Barcelona Restaurant Recommendations

[Corinna Dunne]

No Rias de Galicia was the more upmarket restaurant that we skipped which had been recommended on another thread. It looked very good. Plenty of great looking live seafood in the window. Have you tried it? I can't remember the name of the one we went to (something Gallegos?), but it had much more of a rough and tumble Rafa's look to it and was further down towards the port end of the street. We had given up on the queue in Carballeira in Barceloneta earlier in the day. That looked really good too. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has tried it.

Apologies to your friends who missed the Cinc Sentits experience.

Edited October 18, 2006 by Corinna Dunne (log)

[Marlene]

We'll be in Barcelona in June for 4 nights, staying at the Avenida Palace. What's not to miss in Barcelona for dining?

[Thesorus]

I'm also in BCN in june.

I will probably do a couple of the the following, will make reservation if necessary on site.

Pinotxo at the Boqueria Market,

Comerç 24

Alkemia (I'm intrigued)

Quimet & Quimet

Cal Pep and El Xampanyet (both were closed last time I was there in august)

TapaÇ 24

and many other places I will find while getting lost around the city.

last summer I tried the following :

MOO (at the Omm hotel), it was very good, but lacked something, but I cannot put a finger on it.

ÈS, was good.

[Corinna Dunne]

There's quite a bit on this recent thread.

If you are up for a short trip out of town, Can Roca is well worth a visit, click here.

[paulbrussel]

If you would ike to go to Roca, I would recommend Can Fabes more; I found it again much better then the three Roca brothers, and I went to both in two days. Can fabes is half way to Girona.

[docsconz]

If I remember correctly, Marlene, you are not particularly into seafood, which is a shame in Barcelona as it has some of the best seafood anywhere. With that in mind I would suggest Jamonissimo for a sampling of Spain's unparalled hams and Gaig for some of the best canellons you can imagine. Of course, do see the Boqueria. In addition to Pinotxo there are a number of other excellent kiosks worth sampling.

[Mr. Bottisn]

We'll be in Barcelona in June for 4 nights, staying at the Avenida Palace.  What's not to miss in Barcelona for dining?

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Restaurant Moo in the Hotel Omm.

Moo is is restaurant by Joan Roca,

i had a great experience there.

[marc at fraiche]

We'll be in Barcelona in June for 4 nights, staying at the Avenida Palace.  What's not to miss in Barcelona for dining?

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Restaurant Moo in the Hotel Omm.

Moo is is restaurant by Joan Roca,

i had a great experience there.

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id like to second that, just returned from barcelona and had the best meal in town at moo, closely followed by abac and then alkimia although hisop was a let down for me compared to the above, a little too rough around the edges and attention to detail was lost in the execution in most of the dishes,some nice ideas flavour wise but no polish i,m,h,o anyhow, and service way behind the others, they do that annoying habit of all vanishing into the kitchen at the end,

oh and try to get to bubo pastry, nice chocolates and rather good opera

have pictures of moo and alkimia if i can figure out how toload them lol

[Corinna Dunne]

Marc, I'd love to hear more about Moo, Alkimia and Abac if you've got a chance.

[marc at fraiche]

Marc, I'd love to hear more about Moo, Alkimia and Abac if you've got a chance.

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no problem corinna if you can bear with me il write about my meals have pics from moo and alkimia, couple from hisop and drats none from abac,

are you going over soon?

[Corinna Dunne]

No plans to visit in the near future (unfortunatley). I was in Hissop last October, and thought it was extraordinarily good value for money (tasting menu plus wine pairing for €60, unbelievable compared with Dublin). Abac and Coure are on my list for whenever I get over there again.

[CalumC]

Hi all,

My mums going to Barcelona next week, and shes looking for a few places to go for good food. Has anyone got some recommendations for her for places to visit. I think theres a place called Jamonissimo, which i think is in Barcelona, but i might be wrong. What other places might be good to visit, tapas bars etc.

Cheers,

[Dan Ryan]

No shortage of threads about Barcelona if you search.

What sort of thing are you (or is she) looking for? I can give plenty of recommendations...

[CalumC]

Well traditional, good tapas i guess. Good catalan style food. And pretty much anything else you think is worth visiting as a foodie in Barcelona.

