Places to eat in Barcelona

We are arriving 2 days pre-cruise and staying at the Hotel 1898. Will probably do Barcelona Day Tours for a couple of half days.

Any recommendations for places to eat outside the hotel? I love the idea of tapas and this would be great for one night.

Sue

Ciudad Condal would be an excellent choice for tapas near to your hotel.

They also do a great 'cava sangria' (sparkling wine sangria).

The staff are heavily from the large Philippine community in Barcelona, so English is widely spoken. It is very busy, but do not be put off as you can usually get a table in 15 minutes or so.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d1059712-Reviews-Ciudad_Condal-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Ciudad Condal would be an excellent choice for tapas near to your hotel.

They also do a great 'cava sangria' (sparkling wine sangria).

 

The staff are heavily from the large Philippine community in Barcelona, so English is widely spoken. It is very busy, but do not be put off as you can usually get a table in 15 minutes or so.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d1059712-Reviews-Ciudad_Condal-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

If our taste runs to the less exotic (or down right simple) what are some tapa suggestions...and price range ?

If our taste runs to the less exotic (or down right simple) what are some tapa suggestions...and price range ?

Ciudad Condal does offer tapas just slightly higher quality and in an atmosphere a little above a standard tapas bar, but is by no means pricey.

Here you can see pics on foodspoting website

http://www.foodspotting.com/places/77095-ciudad-condal-08007/latest

Standard basic tapas

Patatas Bravas

Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish omlet)

Tomato Bread

small basic sandwiches

Pimientos de Padron

Croquets (cheese / potato)

Upscale basic tapas

Mini burgers

Grilled prawns (gambas a la plancha)

Veal sirloin (solomio de ternera)

grilled asparagus

tapa de jamon iberico

More exotic (for some)

Fried baby squid

garlic razor clams (navajas)

White anchovies

Ciudad Condal does offer tapas just slightly higher quality and in an atmosphere a little above a standard tapas bar, but is by no means pricey.

 

Here you can see pics on foodspoting website

http://www.foodspotting.com/places/77095-ciudad-condal-08007/latest

 

Standard basic tapas

 

Patatas Bravas

Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish omlet)

Tomato Bread

small basic sandwiches

Pimientos de Padron

Croquets (cheese / potato)

 

Upscale basic tapas

 

Mini burgers

Grilled prawns (gambas a la plancha)

Veal sirloin (solomio de ternera)

grilled asparagus

tapa de jamon iberico

 

More exotic (for some)

 

Fried baby squid

garlic razor clams (navajas)

White anchovies

Thank you so much...we felt a little intimidated/unsure about Tapas last visit...feeling better about the next time.

This sounds great for tapas. Any breakfast/lunch suggestions?

Sue

We were in Barcelona last year and ate at Tapa Tapa twice -- two different locations (although I think they have five or so in Barcelona). The menu is straightforward printe d on your placemat, so you can see what you're ordering.

We wanted to try some paella and were not disappointed. You can order two different sizes, so we ordered the smaller one.

The next day we ventured across the footbridge toward the Aquarium and ate outside on the deck at the Tapa Tapa there. It was even better than the first place. We'd order a couple of items and a beer and when those were cleared, we'd order another couple of items and another beer. The service was great and it was very relaxing and yummy.

Here is their website if you want to have a look: http://www.tapataparestaurant.com/

The lower part of La Rambla is back to back tapas and paella restaurants ( and sangria). They are pretty much of a muchness.

This sounds great for tapas. Any breakfast/lunch suggestions?

 

Sue

Ciudad Condal does lite breakfast as well. The Spanish do not eat breakfast really until around 10:30 AM and is more like a coffee break. You can find all sorts of breakfast options. My favorite it just to take fruit at the market, which has a fantastic variety.

L'Arros is a great choice for lunch at the start of the strip down to the Barceloneta beach area and W Hotel. Fideua is a regional specialty that is similar to Paella, but is small pasta instead of rice. This is very popular from 2 pm with locals for lunch.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d1846852-Reviews-L_arros-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Restaurant 1881 per Sagardi in the Museo d' Histori d Catalunya

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d2008476-Reviews-1881_per_Sagardi-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

La Gavina is a little pricier, but has views of the old port.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d1137212-Reviews-La_Gavina-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

We are arriving 2 days pre-cruise and staying at the Hotel 1898. Will probably do Barcelona Day Tours for a couple of half days.

 

Any recommendations for places to eat outside the hotel? I love the idea of tapas and this would be great for one night.

 

Sue

We stayed at the Hotel 1898 in June and ate at Bar Lobo for tapas. It is located directly behind the hotel. Exit the main door of the hotel (not the one on La Rambla) and turn left. Short walk around the corner. We all loved it and the food was excellent.

Here are a few photos:

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.

Sorry but IMHO any "tapas" bar that serves nachos with guacamole is likely to be a tourist trap.

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If you enjoy the food, who cares if it's a tourist trap? I certainly don't. There's a tourist trap in our town and I don't care to go there, but my brother loves the place. We went there a few weeks ago and I must say that my meal was delicious.

As for the tapas places on La Rambla, I noticed them, but didn't want to eat there with all the warnings about pickpockets. Didn't want to just put my purse on the table or the ground. The nice thing about the tapas place we went to by the Aquarium was that it was on a deck and no problem with having to watch your purse if it was by your feet.

