Barcelona Visit - Early April - Dining

[viejomajadero]

Hi

Would appreciate a yes or no to each restaurant listed. I have already considered all of those restaurants reviewed in other threads and recently got this list from our intended hotel.

Thanks very much for your quick reply.

Viejo Majadero

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Via Veneto

Windsor

Ca l’Isidre

Casa Calvet

Set Portes

Barceloneta

Merendero de la Mari

Cerveceria Catalana

thanks

Edited March 15, 2009 by viejomajadero (log)

[Aidan Brooks]

Hi

Would appreciate a yes or no to each restaurant listed.  I have already considered all of those restaurants reviewed in other threads and recently got this list from our intended hotel.

Thanks very much for your quick reply.

Viejo Majadero

---------------------------------------

Via Veneto

Windsor

Ca l’Isidre

Casa Calvet

Set Portes

Barceloneta

Merendero de la Mari

Cerveceria Catalana

thanks

←

What sort of place would you normally enjoy? I ask this question because these are all restaurants serving very traditional food. That's not a criticism - Cerveceria Catalana is almost a second home for me and the first three on the list especially come with impeccable references. But there's nothing very radical and exciting here. Perhaps if you give us an idea of what sort of place, food and service you are most comfortable with we can make some helpful suggestions.

[viejomajadero]

Aiden

I truely respect your opinion but need to make this simple for me and the way I think.

I have read through all the restaurants recently visited on this blog. I also culled from some web sites and then got this list from the hotel. What I need from someone such as yourself is to tell me not to choose a certain place because it is "not good". Impecable references are good, but as you must be aware restaurants change over time or after a great review you visit the place and it is just off.

I plan to take in all levels of food and only have six nights to do it in. I want to try what the locals eat as well as higher end. I don't want Japanese, Thai, Italian, French, Chinese, etc. I do want what is expressed as "Barcelona" food. Radical is not important, but exciting and inventive can be, BUT not every night.

I want to narrow down my list tonight and make a final selection. Set Portes, Barceloneta, Cerveceria Catalana, and Merendero de la Mari are open on Sunday and I need a Sunday choice. Since one is your second home that helps me.

I thank you in advance for your educated help. I usually have chef friends with connections to places I visit and that is a tremendous advantage. I don't have that in Barcelona. Lastly, my wife is Cuban and her mothers side of the family is Catalan, so she would like to taste her "roots" so to say.

I'm already thinking Gresca, and Cerveceria Catalana, Hisop, and Pinotxo.

Viejo

Edited March 15, 2009 by viejomajadero (log)

[viejomajadero]

Mi esposa suggests

Top Choice for

Tasting Menu ---- 35 - 50 Euro

Best Suckling Pig

Best Paiella

Best Seafood

Viejo

[Aidan Brooks]

What I was trying to say is that your original list contained chalk and cheese suggestions - everything almost from formal dress code with silver service to jeans and trainers sharing tables and restaurants with prices from e20 to e150.

If you are going to Cerveceria Catalana you will have to queue for a seat and the earlier you go the shorter the queue. Your shortlist will all give you a genuine experience of Barcelona's food, which is primarily Catalan and Basque with strong Italian influences.

[viejomajadero]

Thanks for the reply. If you had to choose 4 restaurants for us to visit, which ones would you pick? Price or or type of food is not an issue. We appreciate all your help.

Viejo

PS.....not necessarily from this list...

Edited March 16, 2009 by viejomajadero (log)

[pedro]

Here go my picks:

Catalonian traditional cuisine: Fonda Gaig, Can Pineda. You wouldn't regret going to the Hispania either, but you'd need a car or a train ride.

Contemporary catalonian cuisine: Comerç 24, Abac.

Bistronomy: Gresca, Coure.

Seafood: Rías de Galicia.

Tapas: Quimet i Quimet.

[IFS]

Would strongly endorse Gresca and Rías de Galicia. Our experience at Comerc24 was mixed...

For the higher end I would do Abac, Cinc Sentis, Lasarte or Moo if you don't have the time to go to Girona and do Roca (which is a MUST in the region).

Reviews on Gresca, Rías, C24 and Roca on my blog High-End Food for reference in case you are interested (Sep/Oct 08).

Enjoy!

[Aidan Brooks]

My four would be Cervecería Catalana and Gresca for great food and a bubbling, fun environment; Cinc Sentits and Lasarte for food a class above and a lot more peace and quiet. I've published reviews of the last three on my blog (click on Restaurants in my header bar) and CC is probably the best value for money in town, though as I said before you must expect to queue.

[viejomajadero]

Hi All

First we would like to thank all who have submitted their thoughts and suggestions.

We have decided (also in light of availability) for our dinner as follows;

Saturday Hisop

Sunday Cerveceria Catalana

Monday Rias de Galicia

Tuesday Gresca

Wednesday Quimet i Quimet

Thursday Cinc Sentits

Viejo Majadero y Esposa

[Pork Belly]

Hi All

First we would like to thank all who have submitted their thoughts and suggestions.

We have decided (also in light of availability) for our dinner as follows;

Saturday      Hisop

Sunday        Cerveceria Catalana

Monday        Rias de Galicia

Tuesday       Gresca

Wednesday   Quimet i Quimet

Thursday      Cinc Sentits

Viejo Majadero y Esposa

←

That is a good list of places. Comment on Quimet y Quimet: it is a small bar that serves excellent simple tapas made mostly from canned/preserved seafood; also a few cheeses and cured meats but no hot items because they do not having a cooking kitchen. Dued it's small size, it gets very crowded during the evening (as well as midday); no tables, mostly standup with a couple of stools. If you've already had a large midday meal, it would be a good place for the evening, otherwise, I would go there for lunch.

Edited March 28, 2009 by Pork Belly (log)