[Dan Ryan]

Well here are a few names to play with:

Tapas: Cerveseria Catalana, Quimet i Quimet, Onofre, La Plata (does only three things, but it's a great bar)

Good lunch restaurants: Lluis de les Moles, Dolso, Anima

Cheap and cheerful regional Spanish: Meson David (Galician), Bar Salvador (Catalan, lunch only), Casa Valencia (guess what)

Great food shops: Vila Viniteca, Formatgeria La Seu, Jamonisimo

Desserts: Espai Sucre, Dolso (both dessert restaurants), Bubo, Cremeria Toscana (ice cream)

Oops, I'm hungry in Gracia: Abissinia, Shojiro

The more upmarket places are well-covered in other threads. I'd highly recommend Cinc Sentits.

General tips: eat as many sausages as you can: they're superb, in all forms. Go to Anima for lunch or dinner; it's pretty much my favourite restaurant in the city. And try some cheeses at Vila Viniteca (ask for Juan Carlos) and La Seu (the charming Katherine). Cheese is good.

Edited May 21, 2007 by Dan Ryan (log)

[Chris Amirault]

[T]ry some cheeses at Vila Viniteca (ask for Juan Carlos)....

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I second Dan's many of suggestions and especially this one. Click here for a full report from our October trip, and do be sure to look up Juan Carlos. I'd find him early in the trip and ask him what to do where.

[Dan Ryan]

Oh yeah, bakeries: Mistral, Barcelona Reykjavik

Good good bread. Not cheap. But good.

[Silly Disciple]

Cheap and cheerful regional Spanish: Meson David (Galician)

Meson David has recently changed owners and is not worth the visit.

[Dan Ryan]

Really? Haven't been for a while. Thanks for the info...

[marc at fraiche]

No plans to visit in the near future (unfortunatley). I was in Hissop last October, and thought it was extraordinarily good value for money (tasting menu plus wine pairing for €60, unbelievable compared with Dublin). Abac and Coure are on my list for whenever I get over there again.

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[/quot

sorry for the delay been trying to get pics sorted but as yet no luck

but this is my meal at alkimia

i put hisop up on the wrong link oops did you see it?

nice discreet facade hides alkima, one could easily miss it from the exterior but once inside its all you hope it to be, great lighting as pizza express use for all table lighting with cool white and small splashes of colour with equations adorning the walls, a stylish wine cellar approached by spiral staircase and air conditioned room on one level stretching back to the kitchen,

we chose the grand tasting menu but there was also a tasting menu for 52 euros or the cart had 9 starters 7 fish courses and 6 meat choices, 6 dessert choices

to begin

bread sticks and green olives which were spiced

then a tomato and olive bread came out as a canape

lots of good olive flavour

amuse bouche

tomato water with olive oil, slice of thin sausage on top very clean flavour on top was very crisp croutes

second bouche

garlic cream,water melon granite, fresh raspberry, rose jelly

amazing balance of flavours from what could have been shocking in the wrong hands but here very very good

then choice of white bread or walnut bread was offered, nice bread but not in the same league as moo or others ive eaten of late

first course

tuna ceviche thyme cold soup avocado and lime

rocket garnish and mustard leaf with slice of red onion and lime marinated cucumber spaghetti and toasted pine nuts

very fresh taste to the dish and well judged lime use in the ceviche which didnt over power it a good dish to enjoy

egg bonbon

a signature dish which i can see why now as its very clever and superb dish served with a sombrassada and chorizo mange tout and crisp bread

peas with cuttlefish

this is the star of the day stunning dish, wow peas cooked perfectly with its own stock which tasted like maybe a flavour of ham? macadamai foam with cuttlefish

this is my flavour memory of the day did i mention that its brilliant?

sea bass roasted, butter foam and butternut squash cream confit of orange very well cooked peice of fish but the butter and butternut just to rich with the orange to sweet to cut through,

risotto of red pepper with cra fish

nice dish but nothing more parsley oil slick around with strong taste of pepper left half of this

duck leg with cabbage ball stuffed with offal and foie, pak choi and mixed seeds

very dry meat and slightly lacking ,not a hit for us

lovely cheeses board arranged on trolley with names on each, with great condition of the cheeses

dessert 1

white wine ice cream with tropical fruit sauce

my god this was weird, i was sat opposite a restaurant reviewer for a magazine and loved watching her reactions to the dishes and was very interested to see the reaction to this one as i was left confused if i remember it had beetroot granite, beetroot dice,passion fruit sauce,apple dice, mango cake crumbs dark baked tuile biscuit and maybe pistachio, strange one this i noticed the critic shaking her head and scribbling fast