If you enjoy the food, who cares if it's a tourist trap? I certainly don't.

That menu showed some serious steep prices too. Each to his own.

I personally enjoyed http://www.tripadvisor.nl/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d782627-Reviews-La_Txapela-Barcelona_Catalonia.html, LaTxapela. Tapas and pinchos, numbered on your coaster and easy to navigate as all bites are displayed at the bar where you can sit at. Normal prices, fast service, English speaking staff and near Placa de Catalunya and locals visiting them for a quick after work bite. Had a good time!

If you enjoy the food, who cares if it's a tourist trap? I certainly don't. There's a tourist trap in our town and I don't care to go there, but my brother loves the place. We went there a few weeks ago and I must say that my meal was delicious.

 

As for the tapas places on La Rambla, I noticed them, but didn't want to eat there with all the warnings about pickpockets. Didn't want to just put my purse on the table or the ground. The nice thing about the tapas place we went to by the Aquarium was that it was on a deck and no problem with having to watch your purse if it was by your feet.

Picking a restaurant is very personal. We're hoping to find some economical options. Often, places with a view charge more but you're buying the whole experience.

You may have been lucky. My sister had her purse by her feet and it was nabbed from behind. Our first visit will be in September and I'll be dining with my purse on my lap and nothing of great value in it.

It's great that you found a spot you enjoyed.

Saving this thread. We are staying by the Cathedral and would love some good restaurants nearby. Tried looking at trip advisor, but there are too many choices!

Don't bother to plan in advance. There are lots of places to eat. Have a walk around until you find somewhere that takes your fancy.

Often your hotel can recommend good places to dine.

We enjoyed tapas at Neyras at Via Laietana, 41 a short walk from the Hotel Colon. In the front of Neyras is the tapas bar. In the back is a restaurant.

English is not widely spoken in Spain. Just keep that in mind. Unless you go to a "tourist trap" with photos on the menu... then be prepared to learn to read in Spanish. I must admit- I'm not a fan of the Spanish food in general and really didn't care for it. So I think that if you get a good recommendation here- go with it. I would have loved guacamole and chips!:) My purse was by my feet in a video arcade- sandwiched between my calves. The cleverly managed to steal my camera and change purse out of it.

If you don't like Spanish food there is a Hard Rock Cafe on Plaça de Catalunya :)

English is not widely spoken in Spain. Just keep that in mind. Unless you go to a "tourist trap" with photos on the menu... then be prepared to learn to read in Spanish.

English is widely spoken in Barcelona - which is where the OP is asking about. I have visited the city probably more times than any other city in Europe and have eaten in many many places - none of which were tourist traps and all of which had some staff who spoke good English and many had English menus. Bear in mind that Barcelona is one of the most popular cities for Europeans to visit and the common language tends to be English if the visitor can't speak Spanish.

I am reluctant to recommend specific restaurants as what I like may not suit someone else. However this website http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/eng/ is a very good source of information, as is Trip Advisor.

First of all, you will love Barcelona and as someone above posted, there are so many great places that you don't really need to plan much. But if you are like me, I want to know the wheres and whens as soon as possible. Therefore, I recommend the following:

-Breakfast: grab a quick bite of bread with tomato (awesome!) at Pinotxo (Catalan for Pinochio) located in La Boqueria Market. Turn right from your hotel entrance off of Las Ramblas and walk about five minutes. You will find this place in one of the first kiosks. Touristy? By all means ever since Samantha Brown had her picture taken with the older waiter, but the food was great and very reasonably priced. Option B is any of the fruit kiosks found in La Boqueria.

-Dinner: We LOVE Los Caracoles for a sit down meal with lots of Sangria and awesome paella. Located in Calle de los Escudellers, 14, 08002 Barcelona about a ten minute walk from Hotel 1898.

Have a great trip and make sure to post your meal choices.

Z and TB

English is widely spoken in Barcelona - which is where the OP is asking about. I have visited the city probably more times than any other city in Europe and have eaten in many many places - none of which were tourist traps and all of which had some staff who spoke good English and many had English menus. Bear in mind that Barcelona is one of the most popular cities for Europeans to visit and the common language tends to be English if the visitor can't speak Spanish.

 

I am reluctant to recommend specific restaurants as what I like may not suit someone else. However this website http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/eng/ is a very good source of information, as is Trip Advisor.

That has not been my experience in Spain. I've been to Madrid twice and Barcelona twice. If you go to a high end or touristy restaurant in Las Ramblas- I agree that they generally speak English but if you are wandering around and even go to one of the Spanish chain restaurants like Coffee and Te- they speak no English. The taxi drivers also speak practically no English. We did have to speak Spanish to get our point across. The places tours take you to will speak English.

If you go to a high end or touristy restaurant in Las Ramblas- I agree that they generally speak English but if you are wandering around and even go to one of the Spanish chain restaurants like Coffee and Te- they speak no English. The taxi drivers also speak practically no English. We did have to speak Spanish to get our point across. The places tours take you to will speak English.

Have to agree to disagree then ;) This hasn't been my experience and I don't eat in touristy restaurants close to Ramblas, don't eat in Spanish chains and never do organised tours. I can't comment on taxis as we tend to take the local transport.