average person on the tour looks like, if anyone even dares to try: (Actually this fellow is holding the decanter a surprising distance from his mouth given his obvious novice status.)

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=drinking+from+a+porron+images&qpvt=drinking+from+a+porron+images&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=338ADBE2A7A02327F77BFEE1D0BD5CBE7C971C99&selectedIndex=21

 

 

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.607998452631146296&pid=1.7

 

(Apologies in advance if the attachments don't work. I've never attached a photo from the internet.)

Thanks for the feedback! Sounds delicious - Foie Gras is actually one of my favorites.

Here's a bit more detail about our Spanish Trails experience. The evening is scheduled to last about six hours which may seem quite daunting; however, the guide created a route that was very manageable. We began the tour at the Placa Catalunya and, from there, walked to places in the Eixample, the Gothic Quarter, and El Born. Seeing the various neighborhoods and hearing the guide's comments about them was a nice bonus en route. The itinerary and distances were organized to allow us to take a nice break between eating/drinking experiences. By the time the walk began to feel long, we were at our next destination. (At the end of the evening, we were walked out and took a taxi back to our hotel.)

 

Some weeks after our experience with Spanish Trails, I happened to run into another person online who had taken a tapas tour with a different guide in the company. She had visited Ciudad Condal (Eixample) as part of her route. This is a very well popular tapas place for locals and tourists alike. I had read about it before the trip and several people recommended it while we were in the city. My husband and I had a tapas lunch there one day. Despite the restaurant's good reputation, we had a very mixed experience. For example, the grilled razor clams tasted delicious but they were filled with grit which really detracted from the flavor. I'm confident that the Spanish Trail guides know the menus and avoid the less-than-stellar dishes at otherwise well-regarded tapas places. The DIY diner doesn't have that advantage.

Thank you for sharing your Tapas tour experience. This is exactly what I was looking for.

We did the Barcelona Taste in 2012 and were exceedingly pleased.

 

Location 1 - A family run traditional tapas place. Had to be 12 or 15 different options they brought out... (the round orange balls were called Bombas, that I remember and they were terrific!)

I was intrigued by your mention of Bombas. You've described this as one of the more distinctive dishes of your food tour, but I don't remember this dish from any of our days of eating in Barcelona, on tour or otherwise. Curious, I did so googling and came up with an interesting article about the ingredients in a La Bomba and the reason for its name which translates to "a bomb." The article ends with a recipe for making this dish.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.weareneverfull.com/la-bomba-anarchy-in-the-kitchen/#sthash.KZsB9408.dpbs

Having read the article, I came away with a renewed enthusiasm for taking a food tour. Bombas are potato croquettes with sauce in a specific design. This is an example of something that folks eating DIY would miss. They could easily enjoy the taste without ever knowing the reason behind the saucing of the dish and its political commentary about the Spanish Civil War.

FWIW, at Ciudad Condal (CC) potato croquettes aren't fancifully named. At least on the English menu, they're simply called potato croquettes. I wonder if they're called Bombas on the Spanish menu. Despite the passage of time and the many menus we read during our multi-day stay in BCN, I have a distinct memory of this because my husband and I were on a mission about eating croquettes in Barcelona. We have ordered chicken croquettes at a well-regarded tapas place, Jaleo, in our hometown. (The chef is a Spaniard with a national reputation.) We've never been blown away by his chicken croquettes; the frying is skillfully executed, but the over-all flavor too bland. So when we went to Ciudad Condal we took the opportunity to order these for comparison. There wasn't any significant difference between Jaleo's version and CC's version so we've concluded we aren't fans of chicken croquettes. But my point is that I definitely was reading the Croquette section of the menu and because of my own back-story was really paying attention. Again, I wish the menu had been Spanish above English rather than all English. I probably would have noticed the "Bomba" name.

It was the sauce that made them. Someone needs to set up as street cart in NYC with those things and just those things.

I was intrigued by your mention of Bombas. You've described this as one of the more distinctive dishes of your food tour, but I don't remember this dish from any of our days of eating in Barcelona, on tour or otherwise. Curious, I did so googling and came up with an interesting article about the ingredients in a La Bomba and the reason for its name which translates to "a bomb." The article ends with a recipe for making this dish.

 

Here's the link to the article: http://www.weareneverfull.com/la-bomba-anarchy-in-the-kitchen/#sthash.KZsB9408.dpbs

 

Having read the article, I came away with a renewed enthusiasm for taking a food tour. Bombas are potato croquettes with sauce in a specific design. This is an example of something that folks eating DIY would miss. They could easily enjoy the taste without ever knowing the reason behind the saucing of the dish and its political commentary about the Spanish Civil War.

 

FWIW, at Ciudad Condal (CC) potato croquettes aren't fancifully named. At least on the English menu, they're simply called potato croquettes. I wonder if they're called Bombas on the Spanish menu. Despite the passage of time and the many menus we read during our multi-day stay in BCN, I have a distinct memory of this because my husband and I were on a mission about eating croquettes in Barcelona. We have ordered chicken croquettes at a well-regarded tapas place, Jaleo, in our hometown. (The chef is a Spaniard with a national reputation.) We've never been blown away by his chicken croquettes; the frying is skillfully executed, but the over-all flavor too bland. So when we went to Ciudad Condal we took the opportunity to order these for comparison. There wasn't any significant difference between Jaleo's version and CC's version so we've concluded we aren't fans of chicken croquettes. But my point is that I definitely was reading the Croquette section of the menu and because of my own back-story was really paying attention. Again, I wish the menu had been Spanish above English rather than all English. I probably would have noticed the "Bomba" name.

Thanks for the feedback! Sounds delicious - Foie Gras is actually one of my favorites.

A couple of additional thoughts...

The gourmet tour began at a place that was clearly a restaurant. We enjoyed the two dishes we ate on the tour so much that we wanted to return the next night for a full meal. Looking at the menu -- even with my limited Spanish -- I could see that the usual format of this restaurant is a choice of set multi-course meals. There was no a la carte option. That means our stop on the gourmet tour was by special arrangement with Spanish Trails. (In fact, we ate in this restaurant before the official hours of operation.) There's no way a DIYer could come into the restaurant, eat two small plates worth of food and leave.

In another post, I mentioned another Spanish Trails tour-taker who went to Ciudad Condal. I don't know if she went on the regular 95E tour or if she took the gourmet version like us but she definitely worked with the other guide and went other places. I remember our guide explaining that out of all the guides working for his company, only two were qualified to lead the food walk and that each of the two was responsible for constructing a tour so there were some differences in the route/stops.

We have been to ATN several times, it is a nice restaurant although the food can be hit or miss. But reasonable prices. I think we have also been to Bodega LaPalma, it sounds very familiar.

 

Do you know what company did your tour?

 

Sherri:)

We did those restaurants on our own.