2nd dessert

chocolate and hazelnut brownie with cacao ice cream and yoghurt ice cream with chocolate soil, the brownie served warm very well balanced dish the ice cream lovely and smooth with great level of acidity to cut through the richness of the chocolate a big hit with us and the critic on the next table lol

petit fours

madelaines ok

macaroons of raspberry good

chocolate curry yuk!

passion fruit sorbet in white chocolate

and small shot glass of tangerine puree with saffron foam and cacoa nibs

oh and the best tea ive tasted in barcelona bloody good stuff

so very glad went to alkimia and would very much like to return those peas are calling

[Saborosa]

Cheap and cheerful regional Spanish: Meson David (Galician)

Meson David has recently changed owners and is not worth the visit.

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While I agree it's not the same, I wouldn't completely condemn it out of hand.

While I miss Ramon's joviality and big bellied kisses, and the decor is not the same without the 'painting' of the crying clown adding a melancholy note to the surrounding jollity, the tv's still on in the corner, the food is mostly the same, the prices are still pretty good value and now there are cute dining rooms upstairs (with the added thrill of potentially being trapped up there in a fire - how was this ever passed as up to code? Is there even a code?). Oh and the toilets are positively luxurious in comparison with their previous incarnations (anti-dandruff shampoo for washing your hands, anyone?)

Having said that, our own visits are seriously down in number, hmmmm, maybe Silly's right after all.

[Silly Disciple]

Having said that, our own visits are seriously down in number, hmmmm, maybe Silly's right after all.

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C'mon, you didn't really go to Meson David just for the food. In fact, you can get similar food in maybe 10 other places in the city. It was the atmosphere that made it fun. And the new owners have turned that into the usual tourist trap atmosphere.

Moreover, I've been twice since they changed owners (I have friends who own a youth hostel a couple of blocks away), and I do think that the food has gone downhill (not that it was that great to begin with).

My two cents: not worth it anymore.

[Saborosa]

Having said that, our own visits are seriously down in number, hmmmm, maybe Silly's right after all.

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C'mon, you didn't really go to Meson David just for the food. In fact, you can get similar food in maybe 10 other places in the city. It was the atmosphere that made it fun. And the new owners have turned that into the usual tourist trap atmosphere.

Moreover, I've been twice since they changed owners (I have friends who own a youth hostel a couple of blocks away), and I do think that the food has gone downhill (not that it was that great to begin with).

My two cents: not worth it anymore.

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Yeah, I'd kind of argued myself around to your position by the end of the post.

[strcprstskrskrk]

Having just returned from Barcelona after using many of the suggestions from eGullet, I thought I'd share my map of most of these places (unfortunately it's not yet possible to print out a decent version of this - but hopefully that will come soon).

Google Restaurant Map of Barcelona

The first three are nightclubs (I had been over for the Sonar festival of electronic music) but found the food far more stimulating than the music.

Personal highlights from this trip:

El Xampanyet: crowded but friendly and fun. We got a bottle of their semi-sweet cava by mistake which tasted foul at first, but suddenly came into its own when the savoury/fatty tapas arrived.

7 Portes: An obvious tourist place, but beautiful, gentile and, if not absolutely exciting in culinary terms, then definitely solid and comforting (I got a bad case of order envy when the table opposite starting tucking into a massive veal steak...they did, however, spend most of their meal texting on their mobile phones rather than engaging in civilised conversation. Cast not...but still!).

Prawns from the Bocqueria (10 € for a kilo!) cooked in olive oil, garlic and paprika. Best after a night in the fridge.

Anyway, hope the map is of some use.

Strc

[gagit]

Doc, I know you were most helpful but Gaig was the most overpriced undervalued restaurant in the world let alone Barcelona. This is true for there new location at Hotel Cram and maybe not for there previous location. I am not only talking about the $250.00 a couple price tag but the food quality, service, and the fact that $6.00 per person bread and snack charge is not only rediculous but insulting.Please see my full review on my web page www. gagit.com for my full review in a few days.